I’ll be honest. Advertising is my least favorite thing ever.
As an author, there are certain things I enjoy a lot, like bringing characters to life and solving tricky plot problems. And nothing beats the feeling of getting a great review or opening the file from your designer to find a cover for your new book that totally nails it.
There are a few things I’ve learned to appreciate, if not exactly love. Like writing newsletters. It’s something I used to dread, but over time, I’ve come to value the results of growing and staying in contact with my reader base, even if I still look at the blank email template with terror every two weeks.
And then there’s advertising.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one for whom advertising does not come naturally. As proof, I point to the dozens of courses out there on mastering Amazon and Facebook ads. For writers in our genre, it can be even trickier. So many of the resources authors in other genres swear by are ineffective or completely inaccessible for sapphic content. The ones that do work are expensive, impossible to book when you need them, or both.
TB and I struggled for a while with whether or not to offer paid advertising with the relaunch of IHS. Partly that’s because she feels the same way about ads as I do. Plus, the whole point of IHS since it was founded has been offering authors ways to reach readers free of charge. However, as our vision came together for what we wanted in our new site, (and as our website designers came back to us with how many dollar signs were attached to those visions), we finally had to admit that launching paid advertising had its benefits.
For authors with a big launch, an important sale, or a backlist they’re hoping to energize, the added visibility of an ad on a website dedicated completely to our genre in undeniable. And for us, the added revenue makes it possible for us to continue doing the vast majority of what we do for free. It is, to use the business jargon of people who probably actually enjoy advertising, a win-win.
After running a pilot program for a few months and tweaking things here and there, we are excited to announce our advertising program for 2023. Here are some of the most important features:
- Slots available each week have been significantly limited to make sure every ad gets plenty of visibility
- You’ll get one email newsletter ad included for an added boost
- Graphics continue to be created in house to keep our site looking tidy and remove barriers for the design challenged
- We’ve also added an option that allows you to provide your own graphics
- You can start an ad any Monday of the year for extreme flexibility, instead of having to wait for a monthly block
- A limited number of annual sponsorships are available for added savings
To find out the particulars, check out our advertising opportunities page.
If you’re ready to go straight to the rates and booking form, you can do that here.
