Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Back To Reality: General Blog Keeping

Yes, I'm back.  Not that I ever really left - but I'm back to my own reality at any rate.  My Man is still very happy to have me home (always nice to be missed) and I'm getting caught up around the office.  I also have a small pile of books waiting for me to read In The Immediate Future, so I'm hoping to get some reviews going soon.  I've already delivered two of them to Sybil, which might help her overlook the fact that I've been a major slacker of late.

Before I really, truly get back into a regular routine around the Bat Cave though, a couple of general housekeeping things that cropped up while I was off at RWA having Librarian Of The Year fun. 
  • First, as you might have heard, California wants Amazon to pay sales tax.  Amazon, not wanting to do this, has taken it's toys and gone home - which means cutting off their affiliate members.  Uh, of which I'm one.  To that end, I've updated the disclaimer page here at the blog.  The short version?  When you buy something that I link to on this blog (or at my Upcoming Historicals wiki), I'm no longer earning any pennies from that sale.  I'm still debating what I'm going to do.  Probably nothing.  It's not like I was making hordes of cash off the blog.  It was never the point, more like a wee added bonus (and I'm talking very wee).
    • I've decided to clean up my side bar.  I believe less is more.  So I've started a new page on the blog, and you'll notice a new graphic on the side bar for Super Librarian Recommended Reads.  These are books I've reviewed (and really enjoyed) either on this blog, or over at Sybil's place.  The plan is to keep this page fairly fluid, so expect titles to come and go off this page.  You can always follow the "grade" tags at the bottom of review posts to see more titles.
    And that, as they say, is that.  Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.  Just as soon as Wendy finds her sea legs again....

      7 comments:

      little alys said...

      We could've made money off the Amazon links? I totally missed that memo. Lol. Not that I could anyways. >_<

      Glad you're back. I missed you too~~~

      nath said...

      It's definitively nice to be missed :)

      Can I suggest something for your sidebar? Can you add the search engine?

      And good job on those 2.5 Harlequin read on the way home!

      Buriedbybooks said...

      Yeah, I wasn't surprised by Amazon's move. It was expected. Still haven't figured out why the state thought they'd see any money from that law. They'd be better served enforcing the use tax we already have.

      I've removed the widgets on the blog, but am too lazy to bother finding all of those links. Guess I should get cracking on those Book Depository links. They're non-US based, so I suspect they're exempt.

      Hannah said...

      @Amber did you hear that Amazon bought Book Depository? Though I'm a loyal Amazon customer I am saddened by this news. I like to see Amazon have healthy competition. It might not affect the affiliate links in the same way however.

      Thanks for the "recommended reads" link, Wendy. I have several in my TBR pile and need to get to them soon!

      Buriedbybooks said...

      @Hannah,

      I hadn't heard that :( Bummer. Don't think it affects affiliate links, but it's not a significant amount anyway.

      Wendy said...

      Alys: A very little money :)

      Nath: Ask, and ye shall receive! There's a search box now. Of course now I'm trying to decide in what order I want things on the side bar. Sigh.

      Amber: I'm such a cynic. My first thought was that even if the state DID see any money from this move they'd just end up mismanaging it per usual.

      And I'm not going back and changing old links either. Yikes! Way too much work.

      Hannah: Yeah, that Book Depository news is...bothersome. I suspect their free worldwide shipping days are numbers - which sucks for all of us. Ugh.

      nath said...

      Thanks very much Wendy!! It's going to be faster when looking for stuff :)