I’m of the same mind. Unfortunately the window was not big enough for me to enroll and now all these ads are just a reminder of how I missed my chance.
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I believe the ad you’re seeing is for our candles not TBS, right? If so, it’s a test ad I created that my developer included in the new plugin, which also includes the dark mode, etc.
I’m working on a bigger post about all this but wanted to clarify a few things here so maybe we can continue this discussion.
I am testing adding reminders and very minimal ads to the out-of-world areas of the forum, like this topic. Ads that would point readers to new books and new merchandise, but also reminders for the community hangouts we have each month, and our company calendar which will show not only upcoming events in and out of world, but also what Catherine and I are up to behind-the-scenes.
If we launch these ads officially, they will never be 3rd party ads, and they will always be created and managed by me personally, like the candle ad was.
One of the primary reasons we are testing ads like the one you’ve seen is because even my most engaged readers have super busy lives and don’t know about a lot of the things going on around Ackerly Green, even with emails and announcements here on the forum. Like The Briar Society. Early enrollment started back in the first week of December but many people didn’t know that. We sent emails and made announcements here, but a lot of people didn’t see them and they got lost in the shuffle. People like you, who were interested in enrolling, which is a bummer.
We want to make sure people can always sign up for all the experiences they want to, and get involved as much as they want to, and also, at the end of the day, I’m just an author working alongside his assistant to try and manage this amazing world that’s grown around my stories. To continue doing this, which is my full-time job and more, I have to do what I can to make money to support the company and myself. Things like AG+ and The Briar Society, and even merchandise like the candles literally keep the lights on here at AGP.
I’m sorry if it seems like I’m asking for more than that. My focus here is not on money. It’s on this world and this community. I left a career in screenwriting to pursue this dream, a dream which was originally to create a free interactive experience (The Monarch Papers) that would introduce a more traditional publishing plan.
But at the end of TMP I saw that my readers were far more interested in that immersive experience continuing and so was I, so I completely changed my business model last year. Instead of books being the main revenue-generating work, I worked to make the interactive parts and merchandise revenue generating so that I could keep the business running. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do.
Ackerly Green is not a profitable company right now. It never has been. I personally pay every month to operate it. Because I love it and I believe in it and I believe in this community. But I can’t keep doing that forever or I’ll go broke, :(
I am sorry if you were upset about the ad, or missing out on The Briar Society. We worked hard to make sure that the enrollment window back in December was big enough and that we sent enough emails this month to remind people about the last enrollment day (I think we sent 5-6 
), but I completely understand that you needed more time. We’re putting up a waiting list today so that if people drop out of TBS for whatever reason, others can join.
I really am just trying to make something wonderful for all of you. I just have to make a living doing it, too, I hope that makes sense. Most people in my real life think I’m absolutely nuts for running a company for four years that’s not only never made a profit, but also costs me lots and lots of money. But I believe in it, and I think it will be a success.
BUT, if you have other ideas about how we could do all of this better, I would love to hear them. I feel like this community is at its best when we’re putting our heads together. 
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Oy. I guess I just went ahead and wrote the blog post. Sorry for the long response. 
I may just copy and paste this for my blog post.
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When I first saw the add I thought I’d accidentally copied and pasted the link cause I was literally looking though the shop before I made my post it appeared under but didn’t even think to edit the post to get rid of it cause I though it was nice to see some attention for the candles!
I personally think the ads are a great idea! I’m so scattered especially at the moment and any sort of reminder is really appreciated! My inbox is up to 1,340 so email is clearly not the best way to reach me 
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I got sort of excited when I saw the ad for the first time, but I’m kind of obsessed, so anything Ackerly Green makes me happy.
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I agree! I think the in-house ads are a convenience; I can’t keep up with my inbox, either, and rarely go on Facebook. I appreciate the integrity that @CJB is maintaining by not including third-party ads!
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The only ads you will ever see here will be for Ackerly Green, made by and managed by me. That’s a 
% promise.
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Ah. I see your countdown till I and the other Balimorans have completed world domination is finished…
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Long live the balimora!
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Long live the Balimora!
brings out crown
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@Catherine is helping to manage the progression for the BOB release narrative while I’m upstate writing for the week, so give her a hand!
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I mean “give her a hand” like applause not please help her!
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drop mildly creepy mannequin hand and kicks it under the table
Oh…right… 
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And I’ll pretend my brain didn’t take that straight to how pets “go to a farm upstate” with that whole generic AGP account so Sabes can “ghost-like” things. 
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And now I’m in a Black Watchmen mood. Guess I’ll have to boot that up and start getting caught up again.
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Soooooooooo is it taboo to ask if The Silver has a forum or online HQ?
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