Chimp business
I was about to draw a completely different strip when I received a telemarketing call. It turned out to be my bank, trying to sell me some financial package… perhaps they’d overheard that I’m soon to be £60 better off…
The problem was, that they needed to confirm my identity over the phone. The usual stuff, mother’s maiden name, date of birth, but I too needed to confirm their identity, since that’s not really the sort of information you want to hand out over the phone.
We were in a telesales stalemate – I wasn’t willing, and the telemarketer wasn’t able.
I think that has to be the cleanest end to an unwanted conversation I have ever experienced. The poor man just said, ‘I’m sorry to waste your time’ and I replied, ‘likewise’, and we both hung up.
I’m left needing angry, shouty closure. That’s not what is supposed to happen in a cold-call situation. There’s supposed to be cursing and insulting remarks.
…
Anyway, I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has ordered the book so far… They’re in various states of construction as I type, and when I’m finished I’m off to do some more.
As a result of the book, I’ve made a site-based decision. No more adverts. They were good for what they were, but let’s face it, some of them were truly awful… especially the flashing ones. The book sales so far have generated enough money for me to keep the adverts off the site… (I might replace that big old sidebar skyscraper ad with a discreet link to the book though).
Hopefully, by buying my book, you have made the site better. Not massively better, but better nonetheless. Thanks.
I’m glad to hear that your book is doing well- I’ll be ordering one as soon as I get my greedy paws on some discretionary funds. I’ll also try to get out a Transplant press release about it today.
I’ll be honest, though- I’m a bit sorry to see the ads go. I mean, you could never be sure of what was going to be there. I mean, there was always the chance of finding a decent new comic. Then there were the ones promising to be an epic story but when you click on the link there’s an archive of maybe five pages and a note saying “I’ll update again soon” dated to sometime last year. Oh, and who can forget the eternal promise of sexy geek girls? Then there was the t-shirt company that would sometimes book two ads at the same time…
Goodbye ads. You’ll be missed. Maybe not much, but at least a little.
It’s an easy mistake to make… you have just finished your first 5 pages, you’re dead proud of them, and you want to world to see what you’ve done…
It’s jumping the gun a bit, getting advertising for a handful of pages, but that said it’s completely understandable.
“Goodbye ads. You’ll be missed. Maybe not much, but at least a little.”
ha, touche.
If I ever successfully sold anything on my blog I’d leave the ads on out of sheer greed. But I don’t make any real money off the ads anyway. That’s probably because my traffic is nearly non-existent pretty much no matter what I do. Sometimes it spikes but I can’t figure out why or how to make it happen again. (Also worth mentioning is that my blog is hosted for free…otherwise it probably wouldn’t exist.)
Huh. Likewise on all points.
Also, I think I’ll miss seeing my ad here.
Dang now the page is too short.
I’ve just noticed the tiny smiley face at the bottom of the page!
It’s very friendly.
Cold-callers are fun. Treat them like they’re from some sort of sex-line.
“So…what are you wearing today? Are you feeling…naughty?”
I think what I might do then, is use the new space to add some functionality to the site… how would you feel about a ‘recent visitors’ sections, or maybe ‘recent comments by’.
I could also use the space to advertise what you do… that is some slightly more permanent links to your sites and pages compared to the blogroll thing.
What do you think?
It’s like internet real estate, better use it quick before Walmart decide to throw up a store there.
Added functionality would be great. Permanent links to the regular crowd would also be neat; it seems like you’ve attracted a very creative fan base here, Adam. I could give you a mini version of my GearHead banner:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q211/pyrrho12/GearHead/gearhead_banner_1.png
It’s probably a bad thing, though, when the banner looks better than the actual game. ^^;
That’ll get sorted out in time.
haha, cool solution to the cold-callers.
I will have to remember that next time they call.
No more ads? But how will I exploit your success for my own gain now?
/b
Mike, beemoh, Davey:
How about I just give you lot a link in the sidebar? Would that make up for the lack of adverts?
I mean, I’m suprised I haven’t already… I try to remember to add my regular readers as often as I can. Also, I cull them when they stop reading… well, I cull their links, not them in person.
I’ll try to sort that out tonight…
That’s kinda ominous, getting culled. : )
This is sorta a gray area in internet manners, isn’t it? Do I say:
“Hey link me!” or
“No, no, don’t feel like you have to link me just to be polite.” or
“I wouldn’t put a link on your site if you were the latest web comic on the interwebs!”
Hmm. “I appreciate the gesture? I would be honored to have a link here.” (Meanwhile greedily thinking about all your readers.)
last, not latest…. yeesh
I quite like the use of latest… considering the global increase in the number of webcomics…
I’m not going to be a tyrant over it. It’s just that I noticed that some people ask for me to link to their site and I don’t so much as get a thanks… so I review them every now and then. Plus the new sidebar thing for recent commenters should help too.
Our children, if they learn manners at all, will have quite a time sorting out all the nuances of globally networked social interaction.
Someone should write a book about that…no…AN EBOOK!
Whey, no more adverts.
I do plan to order the book as soon as I can, but it will involve the carefully-executed theft of
dad’ssomeone’s credit card…Oh, I meant to ask…Any chance you’d go to comic Expo next year, Adam? This year’s was awesome, but there was no one I knew. It’d be so cool if you came, it’s in Bristol sometime in May 2009. See if you can set up a table.
I very nearly ended up there this year, I was supposed to be stopping by en-route to London, but I had to change my plans at the last minute.
It’s very likely I’ll be there next year… having a book to sell makes it a little more fun too.
Actually, I’m planning on hitting a few conventions over the next year. I’ve only ever really been to one as an exhibitor, but I’ve skulked round a few as a potential customer, checking out what other people are up to.
Whey, it’d be awesome if you were there. I plan to go for the third time next year after my success catching a train there this year. Also, I’m planning to go with quite a few friends and we’re in the process of planning costumes. We’re gonna go for proper costumes in ’09, in fact there may be a shinigami if I can put together a Rem costume (DeathNote)
.
So yeah, Adam do get yourself a table next year, it’d be fantastic to see you there!
I smell an impromptu Flowfield Unity meetup.
We could call it The Flowfield Unity Unites, or something.
/b
I do know someone that went all storm-troopered up… I think there are pictures somewher of them on the internets…
So did you enjoy it this year? I’ve heard it was pretty good. And Bristol tends to be the small-pressers favourite (as opposed to all the super-hero stuff).
I might share a table with some of my friends… the prices have gone up a lot in the last couple of years. Plus it means you can have a wander whilst someone looks after your stock.
Ads have become like the odd uncle
who always has his hands on you.
Are you sure it REALLY was your bank?
Good thing you did not give the person your personal details… just in case.
I’m *reasonably* sure it was them… I checked out their phone number, and I also contacted my bank to tell the off, as well as check.
Is there any limit on the amount of request-comics we’re allowed in the book?
Only, there’s quite a lot I love.
Well, I mean theoretically, the limit is 80 pages… being the size of the book…
But 77 once you take away the title, copyright page and half-title…
Plus, for my layout, I like to use the recto (right-hand) pages for 3-celled strips, and the verso (left hand) pages for single and no-cell strips… but that’s just preference really… so I guess the answer, is 77.
I’ll add one caveat to that. It’ll take me a little while longer than usual if you request the 77 strips that aren’t already in the book… but not much.
I am very careful what kind of information I provide over the telephone. How can we be sure that the person on the other end is in fact our bank. We only have their word for it.
You ask them to prove who they are. They will then give you their number to cross-reference with your records (IE: the phone number on your bank statement) and hang up, on the pronciple that you will call them back and hear the same voice.
In practice, this means that you don’t call back, because the only reason the bank is calling is to sell you stuff. So it’s win-win either way.
/b