Report from the Treasurer: Holiday 2010 Edition

In accordance with our policy of openness, honesty and transparency, I present to you the Holiday 2010 edition of the Report from the Treasurer. Continue on past the cut for the gory details.

Google AdSense – These are of course the Google ads on both the top and right sides of the page, as well as the Google search box on the top of the right sidebar.  When we last reported on this back in July, our Google earnings stood at a whopping $8.97.  Since then, our ads and search revenue have pulled in an additional $8.86, making the total an impressive-sounding $17.83.  But, lest you think I took this money and ran, Google doesn’t pay out until your account reaches a threshold level of $100.  So, in other words, I won’t be getting a check from Google for a while…

Amazon Associates – These are the Amazon product links you see in articles/podcast episodes where we review or recommend various things.  This also covers anything bought using the (patent-pending) AnimeFinder™ search box in the right sidebar.  (pro tip: you can use this to search for things other than anime), as well as the “Top 10 Anime DVDs at Amazon” listing on the right sidebar.  When we last reported, we had $27.06, which, due to an error on my part, was given out in the form of an Amazon gift certificate rather than a check.  Which actually worked out, as I needed some materials for the photography workshop I gave at Anime Expo this year.  Since then, I’ve changed my payment method to direct deposit into a special checking account that I use only for Internet and website stuff (domain name registration fees, paying my ISP, etc.).  And as of yesterday, we have earned an additional $9.96.  (Ignore the Revenue column, this is the amount that Amazon made; the amount they pay out to their affiliates is shown in the Advertising Fees column.)  Domain name renewal for otakunopodcast.com is due in January, and so this money will go towards that.

Friends of J-List – On September 28 of this year, we joined the Friends of J-List affiliates program.  Basically it’s like the Amazon program, only for stuff sold at J-list and J-box.  Manifestations of this include our (somewhat inaccurately named) J-List Product of the Day, in which periodically (not necessarily daily, hence the inaccurately-named part) I highlight a cool J-List or J-Box product I find while browsing their site, which I post on both Facebook and Twitter; as well as the various J-list banners and search boxes you will find in the right sidebar as well as around the website in general.  J-List has a truly awe-inspiring selection of products straight from Japan; not just your traditional otaku goods (anime artbooks, figurines, plushies, magazines, dating-sim games, etc.) but many items of traditional Japanese culture (bento boxes, chopsticks, etc.); items to help you learn Japanese (study guides, workbooks, flashcards, etc.); tons of traditional and not-so-traditional Japanese foods, snacks, and drinks; and, ahem, “those” products as well. Definitely worth a look, and if you use one of the links or search boxes on our page to buy, we’ll get a small cut of it.  Unfortunately, although there has been quite a bit of interest in the items we put up, no one has ponied up yet, resulting in our earnings coming to a grand total of $0.00.

The Future – As I said earlier, our domain name renewal fees are due in January, and our recent Amazon Associates payment will partially cover that.  (I usually renew for at least 2 years at a time, which supposedly increases your “Google juice,” plus that way I don’t have to remember to do it as often).  It also looks extremely likely that I will be giving my two talks at the upcoming Anime Los Angeles as well, which may require some additional expenditure as, in particular, I’ve greatly expanded and rejiggered the photography workshop.  I’ll also be resubmitting my workshops to both FanimeCon and Anime Expo; we’ll see whether their respective administrative bodies deem my programs worthy of a repeat performance.  My co-hosts and I have also been noodling over some other panel/workshop ideas, which may bear fruit sometime in 2011 as well.  I’m also investigating the possibility of finding a web person and/or an artist to help out with our website design as well as a new Otaku no Podcast logo – it might be nice to have some REAL logos and web art for a change.  And payment for our Skype and Vimeo accounts are due late in 2011, so that’s not on our immediate radar.  (Neither is the website/logo thing, it’s just something I have in the back of my mind).

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you