I'll Make It Clear

I appear to have annoyed/confused/angered some people by stating I may not continue CBO next year. The thing is that if I am not publishing new books and earning money to live on and there is only 1% (in reality it doesn't even come out as 1% but it's the best I can come up with) response to any postings from the 2000+ who visit here each day then what is it that should persuade me to continue?

A blog with this many visitors/hits and that has been going for 15 or so years cannot generate revenue. No publisher is even willing to consider paying for an ad and I have tried everyone who has benefited from CBO over those years. 

Companies NOT short of a little spare cash.  They WILL take every free piece of free publicity they can get to keep sells coming and even state CBO is a "vital" part of that.  So, it's okay for me to spend all day editing some very bad Press Releases -some not including basic info such as...how to order a book!- and writing up posts taking my time and energy for nothing.  But they will not even reciprocate by a link to CBO or helping out in practical ways?

I dropped event PRs for the same reason -you should really see the awful stuff I get that is supposed to be a "press release" with bad spelling, no real info and images I have to spend a lot of time on to make usable.

I've supported and pushed UK comics since the 1970s.  Result for me -ZERO and nothing but crap.

I've heavily supported the UK Small Press since the 1970s.  Result for me -EXACTLY the same though I did expect better from Small Pressers for some reason.

What have I gotten out of CBO all these years?  Headaches, LOTS of abuse and I've wasted more time than I want to think about.  I sat down last night and realised that had I kept everything posted on CBO only in my head then it would have had the same impact: a wet feather impacting on concrete.

I know six people who read CBO and that's it. Many thousands of others I only see stats on. That is no reward after 15 years.

So, yes, I am quite willing to just stop CBO here and now.