A conversation between two Jasons…

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Creative Jason: So this is it, huh? You’re selling out, aren’t you?

Business Jason: I wouldn’t exactly call it “selling out.” More like “maximizing opportunity.”

CJ: Dork. You never could use three syllables when nine would suffice.

BJ: Burn.

CJ: But that’s what it is, right? You’ve agreed to put ads on your site to make a quick buck.

BJ: And that’s a problem? This is America. We invented capitalism and corn dogs, all for the purpose of making money. It’s what we do.

CJ: But ads? On this blog? How much money do you expect to make?

BJ: Very little, actually. I’m more excited about the traffic. We’ve gotta do the ads to get the traffic.

CJ: Hang on. Back up. Please explain.

BJ: OK. We’ve been asked by Guideposts to be in their network of featured bloggers.

CJ: Guideposts?

BJ: Yes. In order to be part of this network, we have to let them place ads on our site. Unobtrusive ads. After a few days, we won’t even notice them.

CJ: Guideposts?!?

BJ: Yes, Guideposts. The little inspirational magazine our mom subscribes to.

CJ: Guideposts wants us to be a featured blogger?

BJ: Yes. Is there a problem?

CJ: Did they see the post yesterday about the airbrushed dog?

BJ: Probably. They say they selected this site for the stuff we’re already posting. Apparently we won’t have to change a thing, other than putting a couple of ads up.

CJ: Wait — have they read our books? Or that church-hopping article for Relevant? Are they aware that we fought to include the word “bazongas” in Pocket Guide to the Bible? Those things don’t seem very Guideposty.

BJ: They’re revamping their website this month, and rolling out the whole blogger network along with it. I’m pretty sure they’re trying to skew younger.

CJ: So we don’t have to start posting stuff about, for instance, the power of positive thinking, or the fighting spirit of former Olympic ice skater Scott Hamilton, or the compassionate activities of easy-listening radio host Delilah?

BJ: Nope. We can just do the same old stuff. Noah’s Ark. Karaoke. Atheist Buses. All of it. As long as we continue to post three times a week, which we’re already doing.

CJ: Even Little Evelyn Talbert?

BJ: Oh, they might be interested in her. If there’s anything Guideposty on this blog, it’s her.

CJ: Right. So we’ll start seeing ads soon, but nothing else will change.

BJ: Pretty much. If anything changes, it’ll hopefully be in the form of increased readers of this blog. Higher traffic. As a member of the Guideposts network, they’ll occasionally link here from their front page. They get something like a kajillion hits a month. Our hope is that some of those kajillions will end up here.

CJ: And then…they’ll buy more books!

BJ: Bingo.

CJ: And fake band shirts!

BJ: Right.

CJ: And maybe they’ll leave fun comments. Because I’m totally surprised there are so few comments about that dog post yesterday.

BJ: Me too. That was some crazy stuff right there.

CJ: True dat.

BJ: What are we, Toby Mac? We so can’t get away with saying, “true dat.”

CJ: Sorry.

BJ: Mainly we want to take advantage of this weird out-of-the blue opportunity, because we have, like, four books coming out next year. If more people read this blog, more people will know about the books, and more people might buy them, and someday we can be a full-time writer and not have 13 different jobs.

CJ: So the ads are actually a step toward personal and professional simplicity.

BJ: Exactly. It’s not selling out at all. It’s more like…taking control.

CJ: That’s some positive thinking right there, buddy.

BJ: Guideposts is gonna love us.