Oh hello! In keeping with our tradition of transparency, we wanted to let you, valued reader, know about a few things going on here. For starters! During October, you'll see two different kinds of sponsored posts very rarely appearing on the website. The first is a straight-up advertisement. Unlike some other web sites, that sort of sponsored post on The Awl is not written by the editorial staff. These sponsored posts will clearly be visually marked as such; you will not find it confusing in the slightest. The second variety is an editorial feature, of the kind we publish every day here, with a specific sponsorship-those posts are advertiser-supported (you know, like programs on the TV! Or like small TV show segments, such as the Daily Show's "Moment of Zen"!). So the advertiser is sponsoring the feature, and is recognized for that-but that has no relation to or bearing on its editorial component. Does that make sense? (Questions? Do ask!) We're happy to be doing this, and I will tell you about why that is so! And also about how you might be interested in an exciting investment opportunity that does not involve transferring money to a UK bank account to retrieve a lost Nigerian fortune.

As you may or may not know, or care, The Awl is a business! We began this website both for our own entertainment and to fill our lonely unemployed days-and also because it's a good business, we think: bringing smart, culture-loving, informed people of all sorts together in one place. Look at you! Yes, you. You're a smart, sexy critter!

To date, we have not paid ourselves. We'd like this to change in the near future. (So would my landlord.) We'd also like to begin paying our fine, wonderful, intelligent contributors. Tom Scocca's baby isn't going to feed itself, people. And think of Mary Choi's shoe habit! This is, it turns out, completely possible. As we grow-and we are growing, according to Alex and David, who are the ones who check our Google Analytics traffic-advertisers are discovering that we have a fantastic, loyal audience.

There are two paths before us now, and we will take one of them. One is to remain D.I.Y. and self-supporting, growing somewhat slowly as advertising income increases, and beginning to pay ourselves and contributors, and then hiring as we grow further.

The other is to partner with a smart investor, or a small group of smart investors. For a rather impressively low price, this website can, basically, skip a year of school-it can beef up and jump right into the next income bracket.

And now, for the only advertorial I will ever write-since it is advertorial for myself!-if you are interested in either advertising or investment, please do email David Cho. He has a rather lovely business plan to show you.

What else? In other news, we are mostly likely changing servers this weekend, which should be painless and invisible to you. Ha, I know, right? But that also brings good news, in that a new host should have a much-improved mass-mail service, which means that our daily newsletter would have the technology to begin again.

Questions? Thoughts? Complaints? Operators are standing by. Thanks!