Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well and I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as I would like to be but I have some bad news... BUT DON'T WORRY! It will immediately be followed by GREAT NEWS!!!
STILL Shadowbanned
Zuckerberg still has me on his shit list. I currently have a sword of Damocles hanging above my head as I have discovered, hidden away in my page settings, is a lovely message from Facebook saying my page is being actively restricted for violating their community guidelines and is at risk of being permanently deleted.
Not only that but I found out Facebook is now warning first time visitors to my page and even going so far as to automatically "unlike" my page for some users. And I'm not even kidding. I know a lot of pages say "Oh the big bad Facebook police are being mean to me" but like... I'm being 100% honest when I say a real-life friend of mine has left our FB group and unfollowed my page completely involuntarily.
How's that for a kick in the pants?
So I'm doing what I can on that front. I'm still posting even though exceedingly few of you are actually able to see my posts. I'm trying my best not to use the @everyone tag in the Facebook group but it is quite literally the only way I can get any half way decent amount of eyes on anything I post right now. It's incredibly aggravating to be dealing with this as I'm finally trying to officially start my own business but it is what it is.
Wait what was that? Something about officially starting my own business?
Well...
After years of running things as a side hobby I've finally taken the leap and registered as a business, I AM OFFICIALLY NOW A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER!!!
I'm still diligently pecking away at the small details behind the scenes but I'm really excited for the new opportunities this will lead to.
With that being said I'm starting from scratch here so I figured now would be a good time to tease some upcoming stuff and give you an idea of what's going on.
Shirts, merch, and more
I'm slowly but surely working on making sure all of my designs are listed and available. I've reorganized the shop with product tags so it should be easier to find what you're looking for. If you come across a design you like and want a different style (I upload unisex t-shirts by default but can put designs on tanks, womens tees, sweaters, hoodies, etc.) just reach out to me and let me know!
In addition to old reliables I've also got some new designs for you to check out!
Stickers and Pins
I've always enjoyed making stickers and pins but I've always struggled with getting funding to get them made and keeping track of inventory. I... Don't want to talk about how many pins got lost in between events. Now that I'm going legit with my business I've cooked up an idea to get things rolling! I can't say too much but what I CAN say is that if you like stickers and pins you should keep an eye out for a 5 piece bundle that may or may not be getting announced soon.
Podcast?
Many of you have probably seen my posts or gotten an email about the Tales From the Tavern thing. Turns out that name is, unsurprisingly, already taken. HOWEVER! The project is evolving and taking on a life of it's own. Years ago, in a former life, I had a podcast. I've always sort of had an itch to do it again but the timing was never right. With the launch of the website, starting the business, and all that I figured now is as good a time as there will ever be. I'm still stirring the cauldron on this one but the story project is going to be the cornerstone of whatever I end up coming up with. I'm thinking it will wind up being focused on interviewing some of the amazing people I have had the pleasure of meeting and sharing the stories you all have submitted. ( PLEASE submit your stories... Pretty please? You can email them to me at DBTavernStories@gmail.com )
Subscription Updates
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has subscribed, it really means so much to me.
Introducing Platinum Tier
Subscriber-only Forum Access
Platinum Forum Badge
VIP Lounge Access
25% Store Discount
We have added store discounts to subscriptions. I'm working on figuring out a way to get them automatically applied but for now you can toss me a message if you want to make a purchase and I can get you the relevant discount code.
Founders - LIFETIME 10% Discount
Supporters - LIFETIME 5% Discount
Copper Tier - 5% Discount (with active subscription)
Silver Tier - 10% Discount (with active subscription)
Gold Tier - 15% Discount (with active subscription)
Platinum Tier - 25% Discount (with active subscription)
As always perks will be retroactively applied to anyone who has previously supported so all Founders and Supporters will get their discounts.
I see your posts more when you share them via your personal page and keep getting asked if I want to continue seeing posts from Drunken Bard. Knowing Zuck is actively targeting you is definitely helpful.
IT'S ME! I was surprised last Thanksgiving to find myself out of the Facebook group, but assumed I got crosswise of an admin and moved on. In February of this year, you and I were chatting, and my dismissal from the group came up and we discovered that I'd been zucc'd from the group. Then last week I was randomly thinking that it'd been a while since I'd seen your page posts and I thought maybe you'd be zucc'd like before... then I saw your post in the Tavern group about people being unfollowed from your page and I immediately went over to see if that's what happened to me, YUP! Apparently Facebook thinks you're too wild for my delicate…