A straightforward account of how this site makes its money, for readers who appreciate knowing.
Last updated: May 2026
On Affiliate Links
This site includes affiliate links to Amazon.com and related Amazon domains. When you click an Amazon link here and go on to purchase a book — whether it is one of mine, or any other book entirely — Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The commission is typically 4.5% of the sale price for books. It does not change the price you pay. It simply means Amazon shares a small part of what they earn on the sale.
I mention this plainly because you deserve to know. The purpose of this site is to share my writing — the books, the essays, and the body of work that has accumulated over years of thinking about languages and the lives they shape. When I recommend a book here, I recommend it because I believe in it — not because of the commission. If I stopped earning affiliate income tomorrow, I would continue to recommend exactly the same books.
But the commission does exist, and you should know that it does.
On Paid Newsletter Content
My newsletter is currently offered free to all subscribers. If I ever introduce paid tiers or premium subscriber content, this page will be updated to reflect that, and I will notify all existing subscribers in advance.
On Sponsored Content
This site does not accept sponsored posts, paid reviews, guest posts, link exchanges, or any other form of paid content. Every article here is written by me, in my own voice, for my own reasons, without compensation from any party other than the affiliate commissions described above.
If this changes — which I do not expect — this page will be updated and the change will be clearly disclosed.
On Advertising
This site does not display advertisements and has no plans to. The reader experience comes first.
Questions?
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
A.C. Maas