Lock In a New Era: Turning On Paid Subscriptions
Vol. 06, No. 00
Turning On Paid Subscriptions
When I switched to Substack, I began toying with the idea of paid subscriptions. But including an option for paying subscribers felt low-key odd, because writing is a thing I’ve always just done and shared when it made sense to share. The writing wants to be free to roam the world!1 No matter how frustrating or terrifying it is to apply myself to the craft, it remains the first and deepest commitment I’ve made in my life.
But I also remember the first time I actually got paid for my writing - a whopping $50 for an article it took me two hours to write. I felt like I’d arrived. This was years ago, when publishing was still predominantly gated by editors and print media. Now that payment processors are available to every individual on the planet, relying solely on a publisher to pay out a fee doesn’t seem as necessary anymore.2
Ultimately, I want to live a writing life. Turning on the paid subscription feature represents a step toward the future I’ve always envisioned, a way of “dwelling in possibility.”
There are so many different ways to run a paid newsletter: all or the majority of posts paywalled, free posts with subscriber-only options, links to Ko-Fi or Buy Me a Coffee, etc. I am always grateful to those writers who make their work freely available, and try to support them in a variety of ways (since paid subscriptions to all would be the entirety of my monthly budget).
What resonates the most for me is a form of the patronage model, in what might be described as “unlocking the commons”: supporting and sharing what we find meaningful for as many as might benefit from it.
Thoughts are not the exclusive intellectual property of any one person (no matter what corporations try to claim). There’s nothing new under the sun, simply a fresh awareness of the world and its possible combinations, which is inherent to each of us. I have always hoped that something of my words might resonate with someone who needs it, much as the words of other writers have shaped me over the years.
And serendipity is no respecter of paywalls.
What this means going forward…
I’ll turn on payments as of July 1. If you’re already subscribed, you’ll continue getting emails with no interruption.
If you wish to become a patron of my work, you’ll have the option to subscribe at $5 per month, or $50 per year.3
All issues will continue to be public for anyone to read.
If what I share resonates and you decide to financially support future work, your generosity is deeply appreciated. If you simply keep reading and sharing with others, you bless me with your attention.
No matter what, as always: thank you.
Let’s be hopeful, creative, and wise—together.
Shalom,
Megan.
I’d love to know…
If you do become a patron and wanted a li’l somethin’-somethin’ extra, tell me what option sounds most interesting or valuable by taking the poll below.
There’s a bit of the attic-dwelling starving artist in me yet.
Though still very nice, indeed…diversification of revenue streams, after all.
Which breaks down to a little over $4 per month.
*Topics suggested by you, which means you’d get three issues or videos per month instead of two.