Thank you for writing and publishing this. It’s such a difficult topic for so many, yours truly included. I don’t have any answers, and - while I have paid subscriptions available - I don’t paywall any of my posts either. I just can’t quite bring myself to do it.
I try to think of it all as an experiment, but I’m not sure that’s helping me get where I want to go. 🤣
You're so right, Jamie. It's SUCH a difficult topic! I've sat with this for the past several months trying on lots of different options, and this is the one that felt the best for me...for now. It may not work, and that's okay, but I had to try the thing the felt the most honest for my work.
I love how you are addressing this, Jess! I have not turned on paid and know I want to eventually monetize my writing in some way, but keep putting off the act of doing that. I do know that I will never paywall posts. Your solution really resonates with me. Thank you for sharing it so thoughtfully!
Gah! I have so many things to say about this. This is the first: Could it be possible that you may be depriving your readers of the joyful act of committing to a paid subscription? It brings me joy to support my beloved favorite writers financially. I offer a donate button and encourage readers to become paid subscribers. And nothing is paywalled ever. It might be a worthwhile thing to look at as an option. I was so excited when I saw the title of your post. I thought to myself, finally, Jess is turning on paid! We work hard at this. Say yes to letting others support you in this way. Don’t take that possibility away from your fans! Happy to discuss further. Love you, Jess!
I appreciate that reframe, Nan. It's a lovely idea that turning on subscriptions is a way of allowing other creators to support you. But, my decision to approach it this way stems from my own experience on Substack and how I would like to be able to support the work of the authors I read. I cannot become a paid subscriber for even a 10th of those I follow, but I love having the chance to "buy them a coffee", particularly for a post that resonates deeply with me or is incredibly well researched or just literary genius. It's my small way of saying "I see you, your work, and its value." My goal in doing this is the same. In addition, you and many of those who offer paid subscriptions put out multiple posts per week. I do not have the bandwidth for that, and its not my goal to be able to do that, so knowing that, I want to be fair about balancing what I have to give with the way someone can financially support that. Makes sense for me...for now. Thank you for looking out for me! 😘
That's wonderful, Jess. I support you in doing what works for you! And I get it. It gets too pricey if you want to pay for subscriptions. I do sales now and then, which makes it more possible for people to subscribe. I love donate buttons, too. Congratulations on taking this step! xo
Thank you for writing and publishing this. It’s such a difficult topic for so many, yours truly included. I don’t have any answers, and - while I have paid subscriptions available - I don’t paywall any of my posts either. I just can’t quite bring myself to do it.
I try to think of it all as an experiment, but I’m not sure that’s helping me get where I want to go. 🤣
You're so right, Jamie. It's SUCH a difficult topic! I've sat with this for the past several months trying on lots of different options, and this is the one that felt the best for me...for now. It may not work, and that's okay, but I had to try the thing the felt the most honest for my work.
I love how you are addressing this, Jess! I have not turned on paid and know I want to eventually monetize my writing in some way, but keep putting off the act of doing that. I do know that I will never paywall posts. Your solution really resonates with me. Thank you for sharing it so thoughtfully!
Thank you so much Cathy! I hope that exploration leads you to the right way for you for us to support you financially. 💖
Gah! I have so many things to say about this. This is the first: Could it be possible that you may be depriving your readers of the joyful act of committing to a paid subscription? It brings me joy to support my beloved favorite writers financially. I offer a donate button and encourage readers to become paid subscribers. And nothing is paywalled ever. It might be a worthwhile thing to look at as an option. I was so excited when I saw the title of your post. I thought to myself, finally, Jess is turning on paid! We work hard at this. Say yes to letting others support you in this way. Don’t take that possibility away from your fans! Happy to discuss further. Love you, Jess!
I appreciate that reframe, Nan. It's a lovely idea that turning on subscriptions is a way of allowing other creators to support you. But, my decision to approach it this way stems from my own experience on Substack and how I would like to be able to support the work of the authors I read. I cannot become a paid subscriber for even a 10th of those I follow, but I love having the chance to "buy them a coffee", particularly for a post that resonates deeply with me or is incredibly well researched or just literary genius. It's my small way of saying "I see you, your work, and its value." My goal in doing this is the same. In addition, you and many of those who offer paid subscriptions put out multiple posts per week. I do not have the bandwidth for that, and its not my goal to be able to do that, so knowing that, I want to be fair about balancing what I have to give with the way someone can financially support that. Makes sense for me...for now. Thank you for looking out for me! 😘
That's wonderful, Jess. I support you in doing what works for you! And I get it. It gets too pricey if you want to pay for subscriptions. I do sales now and then, which makes it more possible for people to subscribe. I love donate buttons, too. Congratulations on taking this step! xo