I'm not your public radio station, but I need your Pledge
Why I'm seeking your Pledges (while subscriptions remain free).
Hi folks. I need to have a frank talk with you.
I started this project a little over a month ago, and it’s been fun and exciting to receive comments and see my stats go up. But when I initially set it up, I chose not to require paid subscriptions — a decision I’m sticking with for the time being — and here’s why:
“What’s your deal, Alison?”
I still need to work myself up to the comfort level of asking people to pay. As someone who lacks disposable income herself (more on that in a sec), and therefore has to limit spending on subscriptions (to anything, not just to other Substack writers), I don’t want to assume that people have money to spare.
I’m still working on mapping out where I’m headed with this newsletter, and I want to make sure I can post regularly and keep the content a-flowin’.
I learned that because there are plenty of other people like me (at least in terms of #2 above), Substack offers a Pledge option, which you can use to support me when I do “go paid.”
What’s a “Pledge” on Substack, and why should I do it?
From the folks at Substack, from that link above:
Pledges help writers build confidence that readers love and value their writing, and that they could succeed with a subscription model.
If you want to help me build confidence — it sounds thirsty, but it’s true! [wait - do the kids still say “thirsty”? maybe not but I’m still going with it] — please subscribe for free! Every time I see that another person has subscribed, it’s an exciting little dopamine hit, and another layer in the forcefield I’m trying to build against the inner critic.
Better yet, if you do have a few extra dollars to spare each month, please sign up for a Pledge. Here’s what I see on my end when you do. (Some names/email addresses blurred for privacy.)
“Alright alright already, how much do you want from me?”
How much? When I set up my Substack, I just went with the auto-populated / suggested amount of $8 per month, or $80/year.
When? My hope is that once I hit a certain number of Pledged subscriptions, and/or a certain number of months of regular posting, (six? Twelve? To be totally honest, I’m still deciding), I’ll click on the “Turn On Paid Subscriptions” button. But until then, I’m hoping to continue offering writings about Quad Cities (and general midwestern) people, places, things, and ideas, (yay, nouns!) as well as my personal tribulations and travails, in the hope that they make you laugh, bring your attention to something new, or at least make your inbox have something in it that is not a bill.
I’m hoping to continue offering writings about Quad Cities (and general midwestern) people, places, things, and ideas, (yay, nouns!) as well as my personal tribulations and travails, in the hope that they make you laugh, bring your attention to something new, or at least make your inbox have something in it that is not a bill.
Consider it an act of charity by helping me cut down on my W2’s
And finally, let me explain that while I’m still working on the things I wrote about in items 1 and 2 above, I’m also trying to balance not one, not two, but three frikkin’ jobs just to make ends meet. This is partially because of a seriously unlucky streak in recent years due to some circumstances outside my control (a pandemic, for one!), and in part due to my choosing. Maybe I’ll explain more in a later post, (buckle up, though!), but for now, just know I’m stretched. So if you can Pledge (and eventually pay), you’ll be helping me not only with
the financial realities of my life, but also
possibly reducing the need to work multiple jobs, thereby giving me more time, energy, and mental focus to keep writing.
Thanks for reading and considering. I truly appreciate it.
Alison
P.S. You can also send help me cover the cost of gas to get to interviews and other real-world necessities to do this work by leaving me a tip on PayPal.
P.P.S. I’ll throw in a public-radio mug and tote bag!1
That’s a lie. But everything else is the gol-dang truth.
The Inquisitive Quad Citizen is a proud member of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative, a service created to link readers and writers who share an interest in our state. Please support these writers by subscribing to their columns and sharing their work, or signing up to get the Sunday morning roundup of all their columns in your inbox.
Happy to support you! Love your posts!
Thank you so, so much!