I've been thinking about offering a paid tier since I started All the Fanfare.
It's not about the money, but it kinda is. Money is a sign of appreciation, and an affirmation that this work is meaningful. Also, money buys essentials like Hostess orange cupcakes and movie tickets.
But I could never bring myself to pull the trigger.
The whole thing feels a bit like when Dale and Brennan tried to sell their family on Prestige Worldwide. Not that my business plan is quite so laughable. I don't really have a plan, to be honest. There are no boats or hoes on my radar.1 I'm just trying to blaze my own trail.
We're all comfortable with Star Wars analogies, right?
Writing for online publications is sort of like working for Jabba the Hutt. The pay is decent but the benefits stink and you have to do things you'd rather not. Boba Fett looks cool and all, but at the end of the day, he’s just a hired gun. He does all the hard work bagging Han Solo, but the Carbonite sculpture ends up in Jabba’s living room.
Given the choice, I’d rather be Han—scrappy, independent, bit of a nerf herder. Your patronage helps me be more like Han. Which is all I've ever really wanted.
In recognition of this "momentous" occasion, I'm offering 30% off annual subscriptions FOREVER. This is the lowest price the annual plan will ever be. I'll also be tagging these folks as 'founders' because it's an important distinction I'd like to track.
You don't have to act now—this isn't a Billy Mays infomercial. I'll be running this promotion through the end of the year. But acting fast will spare me some discomfort, so I appreciate whatever haste you can make. You can also sign-up for a monthly subscription.
Your paid subscription includes the following perks:
- My undying gratitude
- 2-4 Exclusive monthly posts
- Free eBook copies of my books
- Previews of books and things I'm working on
- A contented feeling from supporting writing you like
- Opportunities to direct my attention to topics you'd like covered
About those exclusive posts—here's the first batch of paid-member stories I'll be publishing soon (titles subject to change):
- How the Steve Rogers & Bucky Bromance Shaped the Early MCU
- Young Pervy Patrick Dempsey Taught Me All About Sex
- That Time Michael Bay Tried to Mimic 'Titanic' and Instead Made 'Pearl Harbor'
I also have plans to cover Firefly, Nerd-Sex Comedies (Revenge of the Nerds / Weird Science), Kevin Costner epics (Robin Hood, Dances with Wolves, Water World), and yes, probably-definitely Star Wars.
The White Men Can't Jump piece was briefly on the paid-post list. It's actually what finally prompted me to move forward with a paid tier. I've put a lot of time into what is currently a 15-minute article, and the idea of just giving it away was tough to swallow. But I'd already promised it, so it'll be hitting your inbox in the next day or two. Consider it a free sample.
I thought this was going to be a bit longer, but it turns out that's all I really have to say. If you have any questions, send me an email.
Investors?
Footnotes:
- When I was looking up the "Boats 'n Hoes" video on YouTube, I discovered John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell recently performed the song with Snoop Dogg. You're welcome.
