IS IT TIME?

SHOULD I START A PAID OPTION?

WOMAN DEBATING WITH 2 SIDES OF HERSELF

SHOULD I OR SHOULDN’T I?

Every time I start something new, there are two sides of me, arguing both “for” and “against” the new venture.

I have decided it is time for me to ask for people to pay for subscriptions.

I must admit, I feel kind of icky about it.

My posts have been totally free up to this point, but now I am realising that possibly the only way I am going to make any financial progress with writing is to have a paid feature on my Substack.

THERE’S STILL THE FREE OPTION, THAT’S NOT CHANGED

Everyone who presently subscribes for free will be able to continue to do so. Don’t feel you have to stop subscribing because there is a paid section.

I will still write a free post every Monday, as usual, but I am going to have a paid option where people can get something else.

SO, WHAT’S THE PAID OPTION?

What that something else might be, I’m not sure, so I’ve decided to do the sensible thing and just ASK.

Oh, it won’t be right now. I have to get used to the idea, of , gulp, you know, earning money from this!

STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

I’m thinking I will probably start having a paid option next month in September. September is always a good month for new beginnings. It must hark back to the days of starting the new school year. Whatever.

Much as I hate the thought of having a “Pay Wall” I think it is time (probably overdue) to see if Substack could be an earner, as so many people who write here on Substack proclaim. (Proclaim quite vigorously, actually!)

For me, having a paid option is sort of locked box that is only for those who pay. It separates my audience into two groups, when I would prefer it to be one, as it is now. All free, please come, please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

To be honest, the fact that it is all free allows me to be bold enough to say to casual followers, hey, why don’t you subscribe? It’s all free. But if it wasn’t all free, I couldn’t say that. I would be inviting them into a tent that had a price ticket attached, and that would be icky.

WHAT’S IN THE PAID OPTION?

And of course, what do I know, or have, that I could charge for? My expertise, such as it is?

Here are some of my first thoughts on what readers could pay for, and I would be very interested to know your ideas and suggestions. How do these sit? Good? Bad? Indifferent? In need of tweaking?

THE FIRST IDEA:

I could release my book I ATE EVERYTHING BUT THE NAPKINS: HOW I OVERCAME OVEREATING, in weekly instalments, dribbling it along. I could even make changes to the original book by soliciting observations and suggestions from my paid audience. Possibly I could even re-release the “new, improved” version of the book, with suggestions picked up from my readers.

THE SECOND IDEA:

I could post some of my 50 word stories, and/or my 100 word stories. These are stories that have a strict word count (as it says on the tin!) The title is not part of the count, but other than that, the story must be exactly the specified number. You’d think this would be tricky, but to be honest, I could almost do them in my sleep.

For example, the latest one I’ve come up with starts, “Lottery Winner Seeks Companion....”

THE THIRD IDEA:

I could comment on people’s writing if they sent me samples, up to a certain word count. (I can’t be expected to comment on whole novels! But opening paragraphs, a dialogue, a scene, all of those would fit the bill.)

THE FOURTH IDEA:

That’s up to you, dear reader! Whatever you are generous and kind enough to suggest to me that tweaks my imagination. Maybe something I’ve not thought of.

HOW MUCH?

And suggestions for the cost per month, per year, would also be helpful.

Seeing as I have been at Substack now for over two and a half years, I hope some readers might be willing to contribute suggestions.

It would be so helpful if you did!

Looking forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions.