An interlude / a foray

Hi all! Taking a quick break from building December’s recommendation post to roll out something new. For the last two years, I’ve been sending out mostly-monthly media recommendations, as well as updates from my life as a person / writer / publisher. With the ongoing demise of twitter and concomitant scramble to find and reprioritize other social spaces, I’ve taken some time to think about my future with newsletters –– both this one, and swallow::tale press’s forthcoming press bulletin.

The $ocial Media-pocalypse & Me

Twitter has, for myself and many others, been a way to get opportunities, share and respond to calls for submission, and network with those we wouldn’t otherwise have contact with. It’s been a way for me to supplement my fairly pitiful income as a graduate student instructor, as well as a space in which people who enjoy my work have expressed that appreciation to me. Loath as I am to say it, twitter was useful as a tool for self-marketing, a skill I do not want to practice, but must.

With all this in mind, I’m tentatively rolling out a paid tier for this recommendation service. This tier is for those who can afford to, and desire to, send me material support for all my writing and publishing ventures, and acknowledge the time and labor I put into curating these monthly lists for everyone. I’ve set the subscription payment amount for the lowest possible ($5/month) with a yearly subscription option of $50 (two months free). You can join as a founding member for $100, if you have that kind of money!

What does that mean for this free newsletter?

Not a whole lot: recommendation posts will continue to be free every month for everyone. However, paid tier members will be able to comment on posts/join discussions, get personal happy mail from me, and gain access to periodic journal and research note posts, to gain insight into what sorts of material I’m chewing on in real time. This last bit will provide you a more in-depth look at the why and how of my recommendation choices, as well as the ways that scholarly and creative media practices tangle at every stage of my work.

In conclusion:

Thank you all so much for your continued support, for reading and watching and listening with me, and for your generosity in sharing feedback on my work. This is a labor of love, but it is not a labor that can continue to exist without financial security. As always, I welcome your feedback as to how I can make your subscription –– free or paid! –– worthwhile.

If you do choose to take the leap into paid-subscription-world with me, thank you & welcome! If not, I’m so glad you’re here and sticking around.

If you’d like to tip me but can’t afford the subscription options available right now, you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo.

Okay, I think that’s all from me. Expect another rec post in the next week or so, and until then, take care and stay safe and warm.