Paid subscriptions coming

Hi all,

Paid subscriptions are an essential part of the newsletter model, getting away from the economic dependence on advertising that has poisoned Twitter/X, Facebook and Google. But I’ve held off introducing a paid option. I’m nostalgic for the early days of blogging and before that the pre-commercial Internet, when everything was free. Also, I see this kind of public outreach as part of my job as an academic, so I don’t need money from subscribers.

But I’d like more engagement with other writers, most of whom limit some of their work to paid subscribers. So, I’ve decided to offer paid subscriptions, with the idea that I’ll use the money I get to subscribe to other substacks.

I still plan to make all my own posts available to everyone. So paid subscribers won’t get much beyond the knowledge that they are helping me do a better job. I will try to add a few extras, including some full texts from my paid subscriptions, if I find them particularly interesting.

Quite a few people have pledged support in the event that I add paid subscriptions. In case some of you were expecting more return for your support, I’ll defer going paid for a week or so, during which you can cancel your pledge (not sure of the mechanics, but unsubscribing then resubscribing without a pledge should work).

Best wishes

John