And now, I’m going to try doing something new on my blog.
I’m going to ask for donations.
(And just like any good pledge drive, I’m going to offer goodies in return!)
As many of you know, I’m working very hard to get to a place where I can make a living as a writer. And I’m coming to the conclusion that donations and subscriptions to my blog may be an essential part of making that happen. I’ve been blogging for over three years now, and while I’m having more fun with it than I could ever have imagined, I also devote a huge amount of time to it, with no income from it other than a few ads and book sales. The reality that I’m beginning to accept is that this blog isn’t like a magazine, or a publishing company. It’s more like public radio.
Which is brought to you by generous donations from readers like you.
If you’ve enjoyed great new posts like “Evangelical” Atheism and The Messed-Up Teachings of Jesus — or classics like Atheists and Anger — won’t you consider supporting this blog?
And if you do donate or subscribe, here’s what you get in return!
Anyone who subscribes to my blog — $5 a month for 12 months — or who makes a one-time donation of $60 or more, will get a signed copy of their choice of any of my three books:
or Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for their Clients.
Just email me (greta at gretachristina dot com) with a name and mailing address when you make a donation. I’ll even take requests for how to sign it, if they’re not unreasonable.
And the important but intangible thing you’ll get with your support is a better blog. If I can get a decent income from subscriptions and donations, I can start focusing on my writing to a greater degree than I’m doing now. And that means better blogging. I won’t promise to blog more — my friends have already told me they can barely keep up with my blog as it is — but I can promise to blog better. I can spend more time on it; I can do more research, more profrerading, more rewrites. A well- supported blog will be a better blog.
Plus, of course, you get the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you’re helping support a writer who you presumably like. You get to feel like a patron of the arts. Heck, you would be a patron of the arts.
You can go the subscription route, which spreads your donation out in small increments over a longer period. (A subscription to my blog is $5 a month for 12 months.) Or you can make a one-time donation, and that can be for any amount. Even small donations would be very much appreciated. You can use a credit card if you don’t have a PayPal account, or your PayPal account if you do.
I promise not to bug you too often with these pledge drives. I definitely promise not to interrupt your programming for it. (Although it is tempting. “We’ll continue the rest of this theological argument shortly. But first, have you considered supporting Greta Christina’s Blog? For just a few dollars a month, you get quality atheist rants like this one — plus sex advice, political opinions, movie reviews, recipes, and so much more — almost every day of the week!”) But I love blogging — not just my blogging, but the basic fact of blogging, the very idea of it — and I want this to be a world where blogging is a viable career option for writers.
Let’s see if we can make that work.
Your insight and writing are remarkable. I both enjoy and learn by reading this blog and have donated $60.00 just to keep you on the air because I really cannot imagine how it could get better.
Bruce Campbell
I’m interested in going the subscription route, but I’m at a stage of my life where I don’t know where I’ll be a year from now – it could very well be a state where $5 a month makes a difference. Is it possible to cancel a subscription if it turns out I suddenly need that five bucks to buy ramen noodles?
Boy, have I ever been there, Indigo. And the answer is yes. Regardless of how you pay a PayPal subscription (through a credit card, a bank account, or your PayPal account), you can cancel a PayPal subscription at any time.
Here are PayPal’s instructions, in case you need them:
A subscription can be canceled up to the day of the next scheduled
payment.
1. Log in to your account at https://www.paypal.com/.
2. Click “History” at the top of the page.
3. Select “Subscriptions” from the Show menu.
4. Check the “From” box and change the date back 2 years.
5. Click “Search.”
6. Click “Details” to view the details of a specific Subscription
Creation.
7. Click “Cancel Subscription.”
8. Click “Cancel Subscription” again.
And thanks — to you, and to Bruce, and to everyone — for your support! It means more to me than I can say.
Reply to my email if you wish- Do you have a postal address where I could mail a check? I don’t do anything with money over the internet, my bank acct, credit card etc. numbers never go near my home computer.
That first commenter/donor. Is that THE Bruce Campbell?
I had intended to do this already so now I have to get to it.
I found this blog three weeks ago and haven’t finished reading all the posts following all the links etc.
I am having a most excellent time here.
Which would you rather we do?
Julie
Julie, that is so sweet. I probably have a slight preference for subscriptions, but it really doesn’t matter: whatever works better for you is totally fine. And I’m so glad you found my blog!