Put on your party hats and pop the streamers! Private View is one year old! And I have an exciting invitation for you…
My Substack bio says, “Doesn’t work for exposure.” Yet clearly I do.
But no more! Yes, I’m turning on the payment option! You can now help me bust that exposure myth and pay me for my writing work. Excited? I am!
Let me tell you, I have agonised over this decision in the way only women do when asking to be paid, but I’m putting on my white-man Chinos and asking you to pay me for what’s become my job over the last year, writing Private View.
Until this week I’ve never considered writing as part of my creative practice, even though I’ve been writing for an audience in one form or another for over a decade. By asking for payment, I’m also accepting that I’m now a writer. Weird. Unexpected. Thrilling.
Okay, convention says I now have to explain why you should upgrade to a paid subscription, so here we go:
You ensure the continuation of Private View for EVERYONE. Your money pays for my time writing both free and paid content. You’ll get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that others (not just me) benefit from your payment.
I won’t lie, I’m not going to give you loads of extra content if you decide to become a paid subscriber. That’s not my way, and I know how busy you are creating art, but I’ve had particularly lovely feedback on two (2) types of content, both of which I’ll send to you each month in addition to my weekly newsletter: a voice note and a short creative essay.
As a paid subscriber, you can access my full writing archive. I’ll be adding some pre-Substack essays to the archive and including writing from my Wild Creative Studio days, so there will be something there for everyone.
For the cost of one Starbucks coffee every month (mine’s a decaf soy latte), as a paid subscriber you’ll be supporting independent writing by an artist woman. All the feminist Goddesses will arrive at your home and serenade you with drumming and song! (Subject to availability. Conditions apply.)
As a paid subscriber, your funds will allow me to pay guest writers (you, perhaps?) for their contribution to Private View. I’d love to have a guest writer series but I believe in paying for contributions. Will you help me platform the voices of other artist womxn?
Not ready to commit? I understand and don’t worry, I’m not about to abandon you if you remain a free subscriber: I won’t lock you out of the comments and I won’t send you half a newsletter (don’t you hate that?) I want to say a huge THANK YOU for allowing me to drop into your inbox.
There is no such thing as a free subscriber: the attention economy is real and I know that asking for ten minutes of your attention every week is as difficult an ask as requesting money. I don’t take you for granted.
Because you give me your attention, I’m a better writer now than when I started this Substack a year ago, and with your continued support, I’ll be an even better writer in another year.
Okay! That’s my pitch!
Until next time
JC
Omg, I love this pitch! It is so open and realizing that we free subscribers loathe half a post. I need to clean up my newsletter list so I will circle back!