That said, you might want to turn on paid subscriptions anyway; I've found that many people are looking to support you as a writer (or the project overall) as opposed to doing so to get more/different content.
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with that approach. It's no different from any other blog, after all. The nice part is that you're not shelling out in advance for a web hosting service, a mailing service, or any of those other things.
I also aim to keep mine free, but I may in the future, when I'll have more subscribers, turn on a paid tier voluntary option where people may choose to chip in some cash. About pledges, I recently had this lovely surprise where someone signed up and pledged to pay for it - I really wasn't expecting it and it made my day.
I think there are a lot of different approaches to content management that would work. I feel kind of awkward charging money for people to read my comments on a video game. However, having a paywall for commenting can help a lot with moderation; perhaps I'll see some paid subscriptions as time goes on.
I do believe that there are people out there who are willing to contribute a bit of money for writing that they enjoy. Part of the trick is finding them – but a bigger part of the trick is being consistent and giving them a reason to support you.
I aim to keep my substack always free for all… am I doing this wrong?
Nope! It's your newsletter to run as you see fit.
That said, you might want to turn on paid subscriptions anyway; I've found that many people are looking to support you as a writer (or the project overall) as opposed to doing so to get more/different content.
This is true ❤️❤️❤️
Check out Anne Kadet (Cafe Anne) she’s successful and doesn’t require paid subs ❤️🔥
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with that approach. It's no different from any other blog, after all. The nice part is that you're not shelling out in advance for a web hosting service, a mailing service, or any of those other things.
I also aim to keep mine free, but I may in the future, when I'll have more subscribers, turn on a paid tier voluntary option where people may choose to chip in some cash. About pledges, I recently had this lovely surprise where someone signed up and pledged to pay for it - I really wasn't expecting it and it made my day.
I think there are a lot of different approaches to content management that would work. I feel kind of awkward charging money for people to read my comments on a video game. However, having a paywall for commenting can help a lot with moderation; perhaps I'll see some paid subscriptions as time goes on.
I do believe that there are people out there who are willing to contribute a bit of money for writing that they enjoy. Part of the trick is finding them – but a bigger part of the trick is being consistent and giving them a reason to support you.
Ohhhh that sounds very cool. I’m going to look into that!