I posted my first article on Substack in November of 2023. I’ve been on and off since then. Some stuff I felt really good about, but it’s been just over a year, and I’m still at it. Interestingly, the more regularly I post, the more people follow and subscribe. Funny how that works. So, I made myself a commitment: if I hit 100 subs and can write consistently every week for the next several months, I’ll open up paid subscriptions. And I need to move my story along.
It’s a science fiction story spanning centuries and mega-parsecs. The story starts At the Sign of the Screaming Monkey’s Head — a pub that might just be the center of gravity for the whole thing. I think. Stories tend to take on their own life, but for the moment, that’s the plan.
What do you get out of it?
Mostly warm fuzzies. I’m not setting up paywalls, paid content, or anything like that. This is more for me than for you. I keep reading about how writers should let people pay for their work, but I want anyone paying $6 a month to know exactly what they’re getting. And honestly? The first year of this effort wasn’t worth subscribing to. I’d write five posts in a week and then disappear for two or three weeks. If I were subscribing out of kindness or because I liked someone’s writing, I’d have been disappointed.
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I am resolved to publish weekly. So if you do like reading this, you can count on seeing it once a week from now on.
What will I do with all those Benjamins?
Seriously, if The Glob helped keep me in cigars and whiskey, I’d be surprised, humbled, and happy. But don’t worry—I’ll buy my own whiskey. If someone wants to chip in for one cigar a month to keep me inspired,
What do I get out of it?
An opportunity to see if I’m really serious. about writing. Am I a writer or not? I’ve been playing at it for a couple decades. Even did a monthly print newspaper for a year. It was a lot of fun, but it was an expensive hobby, and my full time job cut into efforts at ad sales. But, man, it was fun.
I want to write after work or before work instead of staring slack-jawed at TV or scrolling endlessly on my phone. Writing consistently would certainly do me more good than it would do you. Going paid would mean commitment and responsibility, growth—all good things. Maybe even some maturity, which wouldn’t hurt either.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thank you. And if you want to, you can