How And Why To Send Me Money: Redux

Also: New things for subscribers. Let me know if you have ideas!

“From time to time I've read some of your writings. I've seen something deep. You haven't quite landed at the right place to fully utilize your talents but I suspect with some luck you will. Glad to be of minor assistance towards making that true.”

Last year, someone heard through the grapevine that I was in financial trouble. They sent me a no-strings-attached gift of cash. They asked not to be named, but they said I could publish their words above.

For those who do not know what my life has been like recently, I’ll provide a summary. In late 2019, I launched my own magazine. Many people had encouraged me to do this for years, and many supported me (thank you all, again). Sadly, there was summarily a pandemic in 2020, so I paused my magazine (though we still managed to publish our first issue despite the pandemic, and I’m still proud of that). In 2021, I met my ex-fiancé, a notorious and widely hated figure on the right wing. Being associated with him severely damaged my career. However, I loved and trusted him at the time, and I hoped that he and I would be able to build something together professionally as well as personally, something I hoped would be greater than the sum of its parts. In 2022, he asked me to marry him and have his children. I became pregnant during our engagement; then we broke up while I was pregnant. In 2023, my ex-fiancé sued me in family court less than two weeks after I gave birth, leading to significant health complications as well as the complications from the lawsuit itself (the lawsuit is public and some details about it were later reported by a tech publication, The Information). I am not wealthy by the standards of the Bay Area, where I live. This process halved my savings and made it very difficult for me to move to a cheaper area, but at the same time, I am privileged enough that I haven’t had to go into debt, and my family is helping me manage. In 2024, I looked after my little one almost full-time, while trying to get back on my feet, and I got the opportunity to do some work for New York Magazine. The NYMag project has been extremely demanding and complex, and it isn’t quite done yet, but when it’s done you’ll hear about it here first.

Now it’s 2025.

I’ve now spent ~25 years creating media of various stripes, starting when I was 15 years old when I interned for an internet text game (i.e., a MUD). One thing I keep learning is that audiences are partially motivated to support creators based on the creators’ circumstances. So, now you know my circumstances.

And yet: I have always felt that if one is going to have a media business, one ought to have a business model that includes, like, actual things of value exchanged for money. I realize that in the current media landscape this sounds prim and old-fashioned, but I Still Believe. So, although numerous people have offered to help me do a crowdfunding campaign based on my recent crisis, I would prefer not to do a gofundme at this time. If I’m going to raise money, then I currently have the privilege of aiming for sustainability while building something of long-term value.

I have a unique perspective and skillset, and I suspect that I have an important contribution to make in this world. It seems like people want to help me do that, and some seem willing to help me with money. Maybe… you are one of them??

Here is my current plan for funding from various sources. This plan is subject to change due to the forces of chaos, and some parts will move more slowly than others. Feedback welcome…

• ITEM ONE: I turned on Substack payments last year, because someone used the “pledge money” feature to pledge money, and I felt like it would be churlish to turn that down. In the intervening year, I’ve thought a lot about things I want to write about, and I’ve begun committing more time to the endeavor. And now I’m getting excited. I want to start writing more again!! The stuff I can post on Substack will generally be more unusual and personal than the stuff I publish elsewhere, so that’s a reason to support me here.

SO: If you become a paying subscriber to my Substack then you are helping me write more, and write independently. Here are some benefits for paid subscribers:

- Some of my posts here are paywalled, so that only paid subscribers get to see them.

- Also, when I publish elsewhere, I’ll try to publish “Director’s Cut” extra material here on Substack. Sometimes those posts will be paywalled. (For example, last year I posted the “Director’s Cut” of my widely-read story about the Latitude Society from 2016.)

- Maybe I can do meetups? A book club? What do y’all think?

- I’ll offer discounts on my other projects when I can (the first one is at the bottom of this post)!

- If you have ideas for paid subscriber benefits, let me know! Bonus points if you have seen them work in the wild, i.e., strategies in active use by other internet writers.

• ITEM TWO: Nonfiction book deal. I’ve learned the business pretty well; people keep saying they think I can get one of these, and I tend to agree. If you are in the publishing industry and you like my writing, and you’d like to talk about this, get in touch.

• ITEM THREE: Fund my budding media empire to make magazines and stuff. In 2019, I launched my magazine. The first one was awesome. People still buy copies of the first one, which has been called “genius” and a “cult classic,” and I frequently get asked when I’ll do another one. I also have extensive skills in other aspects of media organization-building and could potentially do more than just a magazine, like structural media innovation.

Are you excited about this? Hit me up. Note that I am already able to accept major tax-deductible donations because my magazine is fiscally sponsored, so if you want to write my magazine a large check and get a tax deduction, let’s go.

• ITEM FOUR: Consulting projects. If you are the sort of person who hears about neat projects, check out my work history, and let me know if there’s something I ought to look into.

Please note that I am a mom with a small child, and I hope to have more kids (with a different partner). So if you have an employment offer that’s contingent on me not doing that, then I cannot accept. Thank you.

I’ll close us out with another testimonial (and then the discount code that I promised). This is from a recent paid subscriber:

“ok fine, i'll send money too. the reason is i've noticed your projects for years. they repeatedly are serious and without fear. i've admired the intensity and willingness to go anywhere that calls. that also got you in a bit of trouble on the last major tour, but it read as in good faith.”

Want a discount code for Issue One of my magazine? See below…