Eagle-eyed readers will already know where this is going.
In my New Year’s Day post I wrote about my hopes and dreams and, dare I say, vision for 2018 and my work. And a lot of it was about this website, and how I’m going to make a living doing what I love: writing and advising on political strategy and messaging.
Here’s the thing. I’ve been blogging for a long time now. It’s always been free. We all tend to look at blogging as a bit of a nothing – just some words thrown out on a webpage, a side hobby, a distraction.
But this blog is labour. It is a product of my time and expertise. And it changes things – not in the most dramatic, final-uplifting-speech-of-an-episode-of-The-West-Wing way, but in shifting how politicians talk and what we think progressive politics looks like. Challenging the leftwing status quo and offering ways for us to be better and do better.
And to keep doing this – to post regularly and devote the resources I need to keep it current and interesting – I need it to be more than a hobby.
In 2018 the old ways of making a living aren’t relevant.
Especially, as I noted in my 2017 sign-off, when you’re an opinionated sheila who rocks the boat. We need boat-rockers. And boat-rockers need you.
So here’s the value proposition. If you get enjoyment my work, and want to see it continue – and fancy getting an inside look on what’s coming next – I’m asking you to support me with a monthly pledge through Patreon.
Patreon is a platform for creative people to get direct support from their fans. You can set how much you want to contribute – from $1 per month to $10+.
In return, you get early access to most of my posts (the ones that are planned ahead and have a bit more work put into them), the ability to vote in polls about the future of Boots Theory, and even a Christmas card at the end of the year.
Look at the alternatives.
Other NZ politics bloggers charge up to $15/month for subscriptions and put their content behind a paywall. For $35/month you can get all the rightwing propaganda you like at NBR (and occasionally me cackling at Nick Leggett). Cameron Slater even tries to charge $2,000 per annum for his “Platinum Annual” INCITE subscription (really, Cam?)
$10 per month to keep Boots Theory fresh and free for all to share sounds like a pretty good deal.
So head over to my Patreon page and sign up. You’ll need to set up a Patron account to access your rewards and manage your pledge. Currently Patreon uses PayPal to manage payments.
And thank you.
Afraid of commitment?
If a monthly contribution is a bit scary, there’s another option! Whenever you see a post you like on Boots Theory, you can make a one-off tip through Ko-Fi – another online platform helping people reward the creators whose work they enjoy. (And many, many socialist bouquets to those of you who already have!)
Stephanie Rodgers 