Hi everybody,
Today’s post was originally scheduled as the very first scan of my old journals, one of three special monthly releases accessible only to paid subscribers. When mapping out how I wanted to distinguish sub_letter, sharing these entries struck me as novel, funny, and, hopefully, a step toward establishing trust with readers. But it mainly seemed like an enticing incentive to gain more paid subscribers.
In the last few weeks, I’ve been humbled by the outpouring of affection so many of you have bestowed upon sub_letter. To call it a vote of confidence is insufficient. What’s also been humbling was witnessing the sharp decline in readership the last two weeks as paywalls went up on stories exclusive to paid subscribers. It was not discouraging, but it was a wake-up call.
Like many of you reading this, I am hustling to survive in a world increasingly pricing me out of basic needs. Money is tight for me, if not altogether fleeting. Of course, generating some profit from the work I publish here helps me a great deal, but when viewer metrics crash as soon as paywalls go up, my own creative fulfillment vanishes as well.
When I said I wanted this newsletter to welcome anyone passionate, curious, or clueless about design, I meant it. I want to build a community and not a tiered list of perks for whoever wants to pay me. My checking account is not a muse but a creative stifler.
What’s of paramount importance to me is that my work is read. I want to ensure the audience can expand organically, too. Hiding work and talented people I’m proud of behind a paywall feels counterintuitive to my mission of carving out space for everyone.
So, for now, all content on this newsletter will be free. I have dropped paywalls on Rami’s Dinner Conversation as well as my review of “The Brutalist.” Unless you want to sound off in the comments that journal entries are still of interest, I am going to table that plan for now and give myself a week off each month to build in as much time as possible to writing, editing, and interviewing sources.
To those of you who have pledged your financial support, your contributions have been invaluable. Freelancing is an adventure, but it’s not always lucrative. I promise there are still perks coming your way, but, for now, please understand that your financial support is not just a buy-in to a more exclusive platform. You are helping me survive, and I hope that can be incentive enough not just to support me but all journalists.
I really, really hope you will stick around. There’s a lot of great stuff still to come on sub_letter, and I can’t wait for you to read it.
That’s all for now. Talk soon,
Will