The Grasshopper #40: Change

Adding a paid subscription option

Yes, I chose a cat picture.Photo by Jae Park on Unsplash

Hey folks, I screwed up. This issue, #40, never got published last Wednesday, the 18th of January, when it was supposed to. Given that it was intended to launch my paid subscription option, it was a kinda big mistake on my part. So I’m sending it off better late than never. Unfortunately that means you’ve had a lot of emails from me this week, but I promise I’ll get back on a regular Wed/Sunday schedule. It’s not my goal to spam anyone. Martin

---

I’ve debated about this since I first started writing The Grasshopper. I’m thrilled about the growth I’ve seen and eternally grateful for my readers. But one of my themes here is that writers should get paid, and I’d like it to pay for at least the coffee I drink while writing it!

To be honest, I love doing this and the two thousand or so words a week I devote to it are a pleasure. But I have my reasons for taking this to the next level. Don’t worry, you’ll still get your free weekly issues. But take a minute and read my pitch for why I am adding a paid level. Thanks!

---

Growth: Join as a paid subscriber for a look behind the scenes

Why I’m going paid

It’s simple: I strongly believe an important goal for any writer is to get paid fairly for our work. Too many writers have a ‘poverty mentality’ that holds them back from thinking of themselves as a ‘real’ writer. Getting paid changes that.

I also believe that if you get value as a reader from someone’s work, you should pitch in. But what constitutes value? Motivation, a little kick in the ass when you need it, help getting past blockages, fine tuning your skills, the list goes on. You’ll find all those things here.

Finally, in my experience, spending a few dollars monthly for any of these benefits is a great deal that might change your life as a writer. Advice is an odd thing. A simple sentence, at the right time, might solve a problem you’re having or move you to the next level. That’s my goal with The Grasshopper.

The pitch

The Grasshopper is more than a writing newsletter, it’s an ongoing workshop on being a writer, making money as a writer, and surviving and thriving as a writer.

I’m introducing a paid level to The Grasshopper. There are over 100 articles and insights in my writer lifestyle archive covering every imaginable aspect of being a writer. Paid subscribers get unlimited access to the archive, a repository of writing advice, war stories, examples from other writers, and ways to cope with things like writer’s block, getting started, and making money. I think it’s a great resource for online writers in particular.

Sundays are now Sunday Money Editions, focusing on making money from your writing. They will be included in your paid subscription.

Joining as a paid subscriber gets you:

• All regular Wednesday issues

• Sunday Money Editions, including monthly intensive tactical guides

• Access to the growing archive of over eighty articles on being a writer

Free subs will always include the current weekly editions for the trailing two weeks. After that each post will get archived but will always be available to paying subscribers.

Free subscribers will also get access to my Grasshopper offshoot, The Witness Chronicles, my biweekly round up of my most popular nonfiction pieces from Medium (sans paywall).

Thanks in advance for considering a paid subscription. I think you will enjoy it. I’m enjoying writing all of this! That’s the goal…

Martin 

(did you write today?) 

P.S. My tax pro suggested that subscriptions could be tax deductible if the reader writes for money. It’s professional development. But check with your tax expert. 

---

“When I wrote “A Wild Sheep Chase,” I was very excited, because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I couldn’t wait for the next day to come so that I could find out what would happen next. I wanted to turn the pages but there were no pages. I had to write them.”

Haruki Murakami, in an interview with The New Yorker

---

Like most people, I’m not fond of asking for money. But I had a career as a software marketing guy and using words to sell was a major part of it. And there is a saying in the biz, ‘if you don’t ask, you’ll never get’. 

A lot of writers struggle with that. One decision I made early about money negotiations, whether they were for salaries or freelance rates, was to always push for a little more. On more than one occasion when I had a job offer, I always asked for more and every time gave myself a five figure raise before I even started.

With freelance writing, I’d calculate a time-required quote based on the hourly rate I wanted, and then I’d bump my number up 20% when I wrote the quote. Only one potential client balked and as expected, they became a problem and I eventually stopped doing work for them.

But if you don’t ask…

Thanks for reading and considering the next step in supporting a writer.

Martin Edic

648 words

---