When I wrote about the loss of my job on Tuesday, I didn't think many people would really even notice. Being on the same day as the iPhone 5s/5c announcement and all, surely it would get swept under the rug and quickly forgotten, right?
I was wrong. To my surprise, there has been a huge outpouring of support from my family, friends, and readers in the last few days. Most of them have been reaching out to me on Twitter and App.net – both publicly and via direct messages – to give their condolences, offer some advice, and share some encouragement.
I've been incredibly touched and inspired by everyone's responses, more than I can properly articulate. Thank you all so much.
So What Happens Next?
As I alluded to the other day, this might be more of an opportunity than a disaster. Maybe it's a sign for me to finally start chasing all the dreams I've been too scared to try until now. Maybe it's time to take a chance, to do something better and more meaningful with my life. I have no good reason not to at least try — my hand has already been forced.
Some of the responses I've gotten from readers since Tuesday have urged me to go after the full-time writing thing again, and I think they're onto something. Let's face it, there may never be a better time to fully devote myself to writing for this website than right now.
And so, I'm asking you, the reader, to support this idea in one of two ways:
- Become a subscribing member. It only costs $3 a month, which is less than the cost of a latte.
- Make a single donation. It can be any amount of your choosing, but $10 or $20 would be most helpful.
The idea isn't to try to make a ton of money. That's an unrealistic goal anyway, and I'm the type of person who doesn't have a lot of material needs. All I'm asking for is to have the time and freedom to make Unretrofied the best damn website it can be, and maybe even have the chance to focus on making other cool stuff. That's all I've ever wanted, really.
Even if can just make enough money that I only have to take up a part-time job at Starbucks1 to supplement the rest of my income, that would be totally okay with me. You might not think your small contribution will make any difference, but believe me, it makes all the difference.
Any success I have with this is entirely in your hands. In the aggregate, you guys can really make this happen, but on a personal scale, it costs you almost nothing. Will you take this leap with me?
The Perks
Ideally, you are signing up to become a member because you feel like this site is already worth 3 bucks a month to you. If I write even one great piece in a month that educates, inspires, or entertains you, then I'd like to think that your few dollars aren't going to waste.
Still, I don't want to just sit here and ask for your hard-earned money — not without at least trying to sweeten the deal a little bit. In addition to helping my dream of writing full-time become a reality (and the good feeling you'll have as a result), as a member you will have access to certain perks:
- Unretrofied Connect - A quarterly email publication that features exclusive/bonus content not found here on the blog. I'm still experimenting with the content and format, but I've got some really exciting ideas in the pipeline.
- Automatic discounts on any stuff I may sell in the future, like t-shirts, ebooks, etc.
- Automatic access to drawings and giveaways.
- I've got ideas for other perks down the line. Maybe a daily podcast, à la Shawn Blanc?
I will also be doing a membership giveaway drawing for anyone who signs up as a monthly or annual subscriber. This stuff isn't junk, either — I'm talking about promo codes for awesome apps, free copies of excellent ebooks, and more. These are some seriously awesome goodies, and I can't wait to give them to you guys.
Although I haven't put up the prize list yet, anyone who signs up between now and the official giveaway deadline of midnight CST, Sunday, October 20th 2013, will still be entered into the drawing. Stay tuned for more details.
What to Expect
When I say, “make this the best damn website it can be,” what do I mean by that exactly? Well, you can definitely expect more awesomeness in the form of more interviews, more in-depth reviews, and a lot of other stuff I've got planned. Having the time and focus to devote to these things will make them so much better than they ever were before, I promise you.
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To everyone who suggested that I have a go of this full-time thing, this is your chance to really help me make it happen. I'm humbly asking for you to support this site, and I thank each and every person who does.
If you're still unconvinced, sitting on the fence and wondering why this is worth your time/attention/money, just know that I will do my best to make it worth your while. You can always cancel your subscription later if you feel like my work isn't up to snuff, so why not toss a few bucks into the tip jar and see what happens? I might just surprise you :)
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Or any similar place that offers health insurance for part-time workers. ↩
