Would You Pay Your Favorite Bloggers To Blog?

Many years ago The Shmata Queen sat me down and told me I was in the wrong career and that I was born to be a writer. I thanked her for her support and told her she was biased and that I would think about it.

If you believe the universe sends you messages then you can see that conversation as being a very plain ‘you need to move your cheese’ moment but I didn’t pursue it because I was making a chunk of change selling and I couldn’t see a way to earn enough as a writer to support my family.

Fast forward a number of years and the universe or dumb luck pushed me ass over elbow off of a cliff and my perspective has changed. I realized I had to go back to writing because it is part of what feeds my soul and fills my heart and I recognized I could leave Los Angeles and find a more affordable place to live.

A Patron Of The Arts

Fast forward several years after the conversation with the queen and I start monetizing the blog. I become a brand ambassador, write some sponsored posts and find multiple ways to start using this joint to make a couple of bucks.

Slowly but surely I find ways to turn pennies into nickels into quarters and then into dollars. It is not enough to do more than cover hosting fees but I see potential and gradually I watch some of that move me further into the black.

Still I don’t see this blog becoming the engine that supports my family but it does lead to freelance writing gigs and full time work so in a way I can say it did support the family.

In between all these minutes and moments I sometimes write about finding a patron of the arts, someone who wants to give me a million dollars a year to blog as I wish because my writing is art.

It is a pipe dream but I tell my children that some dreams are left for night time and others have potential to be real and this one feels like it.

Yeah, I know it sounds silly and ridiculous but still I dream of some wealthy individual giving me my million because they can and because my writing makes them happen.

Patreon Happens

Tonight I heard about a company called Patreon that is trying to help match the artist and the benefactors. I probably shouldn’t be surprised that it exists because the concept makes sense.

I Am Not Going To Sign Up

I am not going to sign up for it. Not going to do it for no reason other than I want to chew on the idea for a while and think about it. I haven’t read their material and have a very limited understanding about how it works but part of me says to check it out because it wouldn’t hurt.

Part of me says stay away because there is fluff here and where is the value? But then I think about it and say why should I sell myself short. Why shouldn’t I do it and see if there are people who want to pay me.

Would I be upset or embarrassed if no one offered a dime or if they only offered enough to cover a burger and fries?

I don’t know.

Not sure that it is a reason to do it or not do it.

What I do know is I am starting to push the fiction again. Got so many stories inside my head and they need to come out. I need to just put them on paper/screen and see what happens.

Can’t tell my children to live their dreams and not dream their lives unless I am willing to do it now can I.

• Saved: Blogging, Writing