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1.) If we didn't have BC where would the authors post their stories? There are other sites, but none as welcoming and as author-friendly as BC.
2.) If we didn't have BC where would readers find stories? There are other sites, but none offer the quality of BC. Why? See 1.).
3.) If we didn't have BC where would bloggers post their thoughts? There are other sites, but are bloggers on other sites able to post with confidence that their thoughts will be appreciated and handled with respect.
BC isn't free. It requires your support. At least once a month Erin has to come to us Hat(box) in hand and beg for our contributions.
There has to be a better way.
Please give this site some thought. Do you have any ideas how this site can become self-sustaining without the monthly "pledge drive"?
Erin wouldn't make her pleas if they weren't needed. She's disclosed her finances many times and it is NOT a matter of cost cutting. If anything, the expenses are grossly understated with Erin covering way too much on her own.
Any ideas are welcome -- and will be handled with appreciation and respect.
Comments
financing Big Closet and Janglewood
I am in agreement.
While BCTS is not the only site catering to the GLBT crowds, it is by far the most author (and reader) friendly. The next closest are also a part of the Janglewood group. ( if I mis-spelled that, please forgive).
While my financial contributions have not been terribly high, I have posted stories which many seem to find to be worth reading. I moved one story from BCTS to kindle in an effort to find more readership but have learned that has not been the case despite high praise for the story (which I am beginning to suspect came from readers here who migrated temporarily to Kindle where they gave those ratings).
I write because I like to do so and because I have so many stories banging around in my head that the headaches are driving me to get them out. I shamelessly have involved others in aiding in the production of said stories and hope they do not develop headaches from them.
There are several stories in my headache pipeline even now being written, edited, and, through collaboration, given a finished coat that they might be posted here.
That brings me to the second reason I write. Financial gain. Not for myself so much as for BCTS. It has ever been my hope that the stories I post here will bring favor upon the site in a financial way, large or small, that Erin and her elves will not need to constantly rattle the beggar’s cup nor themselves pay for so many of the ongoing expenses of those sites supported by the Janglewood group.
What would you pay for a story if you had no other place you could find quality but at a bookstore?
Dead tree publishing isn’t free. Maintaining this site isn’t either.
“Oh, but I can’t afford to give more than a dollar or maybe two.”
Okay. If you can give a dollar then do so. Why? Because there are thousands of readers here. If every one gave just one dollar a month, more if they were able, then that beggar’s cup would almost always be nearly full and the stories you all seem to like so much would be here for you to read when you wanted to read them. Keep in mind that there are people out there who can’t even afford that dollar and they are depending on your generosity to keep this site around where they can feel welcome and where they can read stories which cater to their needs. It’s a form of paying it forward.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox and get back to where I belong; writing. Okay, okay, so I have a day job as well. Said day job has me in New Zealand for a day or at most two then I’m off to our plant in Indonesia.
God Bless you all
Anesidora
Say, who put this crate of eggs here, and why are my footprints on it?
I'm embarrassed that Erin
has to beg for money and thus contribute as regularly as I can. While some of my stuff may bring readers in if they don't contribute at all, it isn't helping the site very much. Effectively, I'm paying twice, once with my time and also with my contributions in money. So come on all you freeloaders, put your hands in your pocket and help conserve this site or one day it won't be there anymore - d'you really want FM as the major representative of transgender fiction?
Angharad
Great Point
Transgender Fiction is a mirror on our lives. Do we really want people to think our lives are limited to incest and XXX sex? There are great stories on FM (such as Brandy Dewinter's wonderful stories) that show us as well rounded people who are vibrant members of society, but you have to dig through a lot of muck to find the gems.
One way people can help is to offer their skills to help Erin with other projects. For example, I've given Erin stories to add to her stable of "for sale" literature that she hasn't had time to publish. There are great editors her, artist, etc. who could donate a few hours to help those ventures.
Other ideas?
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Possible solution
One possible solution we have been kicking around is letting authors donate their completed stories (roughly 50k-150k words) to the Doppler Press/ Big Closet imprint and allowing us to publish them on the Kindle. The good thing would be that the story would remain available on the Big Closet website, but also available on Amazon for those who prefer to read on their kindles.
We have yet to iron out all the detail, but we would provide editing, formatting, and cover design in exchange for a one year renewable contract to publish outside the site. The money that comes from sales would then go towards site maintenance,new equipment, compensating Piper for the work she does, etc. etc.
We just haven't gotten around to figuring all the details or if authors would be interested in donating their work.
Sounds great
works for me
Love, Andrea Lena
Some of us
are in discussions with Erin about this. Sadly I don't write 'Mummy Porn' so we won't be doing anything like '50 shades of...'
Talking of porn, did anyone hear the report of some chap from one of the UK universities reckons that Shakespeare's plays when read in the way they were originally intended to be read, were quite raunchy. Will that have an effect upon Desert Island Discs?
Angharad
Shakespeare's smut
He however, would express a certain instruction as, "go forth, and propagate thy self !" That would baffle a lot of his readers though.
Karen
As I recall, the humour level
As I recall, the humour level, or at least the style level, of his plays are timed so that the first few minutes of the first act is always VERY blatant. The groundlings would show up early to get good seats, and they wanted to be entertained. The more wealthy, especially those of the noble classes, would show up later, and they wanted more high-brow entertainment. They had their own boxes, and showing up late has apparently always been a sign of how important you are.
Seven years of theatre classes is good for something. I'd bet I could STILL re-draw the Globe theatre floor plan if I tried.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
$100
I'll put $100 in the mail today. I've been and am quite ill so this was delayed.
My stories aren't good enough to sell on Kindle, so this is the best I can do.
Gwen
***DONE***
BC
Listen I wish there was some way I could help! But by the time i get done with my monthly checks which isn't much I don't have anything left. My wife meds alone take most of the money. If there was a way would send some.it sucks being disable .
No one should feel guilty
No one should feel guilty about taking care of their needs and their family needs first. That's always the most important thing.
BC is a luxury; if you can afford it, we appreciate anything anyone can send. Donations are about half of our budget, advertising and book sales make up slightly more than half. And yes, we are paying ourselves, mostly out of the advertising while the donations pay for our expenses.
Thanks to everyone for their support, even if it is only reading, commenting and leaving kudos.
Hugs to all,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I have made it a practice:
That when ever I need anything from Amazon I come through BigCloset to access Amazon via the link here. This cost you nothing but few extra seconds and helps out too.
>i< ..:::
Erin, IsThis Good Income
The UPS truck spend more time in our driveway than I do. Erin. Do you get a payment for every purchase that comes to Amazon through your link, or just books? I've never thought to go to Amazon through your link, but sure could.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Yes, the Amazon links pay us for things other than books
We actually make $100 to $200 a month off of our Amazon commissions. We usually qualify for 7% commission on most things, sometimes 7.5%. Someone once bought a riding lawnmower from Amazon through our site and we made something like $70 in commission. :) This isn't counting our own Kindle publications royalties where we get 35-70%; that is paid by KDP, not Amazon directly.
We also get $100 to $150 a month off of the Amazon ads that sometimes appear on the site. November and December were especially good for this but February so far is meh. :) Purchases made from clicking on the Amazon ads don't pay commissions directly but encourage Amazon to buy more ads from our ad agency, Project Wonderful.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Open Comment To Erin
I have never considered my scribbles to be of any commercial value, but I am more than happy to donate them to BC if you can see some way of using them for the benefit of the site. I have not copyrighted them in any way so they are available. If they do have a value and there are any technical requirements in signing them over just let me know and I'll do it.
Kick In
Before I sumitted a story, and I was a reader only, I valued the site for presenting well written fiction, I reached in and donated. I've done this each month. If every reader donated the cost of the Sunday newspaper each month that's $10 per reader, per month. It costs money to have this site !
Then, Erin and Co. would not have to ask for help.
Karen Lockhart
Aside from 'know it all' commentators
Or people who THINK they know it all and always wants to get in the last word, BC has been a really good place to engage on a story. Unfortunately I have become an anonymous reader for that and other reasons.
Anyway, I have made previous comments about this that has never been really commented on and the key one I think is that of perception.
I sincerely think that a lot of readers think this place is supported through advertising. The idea that these readers should contribute does not happen due to the entitlement mentality a lot of them have.
To get through to these folks it must be made upfront and center, even though it may be annoying, at the time of registration, that the registrant be made to acknowledge that there is a severe need for contributions and an explanation as to why that is the case, and that the registrant be asked for a contribution right then and there.
I would also suggest that the Hatbox be made more prominent, and should appear whenever the monthly goal has not been reached yet, even if it has to be done as an active banner on the front of the page.
I am sorry that such extremes need even be suggested. I donate about 450 dollars a year to BC now, as well as making active commentary, and it seems to me there are so many readers who will not lift a finger to help. Maybe a poll should be presented, with options to ask why they think that BC is not worth making a contribution to.
I know there are folks here who live on disability and such and have extremely tight budgets but I sincerely doubt that all of the hundreds or even thousands of readers all have that difficulty.
Erin has been way to kind and patient about the whole thing, but it has been frustrating me to no end.
Premium membership - Download capability
For the last 9 years I have paid for premium membership at storiesonline this year that cost $90. Free membership is available at that site and I am not suggesting that this site change the way it currently has free access. Premium members could be offered enhanced functionality e.g. can have a secure connection and the ability to download stories in various formats including epub.
Perhaps premium features would be a viable way of gaining a predictable income stream.
Sounds Reasonable
Free reading and participation, combined with paid membership with subtle but real benefits. Sounds good.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)