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Big Closet is true to its mission to be A friendly place to read, write and discuss Transgender Fiction. However, in order to execute that mission, Big Closet must fiscally sound.
Every month Erin sounds the alarm – and every month the same small group gives financial support. Relying on so few for so much is a recipe for disaster.
Nothing is going to change, unless change is provoked.
I know how crazy this is going to sound, but maybe it’s time to start charging people to post their fiction.
(((I’m already ducking . . . assuming the tomatoes that will be tossed my way for suggesting such heresy.)))
Content is a life-blood of a website.
Yet – BC needs money one heckuva lot more than it needs “excess” content.
I use the term “excess” because I doubt that anyone reads more than fifteen to twenty percent of the current posted new content.
Writers need readers. Authors will almost universally state that they write for themselves, but many of them would be lost without the appreciation that comes from kudos and comments on their work.
Writers need public exposure to force them to improve their writing. BC is one big writer’s clinic offering a community of people who readily help new authors.
Many BC writers are using BC for self-promotion to sell their books. They might be willing to pay to place their writing as an advertisement for their commercial offerings.
BC could offer to place three free stories for new authors and then charge $25 thereafter for each additional story -- $10 for each part of a saga. I estimated annual revenue of about $10,000 to $15,000 with maybe a 25% drop in new content.
Just a thought.
Jill
Comments
A thought-provoking idea
A thought-provoking and provocative idea, Jill.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
At Least BCTS
Should charge authors advertising their books for sale. Maybe we already do, don't know. It's great that people can now make money from their writing, but advertising helps sales, helps make more money and usually costs money. We really don't have to support them (authors) for free when it costs us money (contributions) to keep the site up and pay our dedicated helpers/leaders.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
I Don't Make Money
I have donated my books to Erin, with all proceeds I would normally get going to the support of this site.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
An interesting idea
Of course, given the rates you suggest, some of us would immediately become bankrupt :)
A problem will be that many who post here do so in the knowledge that their work is never going to be published, in the classic sense of the term. Charging someone $25 to post a short story seems a little mean to me. On the other hand, $25 to post SEE would be taking things to the other extreme.
If BC has to do something like this, then perhaps a flat fee of something $2-$5 a posting (ie chapter) would work. Of course, that would mean that I would immediately stop posting, since Paypal does not like me and will not let me send any money at all. The fee method works best for those already in the US, but can be variable elsewhere.
In short, I don't know what the answer is. Maybe a variety of methods will work. I don't like that a site I and many others depend on for many different reasons could go under at short notice.
Penny
By the Way
Just for you
https://youtu.be/QjvzCTqkBDQ
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I'm sympathetic
As sympathetic as I am about the funds needed to keep BC afloat, I can't go along with charging authors to post. I speak as an author on a fixed income. My personal budget has a very small amount of discretionary funds. I don't post much, but $25 for a single story would blow a quarter of my months discretionary funds. I wish I could offer a solution to this problem.
If that's what's necessary to keep the site open, then so be it. But in my financial situation I'd have to quit posting all together. I'd have to go back to posting on Fictionmania and self publishing sites, such as Smashwords and KDP. None of those sites charge and the first two put a few pennies in my pocket.
Now, if I were to be charged to promote my book as an eBook for sale somewhere, I'd be more receptive to that. However, I doubt that I, personally, would purchase the right to promote my book. I'd have to be shown some kind of prospectus that outlines the projected increase of sales for such promotion. I doubt that BCTS could afford to pay for such a prospectus, so it would be up to a qualified member to do it pro bono.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Propectus
I've actually paid for two prospectus in my career. Both were Private Placement Memorandums. They were complete wastes of time. The woman who wrote them for me is currently our state's Attorney General and now is running for Governor.
Prospectus = least read writing up until the invention of terms of service.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Maybe different membership levels?
Maybe different membership levels would work. say something like an author's account that costs more like $10 per month for authors that wish to post stories The flat rates you posted would curtail a lot of stories from ever being posted and in the process cause the site to lose members. A low and affordable monthly membership might be the solution?
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Sorry
I don't agree with charging the content providers. Now if someone is just posting teasers or just adds; Yeah, charge them.
If you have to go to charging then it's the consumers that I think make the most sense. I'm amazed that Erin has gone from having a difficult time collecting $500 a month in donations to (still a difficult time but) collecting $5K per month.
Retiring Debt
As I understand it the increase in need stems from two things:
1.) The immense increase in cost to run this robust site, and
2.) The need for Erin to retire the debt she took on over the years when she shouldered too much of the financial burden for running this site.
You can doubt the amount needed, or you can look to the many, many other such sites who have disappeared over the years due to the owners finally giving up the burden.
Erin has done some personal work for me over the years. In those transactions, she was extremely fair and straightforward. I've never met Erin, but consider her a dear friend as our relationship has lasted about two decades without anything I would call a regret.
I only threw out this thought because I feel awful watching her beg for money. I'm sure that isn't pleasant for her.
There are many on this site that are living at below poverty levels. I'm not without concern for their needs. However . . . I simply don't see why this site has to be in constant peril of shutting down because Erin has finally had enough begging for one life.
I was raised Catholic and understand those who take a vow of poverty. I doubt Erin had religious vows in mind when she started BC.
Charging authors is Draconian, if you have a better idea, please . . . let's hear it.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I Wasn't Questioning the Need
I was merely commenting on how I am amazed that she is able to take in $5K per month in donations. I did state what I thought should be done if required to obtain sufficient funds (charge readers).
Thank You for Clarification
I do wonder why you have a qualifying "if" in your statement. This site has raised "insufficient" funds for years and has a large debt that needs to be retired. There is no "if" about it. Thanks for your thoughts.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Several of aren't good enough
Several of aren't good enough to write stories that Doppler would want to publish. If we have to pay for the privilege to post after being ignored or passed over by Doppler I'm out of here.
I try to give what I can, but I won't be forced to pay because others don't want to. If it's a requirement that you feel is needed then goodbye, best of luck to fans, and sorry if we are too cheap to give up what we may not have.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Not Good Enough
I think my writing is okay. Just . . . okay. I'm not a good enough storyteller to overcome my lack of writing skills so that many people would put me on their list of favorites. But, I'm a lot better writer than I was when I came to BC.
For the last two decades, I've read over one hundred writing books. I've subscribed to Writer's Digest, and read whatever I could find online.
However, the best thing I did for my writing was to allow other BC writers to edit my stories. They taught me a lot.
Then I found a real secret. I started editing for others, which caused me to consider what was good writing and what was not, on a fairly high level.
Before I came to BC I had been writing commercially for years in my business. I had taken quite a number of writing courses in college and had written for the college newspaper. I joined a writers group where we met in person and critiqued each other's work. With what I learned writing for BC, my commercial writing became much better. I started to write for industry magazines and local newspapers. Writing is a muscle. It becomes stronger with use. So . . . I've profited from my association with BC, because it helped me in my day job. My broad support of this site reflects my appreciation. I also profited because it helped me immensely through self-discovery to become at peace with myself.
I don't have an opinion about your writing. I obviously have an opinion about what it takes to become an okay writer. Those who think that writing takes little else besides a word processor and an ability to create a story are mistaken. It is an art and demands that you learn the craft.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I agree with your assesement
that writing is a muscle but your solution could not be further off base. I feel that a good editor is what is needed to improve the quality of writing. To what extent I have improved the majority of the credit goes to my editors. I haven't posted anything in about a year for a number of reasons but chief among them is that my editor is ill and I'd rather not post anything if is not at least average. Your solution will reduce content, traffic, and discourage new authors while lowering the quality of the content.
What seems to me a better solution is those who can and will edit offer their services to the site in a 3 or 4 tiered scale depending on certain criteria. Authors can still publish unedited/'unapproved' stories but it goes to a "back/second page" while the edited stories are displayed on the front page. The sliding fee scale would be based on the editor's prowess and services. Those fees then goes towards keeping the site operating. I'm disabled on a fixed income and my husband is in a nursing home in his home state so I can't pay much but I'd be willing to pay something that helps me become better.
Stories on the front page that are edited and formatted with kudos and comments seems to me to be easier published bringing in revenue to all parties or in whatever manner each individual negotiates. Some authors are already well known and should be exempt.
The end result is better authors, better content, more traffic and increased revenue. At least it seems like a win/win to me.
I'm a complusive editor.
Typically I download stories to my word processor and read them there later. In so doing, I can't help myself... I correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. And if something just doesn't read right, I study it until I think I have a grasp on what the author was trying to say, and make changes so it reads better. If the author, and we all do it, mixes up the names of the characters and tags a piece of the dialog with the wrong character's name, I correct that as well. All that just so it reads better.
Why I do that, I can't explain. It's not like I'm ever going to read it again... well maybe some of the stories, regardless of those kind errors are worth reading again.
Anyway, all that said to say, I'm willing to volunteer my time as an editor and let BCTS collect some compensation for my efforts.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
"I think my writing is okay."
says the woman who wrote Peaches. I giggled and laughed as I read that book. I've reread it many time. And I have read and enjoyed many of your other stories too. Thank you.
How do the costs break down?
If most of the costs for running the site are to provide disk space for new stories then it would seem reasonable that authors make a contribution, although I suspect that the rates Angela talks of would drive away all but the stinking rich.
On the other hand, if the costs are mainly about bandwidth, then the readers should be paying. They could have a teaser of, say, 500 words, free of charge, then pay say 50c to download the complete story. Incidentally, if bandwidth is the main cost, would having that two stage download reduce costs. I know I must click on 20 stories for every one I read more than a few paragraphs.
I firmly disagree with paying to post.
I know BC needs funds, but that is not the answer. Many writers do so as a relief valve. Several are living hand to mouth. Denying them the ability to post would be terrible.
I think patreon is the best answer. I'm retired on a tight budget. I learned early on that to get things you want, you put money aside from paychecks FIRST, then live on the rest. As money runs low, you cut unneeded items. It takes discipline and if using credit, pay it off each month. It always worked for me. I'm currently doing $50 a month on patreon. If I can do it on my tight budget, many others can do so too. It just takes rearranging your priorities.
Boys will be girls... if they're lucky!
Jennifer Sue
Costs
As I understand from reading Erin's posts, the main operating costs are: Hardware, Hosting and Wages. Whether or not data throughput (and/or bandwidth) has an impact on hosting charges, it will impact on CPU usage, and therefore speed, and hence the need to upgrade. Two things that waste data are comments and the printer-friendly version.
Now, before anyone starts throwing any spare tomatoes, both are important parts of BC, the comments give essential feedback to the authors, and the printer-friendly version helps some of us read the stories easier. The problem is, to access either you need to open the story page first, and this wastes data. If one could go directly to either section directly from the index without accessing the whole story, then this would reduce excess data sent. How easy or feasible this might be within the database software is another matter. One downside would be that the 'read' stats would go down as people could follow the comments without increasing the stats. The upside of this would be the increased accuracy of those stats.
Makes Cents
That sounds so smart . . . and is far beyond my feeble knowledge of how this all works, but I'll take your word for it. Thanks.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
This seems like a way to lose authors
Fictionmania is Free. Nifty is Free. There are others, but same deal.
Charge readers $1 a month or $10 a year or something. Put a reminder about donations at the bottom of every story reminding readers that this is user supported site and needs donations. It can go next to the thumbs up.
Stories are the life blood of the site, charging authors to be able to post here seems to go against that idea completely in my mind.
Charge readers, not authors!
If You Can't Be Frank, Be Mary
There have been a lot of free sites. Here's a page that lists many:
http://www.storysite.org/linkspage.html
Of course, the page is on a site that is no longer serviced. Sapphire's was another.
I'm not suggesting that Nifty or FM are going out of business. Gawrsh I was using Nifty back when I had a dial-up modem.
Your reminder at the end of each story is a good idea. However, I'm in marketing and have a pretty good idea how long it would take for readers to make that invisible in their minds.
Maybe this whole thing is a matter of perspective. I don't put FM or Nifty the same league with BC. If someone is simply looking for "free" stories they should purchase a Prime membership and download a myriad of "free" books to their device. BC is much more than a stories warehouse.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
# of broken links
48 of the 60 remaining links are broken and 28 were broken when the site was still being maintained. A total of 76 sites that have gone under. This just goes to bolster your argument. I’ve been around long enough to remember when the bulk of those sites were active. And I visited a lot of them and even contributed to a couple.
I agree that BCTS is a lot more than either Nifty or even Fictionmania. You are right. Something needs to be done to shore up the increasing debt. I’m at a loss to know what would work. Almost any of the mandatory solutions seem to have the risk of degrading the site rather than save it. Too bad we can’t have a bake sale, like schools do.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Admit it... You work for AT&T
Admit it... You work for AT&T and you are just getting everyone here prepared for the upcoming feestorm.
all I can say is...bye
all I can say is...bye
Make an author pay???
do that after I had wrote one of my 50,000 word chapters or arcs....with all the time spent on hacking it out, editing, re-editing, rechecking
then pay to post it for 25$... with 5 other sites that are free to post that unfortunately don't have the great reader feed back BC does??
Bye is all I can say....
I do not post here for money or real fame, its a vent off of steam for fun that keeps my mind busy. I value this site an have dropped off more than a few bucks anom...but 25$ to post the content that draws others here??
Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective
I Probably Would Say Much the Same
If you follow the incessant begging to its logical conclusion you will one day come to post a chapter and find you can't. That's what happened to a lot of us at Storysite -- years ago. One day it was there and the next day it was still there but. . ..
Thank you for your past support. If everyone was doing what you've done this conversation never would have happened.
Conversations ARE necessary when bad things are inevitable.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Re: all I can say is... bye
Don't leave, Shadowsblade. I seriously doubt anything like this will be put in place here.
For one, forcing writers to pay to post would drive most folks who want to write away pretty fast, I'd think. Whether it's a dollar or two, or $25 as was suggested, there are quite a few of us who wouldn't be able to afford to pay under those circumstances.
Forcing readers to pay runs into the same blockage, and would most likely have the same result as forcing writers to pay to post.
To be absolutely blunt, if I had to pay either to post pieces or read them, I'd be saying so long myself and removing everything I've posted.
As I've said on other blogs, when I have money to spare, I toss some here to help Erin out. Some months, I can't do that, food comes first.
I say leave things as they are. Erin and co. have only been running the new operations and debt kitty format for a short while. It is currently the middle of the evening here on June 29th, and the op kitty shows $4710 as of the 23rd. I'd think it's passed $5k by now for the month.
Even if that isn't the case, it's not a firm requirement to meet that amount for the month. I would assume, although I may well be wrong in doing so, that any shortfalls between the amount brought in and the $5k goal would be taken from the debt kitty if taken at all.
In any case, if people continue to support BCTS as the two kitty systems are showing, it is possible that Erin could clear the whole debt within twelve to eighteen months WITHOUT any additional costs being levied on the site for usage or posting.
So, as I said earlier, leave it as it is, I think Erin is doing a fine job of sorting it all out using the current system.
Thx BC. What a great forum you provide.
What a great idea/suggestion/topic you have introduced to start people thinking!
But, let's talk reality. Right across the street from the BigCloset Building is another very large building called Fictionmania with lots of shelves full of lots of stories that you can read for free. And all sorts of authors post there for free, too. It's bigger, but certainly not better. But let's just repeat the keyword, Free..
This place feels cozy even with the strange pictures of body parts plastered all over the walls. (Kinda reminds me of how gas stations used to have pinup calendars.) It's got that DIY feeling.
But, I really don't know what's behind the curtains here in Oz. I don't know if this is a business or a hobby-job. Is this a non-profit or has a charity with a tax deduction donation license? I've never seen a required annual posting of whether there's a business license hanging up anywhere. I guess BC pays salaries?
But, putting all that aside, I think that Erin provides a great service for writers here. I am in the midst of editing my book, Metamorphosis - A Jessica Jade Story and there is nowhere else that I can post a book chapter by chapter and get great feedback and constructive criticism. This makes my final rewrite better.
I know I'm not offering any suggestions here. I'm not taking a stand. I'm simply saying BigCloset is a wonderful place.
Yes, BC Is a Wonderful Place
We can't afford to lose it.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
$25 would about wipe me out
That's about what I can donate in a month, and do. Some months a bit more,
on months where I get socked with some unexpected expense, nothing...
So I would just pay the writer's fee instead of paypalling a donation,
and if I every become as prolific as I was in 2007-2011
I'd have to carefully ration which stories I posted.
Although my quality would sure go up,
as I wouldn't post my crappy songs
and one draft toss-off stories...
But I know you're just brainstorming, Jill, and that's a good thing to do.
One of these days you or someone will hit on the genius solution to
our money woes + we'll be riding the Gravy Train to Dogtown...
~hugs, Veronica
"Government will only recognize 2 genders, male + female,
as assigned at birth-" (In his own words:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lugbpMKDU
Really don’t think that would work well.
Don’t get me wrong, any ideas are better than none. This argument though I think would ultimately cause failure sooner than later. It would be like arguing that the suppliers (authors)for walmart pay to have their wares set on the shelves, at theirs own cost for shipping, packing, and making said wares (writing, proofing, editing, rewriting, etc) and then have people come in and take the things for free. The model would be doomed for failure, at least in my opinion.
I think the idea that charging $1 a month or $10 a year to access the site would be a lot more fiscally doable. You would loose a lot less viewers/authors in that model.
I’m not posting this for a SOB story or to draw sympathy, its simply my reality. My financial situation right now is that I’m a single parent, two teenage girls living with me. One just started college (started summer school right out of high school) and the other is going to be a senior in high school next year. With an angry ex that has drawn me into court about 15-16 times in the last 5 years since the divorce. It was bad enough a few years ago, since my high price company insurance won’t cover my meds I had to choose HRT or skip meals... I’ve gotten quite used to me only having two meals a day... It’s done wonders for my figure at least, LOL. As it stands at this very moment I’m $300 short of rent thats due in 2 days, I can’t donate this upcoming month, but I’ll probably be able to throw in a $25 the month after. That’s what I’ve been doing since I joined here 19 months ago... It sucks, but hey thats what I have to work with. Even with all that, I know that I am probably much better off than a lot that post and share here. I contribute when I can, its not every month.
If I was charged to share a story, especially in the amounts that you are suggesting, I couldn’t do it. I have no delusions of grandeur that I’ll become a famous or well known author, as it is I’m probably a pretty sucky author as it stands. I enjoy telling stories though, and I enjoy trying to tell uplifting and inspiring stories, stories that I hope people enjoy... If I had to pay to post a story (especially at those amounts) I’d probably just pack up my stuff and go home... I really don’t think I would be in the minority that did that.
Becca C.
I know I’m weird. The fact that I’m trans is probably one of the more normal things about me.
No Rebecca There Is No Santa Claus
I share your sentiment. . .however. . .suppliers pay big dollars for shelf space in certain retailers.
https://operationsroom.wordpress.com/2016/11/29/paying-for-g...
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Charging authors is not going to happen
In fact, I've been unable to make charging readers for content to work well. :) It's a pain in the butt.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Not a Surprise that I'm Full of It
As some of you who know me better seemed to have understood, the premise for this thread was false.
I don't believe charging authors for posting their stories is a good idea. It's actually a HORRIBLE idea. I posted it to stimulate thought and hopefully some more contributions.
In posting this I had to keep in mind a primary rule on BC. MANY OF US ARE WOUNDED DOVES. We have suffered trauma due to guilt and other nasty occurrences common to trans people. When a new idea is posted, many of us take it very personally. This conclusion is normal and to be expected . . . but it is quite unfair to Erin, who has gone out on a personal limb to make this place friendly in many, many ways.
Many of the authors who need this place the most, don't have any discretionary income. I would hate to exclude them from the benefits of their work, nor would I want to miss out on their fiction.
Like Mel, the current fiction being posted doesn't meet my needs more than about 10% of the time. But I've been through the cycles on BC several times and know things will come around again.
This thread has produced some interesting ideas that I'm sure Erin and her people will take into consideration.
I will continue to do whatever I can to help her financial needs, including posting provocative B.S.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Good for you!
Charging readers... Just a simple one. You pay dollar per month - you get to read everything as it is posted. Otherwise you read things, say, 3 days later. This can work. I will pay it, if subscription will be easy enough. But... Will it cover overhead to support and troubleshoot another database?..
Some alternate ideas for revenue.
1) Google ads. (Unfortunately, I suspect that Google might not want to run ads on this site. But if they haven't already said no, it's well worth looking into. A popular site like this one can earn a lot of revenue.)
2) Nag ware. Fix it so that every tenth or twentieth time a non premium account (or an IP address if the person is not logged in) reads a story post, they will get the message above the story about how much needs to be raised for this month to meet operational expenses, about how much as been donated this month, and how much debt the site owes. Put the message in some eye catching framed border so that the reader can't help but notice the dollar value as they scroll past it. Include the links to pay for your account. This would also require that the account system be fixed so that it shows when your paid subscription expires.
3) EPUBS. Restrict the printer friendly version to paid accounts. Also, for authors that have allowed it, add a downloadable epub version. The epub would include all chapters of the story published to date, all pictures included in the story, and a cover page near the top noting that it was downloaded from BCTS, the link to where to find it online, and a note that the epub may not be shared. I realize that setting this up would be a lot of software work and the at the epub formatting would be crappy. Never the less, I suspect that there are some of us readers that would be willing to pay for the perk. I, for one, like to read ebooks that I've downloaded and I put into Calibre so I can read the descriptions of the books, my rating on how much I liked the book, etc. Perhaps each story could have an attached cover image, title text and description text.
considering the number of stories I have posted here
I'd owe Erin more than I make in a year. I really wish I could contribute more financially. I'm in discussion with the elves about turning a couple of my pieces into dopler worthy items in the hope that they would give a little extra, but considering my novel "Quest for the Silver Cleric" has been out there for several years and I dont think 10 people have bought a copy, I have my doubts that anything I have would actually provide any cash for the site. This place is much more than a place for my writing, its also been a major source of support for me over the years, but I would have no choice but leave, if this site goes pay to read, or pay to write.
Well I knew Erin would say that
But, a minor variation may provide some balance.
As long as authors leave their works here for free then of course they should not be charged.
But if it has to be removed due to Kindle or for monetization of any sort of for profit reason, then BC should get a percentage for showcasing the work.
Doppler Press of course is exempt though I think there needs be a formal contract between BC and Doppler if they are separate corporate entities.
I think any negotiation would be amiable ^_~
On the reader front it’s too bad there is no other access tiers as I can’t figure out what such a premium tier would entail. No ads? Discounts on books from Doppler? From Lulu?
Big Closet Prime needs to be compelling if implemented.
Several thoughts
First: I wouldn't pay to publish. Not here, not at Smashwords, not anywhere.
Second: A lot of people are in worse shape than am I as far as finances go, and I am sure they all face similar problems, I would be hard pressed to break free $5 American per month for this or any other site.
Third: I would agree that there ought to be a membership fee for the site. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Most sites I've been on have tiered access. What I mean by that is that a certain amount of the work on the site is available 'free'. But you are limited wrt downloads (number of stories, not parts of a single story) per day, and also have access to 'premium' work that you can't get otherwise if you don't subscribe, and a subscription increases the number of stories you can download.
fourth: I do believe that something needs to be done. With that in mind, I continue to offer proofreading services for people doing work that is being donated to the 'hatbox'.
Hat Box
We do have Hat Box. I don't know how much that generates, obviously not enough, but that is by subscription. Having never been able to afford it, I don't know much about it.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
How about...
... submitting for a government grant under the behavioural health umbrella (reading as therapy)? Might be easier than squeezing blood from poverty level authors and readers or kicking them to the curb for not having spare money pfft.
The thought was good to initiate dialogue, but damn and ouch, yanno?
There is
More merit in your suggestion than might seem likely at first glance. The question is this: Does anyone here know how to write the application for such a grant?
Thank you
Part of me said it in seriousness, as the funding for such a grant application might be available. However, creating a workable application could be a problem. Compliance is a fickle mistress/master lol
J
I would not even laugh at
I would not even laugh at this thought
I the US would pay near a million for a study on the songs of tree frogs?? and the LA county museum art paid over that for a large rock placed over a concrete ditch and called it 'art'....there is money out there! Just have to find it?
Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective
Grant Possibility
Jenna,
Now you've got me thinking! What about a university grant? I'm going to be studying to go into the mental health field, and may have to take a course on grant writing in the field. I also have a strong connection to a university professor who very well may have colleagues that express interest. It's something to keep in mind, for sure!
Definitely an interesting suggestion!
I average at best one story read a week any more from here, mostly because the site's content has shifted away from my preferences to a great degree (and that's not a criticism, merely a note. Even my recent contest had, well, not a single story posted that fit my preferences in terms of romance.)
There are two sides to the "charge authors" coin. In a way it's quite a bit more logical than charging readers: it doesn't cut into the available audience, it guarantees a certain amount of site revenue per story provided, and could help to minimize spamming of short parts of stories to the front page, giving less prolific authors a better chance to stay in the eyes of readers. The flip side, of course, is that the drop in amount of content would be a double-edged sword, and could adversely affect ad revenue (though not to a degree that would offset the per-story profits) as well as the variety of content provided to the site.
Erin shouldn't have to beg for money every month, and I honestly get rather put out whenever I see people complain about it, as though they're entitled to access Erin's and others' work for free forever. The simple fact is that the time, effort, and physical requirements of a site like this are not cheap, and Erin has spent the majority of the site's lifetime trying to minimize the impact of those elements on the site's users.
I donate to the site every month. I'm not going to say how much, because the amount really isn't the important part, and that seems to be what so many people miss: with this site's user-base, just those of us who are major users could easily meet its cost requirements on a dollar a month apiece. And honestly, the whole "I try and keep this side of my life off record" bit is a poor excuse, because whether through QnEZ, Doppler, or other means, there are plenty of ways to be billed or donate that in no way will tie your records straight away to a trans fiction site.
Would Angie's suggestion above work? I don't really think so, no, and not because it's a bad idea per se, but simply because it assumes that the people who share their stories here have anything more than a selfish interest in the site's welfare. As cruel as that sounds, it's the same reason that things like the Hatbox don't work, and the site's Patreon doesn't either really. Despite the existence of these services, DESPITE the availability of donation methods that are completely or borderline completely anonymous, Erin still has to beg for money every month because the majority of us are more than willing to use the site until it disappears without taking any responsibility for its continued existence.
I don't know where to find the compromise, sadly. Hopefully once I finish my books and get them pubbed that will help at least a bit, but maybe not given I'm hardly a relevant name on the site any more (if I ever really was.) Until then, I'll keep doing the best I can to support the site.
Melanie E.
You are one of the writers I read...
Are you ready to pay for the privilege? Having in view that there will be maybe 1 or 2 others paying?..
What Jill Has Done
Is to have thrown out another idea for keeping this site alive. I know she is passionate about its survival.
Personally I don't think it would work, but that's not the point. The point is to find some way that the site can survive without the begging bowl being put out every month and the constant risk that we will all wake up one day and BC will no longer be here.
This place is important to me not only for entertainment but also for my mental health. It is somewhere that I can read good stories and also connect with like-minded souls and encourage good and/or up-and-coming authors to post their wares for my enjoyment. Many stories I don't read because they are not to my taste but I appreciate the effort that has gone into writing them and I wouldn't want their authors to stop posting, which I think would be the result if Jill's proposal was adopted.
No doubt we can stagger along under the existing system. This month's results so far, with $4700+ against operating expenses and nearly $4000 against debt reduction are quite encouraging (as at 23 June) but I think that in the end the site must become a subscription site. A monthly subscription of $2 is surely within the reach of nearly all who read here and I'm not suggesting that those who can afford it don't continue to contribute. BC is worth much more than that to me.
Ask yourselves what it is worth to you. Will you give the price of a cup of coffee each month to keep this place going?
Charging for BCTS...
While Erin will never charge directly for BCTS, (It isn't in her nature, imho), there is one major word that would prevent her from doing so without a huge amount of work and liability - Copyrights.
I wouldn't dare trying to count the number of stories on BCTS that through straight out Fanfiction or even genre crossovers that have resemblances to known copyrighted material. Charging fees, whether flat fees or submissions fees, changes the legal definition of BCTS as an entity. Donations ride a thin line of voluntary exchange of funds. Fees are direct exchange of funds for services, which would open up Erin and everyone to a lot of liability and possibility of being held accountable by parties looking for compensation for use of their copyrights.
It is as simple as that. I apologize if this is in anyway inflammatory or a negative view. I just wanted to make an open point that I didn't think was being considered in this thread.
Beverly Colleen
**********
I am a leaf on the wind, but someone turned the fan off.
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