I spent a lot of yesterday writing this post for my 39 paying patreon subscribers. As I was wrapping up, I had the thought that this was a lot of work for just 39 people. But then I realized that this is probably a bigger readership than any of my academic articles got. So we're all good!
To be clear: I'm not complaining! I'm very grateful to the people who've chosen to support me, and it makes me happy to be able to give them something in return. Plus, I get to use a bit of my book learnin' This is really more me laughing at the ridiculousness of academic publishing.
Keep writing. Even if you don't have many readers now, your articles will stick around as long as there is still technology to find and read them.
Thank you! I will. I actually enjoy the writing, and I'm happy to be able to give something to the people who are supporting me. I'm really grateful. As much as anything, that was me laughing at academia
I write my own site. No posting schedule, no catering to any marketing scheme, possibly no readers. I just like to write. Even if no one is listening.
I do some of that, too. All my poetry is on my regular website. But the patreon is a part of my map-selling business, as a place where I write about (among other things) the books that get published with my maps in them. It's something I can point potential clients to as a reason to hire me.
🤣😭
I would always rather write for a small and engaged audience over a large and indifferent audience. (Especially when the small & engaged audience pays and lets me post it publicly.)
I'm not really complaining. I like writing, and I'm very grateful to the people who've chosen to support me. Mostly, that was me laughing at the average readership for my academic articles!