Once again, I am asking for blog support. Every writer, unemployed anchor blogger, and pod-caster is heading online for Substack or some other site that offers their work for sale, either in chunks or regularly. The idea is to make a lot of money, and the more prominent names get a lot of money. The smaller blogs do not.
I’ve chosen not to do that, even though I was a five-time best-selling author. I don’t want anyone to have to pay to read all of my posts.
The blog should be free to those who can’t afford it, and I ask for small donations of any size, one-time, monthly, or weekly, for those who can. Those can be canceled at any time. Several people have chosen to be regular donors, sending as significant amounts as possible. They are keeping the process going positively.
I need to ask for support every other month since I no longer receive my royalty checks and other payments. The world is not coming to an end, but things might well get sticky and more confusing.
I depend on blog support, one way or another, to pay our bills, feed the farm and the animals, take photos, maintain my blog, and offer free monthly subscriptions. None of this is free to me. As you know, the price of everything is going up and up. I appreciate that. My blog is central to all the good we do, from food pantries to immigrants coming to America.
I am keenly aware that today’s times are uncertain and scary. But I am determined to keep the blog going now that I’ve finally figured out what it should be. Traffic is high, and payments are low; that is to be expected in confusing times. According to the messages I get, my world is becoming increasingly helpful to people. I mean to keep it that way. Pictures of Zip, the farm, and flowers can go a long way to soothing fear and worry, or so I am told.
Essays on the spiritual life can also be helpful to people, as they have been to me. The pantry work is sacred to me and to so many of the people who support it.
I want the blog to be a comforting and safe place in times that are neither. I am devoted to helping people with nowhere else to go and offering calming images and alternatives to fear and hatred. Things like photography and flower photography do cost money. If they are valuable to use, please consider helping. I’m not looking to be rich; that was not good for me, but I am interested in surviving in comfort.
So, the bottom line is that I’m asking again for Blog Support. I canceled credit card payments; they were too complicated and expensive. The blog support page lists ways you can help the blog. For people who don’t like to buy things online, there is also a standard way for donations, especially one-time donations of any size. You can donate via Paypal, jon@bedlamfarm, Venmo, or Jon Katz@Jon-Katz-13. I’m lax about asking for help – I hate to do that – but I also need to be paid for my work. You can support the blob by mail: Jon Katz, Blog Support, P.O.Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.
I’m lax about asking for help – I hate to do that – but I also need to be paid for my work. Any amount is appreciated, and one-time payments are very welcome.
I am keenly aware of the pressures we might face in the future. But I can’t publish the blog without support, and I believe it is worth it—pictures, texts, essays, flowers, animals, etc. We are a safe place without political or other hostility. I will fight hard to keep it going, especially now. We are doing a lot of good for a lot of people. I’m feeling more useful than ever.
If it is of value to you in any way, please support the blog. If you can’t, I understand, and you are welcome. I don’t keep track of who donates and who doesn’t. I don’t mean any pressure, just truth support. Thanks for listening.
