Why is it so difficult to ask for money as a writer?

(And a hefty discount to make me feel better about it 😉)

I must confess it’s been a challenging couple of weeks that’s taken me well out of my comfort zone. Not only do I now ask people to pay for some of the content on my Substack but I’ve put the key section of my website matching foodandwine.com behind a paywall.

And when one subscriber wrote and said “I subscribed to your Substack, now you’re expecting me to pay for your pairings” I cringed. 

That is, I’m aware, a very British, typically female reaction.

I apologised to him. I could see his point.

But when I thought about it I felt - feel - I can justify it. After all if someone writes several books, you don’t think “well, I paid for your last book why should I pay for another one?”  

Maybe it’s because at heart I don’t think writing is as worthy an occupation as making something or providing a service but my more sensible business-like self would hold that both matchingfoodandwine and Eat This Drink That are valuable in their own way.

How then do the two differ?

Matchingfoodandwine is a resource built on 20 years of thinking about and experimenting with food and wine pairing.l (the first prototype was in 2004). I started it because I was at least as interested if not more so in food than wine and most of the wine experts out there were not. 

It’s basically a huge bank of information to refer to if you’re looking for a wine to drink with a recipe you’re thinking of making or a dish to go with a favourite bottle. Although there are, of course, other resources on the internet, I think it’s fair to say there’s nothing quite as comprehensive in terms of the range of ingredients and drinks it covers.

This Substack newsletter, Eat This, Drink That, is a toddler by comparison having only been going for two and a half years.

It’s basically a blog but with topical food and wine recommendations based on what I taste, cook and drink and where I eat: mainly wines, restaurants and recipes with a few life lessons thrown in.

Because I focus on less expensive wines you can actually save yourself money if you follow my tips which should easily offset the cost of your subscription.

And you should, hopefully, get more pleasure and satisfaction out of your drinking, cooking and eating out.

Why I feel uncomfortable about all this

In my career to date I’ve not had to ask my readers directly for money and my goodness, it’s hard! 

Especially having to repeat the message because not everyone takes it in the first time.

But the fact is that since I left the Guardian back in the summer my Substack newsletter and my website are my main source of income. You’re paying for the knowledge I’ve acquired over a lifetime 

A third off annual subs for the next few days…

Anyway if you would like to assuage my misplaced sense of guilt I’m offering a third off an annual subscription to Eat This, Drink That this week which brings it down to £28.14 or £2.35 a month. That’s just over 54p - way less than a dollar - a week

As a paid subscriber you also get 40% off any annual sub to Matching Food & Wine if you think you’d find it useful by inserting the code ETDTP at the checkout.

Or simply buy a bundle of 10 credits for £6 which may well be all the food and wine pairing advice you need.

You simply sign up and sign in. There’s no time limit for using your credits and once you’ve paid for an article you can always go back to it.

Thanks for reading this and particular thanks to those of you who have already supported me by taking out a paid subscription. I really, really appreciate it.

Fellow writers do you struggle with this? Fellow readers - as I am a subscriber too - do you resent it when an author asks you for money?

Whether you want to take out a paid subscription or not if you enjoyed reading this piece it would be great if you would give it a ❤️