Well said Fiona!! I too struggle with this on Substack… I think the early years of the internet made everyone think content is free, but it never should have been.
Just remember that you ARE providing a service! And you have every right to charge for it. (I say this despite being terrified to "go paid" because I'm not entirely sure what I have to say is worth anyone paying for it. But as you say, writers struggle with this - and female writers in particular.)
I think some of the issue is that before you could buy a newspaper or magazine and there would be a bunch of writers you like-- all in one purchase. Now to get the same access to those writers it's about subscribing to a bunch of different newsletters, etc. So either you need to decide who is your favourite or most relevant or you're paying a fortune to access all the people you used to read in one spot (quite similar to the proliferation of streaming channels). I think that may be the hurdle for a lot of people. The model is broken not the completely legitimate ask to be paid for your work.
I very much appreciate that, Allison, which is why I've made my Substack recommendation-based. People are not subscribing just for my prose but the tips!
For me it wasn't hard to initially go paid and ask for money. I believed in the value of the work I was creating. The trickier bit is knowing that you have to keep repeating the message. Some of my loyalest supporters took six months before they put their money down (many still haven't). People forget, and they have other more urgent priorities for both their attention spans and their lucre.
Now what terrifies me (10 months into this substack adventure) is how easily I might lose (paying) subscribers if they get sick of me continually asking for money. Yes I know, substack has reasonably sophisticated features so you can target your begging messages only at free subscribers. But still...
To put a different slant on it (and Vicky Hampton's comment below made me think about this), I think asking for money can motivate you to do better. At least that's how it works for me. I have more motivation, more drive to keep delivering something valuable, knowing that people parted with their hard-earned cash. And that on its own is as good a reason as any other to "go paid".
Oh I absolutely feel this. I think it's also because blogs were historically free and generally of quite high quality. There's also a huge amount of free high quality content on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, too. People did the all of these - blogs and social media - for fun and they led to book deals or jobs or they became sustainable through advertising.
Substack is trickier as often people come here already estabilshed in their field and it's hard not to resent writing for free when other writers are putting information behind paywalls.
I get a lot of FOMO so I hate putting my content behind paywalls and I do get disappointed by how much I can't read on other interesting Substacks. I currently pay for about 12 - which is more than I probably should be from a budgeting perspective, and more than I have time to read, yet I still wish I could manage more. What I do like about behind the paywall is the sense of being an insider and some element of camaraderie.
If I drank more than twice a year then upgrading for your decades of knowledge would be a no brainer! :-)
It's a real dilemma isn't it? But totally understand given the amount of wine content that it won't be top of your priorities. Still nice of you to follow as a free subscriber. I do appreciate that too!
Living far away from London, I subscribe purely for the excellent supermarket wine recommendations.
It is very true that the discounts you identify pay for the subscription but even more important for me, is that every full price recommendation has been great. No longer taking a risk on a new bottle and being able to confidently try new bottles is fantastic thank you
It is a bit like physical products. Nobody seems to appreciate the fortunes spent on research and development(for decent product) and they don't want to pay for it either. Also witness art - the Tate bricks spring to mind- people think 'Oh I could have done that',but could they have the original thought? Picasso's lobster telephone? Promoting ideas is always tough, welcome to the struggling artists dilemna. But please keep on keeping on!
I sympathise with your issue. These are challenging (and exciting) times in the world of media. You have a much closer relationship with your readers than you ever would have had a few years ago, something,I am sure, brings its own challenges as well as its benefits. As a result the financial transaction involved is very very different. People, on both sides of the fence. are getting used to this but it will take a little while for everyone to become entirely comfortable with it.
Your particular challenge is that you have a resource that historically was free, that you you are now charging for. This will mean that historical and habitual users are being forced to view it differently. What they could have just have called up as a prompt without much thought, now they have to think about. This is bound to create a bit of a change, not least you will see your hits decline quite markedly which in turn will mean that you will have to work quite hard to ensure that the content is of a high standard and that you are publicising the resource widely. It will be a lot of work.
I think that's a fair assessment, Stephen. But the alternative which was to go on providing content which many businesses were using FOC just didn't make sense. There is other useful free content on the site like the Match of the Week which hopefully will. draw people in but yes, a lot of work!
I have a question. What, precisely, does a "credit" mean? I want to make sure I buy enough but am unsure what that means. Does it mean I can do a single wine matching search or is it a single session where I could look for several things?
Sorry, Stella. It is clear (I think!) on the purchase credits page but I should have made it clearer in this post. It's one credit per article in the Top Pairings section (other parts of the site are still free to access). Most people visit the site just to look at one type of dish or wine but if you enjoy browsing I'd probably buy a 50 or 100 credit bundle https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
I think it’s fair. And I like the idea of the credits for matchfoodandwine. I’m not often stumped when trying to come up with a pairing and my choices often match yours in general if not in detail; but when I need your advice I really need it, and I think it’s fair to pay for it.
It reminds me of when I worked in PR in quite a specialised area - I had one or two clients who demanded that I handed over my mailing list, and couldn't understand that I had spent decades honing those relationships. You stick to your guns, girl. You will no doubt lose one or two, but they are the ones actually losing out.
Hi Fiona, echoing a couple of comments below…absolutely would pay for access for the fascinating content on matching food and wine but would like a reasonable annual fee not a credit system. I often disappear down a wormhole on your website and worry that it would end up not being vfm if I used up my credits on an “online evening”! Please take comfort from the fact that this is the first online content that I consider worth paying for as opposed to expecting it to be free as is the way in our current world. Please keep doing what you do!
Well, that's very gratifying, Steve. Thankyou. I will bear your and the other comments in mind about an open ended subscription but the two annual payment options should give you quite a lot of wormholes to disappear down 😉 https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
Hi Fiona - long time fan here, and agree with everyone that it's totally fine to charge for the content! Just one question: are you thinking of a subscription model for the website too? I'd rather pay a fixed cost to have access to the whole thing than using the "credits system"...
Thanks very much! I did think about a subscription model but thought more people would value the option of buying a small number of. credits. Your best option I think would be one of the 2 annual subs depending on how often you often you'll want to use it https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
I slightly understand your feelings but would wholeheartedly affirm that you should be paid for your craft . This online media is evolving the whole time and the way writers monetarize their writing evolves also . I am a simple soul and will happily pay what I think someone’s writing/opinion is worth and that is a a compact between the writer and the subscriber . You can never make everyone happy and nor should you strive to . Write and charge what you think is appropriate and you find your audience . Simple really
Well said Fiona!! I too struggle with this on Substack… I think the early years of the internet made everyone think content is free, but it never should have been.
Sadly it did. All the 'old media' have now recognised that!
Just remember that you ARE providing a service! And you have every right to charge for it. (I say this despite being terrified to "go paid" because I'm not entirely sure what I have to say is worth anyone paying for it. But as you say, writers struggle with this - and female writers in particular.)
And so are you! Go for it!
I think some of the issue is that before you could buy a newspaper or magazine and there would be a bunch of writers you like-- all in one purchase. Now to get the same access to those writers it's about subscribing to a bunch of different newsletters, etc. So either you need to decide who is your favourite or most relevant or you're paying a fortune to access all the people you used to read in one spot (quite similar to the proliferation of streaming channels). I think that may be the hurdle for a lot of people. The model is broken not the completely legitimate ask to be paid for your work.
I very much appreciate that, Allison, which is why I've made my Substack recommendation-based. People are not subscribing just for my prose but the tips!
For me it wasn't hard to initially go paid and ask for money. I believed in the value of the work I was creating. The trickier bit is knowing that you have to keep repeating the message. Some of my loyalest supporters took six months before they put their money down (many still haven't). People forget, and they have other more urgent priorities for both their attention spans and their lucre.
Now what terrifies me (10 months into this substack adventure) is how easily I might lose (paying) subscribers if they get sick of me continually asking for money. Yes I know, substack has reasonably sophisticated features so you can target your begging messages only at free subscribers. But still...
To put a different slant on it (and Vicky Hampton's comment below made me think about this), I think asking for money can motivate you to do better. At least that's how it works for me. I have more motivation, more drive to keep delivering something valuable, knowing that people parted with their hard-earned cash. And that on its own is as good a reason as any other to "go paid".
100% Once people are paying you absolutely have to turn up! And since writers are incapable of doing anything without a deadline that's a good thing!
Keep going. You deserve it , you’re b****y good.
Sweet of you to say so, David. Thanks!
Oh I absolutely feel this. I think it's also because blogs were historically free and generally of quite high quality. There's also a huge amount of free high quality content on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, too. People did the all of these - blogs and social media - for fun and they led to book deals or jobs or they became sustainable through advertising.
Substack is trickier as often people come here already estabilshed in their field and it's hard not to resent writing for free when other writers are putting information behind paywalls.
I get a lot of FOMO so I hate putting my content behind paywalls and I do get disappointed by how much I can't read on other interesting Substacks. I currently pay for about 12 - which is more than I probably should be from a budgeting perspective, and more than I have time to read, yet I still wish I could manage more. What I do like about behind the paywall is the sense of being an insider and some element of camaraderie.
If I drank more than twice a year then upgrading for your decades of knowledge would be a no brainer! :-)
It's a real dilemma isn't it? But totally understand given the amount of wine content that it won't be top of your priorities. Still nice of you to follow as a free subscriber. I do appreciate that too!
Living far away from London, I subscribe purely for the excellent supermarket wine recommendations.
It is very true that the discounts you identify pay for the subscription but even more important for me, is that every full price recommendation has been great. No longer taking a risk on a new bottle and being able to confidently try new bottles is fantastic thank you
So glad you find it useful, Bill and Nicky!
I agree with other comments- you should absolutely be paid for your time and expertise. No need to be apologetic about that.
I know. Silly really. But that's what I mean about writers - especially female writers - feeling undeserving 🙄
It is a bit like physical products. Nobody seems to appreciate the fortunes spent on research and development(for decent product) and they don't want to pay for it either. Also witness art - the Tate bricks spring to mind- people think 'Oh I could have done that',but could they have the original thought? Picasso's lobster telephone? Promoting ideas is always tough, welcome to the struggling artists dilemna. But please keep on keeping on!
Well I wouldn't regard myself as quite in the artist category but you're absolutely right, John!
I sympathise with your issue. These are challenging (and exciting) times in the world of media. You have a much closer relationship with your readers than you ever would have had a few years ago, something,I am sure, brings its own challenges as well as its benefits. As a result the financial transaction involved is very very different. People, on both sides of the fence. are getting used to this but it will take a little while for everyone to become entirely comfortable with it.
Your particular challenge is that you have a resource that historically was free, that you you are now charging for. This will mean that historical and habitual users are being forced to view it differently. What they could have just have called up as a prompt without much thought, now they have to think about. This is bound to create a bit of a change, not least you will see your hits decline quite markedly which in turn will mean that you will have to work quite hard to ensure that the content is of a high standard and that you are publicising the resource widely. It will be a lot of work.
But well done you in embracing this challenge.
I think that's a fair assessment, Stephen. But the alternative which was to go on providing content which many businesses were using FOC just didn't make sense. There is other useful free content on the site like the Match of the Week which hopefully will. draw people in but yes, a lot of work!
As I said, I sympathise.
You are encountering the inevitable bumps in the road when you make a change like this.
I have a question. What, precisely, does a "credit" mean? I want to make sure I buy enough but am unsure what that means. Does it mean I can do a single wine matching search or is it a single session where I could look for several things?
Sorry, Stella. It is clear (I think!) on the purchase credits page but I should have made it clearer in this post. It's one credit per article in the Top Pairings section (other parts of the site are still free to access). Most people visit the site just to look at one type of dish or wine but if you enjoy browsing I'd probably buy a 50 or 100 credit bundle https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
I shall have a look more closely tomorrow though I agree with someone else that an annual subscription option would be my preferred choice.
There is exactly that! https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
I think it’s fair. And I like the idea of the credits for matchfoodandwine. I’m not often stumped when trying to come up with a pairing and my choices often match yours in general if not in detail; but when I need your advice I really need it, and I think it’s fair to pay for it.
Thanks for that Charl. Anyway I’ll just have to give it a try and see if it needs tweaking. But a lot of people have (gratifyingly) signed up already.
It reminds me of when I worked in PR in quite a specialised area - I had one or two clients who demanded that I handed over my mailing list, and couldn't understand that I had spent decades honing those relationships. You stick to your guns, girl. You will no doubt lose one or two, but they are the ones actually losing out.
Yes, it's amazing how people think mailing lists take no effort whatever to put together and keep up to date 🙄
Hi Fiona, echoing a couple of comments below…absolutely would pay for access for the fascinating content on matching food and wine but would like a reasonable annual fee not a credit system. I often disappear down a wormhole on your website and worry that it would end up not being vfm if I used up my credits on an “online evening”! Please take comfort from the fact that this is the first online content that I consider worth paying for as opposed to expecting it to be free as is the way in our current world. Please keep doing what you do!
Well, that's very gratifying, Steve. Thankyou. I will bear your and the other comments in mind about an open ended subscription but the two annual payment options should give you quite a lot of wormholes to disappear down 😉 https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
Hi Fiona - long time fan here, and agree with everyone that it's totally fine to charge for the content! Just one question: are you thinking of a subscription model for the website too? I'd rather pay a fixed cost to have access to the whole thing than using the "credits system"...
Thanks very much! I did think about a subscription model but thought more people would value the option of buying a small number of. credits. Your best option I think would be one of the 2 annual subs depending on how often you often you'll want to use it https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/content/credits/
I slightly understand your feelings but would wholeheartedly affirm that you should be paid for your craft . This online media is evolving the whole time and the way writers monetarize their writing evolves also . I am a simple soul and will happily pay what I think someone’s writing/opinion is worth and that is a a compact between the writer and the subscriber . You can never make everyone happy and nor should you strive to . Write and charge what you think is appropriate and you find your audience . Simple really
Sound advice, Johnnie! Thankyou!