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Paying for Web Content (June 29, 2006) 
I recently received a very kind offer of a Paypal donation from a true gentleman,
Jan-Martin of Germany. (According
to my website logs, I have had readers from 89 nations this month.)
I understand the need of other sites to either charge for content or sell ads to defray the expenses of operating the site, not to mention compensation for the content. One of the key referral sites for my own, patrick.net, just transitioned from a free (and very time-consuming to assemble) resource on the housing bubble to a low-priced subscription format ($10 for 50 daily reports.) I recommend subscribing to patrick's service, which is both highly informative and very modest in cost. Few bloggers can afford to provide substantive, original content with no compensation or ad revenue. I get many emails thanking me for my offerings, and asking how I manage to write so much so often. The answer? I am a complete idiot. Only a real moron would write so much for nothing, and alas, if there is any financially rewarding way to do anything, I will stumble into the opposite corner. (See My Brand Management Stinks, June 22, below.) I know this sounds cliched, but the quality of my readers is my reward. I am continually astonished and delighted by the intelligence, knowledge, acumen and writing ability of my readers. And since I reckon a site free of any direct monentary compensation is truly independent, I declined Jan-Martin's generous and kind offer of a donation. Not only that, but I am offering my long-suffering readers a bonus--a high-quality piece of art which is suitable for printing and framing (see above). If you examine this fine work of art long enough, you might be overcome with the unquenchable desire to own a copy of my little novel, I-State Lines from either an independent bookstore, The Kaleidoscope: Our Focus Is You or from amazon.com  .
Now if you, of your own free will, unencumbered by subliminal suggestions or advertising, suddenly and irrevocably decide to purchase a copy of my novel ($20 from Kaleidoscope, shipping is free), then yes, I will eventually receive about $1 from my truly admirable husband-and-wife "30 years of literary publishing" publisher, The Permanent Press (Please check out their current list of novels and extensive backlist of modern and classic fiction.) As an Amazon Associate, I do earn a modest referral fee should you buy any of the books/films I recommend, but these are modest indeed--as little at 8 cents on a used book and perhaps 40 cents for a new book. These fees come from Amazon and do not raise the price of your purchase. To date I have earned about $33 from readers' purchases this year, a not quite stupendous sum which I do not expect to arouse great envy in my readers. As I am quick to point out, you can always borrow any book for free from your local library (if cutbacks and rising benefits costs haven't completely gutted the hours it is open to the public). In all seriousness: if you'd like to try some new, unknown fiction (or want to shove a mildly amusing literary novel toward some young person of your acquaintance), then maybe you'd like I-State Lines. If not, this site remains free of charge to you. I do, however, suggest that you stare deeply into the formidable piece of art above, and let your subconscious mind play upon its patterns. You do want to buy a copy of my book now, don't you? You find it fascinating, don't you? Compelling, in a strangely irresistable fashion? Well, don't let me stop you; it's your decision. For more on this subject and a wide array of other topics, please visit my weblog. 
copyright © 2006 Charles Hugh Smith. All rights reserved in all media. I would be honored if you linked this wEssay to your site, or printed a copy for your own use.
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