Getting' paid

I am deeply sorry that this post is not about how Dawid Malan is a confusing cricketer or Ishant Sharma's 100th Test against all odds.

I am just letting you know that this substack is going partially paid. 50% of the articles from here on will be free, and the rest will be behind the paywall.

If you don't want to hear any more because you're desperate to give me money, click on the subscribe button and join up as a paid subscriber.

This emailer has grown far quicker than I ever believed it would; it's gone all Marnus Labuschagne batting average. I just wanted to do some writing again, and being that there wasn't much freelance work on offer, it all went here.

I've enjoyed writing regularly again, and so the only way I can continue is to make this paid. My aim now is to write between 50-100 pieces a year here and to commit that time, this needs to start making money.

Huge thanks to everyone who has signed up so far; you have allowed me to get back to writing. Even if you can't pay, know that your original subscription is at least part of why I am still writing here.

Most of the feature stuff will be free to read, but a large chunk of the analysis and match coverage will be only for paid subscribers. A paid membership also gets you occasional Q&As, and some more match notes led pieces for the paid subscribers.

There are three options:

1. Continue not paying and get 50% of my writing. Free. Free, I tell you.
2. Subscribe to the paid part of the substack and get 100% of my work. All of it, thrust into your email.
3. Or you can head over to my Patreon, choose a £5 or higher option, and you'll get this emailer and early access to podcasts. Monthly Q&As and other things. It's everything except a free set of steak knives.

I believe all you have to do is click the subscribe button and things will happen.

If the emailer continues to grow as it has, there is a chance as we advance that I turn it into a much larger publication. Much of the money will go towards frivolous things like my mortgage. But eventually, I may look to add a sub-editor, and other stretch goals - as the kids would say - include hiring younger writers on the way up and turning this into a hub for global cricket, or perhaps even sport around the world.

As anyone who has been watching my recent career might have noticed, I am trying to build a network. I have a couple of podcasts active and a few more in the pipeline.

There is my YouTube Channel as well.

And then this emailer. It's not that I wouldn't work for major organisations again, but I never want to be dependent on them. Places like ESPN, talkSPORT and ABC have given me great opportunities, and I loved my time there. But this isn't a reliable industry, and I certainly learnt that before Covid, but even more after.

I see this last year as a chance to build something myself again, much like I did with my old blog. Patreon was the first step, and so far I've really enjoyed working directly for the people who like my stuff.

Working for big organisations allows for many great things like money, some security, and facilities, but they are ultimately slow-moving dinosaurs most of the time. And I think the forms of media and types of storytelling out there are moving way quicker than a major publication can. So hopefully, by monetising this emailer, the podcasts and Youtube, I have an opportunity to build something here.

Thanks for your subscription so far, and all the reads, shares, likes, hearts, RTs, hey-look-at-this WhatsApps and everything else. It all helps, and it's all ultimately kept me here writing.