Welp, I Just Lost a Sixth of My Income

But! Substack can help; consider switching to paid!

Sisters plead: join the paid tier!

This week I learned that my column at John Stoehr’s Editorial Board is coming to an end. I’ve been writing weekly on economics and policy for John for the past year and a half or so. It’s been a great gig, John’s a wonderful editor to work for, and the Editorial Board in general is worth your time.

Unfortunately, the funding for my column fell through, and that’s that. After some rough calculations, I figured out that the column was about a sixth of my income. Which is sobering and depressing and is why I probably shouldn’t do those kinds of calculations.

Freelancing is really precarious and anxiety producing; since last year, including the Editorial Board, I’ve lost probably four of my main clients from 2022. That’s not that unusual; journalism is a mess, sites are all collapsing or cutting back, and freelance writers are the first to be jettisoned.

Which is where you come in! Substack’s been doing well for me, and if that continues, I will have a bit of a cushion now to weather these kinds of ups and downs (mostly downs.)

So I’m hoping it continues, and asking you (in the words of some starship captain or other) to make it so. I know people have their own financial obligations and their own setbacks, and I’m really happy to have readers, paying or otherwise. But if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to switch to a paid subscription, this would be a good time!

Either way, thank you for reading. Comments are open too, if you’d like to say hello or praise the kitties.