why i'm starting a virtual tip jar
Writing this newsletter has brought me so much joy and given me confidence in my future. I can tell that my work — from videos, to articles, to curated info — is resonating with people in a way I have not experienced in the past. I know that I’m on to something, and I only have your readership, comments, thoughtful replies and overall engagement to help me understand this. A part of being a journalist is being of service, and I’m glad that in this time of content overload, you find value in what I cover.
Now that I am in a place where I publish this newsletter consistently (every week), I am figuring out what a paid subscription tier of this newsletter would look like. In other words, I keep asking myself: How can I put more time and energy into original reporting for this newsletter?
Until then, I am starting a digital tip jar in which readers can contribute to as they wish.
Why I Focus On Black Women And Beauty was the newsletter I realized after publishing, “I could have pitched this to a publication, and gotten paid. But I’m happy with my decision.” With a topic I care about so much, I’d rather add value to my own newsletter and send it directly to a community (all of you) who are into the things I’m into.
When I can afford to, being able to make decisions such as this are important to me. One of my goals is to figure out a way to exist within the media/journalism ecosystem in a very sustainable (and impactful!) way — without depending on a staff job that could lay me off with the flick of a middle finger.
Here is a link to where you can give, which includes Venmo, Cashapp and PayPal.
Moving forward, there will be a tip jar button within the newsletter for any time you’d like to give. 〰 Any amount is tremendously appreciated 〰
Thank you for your generosity and above all, thank you for reading this newsletter.
Onward,
Darian