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Dear Readers,
This year The Rumpus turns 13, and we’re feeling ALL our angsty growing pains! We want to assert our independence, but we also really NEED a good support system. That’s where RUMPUS MEMBERS come in . . .
Become an inaugural member of The Rumpus for $7 a month OR $77 a year. By joining, you truly are helping us build a sustainable future AND getting some extra content, early access, and sweet deals for yourself.
If you’re wondering if you should become a Rumpus member, here's a short quiz:
Do you read The Rumpus?
- Every damn day.
- My favorite columns are Voices of Addiction and Funny Women
- Who are you people?
Do you appreciate small publishers?
- Indies all the way, baby!
- Of course.
- You mean like how penguins are small?
Do you support fairer pay for writers?
- I donate to a mutual aid fund every month.
- Yes. Writing is work.
- I thought they did it for the exposure.
Want to keep the site paywall free?
- THE RUMPUS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE.
- I mean, it’s always been free and I hope it always will be.
- Ever heard of an incognito tab?
Were you filled with existential dread the last time you learned one of your favorite literary publications went under (especially one you’d been planning on someday eventually subscribing to)?
- Yes! And I was a subscriber.
- Yes.
- What's a literary magazine?
If you answered mostly A: You didn't need to take this quiz. You get it. We can't expect a magically benevolent rich person to help us out.
If you answered mostly B: Now is your chance to put your principles into practice!
If you answered mostly C: You probably ended up on our newsletter list when a leftist friend enrolled you in the hopes of you becoming a better person.
Here’s what your membership will make possible for us:
500 members: Covers our current basic operating costs. In 2022 we've invested in tech support, subscription services and databases for the staff, a bookkeeper, small honorariums for our programs coordinators and our EiC, and some necessary repairs and improvements to keep our site up and readable. Assuming our Book Clubs and Letters in the Mail subscriptions, merch sales, and advertising revenue stay relatively stable, reaching 500 Members/month covers the new stuff as well as the ongoing expenses.
600 members: Covers basic operating costs, PLUS paying our contributors between $25-$50 per piece. Right now, we have a contributor pool of $300/month. Hitting this goal will triple this to $900/month.
750 members: (This is just 5% of the people who receive our e-newsletter [that’s you!]) All of the above, PLUS investing in a website refresh. We haven’t had one in 13 years, and it’s time! We already have a designer lined up, and we'll sign the contractor once we have the funds to pay them.
1,000 members: All of the above, PLUS paying our contributors $50-$100 per piece.
3,000+ members: (Though this number seems huge, it’s 2-3% of The Rumpus’ monthly readers [also you!!]) This will get us to a fully sustainable place. That means all of the above, plus being able to pay part-time editors, and have the capacity to fund new projects. How about a Rumpus writing residency, maybe?
Want to know more about what members receive? Find out here, and hope to see you on the other side.
A big thank you for helping keep us going and moving toward sustainability!
All best wishes,
Alyson Sinclair, Publisher on behalf of The Rumpus team
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| P.S. As I'm writing this, we have around 58 early sign ups for membership. A little over 10% into our 1st goal of 500! We'll share our membership #s throughout June. If you signed up, expect your first members-only newsletter on June 16th. Even if you're not able to join at this time, please do share our announcement widely! We'd love to hear why you'd like to see The Rumpus live on.
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