Happy New Year! Those of you who have been following this site over the years know that it’s constantly evolved, and 2024 will be no exception. How do we keep the lights on and fund all of this? Direct reader support, either through purchases in the T.G.S. Curated Shop or pledges via T.G.S. Patreon. While T.G.S. posts multiple pieces of original blog and social media content per week, the site hasn’t relied on third-party advertising and affiliate support to pay its bills for several years now. Whether you’re a longtime reader or only recently discovered the site, I’d appreciate it if you’d take a brief moment to browse the carefully curated selection of goods in the shop, and/or visit the Patreon Page. Last month, I wrote a bit about how we curate goods for our shop, and how it integrates into the larger vision for T.G.S. In short, we highlight well-made pens, pencils, paper, and desk and reading accessories that not only look great but are actually meant to be used in your everyday life.
What Does the T.G.S. Patreon Membership Entail?
I’ve enjoyed building an active community both here on the site and on Patreon, which I think of as an “extension” of T.G.S. for our most dedicated readers and supporters. Over the past year the Patreon program consolidated at two levels of monthly support: $3 or $5, with a 10% discount for an annual pledge so you don’t have to deal with recurring charges. Among other benefits, Patreon supporters receive a handwritten thank-you note from me and some swag (depending on support level), a welcome discount code good for one use in the shop, access to the monthly online meetup, early access to T.G.S. exclusive release products and my periodic “Gently Used” sample sales, and special content. My most recent series of exclusive posts was a series on the 2023 Diamine “Inkvent” Calendar, the first of which is publicly available.
I’m looking forward to 2024, and building on what we’ve been able to do with your generous support so far! I plan to share more about what’s in store for this year in the coming weeks, as I’m constantly exploring new ways to grow our community.