Dense Discovery - Let’s be Friends? 💌

Dear reader,

I hope you’ve been enjoying Dense Discovery. Later this year, I will publish DD’s 300th issue – that’s six years of weekly dispatches without missing a beat!

The start of February marks the beginning of my yearly ‘Friends in February’ drive. It’s the only time I ask my readers for a favour: would you consider becoming a Friend of DD? My goal before the end of the month is:

Join as a Friend now →

What is a Friend of DD?

As you may know, DD makes money through advertising. Selling ad space has worked well in the past. With a proliferation of newsletters in recent years, however, there is more competition for advertising money which has made finding sponsors that align with my/DD’s ethical values more challenging. Ultimately, I’d also like to reduce my reliance on advertisers. That’s where the Friends of DD model comes in.

Dense Discovery will not become a paid-only newsletter. Quite the opposite: I’d like to keep the newsletter free for everyone, but offer paying members a range of ‘premium’ benefits that don’t take away from the experience for non-paying readers.

What are the benefits?

#1 / DD Index
You’ll get access to the Dense Discovery Index: a searchable catalogue of all previous issues of DD. This is a great way to find forgotten items or browse the entire catalogue of back issues by category (e.g. Books or Apps & Sites)

#2 / Friends discounts
Friends of DD find regular discount codes in their newsletter. These are visible to Friends only and provide discounts on books, magazines, artwork, apps and other items featured in DD. In addition, Friends get discounts on advertising in DD: $10 off every classified and $25 off every sponsor slot booking.

#3 / Hide advertising
As a Friend, you have the option to hide (turn off) sponsor and classified ads in your weekly newsletter.

#4 / Guest engagement
Friends of DD see a ‘Respond Now’ button below guest contributions in every issue. Engage with guest contributors in just one click.

#5 / Publisher updates
You will also receive occasional, more personal ‘behind-the-scenes’ updates and photos from me (Kai) about my life as a newsletterer.

How much does it cost?

The default tier is $1.83/month, billed once a year at US$22. If you get a lot out of DD and can afford more, there’s a US$44 tier which ends up being $3.66/month. This tier includes a goofy happy dance I perform on the other side of the screen whenever a new Friend signs up.

How do I become a Friend?

You can join as a Friend here. After signing up, you will receive a link to a member portal where you can change the details of your subscription or cancel it any time. (You won’t need to create a separate account.)

By the way, if you work with/on the internet, there is a good chance you can expense the cost of the subscription as a business cost. 😉

Whether you decide to become a Friend or not, thank you for reading and sharing DD and supporting my work! – Kai

Join as a Friend now →