On my birthday last year I received this hand-painted gift from Pieter at Boldstatements during the Letterheads in Brussels—thanks again Pieter!

"All good things, $0,00 at Sam's". Showcard by Pieter Snijders / @boldstatements.nl. (The shaded letters poster behind is available in Pieter's online shop.)

You may recognise my email signoff—all good things—but it's the price tag I want to talk about. I feel that Pieter captured something fundamental about me and my work, which is that I would do it all for free. If I could.

If you appreciate this work, and believe that it's beneficial to have BLAG in the world, then please consider joining the paid membership. (Read on for a special offer...)

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Gratitude & Gatekeeping

Reviewing the 2024 reader survey, I've been immensely grateful for all the kind words about my efforts on BLAG. In addition to things like "BLAG is a must have!" and "Love it all :-)", there are dozens of thank you messages and encouragement to "Keep up the great work!".

However, I want to share this comment from last year's survey:

Why do you subscribe to BLAG?
"1. Love seeing and experiencing this type of unique publishing. Also functions as a conversation starter to help spreading the word.
"2. Knowing I contribute to the free resources online for whoever wants to learn. I don’t believe in gatekeeping :)
"3. Smells amazing!"

That second point about gatekeeping resonated with me, as it's exactly how I conceived of BLAG, and to an extent Better Letters before it: a core of people pay (now over 500 worldwide), so that everyone benefits from the free stuff.

BLAG Issues 01–04, all made possible by the membership.

At Your Service

I've always been a volunteer in some capacity, from two years in Cambodia with Voluntary Service Overseas, to running the college radio station, which almost cost me my degree! More recently, this side of my work has included producing the series of When Better Letters Met films, hosting Letterheads meets, supporting students with their assignments, and generally banging the drum for all things sign painting.

It's always a delicate balance between having enough money coming in to be able to allocate time to the voluntary work, and I don't always get it right. However, it is a privilege and a pleasure to serve this community—"he's like the fairy godfather of signwriters worldwide" as someone recently put it 😊.

Which brings me to BLAG, and what is and isn't paid for.

My Balancing Act

I'd love to make everything free like Pieter's showcard, and to charge a break-even price for the print magazine. But this isn't realistic, and so paid members are an essential component of all things BLAG.

BLAG HQ, aka our spare room. (The tube on the far left contains the original Leonardo canvas that was turned into the poster inside BLAG 04.)

When I set up the magazine's pricing, I thought of it in terms of these core elements:

  1. Print magazine.
  2. Online articles.
  3. Email newsletters.

These have direct costs, in addition to the time they take to produce. While most of the online content and emails are completely free, I see them as part of the value offered to paid members; they are paying for their own access, and providing that access to those less able to do so.

Over the last two years, I've also expanded the BLAG offer. This now includes BLAG Events, most of which are free, more pages inside the magazine, digital back issues, the BLAG Forum, and the book shop (with new member discount).

Just like a gym membership, not everyone uses everything; and nothing exists if no-one pays. BLAG, in its totality, is much more than the print magazine, and paid members, sponsors and patrons* make it all possible.

(The Browser plan is an option for digital-only access, and the print magazine is in the shop for that printy smell in your postbox.)

Ads vs Adventures

I wish we could all pursue our creative passions and projects without the need to 'monetise' them. I guess I've done this to some extent through my voluntary work, but I also have to accept the commercial realities of the world we live in.

The 'hustle' doesn't come naturally to me, and I would rather not have to 'sell' anything. This is one of the reasons I don't take advertising in BLAG: I've done advertising sales, and I never want to do it again. But the main reason is that it allows me, and the magazine, to be 100% focused on our adventures in sign painting.

This reader-funded model for BLAG was a conscious choice, and I remain commited to it. So if you value my work, and can afford to do so, please support it by joining as a paid member from $5/month, or get 20% off the annual plan that includes the print magazine.

20% Off the Annual Plan

For students and low income groups, including those in the global south, I also offer a reduced rate on the monthly Blagger plan that includes the print magazine.

And there's always the option of leaving a one-off tip via PayPal or credit card, or buying something in the shop, if you don't want to commit to recurring payments.

All good things (not quite $0.00), Sam

*As always, a special thank you to our sponsors and patrons.

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