Introducing... Jenna's Side Subscriber Spotlight!

A nifty little perk I think you're going to love ;)

I don’t know about the rest of the reading population, but I’ve noticed more and more Substacks I follow have started tossing frustrating, unexpected paywalls into the middle of their pieces like plot twists no one asked for. Worse is when they’re not even in the middle but pop up right before the punchline or Big Reveal I’ve just invested seventeen minutes of skimming time to get to. (I mean, it’s a tactic for sure. So is hiding brussels sprouts under mashed potatoes.) It feels sort of like a server delivering your sizzling, mouth-watering Filet Mignon and then informing you the knife and fork are sold separately, or almost-completing a puzzle before finding out that the last five pieces are a premium upgrade.

*If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all be able to support every writer whose work we value and appreciate, and none of us on this side of the keyboard would be begging for handouts. Alas, reality sometimes bites. And so, in my rarely humble opinion, does the Pay to Continue Reading cash curtain.

I promised that I would never play the paywall card on this stack, and I haven’t and I won’t. However, as I’ve mentioned, I’ve racked my brain trying to come up with extra perks for paid subscribers—a meaningful way to make them/you feel more appreciated than a bathroom attendant who just got a two-dollar tip.

ANNOUNCER: Introducing, for one eternity only, the Jenna’s Side Subscriber Spotlight!

Weekly(ish), I will be publishing a post featuring one of my benevolent backers, the folks who keep the lights on and the kitties fed around here. I’ll be asking the same series of questions, giving you an opportunity to introduce yourself or your schtick, offer special deals to fellow Jenna’s Side subscribers, and basically strut your irresistible stuff like a chicken in stilettos.

You might be amazed at how many chicken-in-stilettos images there are out there in the world.

What you get:

• FREE ADVERTISING to anywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 pairs of eyeballs.

• The chance to dazzle a serendipity of strangers with your brilliance, business idea, or bizarre hobbies.

• Probably some new fans, friends, or followers.

• A link you can send to your mom when she asks, “What are you even doing with your life, anyway?”

• My bottomless gratitude, on a loop.

The Rules:

• You must be a paid subscriber (monthly or annual) to participate.

• I will most likely post profiles in the order received but will give precedence to Founding and Annual subscribers if forced to choose.

• Once you submit, consider your submission submitted. Do not send me seventeen emails [or even one] with “WAIT READ THIS ONE INSTEAD” in the subject line. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

• Please limit responses to 200 words max per question and keep it family-friendly.

• I reserve the exclusive right to edit or reject any submission for any reason whatsoever. (I probably won’t reject anything without at least offering an opportunity to revise, but that sounded official and lawyer-y to me, so I threw it in there.)

• Any other rules I forgot to include but come up with later.

As always, I have no idea if I’ll get three responses or three hundred, so please be patient with me. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I always do what I promise to do (see: Yankee Doodle Soup) and I generally do it faster than a kid chasing an ice cream truck downhill. Still, I’m just one girl… with a family and a full-time job and a Substack she’s obsessively committed to… so thanks in advance for your grace.

Buy a signed book, leave a tip, tell me I’m awesome right here.