Year: 2013

A reader quotes a previous one:

"Please consider allowing comments in the paid site." NO! NEVER! PLEASE! In general, I HATE comment sections; they so often turn into cesspools, despite everyone's good intentions.  But your "curated comment section" is one of the best things about your blog. I've already signed up for the paid site, but if I get wind that there will be an open comment section, I'll probably try to get my money back.

Another reader reminds us that "if people want comments, they can go to the Dish Facebook page and comment there till their heart's content – and I don't have to see it." Another:

Delighted to see you striking out on your own.  I think it's high time.  I pay for the NYT, the FT, and the Economist, and I think your move is another signal of the quality differentiating itself.  I wouldn't pay for just any newspaper, and I wouldn't pay for just any blog.  But you've set yourself apart. 

That begs a separate question, though.  If we give enough, would you all consider setting aside the resources to build dedicated apps/web apps for your subscribers?  I'd love to have a clean, specially designed iPhone/iPad interface, and with the web apps the NYT and FT are now using, you wouldn't need to go through Apple (and for that matter, you could probably do a pretty easy port to Android).

Apps – or at least a customized mobile version for the home-page – are definitely forthcoming, once we get our footing with the new Dish. Another reader:

Have you ever thought of a limited merchandise offering? I can't be the only one who'd love to have an official DishHead teeshirt or ball cap. It would be fun to recognize each other at the local coffee shop.

Merchandise is very much on our radar. Back in December 2010 we launched some limited edition t-shirts (the ones featured in our staff photo). We are holding off on any subsequent merch until we have stabilized with the new transition, but stay tuned. Another reader dissents:

If you are going to start off on your own, start off right. Don't go for that $19.99 crap; be honest and direct and ask for $20.00. 

I have just finished law school and have to last until I can take the bar in February. My only income is some money from my Dad; I have to make my savings last. I don't even pay for the local Sacramento Bee, but I sent in my twenty and wish you the best.

We are immensely grateful. Join him in subscribing to an independent, ad-free Dish here.

Matt K. Lewis wishes us well:

Though Sullivan concedes that “no one really knows” whether or not online readers will pay for a blogger’s content, others (like Glenn Beck) have proven that it is at least possible to make money from online subscriptions. Say what you will about his politics, as a blogger, Sullivan is a visionary. And by maintaining his own brand — and “ownership” of his blog — he has proven that he is a free agent, capable of moving from outlet to outlet without losing his audience. If anyone can pull it off, it might be Sullivan.

Rod Dreher says he has subscribed:

Longtime readers know that Andrew and I have argued and fallen out over various issues over the years, and have agreed on some of them as well. The thing about Andrew’s blog is that even when it drives me crazy, I keep reading it. I have to. I want to. He and his team are scooping up stories and information that means something to me. I don’t care about pot, and I don’t care about Obama love, and I don’t care about the evolution of gay culture — three of Sully’s big themes. I think Sully is often unfair to his enemies, especially the Pope.

What I do care about is the broader cultural coverage the Dish team aggregates, which has for years given me lots to think about, and, of course, to blog about. And what I do care about is reading opinion journalism that engages me and makes me argue with it, even when it ticks me off. I love The Dish sometimes, I hate it other times, but above all, I read it, several times a day. With so many sites out there clamoring for one’s attention, that’s quite an accomplishment.

Therefore, I’m happy to support them financially, and to invest in a journalism model that means something to me personally. I encourage you to do the same.

Brad DeLong is also supportive:

Let me say that I will never, never, never forgive Andrew Sullivan for what he hired Charles Murray to do to the New Republic–or, for that matter, for any other of his manifold sins against the Holy Ghost. Nevertheless, he and his myrmidons are always worth reading, and definitely worth funding now that they go Full Utopian on us.

Mistermix compares our new business model to others in the industry:

This is a variant of the subscription model other sites like the Times and Gannett papers are using, except that it sounds like a lot of the Dish content will always be free. In practice, those subscription models end up looking a lot like public radio or TV – it’s pretty easy to get the content for free even after you’ve reached a limit, so "subscribers" tend to be voluntary. Sully has a huge readership, so I assume that enough people will pony up $19.99 a year to pay for him and his two under bloggers, and his site will still get a lot of hits since you can still view a lot of the content without a subscription. He won’t be hosting ads on the site, which is an indicator of just how badly the Internet ad market is cratering.

Just on a factual note, the Dish has seven employees (five staffers and two paid interns), not just three, so the budget is a challenge, but the rest of the paragraph is largely correct. Steven Taylor probably won't subscribe:

Sullivan has been at the forefront of blogging since the beginning, so I will be curious to see how this plays out, although I am unlikely to be a subscriber, given that I have more free content to read now than I have time for (which is the biggest threat to this model to begin with).

Drum worries that "as free access gets rarer, blogging is going to get harder":

[T]his is a trend that's a real problem for blogging. I currently subscribe to three newspapers: the LA Times, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. This costs me over a thousand dollars a year, but I need to have access to all these sites to do my job decently. But as more and more media sites start erecting paywalls, I simply won't be able to afford to keep up all the subscriptions. Andrew's 20 bucks a year is obviously fairly small change compared to subscription fees from big media operations, but as more and more sites go down this path, my choices are going to get harder and harder.

And Joyner does some math:

To be sure, clicking through for nothing is a different kettle of fish than being a paying customer. At least in the early going, though, a lot of people will sign up out of sheer loyalty for past services rendered. Hell, I did that for Josh Marshall’s site at a substantially higher price and most of its content is still free; I’ll almost certainly do it for Sullivan. Still, off the top of my head, I figure they’ll need at least $500,000 a year to cover salary and basic operating costs. That’s 25,000 $19.99 subscriptions.

I can't disagree on the math. And as the numbers come in, we're on our way. We'll report on the day's results when we have more data. But the trend is pretty amazing. Keep it going by pre-subscribing here.

A reader writes:

I have been reading you for 12 years.   I would have paid you a long time ago.  $19.99 is too cheap.  I just sent you $100.  Thanks for all of the years of excellent reading.  You make me think.  You have introduced me to so many other excellent writers – David Frum and Rod Dreher specifically.  Congrats on this new business venture.  If you can’t make it work – no one can. Happy New Year to you and your excellent team (and the dogs and Aaron).

Another:

I was waiting for you to finally ask me for money. I will say, I’ve rarely, if ever, received so much for so little. Glad to support you and your great team.  Best of luck.

Another:

Easiest $100 I’ve ever spent!  Consider it retroactive payment for 10 years of reading you for free without ever once clicking on an ad. I suspect you are going to be surprised at how many people choose to give more – we already know that quality of time at the Dish is higher for core readers than almost any other source, and people will always pay for that.  Hell I give to NPR every year and I know I am on the Dish more often than on the radio.

Another:

I just signed up for $49.99.  I wish it could be more, but, to be candid, I’m still carrying debt from Obama 2012 contributions.  Living and contributing according to my means is a definite focus of the new year and beyond.

Another:

Since I found this blog several years ago, it has become part of my daily read. I don’t always agree on everything that comes out (I still don’t know the fascination about circumcision ), but I know that I’ll get honest, fair and balanced views on national events. It’s been Andrew’s marriage that helped me to be in favor of same sex marriages, where I wimped out and thought civil unions was the way to go, the essays on Obama’s first and second campaigns put me behind his candidacy, the discussions on religion made me to accept my own atheism (yeah, probably not what you wanted) and the fun of the “View from my window” contests, opened my eyes to wonderful places on this earth. This what a blog is, in my mind.

Thank you so much and yes, I am going to subscribe!

Another:

Count me in for $100! As a graduate of Columbia School of Journalism back in 1982 and now an advertising agency owner in L.A., I think you’re simply the best. If I had to choose between giving up the NY Times or you, I’d probably choose you. I am a firm believer in paying for value and The Dish has been an enriching and vital part of my life for years. You are worth $19.99 and then some, so I am happy to be one of your first subscribers and happy to pay $100 for the privilege. Keep up the great work. I know you will do well. As I learned back in 1989 when I first left the big agency I worked for and went out of my own, you’re always better off cutting out the middle man and betting on yourself!

Another:

I just gave $50 to Greenwald a few days ago. I only gave you guys $30 because I’m less concerned about your viability. I was surprised you didn’t go this route sooner but I’m glad you have faith in your readers. I think one key difference between your blog and most other media outlets, particularly “old media,” is that you have all worked hard and succeeded at creating a real community vibe, and that you have done so without a comments section is a real testament. I’ve been reading since pretty much the beginning, and I do feel like I’m a contributor, however small. I would feel that way even if you never printed any of my emails. You guys not only read your emails, but you legitimately cherish the input. Dissents and varied opinions are aired, minds are changed … what a concept. I think a lot of us feel like we have a stake in this thing, so $20 is nothing, though I’m really glad you’re not cutting off the free-riders.

The advertising and host-jumping never felt right to me. This feels right.

Another:

The way I think of my relationship with your site is similar to a get-together I have with a good friend of mine every two or three weeks. We meet at a local bar here in Toronto and talk about the three things that interest us: movies, American politics, and baseball. I realize baseball isn’t really your thing (although you should reconsider that – it’s a beautiful sport). Other topics come up, of course, and we don’t always agree. But the discussion is the point.

The whole thing costs me almost exactly twenty bucks in beer money. (I buy, since my friend comes to my neighbourhood.) If I get the Dish for an entire year for the same amount for a whole year -well, that seems like a steal to me. Now if you could only supply the beer.

Another:

First, $20 a year is hugely reasonable. I think I pay $80 a year for New Yorker, $120 a year for the NYT as part of a student deal, and £140 a year for the Guardian (I’m British), all on iPad. However much I worry about my ever increasing media diet (both in terms of cost and size), adding The Dish at that price is a steal.

Second, I think it’s worth saying that, if anything, I think paying for content makes it better as an experience, in every sense. When I’ve invested in journalism, I feel I’ve done my bit to sustain this vital industry that I’d never want to see crumble. And it also makes me more attentive, more inclined to spend time reading what I should. I can only assume other Dish heads will feel similarly.

Oh, and if there’s any way to bind a digital community even more tightly together, this is it. Fret not. It’s going to work.

We certainly hope so. Join us and keep the Dish alive and ad-free here. A lot more reader feedback to come. We are simply overwhelmed with email but pledge to read every single one eventually.

(Context for the top illustration here and here. More Dish explained here and here)

That’s the pace at 3.03 pm. Join us here.

It's an avalanche of memberships. And so far, a full third of you have given more than the $19.99 minimum, which is incredibly encouraging. We're still at the bottom slope of the mountain for a truly sustainable base, but your response thus far, I can truthfully say, has blown us all away. We knew you were a special readership. Now you're proving it. In a matter of a couple of hours.

All we can say is thanks; and that we will work our asses off to make it worth every cent you pay us. The post explaining the move is here. And you can pre-subscribe here.

We'll get more up-to-date info on the first day's response soon. But my basic response so far: wow.

Wow. Andrew Sullivan strikes off on his own with a leaky paywalls and no ads. Love it: thebea.st/VvO87k

— Ryan Chittum (@ryanchittum) January 2, 2013

Andrew Sullivan pulls a Sinatra: @sullydish will do it his way thebea.st/ZbRj77

— Peter Kadzis (@Kadzis) January 2, 2013

So, a blog then? RT @romenesko: Andrew Sullivan and staff decide “to strike out on our own with no safety net.” thebea.st/10OzuvB

— James Joyner (@drjjoyner) January 2, 2013

Have been reading @sullydish in blog form since 2000. Where do I hit the “subscribe” button?

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 2, 2013

The first blogger I ever read regularly, Andrew Sullivan @sullydish, is going it alone and asking readers to pay for content. Sign me up.

— Michael Lewis (@michaeljlewis75) January 2, 2013

@cschweitz @sullydish @thedailybeast – Horrible move. Sullivan does no original reporting. He’s a commentator. No one w/pay for that.

— Hesiod Theogeny (@Hesiod2k11) January 2, 2013

Andrew Sullivan says “we work our asses off.” This is so true. Dish guys (and girl) work all day, every day, non-stop. I’ve witnessed it.

— Brian Ries Verified! (@moneyries) January 2, 2013

Andrew Sullivan in 7 Images: 9/11, Abu Ghraib, marriage equality, Obama, Green Revolution, beagles, weed. thebea.st/THsb37

— Nereida Diesen (@nereidadin) January 2, 2013

hope andrew sullivan’s $20/year blog comes with at least 3 meltdowns and a couple instances of melodramatic backpedaling.

— Zachary Sire (@ZacharySire) January 2, 2013

Whew: I misunderstood. Inbound links to @sullydish will remain free. No paywall, “ever,” he emails.

— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 2, 2013

Also: really into TinyPass, the commerce platform that Sullivan is using in its new indie state: tinypass.com

— Steven Johnson (@stevenbjohnson) January 2, 2013

I’m metering my tweets. You get 1,000 free tweets per month. After that, pay $19.99 (or more if you want!) per tweet.

— Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) January 2, 2013

A reader asks:

Congratulations on the move forward! I've already registered for a Dish membership ($25), but I've got one question: will RSS feeds work with the meter and the new site? That's my primary method of delivery for all online reading, and it will be difficult to keep up reading yall without it.

Fear not – our RSS feed won't be affected by the meter. Another:

Congratulations on the new adventure, we will definitely join the team! However, I could not figure out whether a subscription can be purchased for a couple with multiple machines or whether we need a separate account for each individual.  Any info on that?

You will be able to use your username/password for multiple devices, given that many Dishheads read the blog at work and at home, as well as mobile devices. Another reader:

Please consider allowing comments in the paid site. There will be far fewer "trolls" in that environment.

No plans for a comments section, but we will put it up for a vote again in due course. In the past, readers have overwhelmingly preferred our curated reader emails rather than often raucous comments sections.

One final point which may have gotten lost. There is no paywall. No one coming to the Dish home-page will ever be stopped. All links to individual posts will be outside the meter and as free after we launch as they are now. We have no intention of cutting ourselves off from the blogosphere we love and need. And vice-versa. The only meter arrives at the "Read On" posts, whose full text you have to be a member to read.

And, by the way, we are currently overwhelmed by the massive response. We'll report back as soon as we can firm up the precise numbers. But the level of support so far is pretty staggering. We can't thank you enough. Stay tuned …