Dear friends,
I’m writing this message because I wanted to share some exciting news with you all:
As of today, I am officially launching paid subscriptions for culture shock!
I’ll be going public on social media with an official announcement in a couple days, but I wanted you, my loyal readers, to be the first to know. As a small token of my gratitude for all the support you have shown me already, I’m offering a special one-day sale to all of my current email subscribers: if you sign up for a paid subscription by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 5th, you’ll automatically receive a 20% discount for the first year of your subscription!
To be clear: this is not a traditional paywall! The absolute last thing I want is to put so much effort and love into my writing, only to lock it away from everyone except those with the means to pay for it. Rest assured that all of my existing essays will still be freely available for anyone to read, and I’ll continue to publish full-length essays for free at roughly the same frequency as I’ve been sharing them so far.
I know that this might reduce the number of folks who opt to switch to a paid subscription, and I’m OK with that. I don’t want to commodify my art any more than I can help it, and I definitely don’t want my relationship with my readers to be a transactional one, which is why I’m intending for paid subscriptions to just be a way for you to support me and my writing if you feel so inclined.
If you do choose to become a paid subscriber, though, you’ll receive the following perks:
Early access to all new essays before I share them publicly
A monthly newsletter (a revived version of the dispatch, for those who remember) with updates on my life and lists of what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to
Occasional musings and reflections that are shorter and less formal than my full-length essays, based on the thoughts and ideas that I usually just jot down in my writer’s notebook (and that might someday be the seeds of a proper essay!)
I hope you’ll consider supporting my work by becoming a paid subscriber of culture shock today. (Of course, it goes without saying that if you would like to become a subscriber but can’t afford a paid subscription, just message me on here or contact me via my website to request a subscription waiver. No questions asked!)
You can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button below:
Why I’m going paid
It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 2 years since I first launched this Substack, then called no more mangoes (real ones remember). Since then, I’ve had the most amazing time building such a wonderful and supportive community of loyal readers. Whether you joined on day 1 or just last week, I really cannot express enough how grateful I am, from the very bottom of my heart, to each and every one of you for all of the love and support you all have shown me over the last few years. It feels absolutely surreal that there are 1,800 people out there who actually care enough about what I have to say to sign up for my writing in their email inbox.
I’ll be honest with you guys: opening up paid subscriptions is scary. I’ve been contemplating this for a while now, and each time I’ve seriously considered it I’ve ended up chickening out. The last year or so in particular, however, has been a period of major self-discovery and growth in my own journey as a writer. As I move forward into the next stage of my writing career, I want to challenge myself to take more risks and take myself more seriously as a writer—and that means asking those of you who enjoy reading my work to consider supporting me financially. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid supporter, but even if not, don’t worry—I still love and appreciate you endlessly!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you again to every last one of you. It feels a little silly to type out, but the love and support I get from my readers really does make this all worth it. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me directly.
Until next time!
All my love,
Pranay