Let’s roll that energy into October! Help keep TFS around by subscribing today.
Recently, I met with a consultant who wanted to make sure I was the right person at my company to take the meeting.
While there’s plenty that I’m still puzzling out about the media business, I’m certain I was supposed to be on that Zoom call. After all, I’m the only person at my company (albeit one who’s lucky to have a crew of tremendously talented freelance writers and a contract editor to make our daily newsletter shine.)
At The Food Section, I’m the publisher, executive editor, chief financial officer, human resources administrator, digital operations director, product designer, community engagement specialist, brand strategist, multimedia producer, social media manager, sales representative, event coordinator, data analyst, fact checker, lead investigative reporter, and staff photographer.
Ideally, we’d outsource a bunch of those responsibilities, in part because I don’t have any professional experience in about three-quarters of the above-named jobs. Unfortunately, that’s not financially feasible, a situation which not only inhibits this publication’s future growth but imperils its survival.
Right now, The Food Section is kept afloat by 693 paying readers. We have no outside source of revenue. No sponsors. No grants. No advertisers.
Our publication is completely reliant on subscribers who understand that producing and circulating rigorous food journalism—made by writers living in your communities, rather than AI—isn’t cheap. They know we have to foot the costs of an email service provider, membership software, web hosting, site maintenance, payment processing, and office supplies, in addition to compensating our contributors fairly and covering their reporting expenses.
That’s why we keep asking for money. And it’s why I’m thrilled that so many of you answered affirmatively in September.
Last month, we put out three different calls for financial support:
Buy The Food Section’s first-ever gift box!
- They’re all gone: Literally. Our Middle Georgia Tasting Notes boxes sold out, but if you bought one when you had a chance, it’s now in the U.S. Postal Service’s care and traveling toward you.
Visit our merch shop!
- We’re constantly tinkering with our lineup of logoed swag, and just introduced an apron with the slogan “Stirring the pot to serve the South.” It’s gratifying to see it selling fast; it might be just the accessory you need for the holidays.
Join the Back Indie Media Drive!
- Under the auspices of Project C, we undertook an abbreviated subscription drive, alongside other creators such as Rey Katz of Amplify Respect: They picked up six new paying subscribers during the drive. As for TFS, I aimed to acquire five new subscribers—and am only disappointed that we met the goal so quickly that I never got to redeploy the illustration I created to chart progress.
So, what do we have to show for September’s efforts? In financial terms, a profit of $977.94, which is just a shade less than what we pay for a Monday feature story, such as Rong Xiaoqing’s recent profile of Chinese restaurant ownership across two generations, or Mark Blankenship’s look at the growing problem of food waste associated with bachelorette parties.
More importantly, though, it was evidence of how many readers stand with us, and confirmation that we can’t be complacent when it comes to the fate of independent media. In other words, you’ll keep hearing from us–in every sense.
Thank you for making this scrappy publication possible. Have a great weekend.
Hanna
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