Hi,
I promise I won’t email you outside of the regular newsletters more than once or twice a year. My genuine apologies if you receive this email twice, there was no easy way to consolidate the email lists.
First of all, I want to thank you for your support for Out All Day and Up All Night. We now get up to 10,000 readers/month which, for this little one-person operation, makes me incredibly happy. My only goal with both has been to put money into the pockets of people and projects in New Orleans who may not otherwise get writing gigs or media coverage - I hope we succeed, the emails I receive suggest that we do.
We’re commissioning more writers and expanding to video content. It can be a slow process - it’s just me, trying to produce two weekly publications alongside my job, and I’m really grateful for your patience.
Anyway, this isn’t a hard sell, just a request for some help. Not charity - there are tons of more worthy causes (all of them, really) - but if you’d consider supporting a side project, I would sincerely appreciate it.
I recently published a book. It’s a comic memoir of my awkward times as a provincial hayseed in London in the 1990s, but I think it’s relatable - bad jobs, no money, and I get mugged in really weird ways a lot. Think a dollar store Larry David or a discount David Sedaris. Readers have said nice things so far (see above). You can read some excerpts here. I’ve been having to travel to the UK a lot to help with a very sick family member, so any proceeds go to those expenses, with the rest invested back into the publications.
Ways that you can help if you’d be so kind:
Buy the pdf
Venmo/Zelle any amount of money from $1 upwards - include your email in the payment reference and I will send the pdf version to you. [Venmo is @shandypockets, last four digits of my cell are 8421 if they ask. Zelle is paul.oswell@gmail.com / 504 722 8421]
Buy a paperback copy
Buy from what is the most cost-effective way to produce the book (Amazon, likely the best option if you already have Prime) CLICK HERE
OR
You can Venmo/Zelle me $20, include your postal address in the payment reference and I will get a copy to you, mail costs included (it takes a couple of weeks). [Venmo is @shandypockets, last four digits of my cell are 8421 if they ask. Zelle is paul.oswell@gmail.com / 504 722 8421]
SPECIAL PROMOTION: IF YOU BUY A PHYSICAL COPY, I will throw in a FREE display ad with a live link to your event/business/website/nonprofit/whatever on both websites for one week (current value $35).
You can also support by taking out an ad! I didn’t offer this for the first couple of years, but I think that the reader numbers are now worth it, and we’re very cheap. Email me and we’ll work it out.
That’s all. I won’t bug you again until the annual fundraising drive (likely a silent auction with some great prizes) this summer. I hope you’re really well, safe and thriving. I honestly appreciate every reader and every subscriber. I’m excited to grow the publications, and to support as many of our local communities and independent small businesses as possible.
As always, much love to you and yours.
Paul Oswell
Editor and publisher