,
10 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
It's ironically appropriate that "Patreon is messing around again and we're all sort of scared of what's about to happen to the money we use to keep the lights on" is corresponding once again with "people come out of the woodwork to ask for free stuff" season.
Here's how this goes: the year turns, the snow falls, and all the literary charities in North America begin planning their silent auctions, charity events, and other exciting events which would benefit from donations.
Someone says "hey, I like author X's work and they're pretty approachable on social media, we should ask them for a donation." An email is sent.
In a perfect world, this email is answered with "of course, you are such a good charity and I have so much money that I'm not using, I would be happy to mail things anywhere you like for the sake of doing good." Everyone is happy.
We do not live in a perfect world.
Setting aside that I am pants at mailing things--and honestly, I am SO BAD AT IT, the only time things get mailed with any regularity is when @vixy is coming over, and she's been sick and busy for weeks--mailing costs money that I don't have.
A single book, depending on size, weight, etc., can cost me between $4 and $10 to mail, not counting the price of the envelope. Media mail is cheaper but not always an option, depending on when the event is being held.
And "surely you can afford to mail one book" is absolutely true, I can totally afford to mail one book, but it's not just one totally worthy organization asking. It's twenty. I cannot afford to just mail twenty books. That's my electric bill.
Please, please, please. Authors as a whole love charities. We love helping. But we are not a wealthy group of people. I wish we were. That would be awesome. Total good times, in a world where authors have a lot of money.
If you want books, contact our publishers. Ask our publishers. Don't put the weight of "if I say no, I'm a jerk, if I say yes, I'm making choices about the groceries" on individual authors. We're so tired. We hate saying "no." But often, we have to.
