Pay What You Want

No way 2

Way

I am making all my e-books available on a “Pay What You Want” basis. Uh-huh.

Here’s what I’ve come to realise.

  • I am sitting on a pile of writing that’s going nowhere fast.
    (I mean, metaphorically speaking. I don’t have my butt on my laptop…)
  • I have so much writing that doesn’t get anywhere because I cannot possibly imagine how I could turn it into a conventional “product” or “book”
  • I want to have conversations.
    I want the “coming and going” and bouncing of ideas.
    That is not happening while my writing sits in my laptop.
  •  I want to write stuff that heals. Stuff that helps people heal.
    Once again, this cannot happen if my writing stays in my laptop and doesn’t actually reach the people who are potentially needing it right now.
  •  I want my words and ideas to fly. To spread as far and wide as possible.

So here’s what we’re going to do:

All my writing is going out. (Eventually, of course: I need to edit it first.)
It’s all going out… and I’m putting it up on a “Pay What You Want” basis.

That means I’m letting you chose its value.

  • You can download this and pay what you choose to pay.
  • You can download it and pay nothing.
  • You can download it and come back later and pay what you think it’s worth after you’ve read it. (all you need to do is “buy it” again, and this time choose a price)

This way I am:

  • Keeping the business monster happy. The one who screams “but how are we going to make money, OMG, we’re going to die poor forever! Also we will be single!!!”
  • Keeping Charles Eisenstein happy. OK, this is not actually true per se. Charles would be cool with me either way, I’m sure. But I do believe in what he stands for, ie: the Gift Economy. And one of the principles of the gift economy is that you give your gift for free and people an pay later if they find value in it. And that’s what I’m doing.

All that said, I do appreciate compliments, gratitude and general good wishes.

PLUS: when I saw Amanda Palmer’s talk on letting people support your art, I got goosebumps. There was a strong sense of “YES”, and I want to try the idea.

 

“But Mary, I can’t pay anything! I’m skint! And I need help badly!!!

There are many ways to give. And learning to give is part of the healing process.

This is important, so please listen carefully: learning that you do indeed have something of worth to give back is part of your own healing journey. (And the planet’s, but that’s another story)

So I truly, hand-on-heart believe that you have to “give” something back. Because it’s healing for *you*.

Like it was for me… I was once that skint person with no money for anything…

Learning to give was difficult, oh-so-very difficult, but it helped me in this long journey towards seeing my own worth.

So here’s a list of things you can give, even if you’re skint:

  • Write a review, testimonial, blog-post. Then you can send it to me, or add a link back to Widdershins.
  • Share on Twitter, Facebook, everywhere. And share, share, share some more! Tell everyone about Widdershins and how it helped you.
  • Write me an e-mail with your story and how my words have helped you. Then I can add your story to my future books, and it may help others.
  • Forward the Widdershins newsletter to anyone you know who might need it.

Oh, and sweetie: hang on to Widdershins and Havi’s blog for dear life, keep reading and practicing. It will save you.

And remember: I am here.

Here’s my wish that this is the start of many wonderful things…