If you like the content on this site but are pinning for more esoteric details about what goes on backstage here at Smarterbits — the DVD extras, then Bits Journal is for you. For only $2 a month, a Bits Journal subscription is your pass to all the rants, tangents, rough drafts, giveaways, and general nerderies that don’t make it out on the front page. If you enjoy the content on this site, nothing would make me happier than having your support as a subscriber.

Why subscribe ?

Because perhaps you’ve inherited an outrageous sum of money from some African prince and I’m the first outlet you’ve found for that money. If this isn’t the case, because you’re a reader of this site who enjoys my writing and want to contribute to its longevity and development in exchange for some more personal content for its author.

Any other reason you can think of for throwing money my way works too. Do you enjoy the way I singularly make your blood boil with my liberal interchanging of it’s and its? Wonderful. I have more where that came from.

Why are you offering a membership?

I want to keep the content on smarterbits.org free and accessible to everyone. I also daydream about writing for a living. These two desires are at odds. In the absence of an ad-based revenue model that alleviates my concerns about ad-based revenue models, reaching out to you directly remains a great alternative.

I provide content and hopefully it stirs you enough to incite value and a desire support it. The bigger your support, the longer I can devote to the content. The more time spent on the content, the bigger the stirring (or so the theory would suggest). Oh yeah, and you’ll receive this newsletter.

What’s included in my subscription?

The big perk is the Bits Journal newsletter. The best way to think about this newsletter is to imagine the content the lies behind the curtain of smarterbits.org: Things never published and things yet to be published. Rants I’d only annoy my friends with and tangents about my favourite things. Giveaways or promo codes if and when I have them. And coffee nerdery. And minimalist writing app nerdery. In other words, it’s a pot pourri of all the little elements that make up the final result you see on the main site. It’s a way for you to get to know me better. I look at is as an outlet for my unordred thoughts. A diary of sorts.

I’m striving to publish at least 1 issue a month. Each one is typically a few thousand words. A few in this case is no less than 2000.

Otherwise nothing is left unchanged in your experience of smarterbits.org. There are no hidden feeds or pages. No secret content made exclusive to members only. That said, any future perks I decide to add you’ll surely be the first to hear about. And probably first to benefit from.

So I want to subscribe, what do I do?

• Thank You! That’s great. Click here.
  
  

What’s going to happen when I click?

• You’ll be taken to a Paypal¹ payment page to securely process your subscription. A PayPal account isn’t required. A credit card is. The subscription is $2 USD a month.
• After processing your payment, you should be redirected to subscribe to the newsletter, which is handled by MailChimp.
• You will also receive an email from me with a link to subscribe to the newsletter, in case PayPal (probably) messes up the redirect or you happen to miss it. The email will be sent to the one you used to process your PayPal order.
• Once done, just sit back and make sure my newsletter doesn’t end up in your spam folder. I promise it is better than that.
  
  

How do I manage my membership? Privacy?

• The details and management of your subscription is handled by PayPal. Follow this link.
• In theory, your email address is only used to send you two emails. The first is to provide a link to the newsletter subscription. The second will be sent only to confirm an un-subscription or account change. Multiple account changes or inquiries on your part will, in practice, increase the amount of correspondance.
• I do not have access to your payment information. Paypal does however let me see the mailing address attached to your account. I can’t fantom a use for this information, other than to learn the full name by which to address you in correspondance. I am much too poor to spam you with actual mail.
• You can send questions, issues and comments about your subscription to smarterbits@me.com
  
  

If I don’t subscribe?

That’s cool, thanks for even getting this far down the page. I love the idea that regular people set aside time to read my site. The feeling is incredible and I thank you for being a reader. But you know… there’s some awesome stuff going on here. Either way, thanks.

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p id=”footnote-1”>1: I’m aware PayPal is an acrimonious subject for some, given there are more user friendly options available. That said, PayPal is the most accesible, experienced, and popular of these options. So for simplicity’s sake, this is the one I’m using. When Stripe is available outside North America, I’ll be happy to reconsider.