Why Should You Become a Paid Subscriber?

Today, I’ve decided to offer a paid subscription service and have both the clarity and self determination to make it worthwhile. Together, I am optimistic that we can continue to make an impact.

As you may have noticed, on March 1st I launched a paid subscription option for my substack. To be clear, I am not moving everything behind a pay wall. I will continue making my columns and articles available to everyone, free of charge.

If you are currently a free subscriber (if you’re reading this, you are) I want you to remain subscribed and your experience will not change.

I began using substack relatively early — before there was even any notion of offering a paid subscription service. While I certainly wasn’t first to use the platform, I did not choose substack with the intention of creating a paid subscription service.

But I did always envision turning what began as a passion and hobby — writing and speaking about our great country — into a profession. As any hard working American understands (which is every single one of you), one’s energy, time, and focus must necessarily go towards that which provides you the income necessary to survive.

In order to fulfill my long term objective of expanding my content and commitment to inform as many Americans as possible about the very grave challenges our Nation faces and combat the unrelenting propaganda from the left, it is necessary for me to monetize this endeavor.

Many of you became subscribers because you had either read something I’d written or heard me speak on radio or Newsmax and it resonated. My op-eds have been published at American Greatness, American Thinker, PJ Media, Bizpac Review, Human Events, the California Globe, Real Clear Markets, and Townhall to name a few.

I haven’t made a penny off of a single one of these roughly 100 hundred op-eds that has been published. I don’t write that to complain, only to let you know that there are dozens upon dozens of patriots out there in the same situation. We are all writing out of passion and patriotism, without any expectation of compensation.

I understand the frustration many may feel regarding the recent creation of paywalls to access previously free material. In addition to producing my own podcast and writing weekly columns, I work in PR. All of these jobs and passions make it necessary for me to have access to everything. I can’t tell you how much it pains me to pay the New York Times and Washington Post. I don’t even look at my bank statement to see the dozen subscription charges I’ve racked up.

I’ll describe the benefit of becoming a paid subscriber momentarily, but one way of looking at the paid subscription fee for this substack is like you may look at all the others. While this substack can’t and won’t replace the need for the extensive journalism provided by large organizations like the Daily Wire or others, my decision to control my work and publish it here, rather than elsewhere, will not dilute the quality of my work.

In fact, if you have enjoyed reading my columns elsewhere, you will continue to enjoy reading the same columns here. More importantly, I will have the freedom to produce more and more.

But this isn’t a charity and I don’t expect anyone to become a paid subscriber for the ‘privilege’ of reading my op-eds, which were previously free.

In order to justify my paid subscription service, I will offer new, valuable, and unique content. The paid subscriptions will provide me the freedom, time, and resources to produce new one-on-one interviews with intellectuals and experts. These long form video interviews will be made exclusively available to paid subscribers.

As many of you may not know, in addition to writing columns and doing my own podcast, I work in PR currently representing or previously having represented clients including Naomi Wolf, Peter Navarro, Dr. Ben Carson, Victor Davis Hanson, Chef Andrew Gruel, and numerous other authors, politicians, and leading experts in fields as diverse as economics, military, China, foreign policy, etc.

As a paid subscriber, you will have access to their minds and solutions. This month I will launch this new interview programming, wherein I conduct at least one interview a month with the great minds of our time.

I will also create exclusive content using multimedia intended to focus on education. Like Prager U, these videos will focus on the Constitution, American history, and economics. The goal will be to provide the equivalent of a class, which will arm Americans with pertinent information and facts to combat the relentless stream of propaganda from the left.

At present, I have not pursued revenue generating avenues like ads. I do not use valuable time on my podcast, for example to read messages from sponsors. Nor do I depend upon YouTube or Rumble views. My preference is to generate revenue via paid subscriptions from those, who believe what I am providing has a dollar-associated value.

Presently there are now several subscription options:

The first is to remain unpaid. As an unpaid subscriber, you will continue to have the same access you have thus far enjoyed. Your experience will remain the same; with the caveat that my library of writings will no longer be available. Newly published material will be accessible for a limited amount of time.

The second, and new option it the become a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can choose to pay $8 monthly or $80 for the entire year.

The third option is also to become a paid subscriber, but to become a Founding Member. Substack describes this option as a donation, because it permits the subscriber to contribute more than the required paid subscription amount.

Founding members will have the opportunity to impact the Drew Allen show podcast. I will open up the show to questions from these subscribers. You can send me your questions and I will address them and answer them. You’ll have greater access to me directly.

When I started writing and speaking as a political analyst on tv and radio I didn’t know where that path would lead. It was Elizabeth Imus, the daughter of the late Don Imus, who introduced me to this world and encouraged me to use my mind and voice to bring about a positive change in the country.

Not long after Elizabeth opened this door for me, she passed away, herself. She told me to monetize even at the beginning but I was always hesitant to do so. In my defense, in the beginning I wasn’t confident my ‘service’ was valuable. Nor did I view it as a ‘job’ at the time.

But since then, it has become a job and the success of the podcast and the number of subscribers I have attracted over the past two or so years has made that more clear. The decision to offer a paid subscription arose from a great many of you making pledges on substack to pay, should I offer one.

Today, I’ve decided to offer a paid subscription service and have both the clarity and self determination to make it worthwhile. Together, I am optimistic that we can continue to make an impact.

God bless you all! The journey continues!

Drew Allen, the Millennial Minister of Truth