Making this project self-sustainable
7 spots already gone!
Hi friend,
Welcome to the 10th edition of The Maker Journey.
Quite a few updates today, and I want to share one with you straight away.
The Maker Journey is and will always be free.
Wut—allow me to provide a brief explanation.
TMJ is still a personal newsletter, but I envision a future where it becomes the reference for everyone’s journey, from being a wannabe to living the indie life successfully.
And one of the many steps to get there is to make the project self-sustainable.
Due to my year off the grid, I can’t afford to invest savings anymore without a revenue stream.
Raising money instead would allow me to grow TMJ and get a proper email address, a ConvertKit subscription, or a website, to name a few.
Out of the several ideas, accepting sponsorships has been a long-time question in my head:
What would friends think of sponsorships on The Maker Journey?
A few reflections later, I had to give it a spin.
But first, let me introduce you to the first partner who decided to join this new adventure:
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE IS PRESENTED BY CHRISTINE TRAC
✅ What should you include in a welcome email?
✅ What is the best way to increase deliverability?
✅ How do you get out of the Promotions Tab?
I don't have the answers to those questions, but my friend Christine yes!
Christine is a certified Email Marketing Manager (one of the lucky 13% who graduated in her course), and she is my go-to person whenever I have doubts on the matter.
She has now put her knowledge into an Email FAQ document with all your questions answered and is giving it away for free!
With as many as 64 frequently asked questions, every maker and creator should have a copy of one of the most thorough compilations on email marketing in their libraries (I do, too!).
…
You know, selling is scary.
The idea of “monetizing” such a (yet) small newsletter made me feel wrong and evil.
Getting out there vulnerable to people's judgment and associated with the sales stigma? Nah.
If you look closer, you can see the imposter syndrome sitting next to me!
But fear is a compass; twisting this fear into having people supporting the journey led me to a realization.
Opening to a few selected partners is a win-win-win opportunity.
Sponsors get some visibility in exchange for a small fee;
Subscribers get to know deals aligned with their interests;
I get the financial support to invest back into the project.
My mantra is exploring things despite the outcome to see what works. What can go wrong?
The bottom line is that the ad must be a good fit for TMJ readers, and I endorse what the sponsor does. Content should always align with the subscriber’s interest.
So here I say it.
I’ve opened a Passionfroot page and started accepting partnership requests!
(Setting it up has been a charm; totally recommended so far)
The first 7 spots have already gone, so I’m now accepting bookings starting April 2024.
If you were on the fence showing a project, this is your time to join.
👉 Partner up with The Maker Journey
Build in Public Bites
Being on a solo journey is a hell of a rollercoaster.
One day, I'm enthusiastic and optimistic about the future; the other, everything's chaffy.
Let me be clear.
I've gotten a few unsubscribers lately, and this hit a nerve.
As an overthinker, I started doubting the quality of the content or whether people had forgotten me because it had been so long.
But sit tight and strap yourself in because the ride has yet to finish.
I've received a pledge 🤯
Every time I doubt what I'm doing, something good happens.
This time, a reader wanted to support my work.
(she then asked me to collect the payment, but I didn't because TMJ is free)
You should have seen the grin on my face!
Happiness is about the little things ✨
Reframing perspectives is powerful.
While my content could have been more personal (thanks, Luca, for your super honest feedback!), people unsubscribe for different reasons:
Black Friday season was closing. Readers have got their inboxes flooded and decided to withdraw despite the sender.
They have subscribed by fault because another creator recommended it.
They had different ideas and didn't bother to open a conversation.
After all, unsubs are part of the game (I'm now turning off the notification, so I won't know if you go).
And the clean-up keeps the open rate high.
Thanks for reading this far.
Here in Italy, we are used to saying, “If we don't get to talk sooner, best wishes for a Merry Xmas!”
So have a great one 🙂
Mattia