We live in an age when supporting our favorite creators is
easier than ever. With a few taps on our phones or clicks of a mouse, we can
follow authors, subscribe to YouTube channels, sign up for newsletters, and
share content with friends and family. Yet, despite how simple these actions
have become, I don't think most people realize just how much they mean to the
individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to entertain, educate, and
connect with their audiences. As someone who wears both an author's hat and a
content creator's hat, I've come to appreciate that sometimes the most
meaningful support doesn't cost a single penny. All it takes is a moment of
someone's time.
For those who may not know, my dear friend and fellow
mystery author J.C. Kenney and I are the hosts of It's Bookish Time, a
virtual destination for readers and writers who love cozy mysteries,
traditional mysteries, and sweet romance. Through our YouTube channel, we
produce A Bookish Moment, where we interview authors about their latest
releases, their writing journeys, and the stories that inspire them. We also
host The Bookish Hour, which brings authors together for lively panel
discussions about books, publishing, and everything in between. Our mission has
always been simple: celebrate books, connect readers with authors, and provide
a welcoming space where the writing community can come together. It's something
we're both incredibly passionate about, and we're proud of the community we've
built over the years.
However, there's a side to producing It's Bookish Time that viewers rarely see. When someone tunes in to watch one of our interviews, they're seeing the finished product of hours of preparation, research, scheduling, technical troubleshooting, and creative work. Depending on how many shows we have scheduled, J.C. and I spend approximately four to six hours each week preparing for our broadcasts. That doesn't include the time we dedicate to maintaining our website, writing promotional copy, creating graphics, communicating with guests, managing our social media accounts, or handling the countless little administrative tasks that keep everything running. We do all of this because we genuinely love supporting our fellow authors, but that doesn't mean producing the show comes without a cost.
In fact, let me share a few numbers that might surprise you.
Maintaining our website costs approximately $300 annually, while our domain
registration adds another $15. Until recently, the email service we used to
communicate with our subscribers cost an additional $160 each year. That's $475
in annual expenses before we even consider the software, equipment, and other
resources involved in producing our broadcasts. Thankfully, we've been able to
eliminate that email expense by moving our newsletter to Substack, which
allows us to communicate with our audience for free. It's been a wonderful
change, and if you're not already following It's Bookish Time on
Substack, I hope you'll consider joining us there.
Of course, every small business has operating expenses, and
I don't share these figures looking for sympathy. Rather, I want to illustrate
something that I think often gets overlooked in today's digital world. When you
watch a free interview, listen to a free podcast, read a free newsletter, or
enjoy someone's social media content, there's a very good chance that the
person creating it has invested considerable time and money to make it
available to you. For independent creators, those expenses often come directly
out of our own pockets. We aren't backed by large media companies with
dedicated production teams, marketing departments, and technical support
specialists. We're simply people who love what we do and are trying to share
that passion with others.
This brings me to the humble YouTube subscription button,
which has become one of the most important tools available to creators like us.
When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, you're doing more than adding another
name to your subscription list. You're helping that creator build an audience,
demonstrate interest in their content, and work toward opportunities that can
make their creative endeavors more sustainable. While YouTube's recommendation
system considers many factors, including viewing habits and audience
engagement, building a loyal subscriber base is an important part of growing a
channel. Every new subscriber represents another person who has expressed an
interest in what we're creating, and that support can help us reach more
readers and authors.
For J.C. and me, our current goal is to reach 1,000 YouTube
subscribers. That number is particularly meaningful because it's one of the
major requirements for qualifying for YouTube's advertising revenue program,
alongside specific watch-time or Shorts-view thresholds and other eligibility
requirements. Reaching that milestone wouldn't suddenly turn It's Bookish
Time into a profitable business, nor would it guarantee a substantial
income. However, it would put us one step closer to potentially earning revenue
from the content we already work so hard to produce. Even a modest amount of
income could help offset our website expenses and allow us to invest more
resources into improving the experience for our guests and viewers.
There's also the matter of technical support, which has been
one of our greatest frustrations. Over the years, J.C. and I have encountered
our fair share of technological challenges, some of which have been significant
enough to disrupt our broadcasts. Without access to personalized assistance
when problems arise, we've had to become our own troubleshooting department,
spending hours researching solutions, experimenting with settings, and figuring
out how to get things working again. Although reaching 1,000 subscribers
doesn't automatically guarantee dedicated technical support, growing our
channel and eventually qualifying for YouTube's Partner Program could open the
door to additional creator resources. For two authors who would much rather
spend their time writing and talking about books than deciphering technical
error messages, that prospect is certainly appealing!
Subscribing is one of the easiest ways to make a tangible
difference in someone's creative journey. You don't have to watch every video
or read every newsletter to show your support. If you enjoy what a creator
does, consider subscribing to their channel, following their newsletter, or
sharing their work with someone who might appreciate it. If you have a little
extra time, leave a comment, give a video a thumbs-up, or recommend the channel
to a friend. Those small gestures help creators build communities, encourage
engagement, and remind us that the work we're putting into the world is
reaching people who value it.
And this certainly doesn't apply only to It's Bookish Time. Think about all the independent authors, book reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, artists, and other creators whose work brightens your day. Many of them are navigating the same challenges, trying to balance their passion for creating with the practical realities of keeping their projects afloat. If there's someone whose content you enjoy, take a moment to show them a little love. You might be surprised by how much that simple gesture means.
As for J.C. and me, we're going to keep doing what we do
best: talking about books, celebrating authors, and bringing our wonderful
reading community together. But if you'd like to help us reach that
1,000-subscriber milestone, we'd be incredibly grateful if you visited our
YouTube channel and clicked that little Subscribe button. It won't cost you
anything, and it just might help us turn the page toward an exciting new
chapter for It's Bookish Time.
You can find us at https://www.youtube.com/@itsbookishtime.
Now, I'd love to hear from you! Do you subscribe to your
favorite authors and content creators on YouTube or Substack? Did you realize
how much those subscriptions can mean to the people behind the content?
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