The April Appeal

Hey all, this is just your periodic reminder that Steel Magnificat, and my family, are run almost entirely on tips.  I am so often home-bound from my chronic illness that my husband is a full-time homemaker and takes care of our daughter; I support the family here at Patheos, writing three to seven literary art projects per week. I get a very small monthly check from Patheos based on clicks, and the rest of my family’s income is based on tips from satisfied readers. Think of it as a magazine subscription where you pay whatever you think my writing is worth and you get to read even if you don’t.

We are extremely grateful for everyone who tips– we get a lot of small five-and-ten-dollar tips and a few large ones; some people sign up through Paypal to tip at the same time every month and some just do when they can. Some months we’re comfortable, and some months we make next to nothing, but we have been getting by ever since this blog started thanks to you guys. You literally keep the lights on for us.

Lately we are always in the red because of my supplements. My fibromyalgia is of the type that causes severe fatigue and head fog, and when it’s at its worst I’m bedbound– not only unable to write but to do anything else either. I’ve been to a very good internist who tested me for every other medical condition she could think of and found nothing, which is how I got the diagnosis. She said that there’s no medical cure or treatment for the fatigue and fog, only pain which I thankfully have only rarely. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered a combination of extremely strong herbal supplements that help keep my head clear enough to write and even function normally on good days. But all together the supplements cost more than rent. So even though we’re much better off financially now than when I started blogging, we’re constantly juggling to pay off the past due on utilities.

So, as always, I ask: if you like what you read, give me a tip! Just click on the tab marked “donate” under the Steel Magnificat banner, then click on the yellow  button and PayPal will walk you through the rest. If you cannot see the tab, you can find the page here. If that doesn’t work either, just comment and I’ll think of something.