This might get long. Here’s the tl;dr: I’ve launched a Patreon where you can support my work on sex and depression and help me bring my book, The Monster Under the Bed to life. Check it out, here.
Something exciting is brewing for me and possibly for you as well!
As many of you know, sex and depression is a topic I’ve written about in some form or another since my site began in 2012. In 2014 I started researching the topic in earnest, launching a first-of-its-kind survey to gather information, ask questions and give voice to an issue that affects so many people. Since then I have conducted two separate round of interviews including almost 200 participants… and I still have some more to do.
Last summer during my presentation Facing The Monster Under The Bed: Continuing the Conversation About Sex and Depression at Woodhull’s Sexual Freedom Summit, I got an interesting question from an audience member:
Audience member: "How did you get funding outside of academia?" @JoEllenNotte: "you know… I don't have any…" #sfs16 #SFSMonster
— Caitlin, I guess (@sex_ational) August 6, 2016
For 3 years I have been conducting original research on sex, relationships, and depression, writing about it, presenting on it, giving interviews about it and doing everything else required to keep a roof over my head and kibble in my dog’s bowl. I love this work and I have been very fortunate to be able to do it.
After Woodhull I realized three things:
- Doing it without funding was slowing the entire process down tremendously
- Folks are excited about this project and looking forward to the results
- #2 could probably help solve #1
So, today I’m announcing the launch of my Patreon!
I don’t love crowd-funding, it hits all of my “don’t ask people for stuff/be a burden” buttons but I actually do love Patreon. It was important to me that this not be about “you give me money, I make you a book”- I wanted to bring people into the creation of this book with me. I wanted to continue the amazing dialogue we created at the Monster Under The Bed conference sessions. I wanted to create a community.
Now I’m inviting you to be a part of that community. I have created 4 different monthly patron levels and they all come with cool stuff!
$3/month: You’re part of my community! You’ll see exclusive content that won’t appear in the book or on my site and get weekly book previews!
$5/month: Everything from the first level PLUS participate in monthly patron-only polls that will help shape my book!
$10/month: Everything from the other levels PLUS Download The Best of Bedhead 2012-2016 PDF (Never before available) and
Download Spotting a Great Sex Shop (and Surviving a Bad One) with The Redhead Bedhead PDF
$20/month: Everything from ALL of the levels PLUS access to a continuous Q&A with me! Ask me anything, I’ll be there to answer!
I’m endlessly grateful to you all for reading and sharing my work for the last 4.5 years (how did that happen?), I literally could not do this without you. If you enjoy what I do I hope you’ll consider supporting it and telling your friends about it. If you don’t enjoy my work maybe tell some people you don’t like because, you know, spread the word.
Thank you, folks!
JoEllen
