ATTENTION: As of July 15th, both old and new posts (with a few exceptions) will be available to paid subscribers only.
Please read all the way through this post/email to understand…
1. Why I’m making this change (it’s not for the money), and
2. What it will mean for Mikvah + Basalt moving forward.
To Everyone Who Has Supported Me By Subscribing So Far...
Currently, there are 74 of you, and I am so grateful for your choice to support me just by clicking "subscribe" and opening my posts when they arrive in your inbox. Although I don't write for metrics at all, the way you've interacted with things I've shared has helped me learn so much about what direction I want to go with the work that I do. I very literally would not have figured out all the details I now know about my calling without you. That's an incredible investment in my journey, even though it might seem like all you did was some clicking (or not clicking).
So to those who are currently subscribed, thank you so much for being here with me until now, and I hope to see you around moving forward as well!
Why I'm Switching to a Paid Subscription Model
For almost two years, I've been sharing my writing for free. When I started publishing on Substack in September 2023, I was writing just to share my story—to speak up—and it was important to me to leave my work completely accessible to anyone who had any interest in what I was writing about.
Now—after some exploration over the last 6-8 months—I have a much clearer focus for my writing goals, and I want to begin bringing more of my professional editing, publishing, and educating experience to the table.
My dream for Mikvah + Basalt going forward is to gradually develop it into more of a professional publication and resource, while continuing to write in the open-hearted way I have since the beginning.
I have no interest in creating a high cost barrier to the story and informational writing I'm sharing. I want anyone who needs my words, my research, and my experience to be able to access that. That's why I’ll have an application for subscriptions on a pay-what-you-can basis. I welcome you to make use of that if the monthly or yearly subscription price through Substack is more than you can commit to!
I do, however, want to build an invested and engaged community around the work that I'm publishing online and doing in my local community.
And I want to assign value to the work that I'm doing. Because, it is work. Hard work. My husband made a comment recently about how much I pour into every post I share, and he joked that he wouldn't want to work for my inner editor-in-chief because she's so demanding.1
It's true…I hold my words about my own story and about pregnancy and birth in general to a very, very high standard. Almost every post represents multiple work days of writing, researching and citing sources, and editing before it ever sees the light of day.
If I'm being incredibly honest, I also want this work that I'm doing to at least pay for a weekly escape to a coffee shop so I can write or research or connect with people for a couple of hours uninterrupted. (#momlife 😂) And of course, the truth is...that's a really small goal for the amount of time and energy I put into this work.
What This Means for Current Free Subscribers
If you currently subscribe for free to Mikvah + Basalt and choose NOT to upgrade to a paid subscription by July 15th...
You will no longer be able to read most past posts, or future paid posts.
These will include posts about the birth and early neonatal death of my first child, reflections on birth and motherhood, deep dives into birth ideologies, and practical insights for pregnancy and birth.
You will still receive occasional free posts.
These will primarily be informational posts about what work that I do in the birth world and why or how I do it.
How to Upgrade to a Paid Subscription
Since I recently launched both paid subscriptions on Substack and a Buy Me A Coffee page, you'll have two options for upgrading your subscription.
1) Subscribe for $5/month or $50/year through Substack.
For this option, simply go to MikvahAndBasalt.substack.com and click "Upgrade to paid" in the top right corner. (You will need to be signed into Substack for this.) This will take you to a page where you can select a monthly or yearly subscription and enter your payment info.
2) Subscribe on a pay-what-you-can basis through Buy Me A Coffee.
For this option, fill out a Pay-What-You-Can Application and wait for a response (expect to receive this within 7 days) BEFORE going to Buy Me A Coffee to make a payment.*
*While most applications are accepted, I do reserve the right to decline to give paid subscription access to anyone for any reason. (To be clear, however, the amount you can pay will never be the reason.)
Once you receive confirmation that your application was accepted, go to my Buy Me A Coffee page and submit your payment using the same name you used on your application.
Once I receive confirmation of your payment, I'll add you to the list of paid subscribers on Mikvah + Basalt within 1 business day, and you'll gain access to the post archive and to any future paid posts for the next 12 months. (You’ll be able to reapply at the end of the 12 months.)
I’m looking forward to all the future of Mikvah + Basalt holds!
Love and Blessings,
Rachel
Half of the joke here is that my husband did work for me (before we were married) when I was editor-in-chief of my upstart publishing company, Hazel Grace Press. And he loved it. We both did.