On September 15, 2025, ALLi asked: Do you feel in control of your reader relationships, and have platform changes ever made you rethink where you publish or promote?

For me, it’s been a journey.  I started out on Patreon, but a lot of my posts were blocked because of the type of content I write.  It didn’t feel like I was in control of what I could share with readers.  From there, I tried Weebly, but without subscription options, I couldn’t build the gated content I wanted.  Ko-fi came next.  I like it, but the navigation was clunky, and it didn’t make interaction as smooth as I hoped.

Eventually, I landed on Fourthwall, and it’s given me the flexibility I need.  I can offer subscriptions, accept donations, sell merchandise, post blogs, and share behind-the-scenes content with different tiers—all in one place.  On top of that, subscriber discounts and customization options give me freedom to shale the experience for readers the way I want.

I also run a Discord server, which gives readers a more personal way to connect with me and with each other.  Together, these platforms finally let me control what I share, how I engage, and how I grow those relationships without being at the mercy of shifting rules or hidden algorithms.