Irrational. Obstinate. Committed foe of paywalls. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
How long can I keep this going?
That’s been the question since August 15, 2012, when Coupeville Sports debuted on the internet.
Back then, I was full of self-righteous fury over having hundreds (probably thousands) of bylined stories erased from existence after the Coupeville Examiner was sold to Black Press, the owner of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record.
Feeling sorry for myself carried me a certain distance, then the blog morphed into something more positive.
Now, even after several aborted attempts at walking away from the job, we sit at 8.5 years and 8,058 articles.
I haven’t had a “real job” since I left Christopher’s on Whidbey in 2015, surviving by the slimmest of margins thanks to readers who have donated to the cause and advertisers who stepped up in the early days.
Coupeville Sports is never going to make a profit.
The subject matter is too narrow, and the audience, while parts of it can be found in unexpected places, from Pennsylvania to Brazil, will never be universal.
My ingrained stubbornness contributes to that, as I have held on to two early declarations with a fanatical commitment — no paywall, ever, and ads, once bought, are good for the life of the site.
I had a chance recently to possibly go in a different direction, to return to my journalism roots and work for someone else.
If it had worked out, if I could have gotten past some personal concerns while convincing others that I could commit for a reasonable length of time, it would have likely improved my financial state.
But, I’m stubborn, and apparently still haven’t completely gotten over the erasure of my previous work, so I chose not to pursue that path.
At least I’m staying on brand here, irrational and obstinate to the end.
So, I plug on, pounding out Coupeville Sports, while returning to my days as a “film critic” with the launch of Flat Butt Film Fest – One movie, 100 words back in August, 2020.
853 articles and zero dollars earned — faithful to the brand, ever and always.
Even without games being played, this is the 51st story I’ve published in 2021 here on Coupeville Sports.
Or 50 more than either the News-Times or Record, which don’t have a sports writer since my mentor, Jim Waller, retired in December.
Now, with authorities moving all of Washington state’s counties into Phase 2 of Governor Jay Inslee’s latest COVID reopening plan, games should return to Cow Town for the first time in a year-plus.
Coupeville High School is scheduled to launch spring sports — track, softball, girls tennis, and baseball — next Monday, Feb. 22.
The opportunity for many more stories seems like a sure thing.
My ability to scrape out a meager living, paying rent and such, is less of a sure thing.
It’s the dilemma I’ve built for myself, and one unlikely to fade any time soon thanks to my “business plan.”
How long can I keep this going?
I don’t know. We shall see, I guess.
Still not going to use a paywall, though.
Want to help keep me typing away at 2 AM on the shores of Penn Cove, using a computer powered by a hamster on a treadmill?
1) Buy an ad. $50 for the life of the site, plus, BONUS, you get an identical ad on my movie blog. BOGO fever rages.
2) Donate to the cause, through PayPal or by mailing me at 165 Sherman, Coupeville, WA 98239. You are the wind beneath my typing fingers.
Coupeville Sports 