Just in time for the holidays, Braves Journal is kicking off 2 cool features that will help our community thrive for the foreseeable future! When I decided to take the reins from Rob, it wasn’t without a long 6 months of thought. What was I pondering over the course of that time? Well, my friends, it was quite simple: longevity.

For years, I’ve been frequenting this bar with the likes of many of you and there’s something about this blog that continues to make me want to key in b-r-a-v-e-s-j-o-u-r-n-a-l-.-c-o-m several times a day. I’m excited to post. Excited to comment. Excited to see responses to comments. Excited to read other’s pieces, other’s comments, and REALLY excited about planning and providing regular content for our community. However, even considering the above, I wasn’t going to take over the blog without a plan…here was my plan, in steps:

  • Consult with longstanding commenters/writers on Braves Journal about adding new writers.
  • Find writers outside the blog to help bridge the gap from other social media outlets.
  • Create a new look for the blog to modernize it enough to appeal to outsiders, but not hack off the regulars.
  • Create new logos for the site.
  • Create merchandise for the site.
  • Create a podcast for the site.
  • Assemble an All-Star cast of writers from inside and outside the blog to plan regular content and divvy up the writing.
  • Find a “Number 2” that has all the strengths that I do not have, including someone that has experience in web-design.
  • Lastly…to make the blog sustainable for the future.

I can, with confidence, say that all of the above bullets have been met, with the last being the exception. How do we make this place sustainable? I’ve got an answer.

Braves Journal Patreon!

If you’re not familiar with Patreon, Patreon is a membership platform that makes it easy for creators to get paid. It is a way to join your favorite creator’s community and pay them for making the stuff you love.

Our Patreon account will remain public, which means everyone can see how much Braves Journal is making per month to provide content. It is my goal to pay our writers…and, of course, make a little change myself. It’s hard work to create a piece in the modern world of technology as it’s no longer about typing a story. It’s hours of work just to put out one piece and people have been doing it here on a regular basis for 20 some odd years. The pay…it still won’t be much, but it adds a little extra motivation to continue making Braves Journal a place to call home.

We will have a 3-tiered system that comes with commitments of $5, $10, and $20 a month with some really cool added benefits including a Braves Journal Patron game for the $10 and $20 patrons! Check it out in the link above! Think about it…if everyone that frequents here on a regular basis fell into tier 2 (or 3), that would be about $2-3000/month, which would go a LONG way in keeping this place going!

ShopBravesJournal.com

Our site now has its own merchandising site complete with 3 styles of shirts in 3 different colors, and options of short-sleeves and long-sleeves! This is just the launch as we will have pop-up shirts and sales throughout the year. I’ve had some samples printed for a test run and these shirts are great quality, laser-printed so it doesn’t feel front-heavy. They’re awesome!

If you’re not up for joining on Patreon at the moment, think about grabbing a shirt! I mean…what else are you going to get for Christmas? Another tie? Puh-lease.