# paid subscription (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 4 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover paid subscription. Page: Feed: --- ## [Mark’s reading list: Abuse of migrant kids takes us down a dark road](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/marks-reading-list-abuse-of-migrant) _2026-08-21 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Your paid subscription to Stop the Presses entitles you to this weekly list of recommended articles and newsletters. ## [Stop Trying to Beat AI Detectors and Find Your Voice Again](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/how-to-bypass-ai-detectors) _2026-08-20 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ Stanford flagged 61% of human-written essays as machine-written. Here's the edit pass that fixes the real problem. ## [Mark’s reading list: The feds’ spying and lying is horrifying](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/marks-reading-list-the-feds-spying) _2026-08-17 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Your paid subscription to Stop the Presses entitles you to this weekly list of recommended articles and newsletters. ## [The media are missing the story of our lives: a looming dictatorship](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/the-media-are-missing-the-story-of) _2026-08-17 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ News outlets’ downplaying of the danger is shameful journalism neglect ## [Chapter 13: The Computer, the Costa Brava, and the Contract](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-08-16-chapter-13-the-computer-the-costa-brava-the-contract/) _2026-08-16 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ Founding Eldritch The Cat, a broke summer in Spain, and a first deal with Electronic Arts How I co-founded the studio Eldritch The Cat and signed with Electronic Arts in 1988 to build Projectyle (working title Scrollerball) for the Atari ST and Amiga. Read Chapter 13: The Computer, the Costa Brava, and the Contract over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if… ## [What I Learn From Writing About Steven Bartlett](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/what-i-learn-from-writing-about-steven) _2026-08-14 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ Apologies for my lack of newsletters over the summer. ## [The media must do more to confront Republicans’ Islamophobia](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/the-media-must-do-more-to-confront) _2026-08-12 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ We know rhetoric can lead to atrocities – and it can also prevent them ## [The Quality Checklist Facebook Runs on Every Reel You Upload](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/optimize-facebook-reels-before-posting) _2026-08-12 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ Facebook grades every Reel you upload. Here are the 9 quality checks it showed me, and how to optimize Facebook Reels before posting your next one. ## [25 must-follow people in pro-democracy media](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/25-must-follow-people-in-pro-democracy) _2026-08-10 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ One way to fight negativity is to lift up inspirational voices ## [Mark’s reading list: The GOAT of grifting and more](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/marks-reading-list-the-goat-of-grifting) _2026-08-07 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Your paid subscription to Stop the Presses entitles you to this weekly list of recommended articles and newsletters. ## [Pirate.io on Google Play (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/jeflwrZZ3nqo) _2026-08-07 · **Sponsored**_ Open the Pirate.io listing on Google Play to view the app’s details. ## [Stop saying Trump is joking when he’s not](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/stop-saying-trump-is-joking-when) _2026-08-03 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Will he rig the midterms? Seek an illegal third term? We need to take him seriously ## [5 Substack Revenue Streams: The Monetization Stack for LGBTQ+ Creators](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/substack-revenue-streams-monetization-stack) _2026-08-03 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ Brand deals aren’t built to value LGBTQ+ audiences. Here are five Substack revenue streams that add up to $12,650/month, and the exact order to build them. ## [How the Substack Notes Algorithm Works in 2026 (And What It Actually Rewards)](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/how-the-substack-notes-algorithm) _2026-08-01 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ The Substack Notes algorithm doesn’t optimize for engagement. It optimizes for subscriptions. Here’s how it actually works, what changed in 2025, and the daily system that drives growth. ## [Mark’s reading list: Musk’s racism, America’s popularity slide, and more](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/marks-reading-list-musks-racism-americas) _2026-07-31 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Thanks for your paid subscription to Stop the Presses. ## [Why LGBTQ+ Creators Are Building on Substack (And How to Make the Move)](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/lgbtq-creators-substack-algorithm) _2026-07-30 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ LGBTQ+ creators face algorithm suppression across every major platform. Here’s why Substack changes the math, and the exact system to migrate your audience. ## [Chapter 12: The Confrontation and the Cat](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-07-29-chapter-12-the-confrontation-and-the-cat/) _2026-07-29 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ A reckoning in London, too many projects at once, and the company born from the wreckage I join Liverpool studio Denton Designs, finish Crosswize, build Foxx Fights Back on the ZX Spectrum, and found Eldritch the Cat. Read Chapter 12: The Confrontation and the Cat over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [The Niche Premium: Why Smaller Newsletters Earn More on Substack](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/niche-newsletter-monetization-substack) _2026-07-28 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ Niche newsletters convert at 2–3x the Substack average. Here’s the math showing why a smaller, identity-aligned audience earns more, and how to build for conversion. ## [The 7-Email Sequence That Turns Free Subscribers Into Paid Ones](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/the-7-email-sequence-that-turns-free) _2026-07-27 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ The Framework Behind $720K ARR ## [When news execs help fascists whitewash murder](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/when-news-execs-help-fascists-whitewash) _2026-07-27 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Former CBS journalists detail pressure after federal agents killed Good and Pretti ## [How to Make $1,000 a Month on Substack (The Exact Math + System)](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/how-to-make-1000-month-on-substack) _2026-07-24 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ You need 100 paid subscribers, not 100,000 followers. Here’s the exact math, the four-lever growth system, and a realistic month-by-month timeline to $1,000/month on Substack. ## [Fast, secure international transfers (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/SASOKlQ2gduh) _2026-07-24 · **Sponsored**_ Bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile wallet — low fees and real-time tracking ## [Mark’s reading list: The assault on voting, that damn dinner, and more](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/marks-reading-list-the-assault-on) _2026-07-24 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ Thanks for your paid subscription to Stop the Presses. ## [Why You Lose Half Your Paid Subscribers (and How to Fix It)](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/substack-churn-rate) _2026-07-23 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ The average Substack churn rate means losing 50% of paid subscribers annually. Here’s the 4-part retention system: onboarding, community, value refresh, and win-back, that stops it. ## [5 Substack Monetization Strategies That Took Me to $720K/Year](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/substack-monetization-strategies-for-beginners) _2026-07-23 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ Most Substacks rely on paid subscriptions alone. Here are 5 monetization strategies, with revenue math and implementation order, behind a $720K/year newsletter business. ## [Substack Monetization Strategies: The 5-Stream System](https://www.themonetizer.com/p/substack-monetization-strategies) _2026-07-21 · Levi Chambers · The Monetizer_ 56% of my Substack revenue comes from outside paid subscriptions. Here’s the full $720K breakdown and the 5-rung monetization ladder I’d build starting from zero. ## [Trump and prediction markets are building a society of suckers](https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/trump-and-prediction-markets-are) _2026-07-20 · Mark Jacob · Stop the Presses_ The convicted felon in the White House loves shadowy financial schemes that benefit insiders ## [Chapter 11: Sometimes The Magic Works](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-07-19-chapter-11-sometimes-the-magic-works/) _2026-07-19 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ The contract, the VIC-20, and the getaway car. Broke after Odin folds, I sign with Firebird to build Crosswize, the ZX Spectrum sequel to Sidewize, and fly to MicroProse in Baltimore. Read Chapter 11: Sometimes The Magic Works over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [Chapter 10: The Future That Never Was](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-07-05-chapter-10-the-future-that-never-was/) _2026-07-05 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ Chasing the raster, glimpsing the future, and a critical disagreement. As Odin collapses, I finish the 50fps Spectrum shooter Sidewize unpaid, glimpse the future in the Amiga, and shop the studio to Ocean. Read Chapter 10: The Future That Never Was over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [How I'm Feeling About Podcasts Now](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/how-im-feeling-about-podcasts-now) _2026-06-25 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ A couple of weeks ago I was invited by The Media Society to speak on a panel at The Conduit in London. ## [Chapter 9: The Firebird Factory](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-06-21-chapter-9-the-firebird-factory/) _2026-06-21 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ Ten games in twelve months, Bertie Big Boy, and the Forbidden Amigas. Odin signs a six-figure Firebird deal, ten games in twelve months, we ship Heartland to a Crash Smash, and I meet the Amiga for the first time. Read Chapter 9: The Firebird Factory over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [Things That Should Be Banned for Over-16s](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/things-that-should-be-banned-for) _2026-06-19 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ Here in the UK, news has broken that social media (or, at least, the websites that legislators believe constitute social media) will be banned for under-16s. ## [Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/wTEI69S8XoIl) _2026-06-19 · **Sponsored**_ Buy, sell and margin trade BTC & ETH with fiat currencies ## [Young, Sexy Poirot: on cultural decay](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/young-sexy-poirot-on-cultural-decay) _2026-06-12 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ Just a reminder: I love it when people upgrade to a paid subscription. It makes me think very positively of them, and (briefly) myself. ## [An Ethical Guide to Watching the World Cup](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/an-ethical-guide-to-watching-the) _2026-06-11 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ The World Cup kicks off this evening and will dominate headlines for the next few weeks. ## [World Enough and Time: on young people, the digital sphere, and a new reality](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/world-enough-and-time-on-young-people) _2026-06-08 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ Tomorrow (Tuesday) I’m speaking on a Media Society panel, at The Conduit in Covent Garden, about the future of podcasts. ## [Chapter 8: The Clone, The Flan, and The Forest](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-06-07-chapter-8-the-clone-the-flan-and-the-forest/) _2026-06-07 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ A reskin, some side quests, and the second album problem. At Odin we reskin Nodes of Yesod into Arc of Yesod, port it to the doomed Elan Enterprise, and ship Robin of the Wood to a 94% Crash Smash on the Spectrum. Read Chapter 8: The Clone, The Flan, and The Forest over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [Why does everyone hate Keir Starmer?](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/why-does-everyone-hate-keir-starmer) _2026-06-04 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ On digital tinnitus. ## [Is 'creator journalism' going to kill the media?](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/is-creator-journalism-going-to-kill) _2026-05-29 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ A couple of years ago I quit Twitter (as was) after a series of unfortunate events that saw some of the worst people in the world publicly calling me one of the worst people in the world. ## [Chapter 7: The Astronaut and the Sleeping Bag](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-05-17-chapter-7-the-astronaut-and-the-sleeping/) _2026-05-17 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ A Crash Smash, business trousers, and a dubious charge. I join Odin Computer Graphics in 1985, finish the Crash Smash hit Nodes of Yesod on the ZX Spectrum, and sleep under desks. Read Chapter 7: The Astronaut and the Sleeping Bag over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [The Delayquel: how did Hollywood start squeezing old IP for all it's worth?](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/the-delayquel-how-did-hollywood-start) _2026-05-11 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ I remember as a child going to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. ## [The Future of the Future Proof Newsletter](https://futureproofnews.substack.com/p/the-future-of-the-future-proof-newsletter) _2026-05-04 · Nick Hilton · Future Proof_ A (brief) explanation of a few coming changes ## [Chapter 6: The Holt Road Heist](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-05-02-chapter-6-the-holt-road-heist/) _2026-05-02 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ In trouble with the law for stealing my own trousers Locked out of my own house, I break back in with a van and my boss, and the police turn up for entirely the wrong crime. Read Chapter 6: The Holt Road Heist over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [Chapter 5: The Caveman and the Pirate Ship](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-04-11-chapter-5-the-caveman-and-the-pirate/) _2026-04-11 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ “The cavemen didn’t need paintbrushes.” Tommy Barton, 1984 Life in the Zoo at Software Projects in 1984: a menagerie of donated computers, a Tatung Einstein boot-disk disaster, and learning on the job while trying not to be found out. Read Chapter 5: The Caveman and the Pirate Ship over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [Serialized Memoir: Chapter 4, The Zoo](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-03-25-memoir-recent-chapters/) _2026-03-25 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ Coding in a hosiery factory, an earthquake, and the interview that landed me my dream job at Software Projects, creators of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy. Read Chapter 4: The Zoo over on Substack. Free to read, or support my writing with a paid subscription if you like it! ## [A New Home](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-03-11-new-home/) _2026-03-11 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ After a good long run on Blogger, the blog has a new home. Same content, same me. Just a cleaner setup that works better alongside my Substack , where I’m currently publishing a serialized memoir covering forty years in the games industry. The posts and images are all here, but if you spot anything broken, I’d love to hear about it. Find me on Mastodon , or if you’re… ## [Down t'Pit](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-03-10-down-t-pit/) _2026-03-10 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ I spent the summer of ‘82 as a trainee at the National Coal Board. Three thousand feet underground at Grimethorpe Colliery. Riding coal conveyor belts face-down. Shoveling slag. Wearing a bright yellow hard hat in a sea of white. It was a world already disappearing, though none of us knew it yet. Two years later, the miners’ strikes would begin. By 2015, every pit in… ## [The Locked Room](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-02-24-the-locked-room/) _2026-02-24 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ The school had finally gotten its hands on a machine, but it was kept in a locked room, strictly out of bounds unless you were enrolled. To qualify, you had to be in the top maths class. I cleared that hurdle, but the school then required at least five students for the course to run. Out of a year of around 120 kids, including twenty-odd in the top maths set, only two signed up: Alan Dolby… ## [From Before the Industry to the First Decade](https://blog.stevewetherill.com/posts/2026-02-05-from-before-the-industry-to-the-first-decade/) _2026-02-05 · Steve Wetherill: Video Game Developer_ I’ve been working in the video game industry for more than 40 years. I’ve also been trying, in one form or another, to write this story for almost 25 of them. Early attempts here focused on the output: the games, the companies, the platforms, the tools. Useful, perhaps, but incomplete. Over time, my attention shifted toward the personal side: the uncertainty, the improvisation, the…