The Steampunk Explorer depends on readers for support. I’m Stephen Beale, the founder, editor and publisher, and I’d like to explain how you can help.
1. Support us financially
At present, you can provide financial support in two ways:
Join us on Patreon. You can pay as little as $1 per month (or more if you choose).
Contribute to our tip jar. If you'd rather not commit to monthly payments, you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal. Contributions are not tax-deductible.
Your financial support does the following:
It helps cover the expenses of producing the site. I run a lean operation. For example, rather than paying thousands of dollars to a web developer, I learned how to do it myself. But I still have to pay for web hosting, software tools, an email service, and more.
It helps compensate me for my time. I launched The Steampunk Explorer in 2018 after a long career as a writer and editor. I never envisioned it as a money-making venture, but I apply the same standards and attention to detail that I bring to my professional work.
I support myself financially by taking on freelance writing and editing projects. But every hour I spend on those projects is one less hour that I can spend here. Your financial support will help free up my time to create an even better publication.
It could help me travel to more events. I’m based in the San Francisco area, which fortunately is home to many steampunk-related events. I rely on some amazing guest contributors to send photos from other events, but I’d to cover more of those myself (for example, see my recent coverage of the Key City Steampunk Convention).
Please note that I have temporarily suspended the CafePress store due to technical issues. I hope to return there (or to a similar platform) early in 2025.
2. Follow us on social media
I understand that many readers are not in a position to assist financially. But there are other ways that you can help.
One way is to follow us on social media and share our posts with your friends and followers.
The Steampunk Explorer is on most of the top platforms, including Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. We are most active on Bluesky and Mastodon. Readers should be aware that Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) uses algorithms that downrank posts containing external links. This means that many followers on these platforms are unlikely to see our posts that link to content on the site.
3. Subscribe to Steampunk Digest
Steampunk Digest is a free e-newsletter that’s delivered each week to your inbox. It’s a quick read and the best way to ensure that you don't miss any of our content. The newsletter is also posted on the website, but subscribers get it a day early. You always have the option to unsubscribe. You can subscribe here.
4. Spread the word
When you visit steampunk events or otherwise hang out with other steampunk fans, please tell them about the publication and the value we provide to this community.
A final word
Some people are called to be musicians, painters, or sculptors. My calling has always been magazines. I produced my first science-fiction fanzine in junior high school, and I went on to major in magazine journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Over the decades, I helped launch several niche publications for small publishing companies that employed me, beginning in 1983 with a newsletter called Veterinary Computing. But The Steampunk Explorer is the first publication I can truly call my own.
I had no idea what to expect, but many folks in the steampunk community have told me that it’s a valuable resource for them. I hope to keep doing it, and to make it an even better resource. Please help me make that happen.