
In the close to 18 years I’ve had a presence online, this is the first I’ve ever had to do something like this, but if you are a regular visitor of ThisIsBooksMusic.com, I need your help this time.
I am not someone who looks for charity, in fact I’m usually the one who prefers to help when I am able to. In the past, not only with this website but with some of the other domains I have maintained over the year, I have not had any problems with renewing my domain name and hosting. This website is and has never been a domain-for-profit, ThisIsBooksMusic.com is a place where you can find music, video, and book reviews, along with news items, links to videos, podcasts, and MP3’s that are offered and approved by publicists and/or artists. It is and hopefully will remain my online home that also serves as a “resume hut”. I have never made any money from this website, nor was it intended to. However, this website has served as a place where potential clients and employers are able to browse through my work and see if I am worthy and/or “of interest”. As a journalist for over 25 years, my work has been in print, which means there was a time you could walk into a store, buy a specific magazine and see a review and/or article with my name nearby. I’ve also done my share of freelance work, and before the internet, I was published in over 70 different publications, both independent/DIY fanzines and mainstream publications.
In the internet era, I have written for a number of websites, including Okayplayer, FunkierThanThou, Music For America, and Skyscraper. As with this website, all of my online articles have been a means for me to get paid work. My goal has always been for me to write for publications that I enjoy reading, and that would not mind for me to be one of their paid contributing writers. Unfortunately, that has been very difficult over the years but that has never stopped me from continuing on with this website. I have a passion to write and in the years I have been online, I feel I have gained more support and a following much greater than I ever did as someone who was print-only. The support has been incredible, humbling, and sometimes overwhelming, but I don’t do it for applause. I simply want to share my love of music with people who are willing to take time to read what I write about.
In life there are peaks and valleys. Currently, I’m in a bit of a valley and right now I am unable to renew the domain and hosting. I’ll be honest: if I have to let the domain and hosting expire, I will do so. I have no problem in shifting things to a tumblr-type blog if need be. When I’m able to get things back together again, I will simply create a new domain and website. I’ve had a few domains expire not due to lack of funds, but lack of interest. I want to continue doing what I do here, and I hope you feel the same way.
If you are a regular visitor and enjoy the artists you have been exposed to, like the type of coverage I do here, or perhaps you may enjoy my style of writing, I would like for you to consider making a donation. What I am looking for right now is $150, which will pay for a 1-year renewal of both the URL, domain, and hosting. I had hoped to make a switch-over to a different hosting company which would have lowered the costs by about 40% or so, but was unable to do so before an established deadline. If you are able to donate $2, $5 or $10, that would be great. I am not looking for anything higher than $150 to raise, this is not a Kickstarter campaign for you to buy my own earwax sculpture documentary. Your donation is here to insure that ThisIsBooksMusic.com will be renewed for at least another year. When I am out of the valley, I will be sure to renew it for much longer than a year so I don’t have to write something like this again.
If you are able to “give a tip” to ThisIsBooksMusic.com, you can do so via PayPal by clicking here. Your private information is secure when you donate via PayPal, and you are also able to make a donation even if you are not a PayPal member. If you want, I would be able to show you as a donator by listing your initials and your zipcode on this page. The deadline is September 27th, so if you are able to donate, I thank you immensely. When I have reached the $150 needed, I will remove this page and will not accept anymore donations, simple as that. If I don’t, that is okay. As stated earlier, I will simply move into tumblr-blog mode for a bit and when I am able to, I’ll start from scratch once more. But if you are able to make a donation, I would be very appreciative.
Mahalo nui (thank you).
-John Book