Please note that if you are a paid-up annual member there will be no change for you, unless you are a constructor and you are eligible to receive royalty payments.
My attempts to attract new members by offering free puzzles weekly have failed dismally. Revenues have increased primarily due to larger contributions by the continuing members rather than any significant increase in their number. The few new members that we do attract tend to be first time visitors who are seriously interested from the start, rather than permanent guests. New members are often interested in constructing as well as playing.
So I am changing to profit-sharing instead of free samples as the primary thrust toward increasing membership. As of February 1, I am instituting the payment of royalties on new puzzles. I am discontinuing the frequent publication of free new puzzles.
As now, all current puzzles will be covered by the annual payment of full members. As now, I will charge trial members 20 cents for each puzzle played online (deducted from an initial balance of $5 or $10, usually). For every play, I will pay the constructor a nickel. At our current level, this will be about $3 per puzzle! So a weekly constructor would earn $150 over the year.
Laughable, you say?
If we ever reach a point where more than 100 people pay to play a puzzle, we will institute a sliding scale of online royalties. In the future, selections from the archives may be sold in offline or print form indefinitely. Think of how many times Middleton's puzzles have been reprinted and sold!
I reserve the right to discontinue this revenue plan without notice. I will do so if revenues fall or expenses increase unexpectedly.
Constructors who desire cash payment of their royalties will receive monthly payments, provided at least $10 has accrued.
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