Monica Byrne

Who are you? Hi, I'm Monica! I'm an itinerant writer. I've been making a full-time salary on Patreon since 2016.&nbsp;I use this salary for groceries, rent, transportation, and healthcare. I'll&nbsp;continue to do so for as long as I can, so that, instead of depending on exploitative corporations for my basic needs, I depend on a community of individuals who value creative freedom.&nbsp;What have you done with this support? I've written two science fiction novels,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monicabyrne.org/the-girl-in-the-road" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Girl in the Road</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monicabyrne.org/the-actual-star" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Actual Star</a>. (If you click on those links, you can see the prizes they won, and the very nice things that critics and fellow authors said about them.) My short stories have been published in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Tor.com</a>, <a href="http://thebaffler.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Baffler</a>, <a href="https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction</a>, <a href="http://www.shimmerzine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Shimmer</a>, <a href="https://kaaterskillbasinjournal.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kaaterskill Basin Journal</a>, <a href="http://www.outlooksprings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Outlook Springs</a>, <a href="http://www.gargoylemagazine.com/gargoyle.php" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Gargoyle</a>, <a href="http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Fantasy Magazine</a>, and <a href="http://www.electricvelocipede.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Electric Velocipede</a>. I'm also a playwright. As of now, my most-produced play is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=4852" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">What Every Girl Should Know</a>.&nbsp;I also hosted a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monicabyrne.org/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">futurist series for ViceUK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;gave the <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/monica_byrne_a_sci_fi_vision_of_love_from_a_318_year_old_hologram" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">first science fiction TED Talk</a>.&nbsp; If you'd like to know more,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monicabyrne.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a> is my nifty website where you can explore to your heart's content.What's the deal with your tiers? Usually, creators offer bigger rewards at higher tiers. However, in a society with gross wealth inequality, it feels increasingly uncomfortable to me to maintain that model. Rather, I believe that all of us work hard and everyone gives what they can. So: I want every Patreon patron to get everything, even if they're only pledging $1 a month. In addition,&nbsp;I want my short stories available to those who can't contribute at all--people too young to have a credit card, people who don't have a lot of money, and people who don't have access to U.S. banking. My patrons want that, too, and are graciously willing to subsidize it.What if I just want to make a one-time donation, instead? That'd be awesome! I happily accept donations on&nbsp;<a href="https://cash.app/$MonicaByrne" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">CashApp</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://venmo.com/Monica-Byrne-3" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Venmo</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://paypal.me/monicabyrne13" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">PayPal</a>, or through the nonprofit <a href="https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/monica-byrne/general_support" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Fractured Atlas</a>.&nbsp;Please support artists directly wherever you can instead of giving to institutions or nonprofits, where very little of the money actually goes to artists. Thank you.

Free

This tier is named after my beloved hometown in Pennsylvania, and the setting of my next novel. Everything I offer is included in this tier: early access to all exciting news, all new stories, Baby Artist and Process Diary posts, and a Monthly Postcard composed exclusively for patrons! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

ANNVILLE

This tier is named after Belize, the central setting of my second novel, THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

BELIZE

This tier is named after Meknes, an ancient city in Morocco, the setting of a crucial chapter in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

MEKNES 

This tier is named after Kaua'i, a breathtaking Hawaiian island, the setting of a big chapter in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

KAUA'I

This tier is named after Oaxaca, an ancient region of Mexico, the setting of an important chapter in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

OAXACA

This tier is named after Palawan, a tropical island of the Philippines, the setting of one of the first chapters in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

PALAWAN

This tier is named after Capri, an island off of Campania, the setting of a pivotal chapter in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

CAPRI

This tier is named after Zein-o-Din, an ancient caravanserai in Iran, the setting of the first future chapter in THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

ZEIN-O-DIN

This tier is named after Anoong, the fictional Minnesotan hometown of the heroine of THE ACTUAL STAR. Everything I offer is included in this tier! Thank you for subsidizing everyone's access to my work, regardless of ability to pay.

Recent posts by Monica Byrne