We started Sptspage back in March and, yes, we are a pay site. Our subscription price ($4.95 per month, $50 for the year) is less than 17 cents a day.
We charge for subscriptions so that our writers can be paid something for the time, effort and experienced perspective they bring to our stories. All of our writers were at one time employed by either the Fort Worth Star-Telegram or Dallas Morning News, and in some cases both. People like yours truly, Jim Reeves, Gary West, Carlos Mendez, John Henry, Jimmy Burch, Jan Hubbard and Marjorie Lewis.
We contain no ads, no annoying pop-up videos, no videos from things that don't even pertain to the stories -- nothing that would distract from the reader experience, even if you're reading us on your smartphone.
We want to stay ad-free, so that's why we charge a modest amount for a subscription. We offer a free seven-day trial before your credit card is charged. You can cancel at any time during that week. Unlike other publications, our subscription price will not go up once you start.
To receive your free trial, you do have to sign up and enter a credit card. The card will not be charged until after your seven-day trial has completed.
The sign-up box contains a line that asks for a coupon, but you shouldn't have one, unless you've gotten it specifically from me. Anybody else who is reading Sptspage with a coupon isn't doing it legally (and, frankly, isn't being fair to our team of writers).