A Little about Drunk Monkeys

Founded in 2011 in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Drunk Monkeys became a place to feature great works of literature and pop culture criticism. We've showcased everything from political musings to smut to what is hands- down our biggest issue of all time. We yearn to read things that build worlds and break hearts, and we are proud of our stance against abuse and harassment.

We are a staff of unpaid volunteers, and this is a labor of love. And, unfortunately, we are not a paying market, but we'd love that to change. 
 

And for the first year, we'd love to humbly ask you for help.

What We Need & What You Get

We've done the math, and in order to compensate our contributors from January to December of 2019, we will need to raise at least $2500. 

Here's how that will work: 

Fiction, poetry, art, and essays will be paid $10 a piece.

Writers of the Month will be paid a $15 flat fee.

The budget for each month is around $200 ($2400 for the year with an additional $100 of wiggle room).

Editorial staff will not be paid using this money (editorial staff is unpaid, anyway).

These amounts are subject to change, depending on volume of work and how much is raised (we want to be able to pay people as much as possible), with any extra amount going towards the 2020 budget. Donors will be notified of how funds are distributed for transparency's sake.

What do you get for becoming a donor? Well, what don't you get? We have a wide variety of perks, from pins to editorial services to Vanderpump Rules livestreams to an exclusive Mr. Butterchips print made by our very own Alex Schumacher! There's something for everyone at every donation level.

If we do not reach our goal, we will use any funds to compensate our contributors appropriately in reflection of what we do raise; our donors will be notified in an update towards/ at the end of the campaign.

The Impact

As writers ourselves, we all know that it's often a thankless job. Too often it's pay-to-play, with reading fees that seem to pile up quickly and little to no payout. We definitely understand the frustration of not being compensated for work, and the excitement of money coming in from something you wrote, something that was loved and appreciated. While we won't be able to pay the dream-bucks we wish we could, we believe that a modest payment is a welcome addition to the joy of publication; we want our authors and artists to know we appreciate them and their work. 

Risks & Challenges

The biggest challenge we face is not meeting our goal, and having to adjust our payment plan. We are raising this money to pay our contributors, not our staff, and not the various fees that go along with running a literary journal. It is essential we reach at least $2500 in order to be able to compensate our writers and authors accordingly. 

Other Ways You Can Help

We know how tight money can be; we're all feeling it personally, too. And we never want you to feel you have to make a monetary contribution if you can't afford it. But there are other ways you can help! Sharing the link with your social circles can make a big impact in our campaign, so feel free to throw that link on your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever the cool kids are using these days!

And really, the greatest thing you can do is check us out. If you like what you're reading, comment on our posts, let the writers and artists know! We love community interaction. We love all of you. We want you to be part of the Drunk Monkeys family. 

Very sincerely, yours:

Kolleen Carney Hoepfner

Editor in Chief

Matthew Guerrero

Founder

and the entire Drunk Monkeys team.

Kolleen, Chris, and Matt, proving it IS about the pasta, always