> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.verticalslice.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What do sustainability and growth look like for Vertical Slice? - URL: https://www.verticalslice.news/lets-talk-about-those-two-fiendish-words-sustainability-and-growth/ - Published: 2026-10-12T07:59:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-12T08:18:03.000Z - Description: From a self-funded independent outlet to a sprawling media empire? Here's an honest look at what Vertical Slice needs to survive and expand. - Author: Chris Kerr - Tags: Originals, #vertical-slice I have pretty lofty ambitions for Vertical Slice. There's no point in starting a venture like this without daring to dream big. "A full blown newsroom?!" I hear you gasp. I know, I know, Radical stuff. Is that possible? Yes. But perhaps not straight away. Given I've been harping on about the need for more transparency within the game industry, it's only proper that I explain how we intend to sustain and grow if you decide to throw some cheddar our way. In my previous role as news editor at Game Developer, I earned a salary of around £47,000 per year towards the end of my tenure. Cards on the table, that means I need to recoup a similar amount through Vertical Slice to make ends meet. My rent has just increased, bills aren't getting cheaper, and I'm almost out of Pokemon cards to sell. Sustainability is my primary goal for year one. That means earning roughly £3,700-£3,800 per month via subscriptions and/or The Repository sponsorship. After tax, business costs, and transaction fees, that would represent a pay cut. But I'm no stranger to being frugal (soup season cometh) and firmly believe that, with enough runway, I can turn Vertical Slice into something properly special. Fortunately, I have savings to fall back on while the site ramps up. Yes, that means Vertical Slice is currently entirely self-funded. Every piece of freelance reporting (big up Nicole Carpenter, our first commission!), legal fees and insurance, website costs, logo and art commissions, travel and accommodation, and more is being paid for by my younger self, who was smart enough to squirrel away some brass. What does sustainability look like in terms of full-price subscriptions, then? A little something like this: > **Monthly Supporter (£7.45/month) - 500 subscribers // £44,700 per year (before tax and expenses)** > **Yearly Supporter (£69.95/year) - 650 subscribers // £45,467 per year (before tax and expenses)** In all likelihood, I'll receive a mixture of monthly and yearly subscriptions (remember, the latter represents a 22% discount). I also expect readers to [FEAST during the limied-time launch sale](https://www.verticalslice.news/limited-time-launch-sale-now-on/), which offers monthly and yearly 'Supporter' plans at a whopping 33% off. Who knows, maybe a few of you will choose to generously donate a bit more to become Visionaries. It does have a nice ring to it. You'll also be immortalised for eternity on this [impossibly exclusive slab of webpage](https://www.verticalslice.news/visionaries/). ⚠️ ****Free subscriptions actually cost us money under our Ghost (Pro) hosting plan, because it doesn't distinguish between paid and free members. They all cost the same!** Taking all of those possible permutations into account, I will need fewer than 1,000 monthly/yearly subscribers to turn Vertical Slice into a vaguely sustainable endeavour (for myself, at least). Given I know millions of people have read my reporting in recent years, that feels very achievable. What happens when I start making back my old salary and then some? Well, Palmer Luckey has already taken the mantle of game industry mogul turned megalomaniac, so I'll probably just stick to journalism. In all seriousness, the plan is to invest everything back into Vertical Slice. I want to bring in regular contributors, veteran reporters, and aspiring writers. Crucially, I want to pay all of them a healthy wage. I intend to take Vertical Slice on the road. It's vital to cover major shows such as GDC, Gamescom, PAX, and more in-person to meet and build trust with sources, conduct extensive on-the-ground reporting, and provide a sense-check of where the video game industry is at—and, crucially, where it's heading. I'd also love to expand The Repository with dev-authored content, but that will require someone to source, format, and edit those blogs. Past experience has taught me this is not a straightforward gig, and requires more time and money than you might expect. Yes, I'd also enjoy starting a podcast where I and other journalists can jabber about the Big News and other juicy gossip, but who is going to edit, clip, and publish that show? That is not my area of expertise, and if you're going to do something, you need to do it right. You want merch? So do I! But I can only make that happen with your backing. For now, the Vertical Slice homeware, embroidered t-shirts, and titanium pizza cutter must reside within my dizziest daydreams. I do have stickers, though. The point I'm making is this: the more support Vertical Slice receives, the more you'll get in return. It's a simple equation. Anyone who becomes a 'Supporter' will gain access to everything we produce. That's the evergreen pitch. I'm not interested in upselling or diluting that plan to drive readers towards a more expensive subscription. If you choose to become a Visionary and donate a little bit more—great! I appreciate you more than you can ever know, but Supporters will also maintain that same level of access for as long as the publication exists. I'm asking you to take a leap of faith with me here, but if you believe in the work I've been [producing for over a decade](https://www.verticalslice.news/what-is-quality-video-game-journalism-worth-to-you/) and want to ensure journalism can thrive in an era of mass layoffs, AI appropriation, and corporate obfuscation—I promise you: this is the path forward.