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Become a Founding Contributor

Tuesday · March 17 · 2026

The Measure of Fine Fiction

Vol. I  ·  No. I  ·  The Founders Edition

Founding Contributor Program  ·  Limited to 300 Seats

Become a
Founding Contributor

A finite, principled commitment. 300 people. Three years. Twenty‑two issues. Your name in every issue, forever.

Editor-in-Chief’s Letter

01 — 

What your Founding Contribution actually funds

  • Covers the real, below‑the‑line costs of making The Standard exist for three full years.
  • Pays for design, production, printing, and physical fulfillment of 22 issues.
  • Includes a modest stipend for the artists responsible for the magazine’s visual identity.
  • Funds infrastructure and systems required to deliver issues reliably to readers.
  • Contains no executive payout or hidden margin—only concrete production costs.

02 — 

Who this does—and doesn’t—pay

  • Does not pay the publisher.
  • Does not pay the Editor in Chief.
  • Does not pay the writers or editors whose work fills the magazine.
  • Above‑the‑line contributors are only paid later, from actual retail sales.
  • Your contribution funds the container; our compensation depends on whether readers choose to buy the work.

03 — 

A guaranteed runway for 22 issues

  • Target cohort: 300 Founding Contributors at $980 each.
  • Guarantees publication of:
    • 4 issues in 2026: March 17, June 16, September 15, December 15.
    • 6 issues in 2027.
    • 12 issues in 2028. Total: 22 issues.
  • Provides operational stability independent of early sales.
  • Allows focus on editorial excellence rather than short‑term metrics.

04 — 

How future profit is shared

  • Once the magazine reaches operational sustainability, profit is shared transparently.
  • Founding Contributions fund the runway; these pools are paid only from real downstream sales.
Writers
40%
Editors
10%
Publishing Co.
40%
Artists
10%

05 — 

Your name, and your role, are permanent

  • Your chosen name appears on the public Honor Ledger on the site.
  • Your name is printed in every issue of The Standard for as long as the magazine exists.
  • Recognition applies regardless of future renewal decisions.
  • Suitable for individuals, families, companies, and institutions.
  • Marks you as part of the magazine’s founding, not just its readership.

06 — 

What Founding Contributors receive

  • Special Founders Edition printings during the initial three‑year period.
  • Founders Editions produced at higher physical quality than retail copies.
  • Complimentary shipping and handling within the United States.
  • International shipping available at actual cost (no markup).
  • Priority access to any limited‑run or special‑format editions.
  • Early notice of major editorial milestones, experiments, and institutional developments.

07 — 

The commitment, in one number

  • One‑time Founding Contribution: $980.
  • Cohort limited to 300 Founding Contributors.
  • No tiers, upsells, discounts, or bundles.
  • A finite, principled round that makes the magazine concretely possible.

Your commitment, in plain language

By stepping in as a Founding Contributor, you are agreeing to a single, finite commitment: a one‑time contribution of $980 to fund the actual costs of making The Standard real for three full years. In return, you secure a guaranteed runway for 22 issues, permanent recognition as part of the magazine’s origin, and Founders Editions crafted and delivered to you—not as a transactional perk, but as tangible proof of the institution you helped build.

This is not an extraction model; it is a principled way to underwrite the work so that everyone above the line only gets paid if the magazine earns its way through real readers.

Founding Contributor $980
Founding Seats Remaining
secure yours today.
229 of 300

Step in as a Founding Contributor

Complete the details below to confirm your Founding Contribution. You’ll receive a confirmation email, and your name will be added to the Honor Ledger shortly.

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Please enter your full name.
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Physical Copy + PDF Subscription — $89 / year

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Read it your way.

Not ready to found it, but want it in your hands? For $89 a year you receive a printed copy and a PDF of every issue of The Standard—mailed to your door, delivered to your inbox.

What you receive
  • A physical copy of every issue mailed to you—4 in 2026, 6 in 2027, 12 in 2028.
  • PDF digital edition of every issue delivered to your email.
  • U.S. domestic shipping included at the base rate.
  • International orders available—foreign shipping at actual cost, no markup.
  • Orders fulfilled and shipped immediately after payment.
Issue schedule — 22 issues over three years
  • 2026 — 4 issues: March 17, June 16, September 15, December 15.
  • 2027 — 6 issues.
  • 2028 — 12 issues.

Annual · $89 · No hidden fees

$89/year covers your first four issues. International subscribers pay actual shipping cost on top. Annual subscription; cancel anytime.

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Complete the details below. Our fulfillment team is notified immediately and your first issue ships on its publication date.

Full Name
Please enter your full name.
Where we’ll send your confirmation and future updates.
For important updates about issues and fulfillment (no spam).
I opt in to receive my physical issues, PDF editions, and related updates from The Standard.

Founding Contributor Roll — Live

Those who stepped in
to make The Standard real

These are the 300 people whose names will be printed in every issue of The Standard for as long as the magazine exists. This ledger is public, permanent, and updated as each contribution is confirmed.
Founding Seats Remaining
secure yours today.
229 of 300

Honor Ledger

Printed in every issue, forever. Listed in order of commitment.
  • Al Musitano
  • Michael W. Schoonover
  • Pamela Hines
  • Allison Fairhurst
  • david kahne
  • David Earl Bybee
  • Bruce Wood
  • Bonnie Carasso
  • Dave Reed
  • Al Musitano
  • Brent G. Spalding
  • Pascal A. Kirchner
  • Michael Walsh
  • Bolen Gaddy
  • Katherine Lynn Leuba
  • Julia Blair
  • Krista K. Adams
  • Debra W. Kincheloe
  • Gerard Rebagliati
  • Linda A. Smith
  • Billy Hartwig
  • Russell brothers
  • Anonymous
  • Kayla Davenport Books
  • Rodney Deaton, MD, JD
  • Daryl Spirka
  • David A Vogel Jr
  • Thaddeus A. Podbielski
  • Gail Brenner Nastasia
  • D. Scott Thayer
  • K Allen Baker
  • Holly Marsh Perrino
  • Chris Overson
  • Brian L. McCaleb
  • Anonymous
  • Andy Kurnia
  • Marc Rodrigues-Bernet
  • A Nony Mouse
  • Valerie Henry
  • Laura MacKenzie
  • Justin Robinson
  • Michael McClellan
  • Michael de la Maza
  • Kristi Stalder
  • John and Amy Scanlan
  • Oran Magal
  • Dana Oliver
  • Anonymous
  • Claudette Johnson
  • Kate Wood
  • Johne Cook
  • George J Koury
  • Michelle Glassley
  • Scott C. Mitchell
  • Sarah Katherine McAshan
  • Jane Donaldson, Toronto, ON
  • William Babb
  • Ellen M. McCurdy
  • C Shatzel
  • Alicia Jean Demetropolis
  • Karla M. Diaz Perera
  • Dave Muma
  • Clinton De Young
  • Kallista Foote
  • Ryan McRae
  • Andrea Murschel
  • Jan Bowler
  • Anonymous
  • Payson F. Cooper
  • Ali Kasper
  • Kevin R. Worthley
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Not everyone can or should commit at the Founding Contributor or physical subscription level. If the cost isn’t right for you, but the mission of The Standard is, join us as a free Standard‑Keeper and receive every issue as a PDF by email.

What you receive as a free Standard‑Keeper
  • Free PDF editions of every issue of The Standard, delivered to your email on publication day.
  • Early announcements about upcoming issues, contributors, and editorial experiments.
  • News about how the magazine is evolving as an institution, not just as a product.
  • Early access notifications for forthcoming Story Grid Publishing books and related projects.
  • A direct, advertising‑free line of communication from the magazine to you as a serious reader.

Why your participation still matters

  • Helps us build a readership that cares about standards, not hype.
  • Gives us signal about which stories, formats, and questions are landing.
  • Strengthens a community of readers who see storytelling as navigation, not distraction.
  • Supports the long‑term viability of a non‑extractive publishing model.

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