You are right. You don't have to pay. There is tons of free stuff online. Writers are giving it away and starving in the process.
But suppose you are a huge fan of someone's writing. You love their stories. You buy their books (if you can't get them at the library!)
Now suppose that writer said they would send you a new story (or novel chapter) every week (or twice a week, or daily, whatever) in an email for a few dollars per month. And that doing so would allow them to write full time. And you could have direct access to the writer via their newsletter.
Readers are doing it. It's not about free stuff to read. It's about supporting someone you enjoy reading and having a connection to them.
It's not something everyone wants or will do, but real fans will do it. And you only need a small number of real fans for it to work.
Here is an article about a guy who makes $20,000 per month just doing a serial fiction newsletter. He is an extreme example, but the current publishing model isn't working for most writers. Why not try something new?
