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I want to Patreon, but I'm running into snags.
11 years ago
I've been reading about Patreon and different ways people are setting it up and offering perks but I'm also sitting here feeling either too poor for Patreon or maybe its just nerves. Either way, it kind of feels like I'd need to run a Patreon in order to set up a more substantial Patreon. Here are some of my hang ups:
- The motherboard in my main computer has been broken for a few months now. I really am loathe to talk personal income, but I will say that I usually just cover life basics, so its difficult for me to cover these kinds of "emergencies" very quickly, unless I'm having a particularly lucky moment and happen to have almost what I need already. This is not the current case. The issue here is that without my main machine, I cannot offer patron-only streams as a perk or hell, do stream at all. :/ This was a HUGE reason I went and upgraded my computer last year, so yeah, this kind of sucks to have had this happen less than a year later, but it is what it is and no one could have predicted it. Anyways. Main computer is a tool I need to really get anywhere.
- My printer is also borked. I have a clogged nozzle and therefore cannot print any of the usual small income bumpers that I'd normally do to help me get things like, oh, a motherboard for my computer. I've done this in the past and its worked out nice. I'm not a fan of "emergency commissions" unless someone is in deep doodoo, and have preferred to just offer Happy Packs when I need a bit of extra cash without bothering to emphasize the whole -need- part. Anyhoo, with the clogged (and admittedly elderly) printer, Happy Packs and/or prints are right out. I can't use it for getting a motherboard and can't use it for making Patreon perk merch either.
Aside from these two big things getting in the way of me starting up a Patreon, here is what I would eventually like to do with one:
- Give patrons a first chance to purchase my originals before I offer it to the public.
- Stream the making of these originals. Not talking commissions, but art of my own design. If possible, do these as patron-exclusive streams. This would allow me to do more art of my own and have less of a need to do commissions. I'd likely still do commissions here and there but I do get a good response with my own work and feel like it would be a win/win all around if I was able to do more of it.
- I also have stories to tell and the desire to write and illustrate them but have never been in the financial position to take the risk when it comes down to time and money. Again, I hate talking personal finance but this is how things are and one of the major reasons I think that having a Patreon could really help me out in being able to do the kinds of things I've always wanted to do but could not. I feel like I'd have to work UP to this point, however, as given the lack of having the proper time to solely devote to my stories, I have no real recent and up-to-date examples to entice. Any patron-perks that would be story/art/graphic novel related would have to come later on.
So, uh. Yeah, do people to Patreon's in order to do Patreon's, cause that sure feels like its something I need to do in order to feel like I can come through on any would-be patron promises. Until then, I'm wondering if I should just set up one with 1-5 dollar options people can pick to help me along with these initial goals.
- The motherboard in my main computer has been broken for a few months now. I really am loathe to talk personal income, but I will say that I usually just cover life basics, so its difficult for me to cover these kinds of "emergencies" very quickly, unless I'm having a particularly lucky moment and happen to have almost what I need already. This is not the current case. The issue here is that without my main machine, I cannot offer patron-only streams as a perk or hell, do stream at all. :/ This was a HUGE reason I went and upgraded my computer last year, so yeah, this kind of sucks to have had this happen less than a year later, but it is what it is and no one could have predicted it. Anyways. Main computer is a tool I need to really get anywhere.
- My printer is also borked. I have a clogged nozzle and therefore cannot print any of the usual small income bumpers that I'd normally do to help me get things like, oh, a motherboard for my computer. I've done this in the past and its worked out nice. I'm not a fan of "emergency commissions" unless someone is in deep doodoo, and have preferred to just offer Happy Packs when I need a bit of extra cash without bothering to emphasize the whole -need- part. Anyhoo, with the clogged (and admittedly elderly) printer, Happy Packs and/or prints are right out. I can't use it for getting a motherboard and can't use it for making Patreon perk merch either.
Aside from these two big things getting in the way of me starting up a Patreon, here is what I would eventually like to do with one:
- Give patrons a first chance to purchase my originals before I offer it to the public.
- Stream the making of these originals. Not talking commissions, but art of my own design. If possible, do these as patron-exclusive streams. This would allow me to do more art of my own and have less of a need to do commissions. I'd likely still do commissions here and there but I do get a good response with my own work and feel like it would be a win/win all around if I was able to do more of it.
- I also have stories to tell and the desire to write and illustrate them but have never been in the financial position to take the risk when it comes down to time and money. Again, I hate talking personal finance but this is how things are and one of the major reasons I think that having a Patreon could really help me out in being able to do the kinds of things I've always wanted to do but could not. I feel like I'd have to work UP to this point, however, as given the lack of having the proper time to solely devote to my stories, I have no real recent and up-to-date examples to entice. Any patron-perks that would be story/art/graphic novel related would have to come later on.
So, uh. Yeah, do people to Patreon's in order to do Patreon's, cause that sure feels like its something I need to do in order to feel like I can come through on any would-be patron promises. Until then, I'm wondering if I should just set up one with 1-5 dollar options people can pick to help me along with these initial goals.
I do feel like if this becomes a bigger deal for me someday down the line I'll offer bigger nicer things, but for now I have to do really simple things :x
I need to go further reading and digging, but offhand do you know if you can edit things in order to add more perks? I'd like to be able to do that as I'm able to do it. Like, once I was able to maybe do patron-only streams, or various bonus merch items, to add that to one of the perks to the pre-existing Patreon rather than have to make a new one.