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Patreon...
Following that whole fan-monetizing conversation that was going around DW a while back, I've been thinking about whether I should keep having a Patreon or not, since it's quite possible that my patrons need their $1/mo more than I need their cumulative $14.
But then again, I started the Patreon as a way to incentivize myself to do things that I otherwise wouldn't do. Like, sure, there's a certain amount of time that I invest in fandom just because. I'm not getting paid to mod fandom events, for example, and it'll never be something that becomes contingent on patrons. On the other hand, there are some things that I need an extra vote of confidence for. Not just a "you write/draw stuff that I'm interested in consuming, so I will follow/friend/subscribe", but a "you make stuff that I'm interested in supporting financially."
I think one of the problems with doing fan stuff (or maybe just a problem with myself) is that the value of fanwork is measured in how much it adds to fandom. My work is worth "likes" or "kudos" or "feels", but isn't worth real life money. I know that's not true -- I go to conventions and see fan artists selling $15-$25 prints (and I buy them). But I tell myself it's because selling fanart is how they make a living, and since I have a job that I love and only want to draw on the side, I should only charge people the printing cost. Thus devaluing my work. So in that sense, Patreon isn't giving me money that I need, but rather, it's giving value to my work. It's 12 people who are saying "The stuff you make has real life monetary value, and isn't just something to be measured in feels." And that's worth a lot to me, actually.*
Argh, I started this post to basically say that Patreon still serves a function in incentivizing myself to do things that I otherwise wouldn't do, and I need to give deeper thought to what I want to be incentivized to do (and is still sustainable), and maybe changing my Patreon again.
In the meantime, Patreon incentivized me to make to process gifs for my recent Captain America comic that I wouldn't have made otherwise:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/24893484 (it's a public post)
Actually, I think the gifs work better standalone, so here they are: [Page 1] [Page 3]
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* yes, capitalism is problematic. But it's also what we have right now. Even if I measure my work in "number of friends I get to meet", it still costs money to meet up with fandom friends.
But then again, I started the Patreon as a way to incentivize myself to do things that I otherwise wouldn't do. Like, sure, there's a certain amount of time that I invest in fandom just because. I'm not getting paid to mod fandom events, for example, and it'll never be something that becomes contingent on patrons. On the other hand, there are some things that I need an extra vote of confidence for. Not just a "you write/draw stuff that I'm interested in consuming, so I will follow/friend/subscribe", but a "you make stuff that I'm interested in supporting financially."
I think one of the problems with doing fan stuff (or maybe just a problem with myself) is that the value of fanwork is measured in how much it adds to fandom. My work is worth "likes" or "kudos" or "feels", but isn't worth real life money. I know that's not true -- I go to conventions and see fan artists selling $15-$25 prints (and I buy them). But I tell myself it's because selling fanart is how they make a living, and since I have a job that I love and only want to draw on the side, I should only charge people the printing cost. Thus devaluing my work. So in that sense, Patreon isn't giving me money that I need, but rather, it's giving value to my work. It's 12 people who are saying "The stuff you make has real life monetary value, and isn't just something to be measured in feels." And that's worth a lot to me, actually.*
Argh, I started this post to basically say that Patreon still serves a function in incentivizing myself to do things that I otherwise wouldn't do, and I need to give deeper thought to what I want to be incentivized to do (and is still sustainable), and maybe changing my Patreon again.
In the meantime, Patreon incentivized me to make to process gifs for my recent Captain America comic that I wouldn't have made otherwise:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/24893484 (it's a public post)
Actually, I think the gifs work better standalone, so here they are: [Page 1] [Page 3]
--------
* yes, capitalism is problematic. But it's also what we have right now. Even if I measure my work in "number of friends I get to meet", it still costs money to meet up with fandom friends.