Patreon - do the math

[ceagle]

If someone succeeds in making a living on Patreon, that is great. Truly! For those, I give accolades ^v^

However, in general, ....it is a Well that sucks away talent from public view, further isolating them from circulation... and realistically in most cases that is a loss and/or fail ... :/

AGAIN, if they are making it there, that is great *more applause* Especially if it is used as a Prime Preview sort of thing, allowing patrons advanced viewing for later release. But if it is just hidden subscription stuff, then.. well.. that makes me sad. -_-

Beeeecause...
I really love the art and artists I support (in traditional ways, such as commissions, donations, prints, etc)... but, I don't make $thousands of dollars per week. And if I were to support all the hundreds of artists I love on a subscription basis every week, it would truly be $hundreds of dollars.. and that's even if at the $1 / per rate! .. and realistically I'd want to do more (but just impossible until I win the Lottery)...

So it's really rather difficult to cross that bridge and not feel guilty that someone is getting left out, or not getting enough... and as a patron to survive financially at the same time.

Not that I haven't tried it. I did give it a shot with a few super nice artists. One barely posts anything though. And with another I found out their 'class system' discriminates, so I'd have to put in a whole lot more $$$ per month to really see any worthwhile content.

All in all the whole thing pisses me off and makes me feel sad for the artists with high-hopes that they will get rich there too :|
And again, it takes them out of circulation so their awesomeness becomes hidden.

I gotta stick with traditional. If you're a dependable, quality artist, as so many have demonstrated all these years, I'll continue to be a grateful customer ^v^ .

Comments

[martes.livejournal.com]

I share a Patreon with Dave Hopkins. Generally I use it for WIP posts of stuff that will be released generally later. I've recently begun doing YCH type things. There's not enough coming in by far to make a living at, but the little extra each month is nice.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell, you are one of the folks using it in a positive way... many thanks for that, and I hope the extra does help.

I've heard stories of a few (a very few.. maybe four, I'm told) who make a full living on it.... maybe it's a bit like telemarketing: one or two people in a room of 50 make lion's share of the sales.

[whitetail.livejournal.com]

Very well said. I hadn't thought of a lot of the points you made, but they made a lot of sense.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Thanx for reading and commenting, bud :> When I see deer-related art, I usually think to myself "I wonder if Rabs saw this"....

[martes.livejournal.com]

Jay Naylor, Rukis and Tracy Butler all bringing in tons of money. But Naylor and Rukis do porn, and Butler has a hugely popular comic. For the rest of us, we get the scraps.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly looking forward to the griffin book.... ^V^ I hope that can do well for ya!

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

It's really all down to whom you're supporting, ne? I currently have three pledges active, for:

Skin Horse, as I feel they could use a little reward for putting out comics six times a week (and something or other on Sundays too), of a particularly creative nature. The strip's all public - the perks are things like artist/writer notes for past storylines.
Rav Bunneh, who does fun doodles, often of a leporine nature, including this icon. ^_^ No idea where else he posts, TBH.
Noben, whose style I enjoy, and one of whose pieces is my current desktop background, having displaced one of 0r0ch1's after several years. ^_^ I believe she posts to a couple other venues, like DA.

So, Patreon can be used to lock work away, or, as a convenient tip jar, with optional perks involved. I may well add one or two more artists, given how much work they've put in over the years, and continue to do so, notably the peeps behind Wapsi Square and Questionable Content. (Wapsi Square especially I would recommend starting from the beginning, otherwise you're just going to be utterly confused. It's a large archive, be warned =:)

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Thanks for weighing in, and the links! ^v^ ... indeed, I'd say the tip jar method works better in general... keeps the artist's name and art more in circulation and promotion too.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nodnods* ... and you certainly have the lion's share of your creativity on the big screen all these lovely years with NewsHounds... one of the traditional ways of income, ad revenue... *waggle* ... I guess I'm sorta curious too how you might personally compare your experiences with the two: patreon vs webcomic income/distribution...

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I'm always torn, patreon allows steady income streams which people do need to live but I don't like paying for things that I do not want/use.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nods* ... Totally conflicted here too with what to do.... but while I wish luck to those who try it (and plan well, inclusively, not exclusively)... I just can't see how it can work for too many people... like you suggested, just not enough subscribers with enough funds for everybody to go around...