The SS&E Patreon: It's Happening(!) Edition · 2:02am Mar 1st, 2016
Ladies and gentlemen, marsupials and lemurs, I now present to you the long dreaded event horizon:
I know what you're thinking. Does this announcement really deserve that much gravitas? Eh... not really. For all of my rambling and cyclical rhetoric, I'm still just a basement lemur tossing horse words around. Part of me feels super selfish about this, while the other half is tentacles-to-the-walls greedy. Humble or not, there's a lot of spaghetti to be had in such a decision. I always suspected such, which is my biggest excuse--aside from laziness--as for why I've put this off for so long.
But I must say that the words y'all had to give me in the epic blargh, whether in support or in disapproval of the move, were still very encouraging to me. Even if this Patreon thang goes nowhere, it's refreshing to know that I've made such a legitimate impact on so many marsupials' chest vacuoles. Thank you most kindly for your attention, and for stroking this word butcher's ego.
"I learned a new word today. 'Hug box.'"
If you head on over to the Patreon page, you'll see my not so humble attempt at a basic info setup. I'm new to this thing, so if any of you have any wise suggestions as to what I can improve (or would just like to chew me a new airhole for this crazy train wreck, f'naaaa, whatever) please feel free to comment here (or there) and I'll do my best to adjust.
I read all of the comments that y'all had to give (yes, especially yours), and here are the main bullet points I've gleaned from the bulk of such provocative marsupial dialogue:
-most readers appear to feel as though my work--through sheer quantity and dedication, at least--is indicative of someone who's been ready for a "Donations Button" for a long time now
-from the declarations I've made in my last blargh, most marsupials agree that I am not becoming a "sell-out" if I intend to continue writing horse words as regularly as ever, donation button or not
-a few have stated their concerns about the ethics/legalities of "writing fanfiction for money," but most appear to support me in pursuing something that will be helpful to myself, regardless of their stance
-several readers have shown worry that incorporating monetary donations related to fanfiction will potentially suck the momentum out of my "hobby" by turning it into a "job"
-other readers express concern that writing a specific number of "reward mini-fics" might "burn me out" and detract from the usual production of Skirtsian horsewords
Now in response:
-most readers appear to feel as though my work--through sheer quantity and dedication, at least--is indicative of someone who's been ready for a "Donations Button" for a long time now
I won't touch upon this too much. It'd be redundant lemur-fappery on my behalf. Yes, I've been writing fanfics for a long time now. I've done it because it's fun. I've done it because I've gotten noticed. I've done it because I enjoy shoving ideas into other people's brain bone. And I've also done it for the sake of the connections and camaraderie it's all afforded me. I used to hate the idea of flashing a donations button from beneath my trench coat, but then I took an apple horse to the knee. In truth, I didn't really really start thinking about it until about a year ago. It's like all of these words piled up around me and I thought, "Huh... could use more Dr. Pepper." So, here we are. You're welcome to hate me all you want. Nietzsche knows I do.
-from the declarations I've made in my last blargh, most marsupials agree that I am not becoming a "sell-out" if I intend to continue writing horse words as regularly as ever, donation button or not
This was a common theme in most of the responses to the blargh. And I was very touched, honored, blessed, all that warm-toasty-fuzzy stuff. No seriously, y'all said some really nice things in that blog. I expected such emotional stuff and yet I didn't. I hope you forgive me. Or not. F'naaa Anyways, I don't intend for the horse word train to slow down anytime soon, so I never thought that this would be an issue. I'm glad that, for the most part, y'all didn't think it would be either.
-a few have stated their concerns about the ethics/legalities of "writing fanfiction for money," but most appear to support me in pursuing something that will be helpful to myself, regardless of their stance
And this is the biggest reason why I told myself "no" to the idea of having a donations thingy in the past. I thank you for reinforcing this, and I especially thank those of you who were willing to comment with an opinion that did not support the basic concept of Patreon-ing under the banner of horse words. Almost every single person who disagreed with the matter--or at least the idea of it--was still kind enough to provide moral support while tackling the subject succinctly and intelligently.
Why, then, am I going on with it anyways? It's the money, duh. But there's more to it than that, or at least I like to think so. Tons of bronies in this fandom have gotten rewarded monetarily for their artistic contributions to all things poni poni poni. Most of them are artists, musicians, and Youtubers. Why, then, should fanfictional pursuits be tolerated any less? From what I understand, Fimfic proper has yet to lay the hammer down on the matter, and there've been other writers offering commissions and incorporating donations for months now... years even. Call it peer pressure, but this drooling lemur wonders why in Nietzsche's name he hasn't hopped on the bandwagon sooner.
As for what lies beyond the burning forest along the horizon, one epiphany I had months ago was that this endeavor--this whole Patreon kerfluffle--would be the smartest possible thing I could be doing right now as a writer, an internet wastelander, and a human being in general. Odds are, establishing myself in the fanfiction realm--especially through Patreon--would be my means of getting my name out there, so that when the time did come for me to either switch genres or (gasp!) write original fiction, I would already have something akin to a readership to tap into. Think of this as the foundation, and SS&E's 5k+ subscribers as the springboard. Yes, I know. Nothing might come from all of this. I could just as easily be ignored overnight. Goddess knows I deserve no less. But at the same time I feel like there's a potential opportunity here for me to make something out of my writing, even if it's to help myself in future writing. If all of that sounds like a bag of dumb excuses, then please feel free to brow-beat me in the comments. I apologize for anyone I may have offended. Just know that I've been around long enough to see this sort of pattern: where people get famous in a fandom, then they reinforce themselves for the coming Ragnarok, and eventually they're able to survive on renown alone once the digital world goes underwater... even if that renown is blatant infamy. F'naaa. Moving right along.
-several readers have shown worry that incorporating monetary donations related to fanfiction will potentially suck the momentum out of my "hobby" by turning it into a "job"
This is a very valid concern, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it myself on occasion. Still, every time I've thought about the fact that I'm finally... finally getting my lazy, pessimistic butt in motion over this Patreon business, I feel a little jolt to the heart. A positive jolt. Fact is, if I can actually get moniez AND write horse words at the same time, then I'm pretty darn sure I'm going to be a happier lemur. And I find that the happier I am, the more manic horse words come out, and... y'know... production. Production's good... r-right? Anyways, I'm more enthused than frightened about the prospect. I hope others can share the sentiment.
-other readers express concern that writing a specific number of "reward mini-fics" might "burn me out" and detract from the usual production of Skirtsian horsewords
Now this right here... kinda worried me more than just a little bit. When I wrote the previous blargh, I had every reason to believe that I could tackle around 10 mini-fics a month. I still believe it. As a matter of fact, I can do that... more than that. And with money as an incentive, hooooooo boyo, would you be seeing a lot of stuff pouring out onto SS&E's wordflanks.
But then people in and out of blargh and PM started rambling about this unsexy thing called "burn-out." And, y'know, I burn out a lot in this life. Anyone who's seen me pretend to boast about "future fic ideas" and "SS&E Itineraries" can attest to having witnessed a veritable tsunami of repetitive failure in all things Skirtsian. And although I can circumnavigate this problem, there's no telling what kind of an impact it might have on the quality of stuff I produce. Also, people's comments got me to fearing the possibility that I might get so wrapped up in the Lemurific Box that most of my main SS&E stuff might go by the wayside. And what's the point in donating to a mofo if he never produces original content?
So, I've found myself at an impasse. For one, I want to keep writing stuff as voluminously as I always have, if not more so. For another, I want to be able to reward an affordable fraction of the contributors with a stable quantity of words proportionate to a set value. Is it possible to do both? It may very well be, but I just don't quite know what I'm capable of yet. I've had friends and fellow lemurs tell me to consider "doing raffles" on Patreon, but I... don't really like the idea of raffles. It seems like giving a bunch of people the shaft for contributing just as much as a few others invested in the same artist. I suppose a first-come-first-serve program isn't any more "fair," but f'naaa.
Long story short, I feel like I need to... start out slow and find my ground. Pace myself. See what I'm capable of. So, until such an event where I'm potentially shot down for my stupidity, the current plan is to set a limit of five mini-fic requests of 2000 words per month at the value of $10 minimal payment. In other words, the first ten Patrons who donate $10 or more will have first dibs on one of five slots for getting a custom mini-fic written for them. This might seem like a very elite number, but I'm not even sure yet how many people--if any--will be willing to toss bits in my direction. So, my apologies: I apologize to those who may likely miss out on an opportunity to get a fic request this month, and I apologize to anyone offended by the audacity that even five individuals might be willing to spend that much. I'm hoping that if I find this more than doable, then in the coming months I shall increase the limit and lower the price, so that more will get opportunities to make requests and I can make as many people happy as possible.
In the meantime, expect more horse words from me in general. I've got some serious ideas, some dumb ideas, and a whole lot of time on my tentacles. So, now's the moment to make the best of it, dreit?
I'll also start doing the "State of the Lemur" blarghs again. I doubt that I'll be "revealing info" about future fics, considering what most of you said in the comments. But I'll aim for at least two blarghs a month and see where it goes from there.
I figure that I should also give a basic run-down of the Rewards and Mini-Fic parameters here in a way that is totally-not-a-copy-paste from the SS&E Patreon site itself:
Pledge $1 or more per month
Monetary Marsupial
Thank you most kindly. Every cent adds hair to my tongue.
-You'll be listed as a contributor on SS&E's User Page along with a link to your Fimfic Account (Please Message Me With The Permission To Do So)Pledge $5 or more per month
Mega Marsupial
Now you're being super generous. I am stupidly humbled. Feelings of guilt rising.
-You'll be listed as a contributor on SS&E's User Page along with a link to your Fimfic Account (Please Message Me With The Permission To Do So)
-You'll receive a shout-out on my monthly "State of the Lemur" blog, along with any details about yourself/your account that you'd like to have shared (Again, Please Message Me With Permission And Details)Pledge $10 or more per month
Monolithic Marsupial
(Limit of 5 Rewards As of 03/01/2016)
Whoops. The Element of Generosity has been taken to the woodshed. Guess I'd Better Start Earning This Stuff.
-You'll be listed as a contributor on SS&E's User Page along with a link to your Fimfic Account (Please Message Me With The Permission To Do So)
-You'll receive a shout-out on my monthly "State of the Lemur" blog, along with any details about yourself/your account that you'd like to have shared (Again, Please Message Me With Permission And Details)
-The First Five $10 Contributors Each Month will get to commission a 2000 word (minimum) mini-fic that will be uploaded onto SS&E's Lemurific Box of Pretense and Prose. The rules and parameters of these mini-fic requests will be discussed here in Patreon and in my Fimfic blogs (Currently, the monthly limit is at five while I get used to providing these. Will likely increase the reward amount in the future)
And here we have a run-down of the Mini-Fic guidelines for those who qualify for the $10 Contributor Reward:
As of 03/01/2016, I am limiting myself to offering five (5) minific commission to $10 or higher contributors. I will likely increase this amount in the future.
What I'm offering to write here is a *minific* which is basically a *single scene* as opposed to an entire fanfic. Expect to receive a minimum of 2000 words. It may not be much more than that. So if you receive 5000 words for your request, then awesome(!), but 2000 is the minimum guaranteed for the $10 contribution. So expect, at best, about 3 - 4 pages of horse words.
Here are the guidelines for the request:
-Must be My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or Equestria Girls related.
-Must be something reasonably feasible within 2000 words (nothing epic or full-length, marsupials)
-Must be willing to have the story seen and read on Fimfiction.net before the viewing public (specifically "SS&E's Lemurific Box of Pretense and Prose")
-Must be Rated E or T
-CanNOT be Rated M
-Must NOT involve sexual content or gratuitously violent torture pr0n (I'm not writing clop or snuff, people)
-May NOT be a recreation/reinterpretation/revisitation of previous SS&E fics (no "continuing EoP" or "rewriting Background Pony")
-It CAN include OCs, but I'll need details to make it happen (we'll see how far this goes)If you are one of the $10 Reward Recipients:
-Message me in either Patreon or on Fimfic with the request
-We can discuss further details from there if need be
-The story will go up on "SS&E's Lemurific Box" once it's completed (by month's end)
-I will then PM the reader through Patreon or Fimfic to announce the upload
Sorry for the super long, super boring blargh. Necessary info is necessary, considering the step I'm now taking. Since I'm new to this and an all-around-idiot, please--by all means--correct me or make suggestions if you feel like I'm doing something the wrong way or stand to improve on the process on a whole. This is the first month... the first month of what? Perhaps nothing, but for those who are so gracious to participate, I wanna make it worth your while somehow, glorified donations button or not.
Thank you so very kindly for your attention. Here's to more kaizo blarghs and sapphiric horsewords... f'naaa... here comes the vomit
-SS&E
Edit:
I knew I would mess something up sooner than later.
It's been brought to my attention that I messed up the $10 Mini-Fic request thingy... kinda sorta.
I was under the assumption that I could somehow reset the rewards every month, so that way different people would have separate shots at the mini-fic request for their $10+ contributions. Turns out, since Patreon is duh a monthly subscription service, that means the 5 slotted requests are locked-in so that they're supposed to be guaranteed every month.
Whoops.
I'm going to have to do a lot of communication on my end. The ideal is for there to be equal and separate opportunities, first-come-first-serve, for the minifics every month. But if I keep it as things are, then the slots won't open up for other contributors.
Of course I'm going to reward the initial 5 slotted contributors with their fic requests. But I need to find a way to re-distribute in April. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to manually control it and update here on Fimfic with the results. Again, my stupidity is to blame. I knew something would go wrong.
I'll likely make a new blog about this soon, so that everyone will be properly informed. Sorry for the bumpy ride, people. And thank you so much already for the input and contributions. It's... a bit more than I expected.
-SS&E
GodfuckingdamnitifIhadthemoneyIwouldtotallycontribute.
~Skeeter The Lurker
In all seriousness, what you have set for now is quite doable, and surprisingly modest.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Ten bucks to guess who your first Patron is.
Oh, look at that, you win.
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Thank you for succinctly expressing my opinion of just about every Fimfiction Patreon account.
3785042
Heh, welcome.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Woo!
Okay. I respect your decision.
I remain hopeful.
But yeah, in the end, I think it's clear that this is a fine decision to make, even regardless of how your output does or doesn't change.
You know. When you overdo the self-deprecating humor and force the humility over and over again, it starts to ring hollow. No opinion about the rest of this, but that started grating on me while reading this to the point of annoyance.
Just remember to be wary of that stupid trick where jerks pledge for a patreon and then pull it just before the payment would actually go through, then pledge again.
Jim Sterling for example, does NOT make what his page says he does.
Subbed. At $54 in less than an hour. Can't wait to see what it is tomorrow.
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I knew I would mess something up somehow. Refresh the above blargh in the next few minutes for a pertinent edit
3785188
Oh is that all?
Just assign a number to each person who contributes at that level, then use a RNG or dice roller site to figure out who the lucky people are for the month.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3785240
Oye. Raffle.
X_X
Perhaps it is the best course of action.
3785245
Welcome, mate.
~Skeeter The Lurker
>Looks through feed.
>Sees blog.
>Clicks icon.
cdn.makeagif.com/media/10-01-2015/bIaxS2.gif
"What the.. I didn't get to finish reading the blooooooooooog..."
I'll try supporting you when I have money.^^
3785245 I would actually warn you away from this, as it is against the rules and they've been cracking down hard on it.
Good luck in any case!
3785375
Thank you. I'll have to reconsider my options.
Whelp, I said if you'd do it, I'd jump at the first chance I got.
orig06.deviantart.net/396d/f/2014/025/3/e/pinkiepie___jumping_animation_by_skunkdj-d73n0fj.gif
Oh, and I'll sign up too.
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3785526 Shoot, I knew skipping half of the blog would bite me back.
Well, Skirts, it is about time. I think it is great you are finally getting this thing up and best of luck with doing it. There are issues with doing this, yes, but you have acknowledged them. So, I think you should be fine as long as you just keep doing what you are doing. I believe you will be fine, and you always have your readers in your corner if anything ever changes.
God Bless!
"Greetings,
I am mostly carbon and water. But you're not here about that."
I laughed SO hard.
Enjoy your Dr. Pepper!
Contributed! Boop boop!
You could choose 5 random people from the existing $10 contributors that haven't already gotten a fic.You can throw the list of names in here:https://www.random.org/lists/- then click 'Randomize' and poof! You can take the top 5 on the newly randomized list and go with those.In order to keep it open for everyone each month to have the opportunity, the first-come-first-serve isn't really going to work. If you find a clever way to make it work, though, by all means, go ahead and do it.Looks like not only has it been suggested, but it's against Patreon rules... Huh.
I'll see if I can come up with somethin'. But for now, I'm rootin' for ya.
EDIT:
So, does that mean you can't edit the number of open slots in that tier? If you can, then just add 5 to the number of open slots each month. Then when the next set of $10 payments goes through, award the 5 new payments that actually when through with a fic.
But if you can't, then I still got nothin'.
I contributed. Didn't choose a reward tier because I just want you to keep doing what you're doing. There's no sensible way to do one time payments with one time rewards. I think the best way for you to do what you want to do would be to remove the reward patron limit but make it a queue system - you'll do so many per month, in the order that people subscribe. Maybe raise the limit periodically rather than removing it so the max wait time is a month or something, and lower it if people unsubscribe. Requires micromanagement though.
Wow, less than half a day since this blog and you already are earning the equivalent to the monthly minimum wage in my country.
I may contribute in the future, once I get a way to turn my paper and metal money into digital money.
Here's hoping you don't find out that most of the well-wishers on your previous blog were just hopeful thinkers instead of actual money-havers. :B
As soon as I awaken, I'll have a look!
Regardless, you know my feelings. Good luck on your launch!
No finish to EoP, no Pledge.
#35! Whoo!
So what, you can't change the rewards once they are up? Is that forever, or just on a monthly basis?
Oh well, tossed in an odd number over X for you to use.
KEEP ALL RECEIPTS! This is probably going to make yearly taxes a tad more obnoxious.
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Which is normal! The economy is really crappy, not a lot of us have jobs, and it's taking all we've got for bills and food. I'm glad Skirts isn't one of those artists who gets contemptuous of people who can't give them money but likes what they do. Too many artists these days believe they're entitled to having their willingly-unemployed lifestyle paid for by people who have it as rough or (several times) worse than them, and get really nasty about it. That Skirts isn't one of these makes me glad he's still one of my favorite authors in the community.