An Open Letter to the Newly Created Artists · 5:42pm Sep 2nd, 2024
To anyone who has recently made a FIMFiction account, reaching out to me to make art based on my stories:
It's not that I don't trust you. Chances are, maybe you are who you say you are that you're an artist that has stumbled on my stories and wanted to make something based on what I've written. If you are one and you want to make something because you simply want to... I say more power to you. You have my blessing if you want to create something because you were inspired by what I've written. Yet, I want to address those who have reached out to me through my PMs, asking to talk to me through Discord, and then asking to send at least $100. This letter is for you.
Here's the thing about me, I will give you all the benefit of the doubt and say maybe you are who you say you are, and your intentions are what you say they are. You have that of me. But the truth is that while I may give you that benefit of the doubt, I am the last person in the world you want as a client.
I’m not exactly wealthy here. The thing with me is that I’m a nonprofit. Always have and always will be. I never had a Patron, never had a GoFundMe, or anything like that. I never ask my readers for a penny for what I do. What I do is simply because I want to. It is against my ethics to ask my readers to send in money. And yes, I don’t have a lot. Besides, I am a college student, do you really think that I have a whole bunch of spending money lying around? As much as I would love to have a story or two be made into comics or anything else, I do not have that option. Most of the art that is on here is either from me, people who have made art for me for free in the past, or the rare times that I had enough to pay someone to do it.
Before you ask about a payment plan. At best - the very best I could afford - is $20 a week. Not a hundred or so upfront. Any more and I would go bankrupt from the already delicate balance of my budget that I have. It doesn't matter how good you say our art is, I can not pay you what I don't have.
And while I do appreciate that you enjoyed my stories, (and by the way, most of you don't specify which story you liked or why you want to make art for me) I’m glad that you enjoyed my work. But for this, I’m afraid I have to decline because simply I do not have enough to pay for whatever it is you’re selling.
I’m sure that you will find someone who should have plenty to spend on their stories. I honestly wish you all the best of luck, but the fact is I’m not one to turn to here.
Signed,
-CrackedInkWell
I'm almost certain they are bots. I've received the same message, word for word (save the name) from three different accounts. One I pressed for detail on what aspect of my story inspired them, and they couldn't say one thing about it. Another I politely declined moving to Discord (citing lack of an account) but encouraged them to keep talking through private messsges... and they ceased to respond.
Bot accounts, don't trust them. Real artists offer both links to their art and publish that they're open to commissions to the related groups on forum threads, not per DMs
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Pretty much sound that way, I got one about a stranger soliciting donation for a 'friend' the account is old so it probably got hacked.
Are these bots still fucking happening?
How are they even benefiting off of this? I can't understand their angle here.
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Especially stupid people will actually send the money. Remember that human stupidity is infinite.