I'm Not Gay But $20 Is $20. · 6:11pm Oct 14th, 2018
So before I step into navigating the murky waters of Patreon and Ko-Fi and etcetera, I figured I'd check in, ask advice, and gauge reaction.
To put it shortly... Like many people I lost everything in Florence. Everything that matters except a backpack if possessions- my clothes, documents- what I can't live without, and my job.
Before you ask, I'm fine... for now. I'm alive at least, and signing to take over someone's lease this week.
I won't have to pay rent there until November. The kicker? Florence put me out of work for two weeks. If I spend nothing until then, I will still fall short.
This struggle has been the last two years or so, consistently falling flat on my face because I've entrusted others and they've fallen through. Questions like where am I going to sleep and how will I eat are stressful, and prevent me from writing.
To this end I've considered sponsored fics which feels kinda skeezy, but whatever. I've talked to work about getting more hours every week but that will take time to implement I don't have. I've also considered commissions. There's a niche recently vacated by Megapone, for decent-quality horseporn for the size enthusiast.
hope you find a solution.
I think you're liable to get much more money from commissions than Patreon and Ko-Fi.
4953114
Hooves crossed.
4953116
Probably. I'm not looking to make money, I just want to break even this month and squeak a little less moving forward.
I hope you get through this.
4953127
Hooves crossed.
Man, if I wasn't struggling myself, I'd donate/ order a commision.
4953129
No worries man. I'd never ask for someone to put themselves out for me and would be pissed if I found out that they had.
4953119
It's just hard to make money as an author on Patreon. You're asking people to donate to something you already do for free, and there isn't much in the way of freebies you can give out unlike other kinds of art.
I hate seeing patron links and the like. ESPECIALLY for writing fanfic since it's an inherently doomed market in my opinion and I hate seeing people relying on that income...
BUT!
in this case I can't tell you no don't do it when you're already working hard and you're screwed. So you have my consent as a random stranger on the internet... not that you need it.
I know some folks have been able to make Patreon work, earning some $100 per chapter they release (this seems like a really aggressive schedule to try and break even, though, so I don't know if I would recommend it).
Ko-Fi might not be a bad option, though. PayPal, too. Alternatively, you could also try a GoFundMe. I recently launched one of those to help with my dog's hospital bills, and while it didn't cover all of them, it still brought in several hundred dollars. I find that people are more likely to donate to something when they can see that their donation has brought about some tangible result, and also when the goal amount seems reachable, but not trivial.
Just my two cents here.
I think commission fics is a good idea if you’re pressed for cash. As long as you have a fan base that cares enough about you to do something like that, you should be fine, though I understand if you would feel bad doing so.
I hope things turn out well