Some appreciation for all you lovely people! (Patreon)
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So lately my Patreon has been blowing up and I'm getting closer and closer to a living wage doing what I love to do-- making comics. You all are so great, and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your interest in my work and your willingness to pay for it.
A good majority of you came here for Persephone, which I started working on right around the time I left my day job. Originally it was just a warm-up doodle that garnered more attention than I was used to on Tumblr. Then I thought more about the story and made a test page for a comic. That was when left my job, and when I was desperate for income this comic is what propelled my Patreon forward.
I thumbnailed the full first chapter and released the pages as I finished them to DeviantArt, then put the full chapter on Tapastic where it would be easier to read. I tried to explain in the author's comments that future chapters would be Patreon-exclusive, but there were still a few people who left comments begging for updates without reading what I had posted.
When I posted the announcement for chapter 2 there was still confusion as to whether or not people could read it for free. I wanted to make sure everyone understood what was going on, so when I posted the announcement for chapter 3 I clearly stated that Persephone was purely a way for me to add value to my $5 Patreon tier, and would only be available for patrons until the book was ready for purchase.
The message seems to have gotten across, but now I am starting to see some rudeness. Most people are very understanding. Some say "I can't afford it now, but maybe someday!" or "Sorry, I'm broke :(" and I get that, I've been there. I'm sure there are lots of younger readers on there who don't have cards and can't pay for things over the internet, but honestly I'm trying to gather an older audience anyway. AND THEN THERE ARE THE MARVELOUS FEW WHO JOIN US HERE!!!!
Today I read a comment that sounded like "Paying for comics? Forget this, then." Like I had insulted them by not giving it to them for free. It's terribly hard to be sympathetic towards this kind of attitude when I already offer two free comics and I'm trying to make a living. All too often I see posts for unpaid art jobs or writers who think $5 a page is proper compensation for an artist. I see other artists complain about how they have dealt with people who expect free labor.
I am so lucky that this is my first time experiencing this sort of thing first hand. I am so lucky that the great GREAT majority of my readers do not fault me for trying to earn money with my work. I am INCREDIBLY lucky that so many of those readers are here right now because they want to be part of the reason I get to keep working on comics.
Eventually I will finish Persephone and the book will go out. Perhaps some of you will be done supporting me and will move on to support others, and that's ok. I plan on having new projects ready when that time comes, and hopefully they will interest you as well. Either way, you are all directly allowing me to make my dreams come true and I just wanted you all to know that.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)