Possible Patreon Changes - A Poll! (Patreon)

Warning - This post is long. If you don't care about the 'whys' you can skip down to the later half of the post, after the dividing line.

Alright minions, err patrons! Yes, Patrons! Wonderful people who support my being able to spend time writing fanfiction with various levels of awesomeness, crack, horny energy, and complete disregard for anything resembling canon!

I've mentioned a couple of times now that I've been seriously considering making the jump to writing full time. Up until now, this Patreon Page has essentially been a side-gig for me. I was one I needed, in order to pay the bills, and originally replaced another side-gig that was miserable and I hated from my eyebrows to my toes.

As it happens, however, I'm kinda...really burned out on the game development stuff that I was doing as my other work. I just finished up a years-long project (an Adult Visual Novel called Left Hand Magic) and am seriously considering shifting gears to full time writing. However, as one might expect, doing so would result in me needing to significantly increase income from this Patreon. Which means changing the pricing around a bit...but also significantly increasing content output to compensate you all for that fact.

I'm flat out not willing to do that without explaining the pros and cons, then consulting with all of you on if you want me to go for it or not. Everyone here has been amazing, I like writing for you, and I'm not interested in driving away my existing Patrons just on the chance I can make more money :-).

So! What would this entail? Well, there are actually two options I'm considering. So let me lay out the possibilities for you. First, though, a quick review of my current output level and release pattern. Many of you likely only follow some stories, or follow enough creators that you don't keep track of exactly how I currently work. So, quick review! Right now, this is what my release schedule and volume looks like:

I release 3 stories a month, split into 4 total releases (1 per week). With a rough goal of 45,000 words per month. A goal I've consistently hit since day 1.

Each story released during any given month is a set of chapters totaling roughly 15,000 words. With it sometimes being a bit less, and sometimes a bit more. Typically only a few hundred words in either direction.

One Piece: Halfway Broken gets releases on the 1st and 15th, with a combined total of 15,000 words on average.

Can One Displaced Hero Save the Galaxy? gets a release on the 22nd, totaling 15,000 words on average.

A third story voted for by You The Patrons is updated on the 8th of the month, again with around 15,000 words worth of content.

Currently, I spend between 10-15 hours a week writing all of this.

Now, what are the possible changes?

Option 1 - Increase Hours

With this option I tilt the amount of time I spend on writing versus other projects a bit, increasing from my current 10-15 hours per week to 20-25 hours per week. With this, I am confident I can add an additional 15,000 words per month. Most likely, this would take the form of updating one additional story monthly, shifting things so that there is one updated story per week (instead of Halfway Broken being split into two releases). As time allows, I would also try to add extras, but there is no certainty of those. Adding an additional story per month soaks up more time than you'd think, as I actually do spend a fairly major amount of time on the 'Research' phase for each story.

The pros of this option are:

An increase from 45,000 words per month to 60,000 words. Most likely taking the form of a fourth monthly story.

Significantly increased odds of monthly 'extras.' Small updates to other stories, teaser chapters for new possible stories, or art for the stories being the most likely. (Yes, I can actually draw).

The cons of this option would be the following changes to the Patreon Tiers:

The base tier that grants access to all new story releases would jump from the current absolute allowed minimum set my Patreon of $1 per month, to a shockingly still very low $2 per month.

The Minimum Voting Tier, currently set at $3, would change to $4.

No other changes.

Option 2 - Go Truly Full Time

With this option, I outright stop other projects and work, and genuinely put my usual 40-50 weeks in writing, writing, writing! With the increased time and the lack of distraction from jumping between projects, I'm confident I can outright double my current output. Meaning going from 45,000 words per month, to 90,000 words per month. Plus, on top of that, releasing at least one 'extra' per month. Be that a side story, extra lemon content that doesn't make it into the main stories, omakes, teasers for possible new stories, or just an extra-long update of one story or another.

How, exactly, the newly increased amount of content would be divided would be subject to another poll after this one. I could just flat out add a fifth story every month. Alternatively, however, I could also do more frequent updates of stories, rearranging things so that popular stories like Displaced Hero get multiple monthly updates. In example, I could stick to the current three stories a month, but release twice the content for them. Again, this would be something I seek more feedback on in at least one additional poll.

The pros of this option are:

A major increase in 'main content' quantity. A literal doubling of how much new story content I put out every single month.

At least one guaranteed 'Extra' every month. Be that a side story, omakes, extra lemons, art, an extra story getting a small update, teaser chapters of new ideas, etc. Possibly more than one, and generally at least 5,000 words of whatever it is.

The cons of this option would be the following changes to the Patreon Tiers:

The base tier that grants access to all new story releases would jump from the current absolute allowed minimum of $1 per month, to $3 per month. This is a fairly big jump, but its honestly still on the low end for fanfic Patreons, so I wouldn't hate myself for charging it.

The Minimum Voting Tier, currently set at $3, would change to $5.

The current $5 tier would be done away with. So there would be $5, $10, and $20 voter donation tiers. The same vote weighing would apply as always (1 vote per $1 of Patronage)

No other changes.

Option 3 - Don't Change

Yes, this is an option. An important one. I'm not going to try and sell you something you don't want. So if you'd prefer I stay part time and leave the Patreon tier prices as they are, this is where you stick your vote. Please, if an increase in the price of the Patreon would make you leave? Even with the good stuff? Than put your vote here. I kinda need to know if I'd be losing a bunch of people!

That's it folks! This poll will stay open through the 30th, with the winning changes (or lack thereof) being executed starting next month.

Edit: Okay, you guys are almost too nice :-p. A lot of people in the comments worried about writing burnout. So I'm editing this to include a couple of details I left out. First, I was actually doing another 15-20,000 words of writing every month routinely for the Game Development side of things, on top of a ton of 3D art and programming. So the jump isn't actually as big as you think it is compared to how much writing I was already doing monthly. Second, I actually tested my full-time output level in the first half of May, its why you all got an extra story this month :-p. The 90,000 word estimate is actually a low estimate based on that test, in order to account for me possibly needing breaks specifically to avoid the burnout issue ;-).

Edit 2: Another quick clarification. I was working for myself on the games development side of things too, via another Patreon. So I'm not quitting a job or anything like that to make this all work ;-). Seriously, you all are amazingly concerned for me! Thanks for caring! It isn't super drastic or dramatic, though. This is more about how I allocate my time, as I'm working entirely for myself either way!