I made this video to explain why I am on Patreon. It applies to all of your favorite artists, so please check it out and if you follow my work, and want to see lots more of it, please consider pledging whatever amount is comfortable to you. Read below for more on why this model is the way to make the stuff you love thrive.
I am offering anything I have made or ever will make at cost, or for free in digital format to Patreon supporters. Why?
If you think about the money you will spend over a lifetime on your favorite artist, especially if they are ever successful and able to put out lots of great stuff, think about this: most of that money doesn't go to the artist, and for the artist to make it to that point takes a ton of time and work without pay.
That's fine, that's how it is. But with Patreon it can be different. With a livable income from their closest followers, any artist who is self motivated can thrive. When you support an artist in this way, you are not supporting them after the fact and paying all the people who have cashed in on their hard work, you are supporting them directly.
I may not even be the artist you are thinking of when you read this, and that's fine. Go to the artist you ARE thinking of and if they have a Patreon page, support it and share it. Support the artists who are going to keep making stuff no matter how much money they make. These are the people who will be elevated to a new level of output by financial backing. And if they don't, you can always stop pledging.
When I look back on the artists I have loved my whole life, it would have been amazing to have a direct line to them, to see everything they are working on, supporting them directly and being part of their growth. I think it's a great concept and I wish more people would embrace it. I see a lot of great artists on Patreon with very little support. It's a new model that people are not used to. They are used to buying completed books and movies, but to complete a book or a movie you need lots of time, money or both. You can get this from a lucky break from a publisher or film studio, but there are a ton of great artists who may never get there. With Patreon the any artist that is great can make it. You are voting for them with your pledge. It's huge. I thank all my Patreon supporters in my books. They are the kind of support an artist cherishes.
It can't hurt to pledge $2.00 a month and give it a try. Stop if it doesn't seem worth it. But I encourage all fans of webcomics and anyone who puts out steady streams of free content. If this is the stuff you love, this is the way to make it grow.
Ethan