Untitled (Patreon)

I did a short interview for Offline Magazine (offline-mag.com) regarding my decision to try a Patreon campaign. I don't know when the article comes out, and it looks to be an iOS-only thing, so I thought I'd just post the straight interview here for anyone interested. (I tried to format it the best I could... Patreon posts are lacking in any sort of text embellishment) ________________________________________________________________________________ Offline Mag: I get the feeling you've turned to Patreon because CAD is becoming really ambitious (colourist, Ethan and Lucas reboot etc). How essential is Patreon to the success of these projects? Tim: I've certainly reached a place where I'm realizing that if I want to do all of the things I want to do, it may require hiring help. Now, the traditional way to go about this would be to pay out of pocket to fund the project, and simply hope that I can recoup those costs on the back end with some sort of merchandise sales. That's still a completely viable method, but Patreon provides an interesting alternative. Now by offering certain perks like additional/early content to interested readers, I can get a pretty solid snapshot of what sort of monthly capital I'll have to work with for additional projects, and hiring help. It removes a degree of the "can I?" from the equation, and turns it into "I definitely can." And removing roadblocks always helps with motivation. So I wouldn't necessarily say Patreon is "essential" to the success of these projects... if it didn't exist, I imagine I'd go about it a different way. But Patreon certainly is an exciting and streamlined path to success for them. -- Offline Mag: How do you feel the campaign has gone so far? I see you've raised a healthy monthly target. Tim: The campaign is going great so far! I can't express how amazing it is to have these people, in a very direct way, say "Yes, your work has value to me." I still feel like I want to do more for my Patrons. Their support is incredibly helpful, and so I want to repay that generosity by really providing as much value for their pledge as I can. I think that will come with time, as I slowly test the waters and find out how much extra I'm capable of doing in a month. The last thing I want to do is promise something I can't deliver. I also think that as we reach new milestones, I'll be spurred on to find bigger and better perks and bonuses for the patrons/readers as a whole, which I think is just good for everyone. -- Offline Mag: Let's say you were a newbie cartoonist, with no existing fanbase. Do you think a crowdfunding campaign would still be a workable option? Or do you need an existing fanbase to have it succeed? Tim: I'm not sure you need an existing fanbase, but without one you'd have a serious uphill battle. It would be possible, with a knockout proof of concept, but even then, there are a lot of stigmas working against newer comics seeking funding. If I were to pull a statistic out of my ass, I'd say nine out of ten new comics wither and die within a couple of months. A lot of people think to themselves "Hey, my buddy can draw, I can write some jokes, we're going to do a comic!" But the novelty fades. The tough reality of maintaining a project like that sets in, etc. I imagine that would be in the backs of a lot of people's minds looking at a Patreon campaign for an unproven comic/cartoonist. "Sure I can pledge, but how do I know they'll stick with it?" -- Offline Mag: I have this theory that crowdfunding is really visual - that the campaigns that do well often have a really strong visual element (photos, videos, comics etc.). I don't think it works without this. What's your take? Tim: I definitely think that theory has merit. I started mine without any of that stuff. I set it up at like 2 in the morning, and it was like "You should really record a video!". I said to myself "I'm too tired, I'll do it later, let's see if this even turns into anything first." But I agree that visuals have an important impact. I know for certain that I haven't hooked some people yet, because being told what they'll get for pledging isn't enough. They need to see it to really get excited for it. After I've turned in a month of Patron perks, the additional wallpaper, the custom comics, etc, I plan to revisit my campaign page and use those actual elements to demonstrate, in a concrete visual way, what sort of things to expect. Same thing with the video. Once I have some proof of what the funds can accomplish (hiring a colorist to do issues of The Starcaster Chronicles and the Ethan/Lucas reboot, and then giving high-res PDF copies of those issues to patrons), I'll be able to record a short video expounding the merits of becoming a Patron. I chose to coast strictly on my banked goodwill in order to get my campaign started, but I know that when I'm looking for projects to back, the more media offered, the better.