I'm Sorry (Patreon)

I just want to express to you how sorry I am about Patreon's decision to change the fee structure. As a creator using this platform, I fully expect to be the one to carry the processing and usage fees and I fully expect that, when a supporter pledges $1 or $2 or whatever amount, that is the amount they will be charged.

They didn't give us creators but a day's warning before they unleashed this.  Right before Christmas for the added nip of brutality, I suppose.  The announcement was dressed up in "It helps creators. Don't you want to help creators?"' clothing, but I don't know a single creator here who wants this, who finds it helpful, or who thinks it's fair to patrons.  Creators clamored in a half-panic all day Wednesday on social media for a reconsideration but all we got was radio silence. 

Then came the public announcement and the inevitable exodus...

For some of you, it's just a difference of a handful of cents and perhaps not a big deal. For others -if you're supporting a lot of artists at lower tiers- it's more of a hit.  The issue, of course, is that numerous low level pledges make up the backbone of many a support network here!
 
Many patrons have already taken their departure, and that's understandable. If you're on your way out, please know I'm very thankful for your past support and your readership.  To those who intend to stay, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  You make it possible for me to keep doing this comic, and I'll do my best to make it as worthwhile as possible.

Meanwhile I'll be looking for alternative means of doing this that don't punish supporters with tacked on fees.  Drip (Kickstarter's upcoming long term funding platform) looks like it has some potential.

If you have thoughts about how I can make it easier for you to be a patron, please say so. For instance, I'm thinking I'll knock the $2 pledge tier down to $1.50 so that when the fees are added, it remains roughly a $2 charge for access to the patron-exclusive things I post here.

--------------------------------------------

Here's where Patreon attempts to explain the changes, if you haven't read it already. (It's clear they had issues that need to be addressed, though I still think they made the wrong decision about how to do it):
https://blog.patreon.com/updating-patreons-fee-structure