"We messed up." Those were the first words I read from <a href="http://ift.tt/2iZSBRa; target="_blank">Patreon's blog post</a> where they announced that they will NOT be rolling out the previously mentioned fees. As miffed as I was (along with many other creators and patrons) at the apparent disregard for how the change would affect patrons, I'm willing to believe they actually had good intentions, and that they are being sincere now. Here's hoping this can be a positive step forward. Let's be honest: Patreon has really provided an outstanding service for many creators who otherwise may not have a feasible way to support themselves doing what they love. And it's refreshing to see evidence that a company is willing to listen to feedback, own their mistakes, and try to make things right. They still have some issues to work out, but I'm cautiously optimistic they will do a better job moving forward at consulting their users about any changes.
So, for those who read my previous post about a possible funding alternative, I'm going to put those plans on hold for the time being and stick with Patreon. But it's nice to know we have a possible Plan B should we need it. If you still feel strongly about wanting to move away from Patreon but would still like to support Aww, Feathers! and receive access to patron-exclusive content, please let me know and we'll work something out. In the meantime, while I'll be sticking with Patreon, I still may be incorporating some of the changes I had mentioned before.
Rest assured, I will involve you, my awesome supporters and Awwthusiasts, in each decision along the way. ;-)
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Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
News » Possible Patreon alternative
You may have heard about upcoming changes to Patreon's fee structure. If you haven't, I speak on it briefly <a href="http://ift.tt/2BijF99;. A lot of people--creators and patrons alike--are unhappy with the proposed changes. I don't really like them either. I've reached out to Patreon with my feedback, and I encourage everyone else to do the same. (But be respectful!)
I don't want to dwell too much on the negative though. Instead I've been investigating alternatives, and one idea in particular seems promising. But I want to hear your input. I invite you to pick this idea apart, tell me what you like and what you don't like. Whether you are a current or past supporter on Patreon, or even if you've never pledged on Patreon, I want your feedback!
My idea is to create The Aww, Feathers! Sketchbook Club on Gumroad! Like patreon, this would be a subscription service, through which you would receive access to exclusive Aww, Feathers! themed artwork!
How would I join?
The subscription would be through gumroad, which is the site I currently use for the <a href="http://ift.tt/2iWgZDp;Aww, Feathers! Store</a>.
What would I get for joining?
Those who join would receive access to an exclusive online sketchbook where I'll be posting refined sketches; at least one per week. If you're already familiar with the sketches I've been posting on Patreon, these will be better quality. More deliberate, refined, and possibly cleaned up and inked. They may be sketches of characters from Aww, Feathers! or something different just for practice.
Everyone who subscribes would also be given access to the discord channel where I post early drafts of comic pages.
How much would it cost?
I haven't nailed down all the pricing details yet, but I think I have a basic idea. The base price would be $2 per month. However, there is also the option to pay every 3, 6, or 12 months, and discounts would be available to those who choose to subscribe for longer durations at a time. (I'm considering a discount of up to 50% for those who subscribe for a year; that would be only $1 per month!)
Gumroad provides the option to let customers pay more than the base price. Those who pay certain amounts above the base price would unlock extra perks.
Oooh, what kind of perks?
Those who pay extra would be able to submit suggestions/requests that would be drawn from on a regular basis. They can even include sketches of your own characters if you wish. Those who pay a bit more may pick one of the sketches to be sent the original physical copy. And there may be other "tiered" rewards as well.
What are the benefits to using Gumroad over Patreon?
The most immediate benefit is that, unlike Patreon's recently announced fee changes, customers are not charged a processing fee on top of the posted price. In addition, as mentioned before, Gumroad has flexible pricing options, including the option to pay once every 3, 6, or 12 months instead of every month, which allows me to pass on some savings to you. Finally, using Gumroad provides an opportunity to have the sketchbook club subscription and other items for sale in the same location.
Are there any drawbacks?
The biggest drawback I can see is missing out on the community and discussions that Patreon provided. I hope to mitigate that by encouraging greater participation in our discord server.
In addition, because Gumroad charges a processing fee for each payment instead of grouping multiple payments together (like Patreon's old model), I would need to charge a bit more to stay profitable. I will, however, offer discounts to those who choose to pledge for multiple months instead of just one month at a time.
Finally, Gumroad's system for choosing different "tiers," or levels, isn't currently as robust as Patreon's. If you ever want to change your funding level, you will need to cancel your current subscription, and then resubscribe with a different amount. Also, to choose a certain reward tier, you will need to just make sure you enter the correct amount when checking out. To help with that, I'll make sure the necessary prices are clearly posted.
So then...
I want to hear from you. Would you be interested in trying out something like this? What questions or suggestions do you have? Feel free to leave a comment, or email me at awwfeathers@gmail.com with your feedback. I want to work together to come up with a solution that can help support Aww, Feathers! financially while also benefiting those who choose to support it!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2BhQ8wa
via IFTTT
I don't want to dwell too much on the negative though. Instead I've been investigating alternatives, and one idea in particular seems promising. But I want to hear your input. I invite you to pick this idea apart, tell me what you like and what you don't like. Whether you are a current or past supporter on Patreon, or even if you've never pledged on Patreon, I want your feedback!
My idea is to create The Aww, Feathers! Sketchbook Club on Gumroad! Like patreon, this would be a subscription service, through which you would receive access to exclusive Aww, Feathers! themed artwork!
How would I join?
The subscription would be through gumroad, which is the site I currently use for the <a href="http://ift.tt/2iWgZDp;Aww, Feathers! Store</a>.
What would I get for joining?
Those who join would receive access to an exclusive online sketchbook where I'll be posting refined sketches; at least one per week. If you're already familiar with the sketches I've been posting on Patreon, these will be better quality. More deliberate, refined, and possibly cleaned up and inked. They may be sketches of characters from Aww, Feathers! or something different just for practice.
Everyone who subscribes would also be given access to the discord channel where I post early drafts of comic pages.
How much would it cost?
I haven't nailed down all the pricing details yet, but I think I have a basic idea. The base price would be $2 per month. However, there is also the option to pay every 3, 6, or 12 months, and discounts would be available to those who choose to subscribe for longer durations at a time. (I'm considering a discount of up to 50% for those who subscribe for a year; that would be only $1 per month!)
Gumroad provides the option to let customers pay more than the base price. Those who pay certain amounts above the base price would unlock extra perks.
Oooh, what kind of perks?
Those who pay extra would be able to submit suggestions/requests that would be drawn from on a regular basis. They can even include sketches of your own characters if you wish. Those who pay a bit more may pick one of the sketches to be sent the original physical copy. And there may be other "tiered" rewards as well.
What are the benefits to using Gumroad over Patreon?
The most immediate benefit is that, unlike Patreon's recently announced fee changes, customers are not charged a processing fee on top of the posted price. In addition, as mentioned before, Gumroad has flexible pricing options, including the option to pay once every 3, 6, or 12 months instead of every month, which allows me to pass on some savings to you. Finally, using Gumroad provides an opportunity to have the sketchbook club subscription and other items for sale in the same location.
Are there any drawbacks?
The biggest drawback I can see is missing out on the community and discussions that Patreon provided. I hope to mitigate that by encouraging greater participation in our discord server.
In addition, because Gumroad charges a processing fee for each payment instead of grouping multiple payments together (like Patreon's old model), I would need to charge a bit more to stay profitable. I will, however, offer discounts to those who choose to pledge for multiple months instead of just one month at a time.
Finally, Gumroad's system for choosing different "tiers," or levels, isn't currently as robust as Patreon's. If you ever want to change your funding level, you will need to cancel your current subscription, and then resubscribe with a different amount. Also, to choose a certain reward tier, you will need to just make sure you enter the correct amount when checking out. To help with that, I'll make sure the necessary prices are clearly posted.
So then...
I want to hear from you. Would you be interested in trying out something like this? What questions or suggestions do you have? Feel free to leave a comment, or email me at awwfeathers@gmail.com with your feedback. I want to work together to come up with a solution that can help support Aww, Feathers! financially while also benefiting those who choose to support it!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2BhQ8wa
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Friday, December 8, 2017
News » Aww, Music!
<p class="centeredImage">
<a href="http://ift.tt/2AFCMt4; target="_blank"><img src="http://ift.tt/2jyjBbo;
</p>
Okay guys, now this is super cool! A good friend of mine who's a way talented musician and composer came up with the idea of writing theme music for six of the main Aww, Feathers! characters! I offered my feedback on each one as it was being created, but otherwise let him write the music that he felt captured the personality of each character. The results are lots of fun! It makes me think of like, an Aww, Feathers! themed video game with the respective theme music playing in the background of each stage that was based on a particular character... Holy carp, that sounds pretty awesome! Sigh...
Ahem. Anyways, you can listen to the entire album on <a href="http://ift.tt/2AFCMt4; target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> right now! If you enjoy it, consider purchasing it for a very modest price (though you can pay more if you choose!) and I'll also get a percentage. So by buying the album, you'll be supporting both this comic and his awesome music!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2AFCN06
via IFTTT
<a href="http://ift.tt/2AFCMt4; target="_blank"><img src="http://ift.tt/2jyjBbo;
</p>
Okay guys, now this is super cool! A good friend of mine who's a way talented musician and composer came up with the idea of writing theme music for six of the main Aww, Feathers! characters! I offered my feedback on each one as it was being created, but otherwise let him write the music that he felt captured the personality of each character. The results are lots of fun! It makes me think of like, an Aww, Feathers! themed video game with the respective theme music playing in the background of each stage that was based on a particular character... Holy carp, that sounds pretty awesome! Sigh...
Ahem. Anyways, you can listen to the entire album on <a href="http://ift.tt/2AFCMt4; target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> right now! If you enjoy it, consider purchasing it for a very modest price (though you can pay more if you choose!) and I'll also get a percentage. So by buying the album, you'll be supporting both this comic and his awesome music!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2AFCN06
via IFTTT
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
News » Iz ma BIRDTHDAY!!
Today I turn 30 years old! Holy carp!! Three decades! The big three-oh! *loud unintelligible squawking* Ahem...
I may make a longer post later full of sappy nostalgic reminiscence, but for now I'm off to celebrate! In the meantime, you can celebrate too by taking 30% off any item in the <a href="http://ift.tt/2AXRyvO, Feathers! store</a> by using the offer code BIRDTHDAY at checkout!
Have a good one! Talk to you all again soon!
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I may make a longer post later full of sappy nostalgic reminiscence, but for now I'm off to celebrate! In the meantime, you can celebrate too by taking 30% off any item in the <a href="http://ift.tt/2AXRyvO, Feathers! store</a> by using the offer code BIRDTHDAY at checkout!
Have a good one! Talk to you all again soon!
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via IFTTT
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Friday, December 1, 2017
News » A Christmas Gift for You!
<p class="centeredImage">
<a href="http://ift.tt/1PlHppA src="http://ift.tt/2BB7Nw7;
</p>
Ine and Kraal egg-buddies! <3 Of course, they never knew each other at that age, but they probably didn't know how to sing at that age either, so don't be picky. ;-)
For the month of December, as a special gift to all my fellow "Awwthusiasts," feel free to download the image above as a digital Christmas Card. You may even copy/paste it into an email or messaging app to send it to a friend if you like! All I ask is you leave the image unaltered, and enjoy!
If you would like a physical copy of this postcard, either for yourself or to send to a friend, pledge $5 on <a href="http://ift.tt/2tMrCNt; any time this month. A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2BB7O39
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<a href="http://ift.tt/1PlHppA src="http://ift.tt/2BB7Nw7;
</p>
Ine and Kraal egg-buddies! <3 Of course, they never knew each other at that age, but they probably didn't know how to sing at that age either, so don't be picky. ;-)
For the month of December, as a special gift to all my fellow "Awwthusiasts," feel free to download the image above as a digital Christmas Card. You may even copy/paste it into an email or messaging app to send it to a friend if you like! All I ask is you leave the image unaltered, and enjoy!
If you would like a physical copy of this postcard, either for yourself or to send to a friend, pledge $5 on <a href="http://ift.tt/2tMrCNt; any time this month. A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
from Aww, Feathers! Updates http://ift.tt/2BB7O39
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