I at long last decided to start-up my own Patreon page for Clattertron. I wanted to do so for a long time now, but I finally jumped in head first over the weekend.
Now, fans and readers can directly support my comic strips via Patreon (along with the traditional methods like buying merch and books).
It really is easy. Super easy!
What is Patreon, anyway?
Patreon is a way for fans to support creators, directly. There are different ways to set up a Patreon, but mine follows the monthly model: you pledge a certain amount of money each month, and in return I give you something.
Think of it like a Kickstarter you back each month, or paying for a subscription, or pledging money to public radio/TV.
A fan sets up a Patreon account and backs Clattertron for a certain amount. Patreon takes a percentage, and I get the rest. You know your money is going to me, which helps me cover my costs of making comics.
Many other comic makers, and artists, I follow online use Patreon, so I decided to give it a try.
Why did I start a Patreon page?
A few reasons.
First, I like the idea of readers being able to support my comics without necessarily having to buy “stuff.” Nothing against buying stuff, but I know from my experience, there are times I want to support artists, but don’t always want another t-shirt, and I can’t always make it to their appearances.
Second, Etsy didn’t work out for me (one sale in over a year). I might try another route for selling original art online, but I think my Etsy experiment is over. I needed another way to try to support my comic making. (Don’t worry, my Society6 shop isn’t going anywhere.)
Third, I cannot rely on website ads. Between ad blockers and readers getting content via other channels (Facebook, email, me yelling on corners), website ads just aren’t what they were in the past (sad, but true). Affiliate links still do better for me than banner ads, but even those only work so well (and again, need a reader to buy something).
Lastly, Patreon makes it easy for fans to support my comics regardless of where they read them: I’ll have links to my Patreon page when I share my comics on social media. If someone only reads my comics on Instagram or Tumblr (where I don’t have ads or affiliate links), Patreon allows them to chip in.
Will this change anything on clattertron.com?
Nope. Everything will remain as is here, and with all of my social media channels.
What are my Patreon Reward Levels?
Setting up my Patreon page was simple enough. Deciding what to offer for rewards was the real challenge.
After researching what other artists do, I decided to keep things pretty simple.
$1 per month Reward Level
- A warm glow knowing you are helping me make comics.
- Full access to patron blog posts, including pictures/drawings I won’t post anywhere else.
- Happy thoughts from my cats Nigel and Rags.
$3 per month Reward Level
- A warmer glow knowing you are helping me make comics.
- Full access to patron blog posts, including pictures/drawings I won’t post anywhere else.
- Early access to the latest Clattertron comics, even before they go up on clattertron.com and my social media channels.
$5 per month Reward Level
- A warmer glow knowing you are helping me make comics.
- Full access to the feed posts, including pictures/drawings I won’t post anywhere else.
- Early access to the latest Clattertron comics, even before they go up on clattertron.com.
- Each month I will email you a high-res digital file of one of my comic strips of your choice.
$10 per month Reward Level
- A hot glow in your heart knowing you are helping me make comics.
- Full access to the feed posts, including pictures/drawings I won’t post anywhere else.
- Early access to the latest Clattertron comics, even before they go up on clattertron.com.
- Each month I will email you a high-res digital file of one of my comic strips of your choice.
- Clattertron Mail Pals Club – Level 1: A hand-written letter each month from me (after your payment), along with an inked sketch on the same page. Choose one character/thing for the sketch. Stumped for a sketch idea? Tell me you want a Random Cartoon. The style of the letter will either be Positive, Sardonic, or Cryptic.
$20 per month Reward Level
- A golden, hot glow fills your body knowing you are helping me make comics.
- Full access to the feed posts, including pictures/drawings I won’t post anywhere else.
- Early access to the latest Clattertron comics, even before they go up on clattertron.com.
- Each month I will email you a high-res digital file of one of my comic strips of your choice.
- Clattertron Mail Pals Club – Level 2: A hand-painted watercolor cartoon postcard each month from me (after your payment), along with a handwritten message on the back. Choose one character/thing for the cartoon. Don’t know what you want me to paint? Tell me you want a Random Cartoon. The style of the postcard message will either be Positive, Sardonic, or Cryptic.
Pretty simple, I think.
I’ve had the idea for a monthly letter/postcard option for a long time now, and I decided to finally give it a shot. The $10 and $20 slots are limited at four and two, respectively, for now. I could add more in the future, but I don’t want to offer too much at the start and burn out. I can handle four letters/sketches and two watercolor postcards a month, for sure.
I am excited to see how my experience with Patreon goes. Please consider supporting Clattertron (and me) today.
