Amanda Palmer was the first person I remember to use crowdfunding to help fund the work that they were passionate about. Starting with Kickstarter, she now is one of the most successful people on Patreon with over 10k patrons.
It was only since I monetised myself on Medium that I started to understand that my work is good enough. I knew that I was a good writer, it is just that I never thought of getting the courage to actually ask for a small amount of money as a token of appreciation.
Being in the arts community I have seen over and over again people want to read your work, as long as they don’t have to pay for it. It doesn’t just have to be writing, it can be stand-up comedy, photography, music or graphic design. It really showed its ugly head in the midst of 2020 when the Morrison Government refused to assist artists in living through these tough times. The government just expected people to stay home and watch shows and the like, without injecting funds back into the community that got them through the pandemic in the first place. At least that is how I and many other artists saw it.
For over 10 years I have published articles online and in magazines – having only been paid for a few of them. I mention this to point out that in the beginning – I was writing not because I wanted money, but because I wanted to write. I wanted a place to share my opinions and thoughts on the world. Although payment would be nice, it wasn’t the be-all-end-all. When I started posting on Medium I became a paid member myself – the articles I read would funnel back a few cents to the writer, so if they can do it why not me as well?
It is only recently that I have adjusted my view on writing again. I am still planning on posting here and on Medium. Most of my articles a cross-posted on both platforms as I am aware it is two different audiences and also people prefer different platforms. There is one change I am putting on both of these sites. On Medium they have added a tipping feature, where if enabled you can tip the writer through a third-party app.
I have recently moved my website over to self-hosting again. One of the plugins I have installed is a Ko-Fi button. Similar to Buy Me A Coffee, it allows you to give a one-off or recurring donation to a creator you enjoy. Though I have set up both, I am primarily going to use Kofi. I have also set up Buy Me A Coffee as a backup if people don’t want to create an account to donate. Both are linked below in the footer.
Once upon a time, I did have Patreon but I am in the process of shutting the page down as I think the other two will suit me better. There is no obligation to commit unless you want to. I may open up memberships but for now, I am happy with the way it is set up now.
I see my work as worthy of asking for a donation if they enjoy it and feel so inclined. I don’t want this to come across as pressure to do it, honestly, just having you read the article is enough. I am just saying this as I have found the confidence to consider myself worthy of at least asking.
Leave a Reply