The Nature of Patreon
Added 2024-07-28 15:05:25 +0000 UTCSo I had a Patron actually ask me yesterday, if I planned to start releasing more chapters once the backlog is big enough, because there's no point to having a backlog of more than 30, it's not anymore enticing at all and the advertising improvement of releasing 3 chapters a week publicly would be very beneficial.
And I was like "I'd love to switch to releasing 3 publics a week, but that'd be a real spit in the face to Patrons. Respecting them is important to me."
And he was like "I don't think so."
So here's a question, is the patreon getting more ahead actually that important? Or would it just being several months ahead eternally be enough?
Because I know for a fact, from a marketing perspective, that it being 30 chapters (10 weeks at 3 chapters ahead) and 50 chapters, isn't different.
Either way, the amount of content being released wouldn't change, just when the public gets it.
Comments
Good thing then! Although all people are different I am probably a bit extreme this way. I have contributed to authors before which don't give any bonus because I wanted to support them. A few bonus chapters ahead is usually a nice incentive though. I do think more than 10 is unnecessary. More than 20 seems a bit ridiculous. Usually that is for when the release to the public is in novel format and patreons are often extra beta readers.
Damon Fitzgerald
2024-07-28 16:07:20 +0000 UTCI'm really happy I did this poll, very surprised by these reactions. Thank you.
Christopher Cummins
2024-07-28 15:47:03 +0000 UTCI think you have probably got a bit too far ahead. Personally I don't care too much. 2 weeks is enough of a gap for me which is only 6 chapters! Maybe do 10 chapters ahead? Honestly the rate of content is usually more important I think. I have had creators who I have dropped because they only released once a month for all their stories but were charging a huge amount to be a few chapters ahead. At the end of the day we are mainly contributing so you can write more. Reading a bit ahead is a bonus. You have been writing quite a bit so I am more than happy with the you closing the gap with public quite a bit.
Damon Fitzgerald
2024-07-28 15:44:40 +0000 UTCIt's really awkward, yeah. People will comment on decisions I made 2 months ago and I'm like "I don't even really know why I made that decision anymore, dude, what do you want me to say?"
Christopher Cummins
2024-07-28 15:22:01 +0000 UTCA month feels about/in line with what most others do. I have sometimes thought that it seems a bit weird patreon are always at the same flow rate as public instead of like, a bonus chapter every two weeks, but then the patreon gets too far ahead and I agree hard to maintain cohesion
The Human
2024-07-28 15:20:32 +0000 UTCI could possibly do 26 instead of 30. That'd be 2 sets of 4.33, which is 2 months average. Yeah I might do that. Poll has a lot of room for more votes but it's already pretty clear.
Christopher Cummins
2024-07-28 15:18:59 +0000 UTCOnly real solution to that is to yske some notes one each chapter I guess a month is a big enough gap for me personally.
Dopplerdee
2024-07-28 15:13:36 +0000 UTC10 weeks is a long time already, more would get awkward, I do agree there. I'm already looking at "This chapter was written two and a half months ago, I have no idea." When public asks questions.
Christopher Cummins
2024-07-28 15:09:19 +0000 UTCI think its good to have the public closer to the patreon then not. Too big of a gap makes adjusting things harsh and you pull patreons from the public chapters so more is better in my mind.
Dopplerdee
2024-07-28 15:07:45 +0000 UTC
