Sunday, June 3, 2007
Donate to me, PLEASE!!!
I would just like to take a minute to comment on the whole donation thing. Personally I would never ask my readers to give me money to support whatever habit I have or to help me buy that new set of pens because I don't like my old ones. Readers come to your comic by choice, and while it would also be their choice to donate, I just don't think it's right to ask unless maybe you have that kind of pull in the webcomic community, and have a sick grandmother who needs a colonic or something. If my comic only pulled in about ten or twenty readers a day, should I be asking them to dish out some cold hard cash? Nah. You would likely end up with a buck and some change and feel like a doofus for even trying. ESPECIALLY if you put up one of those counters with a goal of a hundred dollars or a thousand, etc. Now, I do think it's okay if it benefits the community, such as over at the forums on Comicgen.com, where they ask for donations to put out a webcomic with samples from many different creators. All I'm asking is that you think before you ask for money thinking you're going to get rich off your loyal fanbase. What's your opinion?
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4 comments:
My view on donations is quite different. I think of doing a webcomic is somewhatlike being a street musician. You're an artist and you're posting your content on the web for everyone to view for free. So I think of my paypal donate button as something like an empty violin case. Yes, I'm offering my work for free, but it's still work, and hard work at that for me, so I appreciate the support when fans decide to donate.
However, I do frown upon webcomickers who solicit donations when they're not updating. If you're not on the street playing, take your case with you.
As for donation drives - they're a key step for many comics going indie, or for artists quitting their jobs so they can go full time. Or sometimes you just need the help. I've done one donation drive - my pet needed emergency surgery that I couldn't afford, and I solicited my fans and in response, I got $600, which was the cost of the surgery. I needed help, and they wanted to help me. I see nothing wrong with that.
(I provided the name, number, and address of the vet, whom many called, as I understand it, to make sure it wasn't a scam.)
Any donations I take in go towards maintaining the site, and creating goodies. I have a lot of extras on my site, including a game, video, and a pretty active chatbox. I when I got enough donations to afford it, I upgraded the chatbox, so that I could keep it private to Geek Blather, and so that people could keep their names, and have avatars and things- since everyone uses the chatbox. Other than that, I funnel money people give to the comic, back into the comic, by paying for hosting and things like that. That way, it stays a little more tangible, and makes sure everything keeps running smoothly.
I agree with Rafael Medina over at Suicide-For-Hire when I say that I refuse to sell out and put a donation button on my page. I hate being equivalent to hobos...
A store where you sell T-Shirts, comissions, and other stuff is a different story. An actual exchange is okay, but I've never really liked the idea of donating.
I see it as just another site metric that gives me further incentive to continue. As such, I find it damn important if only because I like knowing my work is appreciated, and from that I can estimate if it's at least worth adding new features above and beyond what I already do. Also, I think knowing that you can make X amount of money for your trouble if you go to a heavier update schedule or being able to do conventions without breaking your back is a nice thing.
And, in the eyes of my parents, making a little money from a hobby allows me some breathing room in spending so much bleedin' time on the comic in the first place.
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