20 years of customizing - Patreon Update

[pandabear_chan]

Hi pony peeps,

After 20 years of customizing I seriously play with the idea of starting a membership with Patreon.

Update: As a membership would mean to step into the wonderful complicated German world of taxes and tax returns I ditched the idea. Patreon incomes are subject to income tax. As this would not be doable for me additionally to content I stay with my projects and that's it.

[BlackCurtains]

I think it would depend on how much each tier is. I support two people on Patreon, both traditional/digital artists. But I'm only paying $10 for one and $3 for the other.

The access to sales customs before social media is nice and I think an appropriate perk for tier one. Other than that, I'm personally not interested in the rest. Don't get me wrong - I think you're a masterful customizer, I just don't think our styles mesh. There are probably things I could learn from you, but I could also just learn them for myself. Like the flocking or resin stuff.

I think this would be great for people just starting out or artists that feel like they are stuck

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I am not supporting anyone on Patreon right now and as I'm trying to save up I don't think that will change, I think overall your tiers are pretty good!

I would think a one-time commission tier would be more appealing than an in-person course, especially as it's not always feasible for a lot of people to travel internationally. I don't often see such tiers available on Patreon because it's costly for the person running it and is likely to just have such a small amount of people willing or able to go, since Patreon sort of works more for people who can't constantly commission or order expensive things to support creators they care about.

Perhaps someone may spring for it, but I wouldn't personally, even if the person was right next door.

[pandabear_chan]

I think it would depend on how much each tier is. I support two people on Patreon, both traditional/digital artists. But I'm only paying $10 for one and $3 for the other.

The access to sales customs before social media is nice and I think an appropriate perk for tier one. Other than that, I'm personally not interested in the rest. Don't get me wrong - I think you're a masterful customizer, I just don't think our styles mesh. There are probably things I could learn from you, but I could also just learn them for myself. Like the flocking or resin stuff.

I think this would be great for people just starting out or artists that feel like they are stuck

Thank you a lot for taking the time to comment. Your input is highly valuated and yes I guess that this is not for everybody. It's still a feeler post and hubby made clear that tier 4 is a no-no for him. So I will see what people on the other social media canals will post. 

I am not supporting anyone on Patreon right now and as I'm trying to save up I don't think that will change, I think overall your tiers are pretty good!

I would think a one-time commission tier would be more appealing than an in-person course, especially as it's not always feasible for a lot of people to travel internationally. I don't often see such tiers available on Patreon because it's costly for the person running it and is likely to just have such a small amount of people willing or able to go, since Patreon sort of works more for people who can't constantly commission or order expensive things to support creators they care about.

Perhaps someone may spring for it, but I wouldn't personally, even if the person was right next door.

You're absolutely right with your input here - I probably will have to rethink some tiers and may offer a commission rather than a personal (online) coaching as highest tier because hubby already declined tier 4 (the personal course).

[ChocolateStarfire]

Hi pandabear_chan!

I tried to run a Patreon account for a few years while making/selling my first self-published (original concept!) book--and let me tell you, it is not easy to do! I had two people back it, and many people won't be able to sustain their memberships because the economy is not the best at the moment. However! That isn't to say what you've listed isn't feasible.

One thing you could do that is free is sustain a social media presence, such as through Instagram, TikTok (oof), Twitter (another oof) or even YouTube. This will get people interested in what you're doing with your art, besides your website and presence in the pony community here.

I like the first two tiers of Patreon that you've listed here; however, the phrase "correct use" could be misinterpreted. I would emphasize your techniques and style, and give access to sales/promos as the main draw for Patreon--I've found that doing that works best.

It's tough to sell your work and I admire your talent! I do think you have the experience and skills, for sure! When stepping out of the pony community and into the wider art world...it's not easy to convince folks that what you're doing is marketable.

A word of warning-take this with a grain of salt! My concern personally about selling my pony customs outside of the Arena/Etsy/websites--and a big reason why I've stopped--is that many corporations are now keeping a closer eye on their IPs. Copyright is starting to get tougher to navigate as a fan artist and I would caution that being talented in that area could mean that your ideas get scooped by bigger companies. It could also result in a cease and desist. It's something I've seen happen more and more online and I would be wary about selling/buying customized/fan art related items if they're not aligned with big corporations. This could make your work a hard sell.

Or it could land you a job at Hasbro! So! There are upsides!

I think it doesn't hurt to try this; however, expect that it might not succeed as you hoped going in, so that when you do succeed, it will be all the better

TL;DR-Scale back the tiers to 1 and 2, and focus on your style vs comparing to others, even beginners. Be wary that pony customs are niche fan art and could in future be a hard sell to the wider art world. I admire your experience and skill and I hope your venture succeeds!

~ChocolateStarfire

[pandabear_chan]

Hi pandabear_chan!

I tried to run a Patreon account for a few years while making/selling my first self-published (original concept!) book--and let me tell you, it is not easy to do! I had two people back it, and many people won't be able to sustain their memberships because the economy is not the best at the moment. However! That isn't to say what you've listed isn't feasible.

One thing you could do that is free is sustain a social media presence, such as through Instagram, TikTok (oof), Twitter (another oof) or even YouTube. This will get people interested in what you're doing with your art, besides your website and presence in the pony community here.

I like the first two tiers of Patreon that you've listed here; however, the phrase "correct use" could be misinterpreted. I would emphasize your techniques and style, and give access to sales/promos as the main draw for Patreon--I've found that doing that works best.

It's tough to sell your work and I admire your talent! I do think you have the experience and skills, for sure! When stepping out of the pony community and into the wider art world...it's not easy to convince folks that what you're doing is marketable.

A word of warning-take this with a grain of salt! My concern personally about selling my pony customs outside of the Arena/Etsy/websites--and a big reason why I've stopped--is that many corporations are now keeping a closer eye on their IPs. Copyright is starting to get tougher to navigate as a fan artist and I would caution that being talented in that area could mean that your ideas get scooped by bigger companies. It could also result in a cease and desist. It's something I've seen happen more and more online and I would be wary about selling/buying customized/fan art related items if they're not aligned with big corporations. This could make your work a hard sell.

Or it could land you a job at Hasbro! So! There are upsides!

I think it doesn't hurt to try this; however, expect that it might not succeed as you hoped going in, so that when you do succeed, it will be all the better

TL;DR-Scale back the tiers to 1 and 2, and focus on your style vs comparing to others, even beginners. Be wary that pony customs are niche fan art and could in future be a hard sell to the wider art world. I admire your experience and skill and I hope your venture succeeds!

~ChocolateStarfire

Thank you so much for your time to write this detailed answer, I highly appreciate it. In the meantime I ditched the 3rd and 4th tier and replaced it with offering commissions but then you're obliged to dive into the wonderful world of German Tax return and business registration. So I think I'll stay with my things right now and that's fine. I have my account here, Deviantart (for all the pictures), Facebook and on Instagram - that's enough.

[Griffin]

Sad to hear this fell through! I meant to ask earlier whether taxes would be a problem - I've heard some writers discuss Patreon or some similar funding model earlier and I believe their conclusion was that Finnish laws make it too complicated to be worthwhile.

[ChocolateStarfire]

Hi pandabear_chan!

I tried to run a Patreon account for a few years while making/selling my first self-published (original concept!) book--and let me tell you, it is not easy to do! I had two people back it, and many people won't be able to sustain their memberships because the economy is not the best at the moment. However! That isn't to say what you've listed isn't feasible.

One thing you could do that is free is sustain a social media presence, such as through Instagram, TikTok (oof), Twitter (another oof) or even YouTube. This will get people interested in what you're doing with your art, besides your website and presence in the pony community here.

I like the first two tiers of Patreon that you've listed here; however, the phrase "correct use" could be misinterpreted. I would emphasize your techniques and style, and give access to sales/promos as the main draw for Patreon--I've found that doing that works best.

It's tough to sell your work and I admire your talent! I do think you have the experience and skills, for sure! When stepping out of the pony community and into the wider art world...it's not easy to convince folks that what you're doing is marketable.

A word of warning-take this with a grain of salt! My concern personally about selling my pony customs outside of the Arena/Etsy/websites--and a big reason why I've stopped--is that many corporations are now keeping a closer eye on their IPs. Copyright is starting to get tougher to navigate as a fan artist and I would caution that being talented in that area could mean that your ideas get scooped by bigger companies. It could also result in a cease and desist. It's something I've seen happen more and more online and I would be wary about selling/buying customized/fan art related items if they're not aligned with big corporations. This could make your work a hard sell.

Or it could land you a job at Hasbro! So! There are upsides!

I think it doesn't hurt to try this; however, expect that it might not succeed as you hoped going in, so that when you do succeed, it will be all the better

TL;DR-Scale back the tiers to 1 and 2, and focus on your style vs comparing to others, even beginners. Be wary that pony customs are niche fan art and could in future be a hard sell to the wider art world. I admire your experience and skill and I hope your venture succeeds!

~ChocolateStarfire

Thank you so much for your time to write this detailed answer, I highly appreciate it. In the meantime I ditched the 3rd and 4th tier and replaced it with offering commissions but then you're obliged to dive into the wonderful world of German Tax return and business registration. So I think I'll stay with my things right now and that's fine. I have my account here, Deviantart (for all the pictures), Facebook and on Instagram - that's enough.

Thank you for reading all of what I sent! I really appreciate you taking the time to hear out my input. I am sorry things are so complicated tax wise and I'm glad you're finding a way to make it work in the meantime!

[pandabear_chan]

Thank you for reading all of what I sent! I really appreciate you taking the time to hear out my input. I am sorry things are so complicated tax wise and I'm glad you're finding a way to make it work in the meantime!

I'm happy you took the time and wrote it. It was very good advice and yes unfortunately the tax is a big issue.