Patron Podcast, Episode 2
Why I Don’t Offer Consultations Anymore – and What I’m Doing Instead
For a few months, on my Hire Me page, I offered my services as bookkeeper, story consultant, marketing consultant, and even crowdfunding consultant.
I have taken down those bookkeeping and consultation listings. I’m not offering these as services anymore.
WHY?
I just came back from being sick for over a week, and took stock on where I want to put my (limited) energy. I’m not in my 20s anymore, so I can’t be doing 17,000 different things at once.
Also, in the year or so I offered these services, I had two clients. Two. In the last month I had two more reach out and express interest in hiring me, but following up with one of them has proved fruitless, because they haven’t responded to my emails.
So, rather than put my (limited) energy and time into something that’s not working, I’m cutting these offerings out. I want to make more time for the things that matter to me right now, which is a combination of making comics, having time for friends offline, and rest.
WHAT I PLAN TO DO INSTEAD
However, there IS value to be had in sharing my experience in story-writing, marketing, and crowdfunding. So instead I’m going to put together some informational blog posts, or zines, or ebooks, covering these topics. That way, everything I know is put into one place, and people who need the information can get it in those outlets. It also saves me from repeating the same information 10,000 times.
Don’t expect these information zines to be released ASAP. I will need time to compile the information together. When they’re ready, I’ll make separate announcements.
For now, I want to focus on making comics. And when I’m not making comics, I want rest (with or without friends offline) to take priority.
That’s all for now. Thank you for understanding.
You. Are. Awesome.
Update to Memberships!
Hi all! Just making a quick update on Memberships on this website.
- The Stripe integration has been fixed. If you were trying to subscribe using Stripe, and you were getting an error message previously, it should be fixed now. BUT – if you’re still getting errors, please email me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com so I can troubleshoot it.
- By request, I have now included the Holy Banana Pants Club tier. This is only for high rollers. If you cannot afford it, do not worry about it.
- With member feedback, The Art Club Tier has updated – instead of a new mini-print each month, Art Club members will now get a new art zine emailed (or mailed) to them each month. The pricing ($10 per month) has stayed the same.
More updates to come, including some visual assets.
That’s all for now. Thank you for your support! (And thank you for the feedback to help make this offering better).
You. Are. Awesome.
Announcing New Memberships on This Website!
Today, I’m announcing that I have built new members-only features on this website, and now folks can sign up to be members!
FIRST, THE WHY
Why make my own members-only features when Patreon and Ko-fi already exist?
Well, I left Patreon (that’s a separate story, though this talk with Jade highlights some core reasons why). And then, between the kerfuffle with Ko-fi (written about in this post) and then Ko-fi getting hacked, I thought to myself, “I need my own site.”
With this new membership system built into this site, I can now keep members-only content AND publicly available works all under one roof – a roof I maintain. Not being reliant on outside platforms, especially ones that could be hacked or capricious, is huge. In our new internet age, it helps to be in charge of your own stuff rather than relying on a middleman platform like Ko-fi or Patreon.
NOW, THE HOW
How does this membership thing work? Where do you go to sign up?
Well, you can sign up on the Join Us page! (There’s also two links in the Menu above: “Memberships” and “Join Us,” both of which lead to the same place.) There are 3 tiers of support available, to work best with your means, each of which are detailed on the “Join Us” page. Payment options include PayPal (which can also connect to Venmo) and Stripe.
Once you pick your tier, you will be billed once a month for the amount you subscribe for. In return, you get:
- To see the members-only posts here on this website
- Early access to webcomic updates
- A members-only email newsletter once a week
- Plus other rewards detailed in each tier
FOR MY PEEPS WHO ARE SIGNED UP THROUGH KO-FI
If you currently already have a membership through Ko-fi, I have two options for you.
Option 1, you can cancel your membership on Ko-fi, and then sign up again through the Join Us page. This would not involve me unless you come across any issues (in which case, please email me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com).
Option 2, the membership software I use on this website would allow for importing members from one place to another. I have not tried this option yet, but the fact that it exists is huge. This would be some lifting on my end, but not that much since I have contact info from you, my members, already.
Please let me know which option you prefer by emailing me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com! I will accept answers until next Friday, June 12.
FOR MY PEEPS WHO ARE SIGNED UP THROUGH STRIPE
A while ago, I had tried building a membership feature using Stripe and my own determination. This new system is going to be much easier to work with than that.
If you’re still a member through this old system, first of all, wow, that’s dedication! Second, please cancel your membership (you can use this link to do so), and if you want to stay on as a member, sign up through the Join Us page.
QUESTIONS?
If, after all of that, you still have questions or concerns, please leave them in a comment below or email me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. (If enough folks have the same questions, I may do a follow-up post!)
Thank you all so much for your support and understanding.
You. Are. Awesome.