Hello!
I’ve been tidying up my Patreon page, because Patreon’s done that thing where they’ve redesigned the website and now the page looks different and I thought I’d better check it’s still easy for people to find information. It got me thinking about how Patreon factors into my working life, and how grateful I am that during a cost of living crisis, people are continually happy to financially support my work. I thought, I wonder if the wider universe is aware of how independent creators use, rely and thrive on direct support from their audience? I can’t speak for other creators, but I’m very cognisant of the fact that entertainment is often the first expense to trim when we’re budgeting, even though entertainment and feeling part of wider culture are crucial for our mental health.
So today I want to talk about all the different ways my readers support my work. A little because I don’t want anyone to think ‘If I’m not supporting her on Patreon then I’m not supporting her at all,’ and a little because different types of support have different impacts, which I think is worth talking about. If you’re new here: I’m an author. While I suspect that a lot of what I’ll discuss is relevant to other types of creator and applicable to visual art, music, etc, it might not be – and anyway, the only career I’m familiar with on a molecular level is my own.
One-Off Forms of Support & How They Are Excellent
Book Sales
Book sales (streams and sales of songs or art for non-writers, I assume) are always helpful. Partly because three-twelve months after the sale, the author will earn a pound or two. Money for living costs? Great stuff. But buying a book provides opportunities for long term impact: the reader can leave a review at the retailer, increasing the chances of someone else buying the title. They can review using Storygraph or Goodreads or social media, thus recommending it to their friends. If they adore the book they might press it into the hands of a loved one saying ‘you must read this novel.’ Current fans are the most passionate and successful adverts for independent creators, especially if they have a copy of a book they can loan out to mates. Speaking of loans, there’s a way to advocate for an author without buying their work…
Library Requests
Library requests are the bomb. They don’t just help an author, although it’s nice for us (it’s complicated, but authors do earn money from library borrows and of course more people reading our work is gratifying). More importantly, and bear with me as I establish that the Pope is Catholic: libraries let people read for free. I know a few people who don’t know this and think the best path to a free book is an illegal download. Why go to the faff of stealing someone’s work when you could spend ten minutes getting set up at your local library? If you’re in school or university, you already have access to your institution’s resources. Libraries let you read hundreds, if not thousands, of books for free, forever. Or until you graduate. Truly I am bemused that people would rather steal. Morally I think book piracy is wrong (well, I would) but logistically I think it makes you look stupid when you could just use a library your taxes are already paying for. Don’t have access to a state library? Start a book swap. Start a mini library in a box on the street. Ask publishers and authors to donate copies to your project. They will, I promise.
I am getting side tracked. Libraries give generations of people – especially vulnerable or poorer people, like those without digital skills or home access to the internet – the chance to access ideas and resources and stories. Requesting an author’s book to a library is a gift to whomever else may see it on the shelf… and that person otherwise might not have the chance to find or read it. Remember that wider culture we all want to be a part of? Libraries are a keystone of that. Look I just love them, even the shit ones that close early and have bad toilets.
One-Off Financial Support
Contributions on sites Ko-Fi or PayPal, both of which I use, might not seem like they do much. But I’d earn more from one Ko-Fi ‘coffee’ than I do book sales (royalties on the UK paperback of The Princess and the Dragon recently went from £2.11 on a paperback to £1.96 because of printing costs, and ebook royalties are in the same ballpark). If this is the first time you’re realising that paying £7.99 for a book doesn’t mean the author immediately receives £7.99 in their bank: hello, welcome, most people don’t realise how many steps there are in making a book and bringing it to sale. It’s fine, now you know. Anyway, a £3 contribution can bring in £2-£2.50 depending on the platform’s commission, so yeah – money in the bank for me, great stuff.
Like Patreon, which I will get to, one-off support indicates confidence in someone’s work and their chosen industry. ‘I enjoy books,’ your support says, ‘and I want to express my appreciation for yours in particular.’ That it’s a small amount or singular contribution doesn’t devalue the appreciation. So if you’re thinking, ‘I’d like to support a person but can’t afford to join a monthly Patreon or afford a copy of their work… I could send them £2 via their website widget but that’s a bit shit.’ It isn’t shit. It’s practical, tangible support and it provides a confidence boost to the creator. Speaking of confidence…
Continuous Support & How It Is Excellent
Okay, so here’s what long term, continuous support on a site like Patreon can do for a creator. Again, I can’t speak for anyone else’s approach, but I split my income from Patreon, which I call the No. 1 Readers’ Club, 80:20, with 80% going to my personal expenses and savings, and the rest going towards things like website domain names and member perks. So Patreon pays for ongoing costs of being an internet creator and my personal bills. This leads to:
Peace of Mind
For me, this is the most valuable outcome of having a Patreon. I have two conditions (one physical, one neurological) that make me tired easily. I’m also doing a degree and balancing several jobs, which make me more more tired. I don’t mind – I chose to go back to education in the middle of a pandemic and a cost of living crisis while also working on my career; I don’t get to pull a surprised face at having to spin many plates. If a plate falls on my head, it’s on me.
That said, it’s taken until relatively recently to understand that while I love to do lots of things, my health can’t always keep up. Readers’ support through Patreon allows me to work fewer hours at my conventional jobs and, instead of showing up to X place at Y time in Z uniform, I can snuggle down and write, study or rest. It’s not sexy, doing stretches or researching essays or just sitting quietly when I need to recharge, but I can spend time doing that because of the No. 1 Readers’ Club, and I’m more grateful for that than I can articulate.
Long term confidence in my work
Back to the C word. Other people showing confidence in my work gives me confidence in my work. AI is already taking over a job I used to do – copywriting – and it won’t be long before AI books are on shelves I have just learnt that AI books are already on Amazon, because of course they are. The No. 1 Readers’ Club is showing confidence in a real human, and more specifically this real human’s bizarre blend of magicky, social commentary-infused contemporary-ish storytelling. Because of the No. 1 Readers’ Club, I can give myself a talking to when I’m having a crisis of confidence, and remind myself that I’m a professional writer and that other people think I’m competent even if I’m not sure. A bonus to this is that I can write what interests me, exploring strange or difficult topics without worrying about a board of directors’ opinions on my appeal to a teenage demographic. I get to write what I love, which I will never look upon lightly (aside: cursenovel is so weird, you guys, I cannot wait until I can share it).
Thinking about confidence is relevant when I consider the wider book industry too, because the success of many authors on Patreon proves there are people who love books and storytelling and are willing to pay for it. The day jobs of my colleagues, many of whom you’ll never hear of because their job is ‘rights assistant’ or ‘copy editor,’ all of whom are dedicated to stories and literacy and the importance of books to our culture, rely on readers wanting to keep reading. Supporting indie writers financially might not sound like a way to boost the entire publishing industry, but I think it does – because you’re choosing to spend your money on someone who exists in the orbit of publishing. You’re fuelling voices that might not be all that common in mainstream publishing, and proving that they have an audience. It’s invaluable that an indie writer can go to a publisher or agent and say ‘I have X paying members to my community, and I suspect at least 80% of them will preorder the book I want you to publish for me.’ Guaranteed interest? In a distinctive new voice? Without needing to rely on a social media campaign no one will see? I don’t know why big publishers don’t just trawl the ‘writer’ section of Patreon to find their next big signing. I think this can probably applied to other creative arts too.
And that’s my dose of literature-inspired consumer-y philosophy for the week. My most recent two posts have been bookish. COULD THAT MEAN SOMETHING? Yes, it means I’ve got more time to read now the university is on a break. If you have any other suggestions for ways readers support authors’ work, or if you’ve had your own experience supporting a creator – or being one – let me know in the comments. By the way, speaking of the success of word of mouth: I’ve officially launched/am experimenting with a street team. Let me know if you’re interested!
Look after yourselves,
Francesca
PS Behold, what follows? A link to my various support channels? Lo what a surprise.
Thanks for reading. If you’d like to read my short stories and see behind-the-scenes work, you can sample? the No. 1 Reader’s Club on Patreon for a month with this link. No pressure to stick around! Think of it as trying a miniature dessert with no requirement to eat the whole menu. You can also find me on Ko-fi. Thank you for your support – you’re helping to fund this space and pay for other costs of running a creative business, like paying editors.
Here are the books I’ve published so far and where you can find them. If you enjoy my book recommendations, browse my Bookshop.org page here.
I’m on social media (reluctantly), via Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook. I prefer my montly-ish newsletter! You can find all my books and my unhinged reviews of books I love on GoodReads and StoryGraph.
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