Today is not a good day for Big Tim's Funny Books and the "business plan" I've set up so far. We'll get into that in a minute.
ACTION TAKEN: Completely out of ideas I went back to Tyler's first podcast on Patreon. After listening to that, I realise why my Patreon page isn't going to go anywhere anytime soon. But again, we'll talk about that later...
No real action was taken today. I posted one panel from my artists on my personal Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (and of course put in a link for my Patreon page). But that's all I did as far as pimping my page today.
I have more important things to figure out.
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth. 11 patrons = $79 per month
AFTER THOUGHTS: My entire set up is wrong. After listening to that podcast today, I realise my half-arsed "business model" is not going to work for Patreon.
I don't have a lot of money, that is why I'm paying my awesome and accommodating artist Ahmed for one page of art per fortnight (as I'm paid from my day job fortnightly). I would love to pay more and get more pages quicker and get it out there, but it's just too far beyond my financial means.
Hence having started a Patreon some months ago.
So, now I have to ask myself some tough questions.
Even my Patreon has been set up the wrong way. I have finished pages, as they come in, being shown to my paying backers. and panel previews and BtS pencils and inks going to my public backers.
From what I'm hearing today, this is wrong.
Where does this leave me and Gorilla my Dreams and my current backers?
Here's my thoughts:
1. I need to make Gorilla my Dreams a webcomic. I was always pimping it as a webcomic with a $1 cover charge. But this (obviously) isn't working.
2. I need to set Gorilla my Dreams up as a legit online webcomic. This is problematic for a number of reasons. Which brings me to...
3. I am truly a technological Neanderthal. I have tried building websites from some of the easiest providers available today. But I genuinely suck. Drag and drop? Not the way I understand the phrase. How am I going to build a website, and maintain it, and update it every fortnight with a new page of story, when I can't even figure out how to put my logo on it?
4. And what about my current backers who are already happy with the current arrangement? Do I upset my current backers in the hopes of attracting more backers that may never come? I really don't know.
So I'm tempted to just throw in the towel, take my bat and ball and just give up.
But I won't.
Tough decisions aside, I've started this social experiment so let's see what happens.
I will still strive to do at least one active thing every day this month to pimp my Patreon.
See you again tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Day #7: Tuesday 6th December
One week. I am completely out of ideas with what to do
tomorrow. But as for today…
ACTION TAKEN: Before recording our podcast tonight
(Turtle-Boy Podcast) my brother and I recorded an advertisement for my Patreon page that I’ll be
tagging to the front of each episode from now on. We recorded the episode and I
uploaded it when I got home. It’s live as you read this.
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth. 11 patrons = $79 per month
AFTER THOUGHTS: So, all my actions so far aren’t really
designed to get immediate results. But I would have thought that some of my
work would have gotten to a single person by now. So I really don’t know.
I’m kinda outta ideas. I’m going to read through Tyler’sblog
again, and Searnold’s as well. Hopefully steal some inspiration.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Day #6: Monday 5th December
Back to the day job. Back to the daily grind. This is what I did for my Patreon today...
ACTION TAKEN: Today I did an exclusive post up for my Patreon backers. I put up a page of my artist Ahmed's pencils and the same page done with inks. Thought it may be cool for people to see this stuff. I always love seeing the progress. But then I posted it on my Twitter accounts (again, no Facebook because for some reason their share function is ugly right now). I know that people can't see the preview image when I'm posting a Patreons-Only post, but hoping it will stir up a little interest.
Second thing I did was hunt through Facebook groups for pin-up artists for my next comic. I posted on the groups I'm a member of and to give people more of an idea of who the character is I want drawn, I left my Patreon page link. Again, hopefully these guys will come to see the preview panels and like what they see and maybe pledge.
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth. 11 patrons = $79 per month
AFTER THOUGHTS: Today I did two small actions. Smart? I hope so, but feels too much like attempted trickery. I don't like it. I just want to get my stuff in front of the people who will like my stuff. And I understand I have to get it out there or those people will never see it, but I don't like the trickery of today's activities.
On to day #7, yeah?
ACTION TAKEN: Today I did an exclusive post up for my Patreon backers. I put up a page of my artist Ahmed's pencils and the same page done with inks. Thought it may be cool for people to see this stuff. I always love seeing the progress. But then I posted it on my Twitter accounts (again, no Facebook because for some reason their share function is ugly right now). I know that people can't see the preview image when I'm posting a Patreons-Only post, but hoping it will stir up a little interest.
Second thing I did was hunt through Facebook groups for pin-up artists for my next comic. I posted on the groups I'm a member of and to give people more of an idea of who the character is I want drawn, I left my Patreon page link. Again, hopefully these guys will come to see the preview panels and like what they see and maybe pledge.
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth. 11 patrons = $79 per month
AFTER THOUGHTS: Today I did two small actions. Smart? I hope so, but feels too much like attempted trickery. I don't like it. I just want to get my stuff in front of the people who will like my stuff. And I understand I have to get it out there or those people will never see it, but I don't like the trickery of today's activities.
On to day #7, yeah?
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Day #5: Sunday 4th December
Another quick one today.
ACTION: Restocked my local comic book store Impact Comics with Cthulhu Williams #0. Also dropped off 30 Cthulhu Williams postcards with my website details (including my Patreon page).
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth.
I'm just not even getting a blip on my Patreon page. Yes, I know this is only day #5, but I just don't have any real kind of following other than friends. And to be completely honest, I don't even really have a lot of friends who are comic book fans.
So, yeah. Things are getting very disheartening around here. Everyone who has read Cthulhu Williams has said they like it and it's good. I just can't figure out how to get to a wider audience (and as I said, I know this is only day #5, but you also gotta remember, my comic has been out 11 months, and my Patreon page has been up about four. And yes, I understand that you need to get more books out to engage a hungry audience. But I just don't have the money, or else I would be bringing more out and I probably wouldn't need Partreon. So I feel like I'm just continuing to get no traction no matter how smart I think my ideas are).
So enough whinging for now. This is putting day #5 to bed. See you on day #6.
ACTION: Restocked my local comic book store Impact Comics with Cthulhu Williams #0. Also dropped off 30 Cthulhu Williams postcards with my website details (including my Patreon page).
RESULTS: Again, 0% growth.
I'm just not even getting a blip on my Patreon page. Yes, I know this is only day #5, but I just don't have any real kind of following other than friends. And to be completely honest, I don't even really have a lot of friends who are comic book fans.
So, yeah. Things are getting very disheartening around here. Everyone who has read Cthulhu Williams has said they like it and it's good. I just can't figure out how to get to a wider audience (and as I said, I know this is only day #5, but you also gotta remember, my comic has been out 11 months, and my Patreon page has been up about four. And yes, I understand that you need to get more books out to engage a hungry audience. But I just don't have the money, or else I would be bringing more out and I probably wouldn't need Partreon. So I feel like I'm just continuing to get no traction no matter how smart I think my ideas are).
So enough whinging for now. This is putting day #5 to bed. See you on day #6.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Day #4: Saturday 3rd December 2016
Today I posted a public post on my Patreon page. It's nothing spectacular, as my artist is running a few days behind (he got himself a real, paying gig so understandably, mine has had to take a back seat for a few days.
ACTION: Did a public Patreon post.As I didn't have a completed page yet, I showed the pencils of one of the panels instead. Shared the post on my personal twitter, (@BigTimStiles) my comic book twitter (@CthulhuWilliams), and my podcast twitter (@TurtleBoyPod). I didn't post to my Facebook equivalents, because it was glitchy and wouldn't show the image.
RESULT: Things just aren't moving. I have 11 Patreon backers = $79 a month. I have had 0 new backers turn up, so 0% increase. And as mentioned yesterday, I have 78 email subscribers now that two quit me.
Again, I am tired. 4 days in and no real movement. Added 12 email subscribers and lost 2. Wondering if this exercise is just gonna be a waste of my energy? Again, time will tell what sort of long game I'm playing.
ACTION: Did a public Patreon post.As I didn't have a completed page yet, I showed the pencils of one of the panels instead. Shared the post on my personal twitter, (@BigTimStiles) my comic book twitter (@CthulhuWilliams), and my podcast twitter (@TurtleBoyPod). I didn't post to my Facebook equivalents, because it was glitchy and wouldn't show the image.
RESULT: Things just aren't moving. I have 11 Patreon backers = $79 a month. I have had 0 new backers turn up, so 0% increase. And as mentioned yesterday, I have 78 email subscribers now that two quit me.
Again, I am tired. 4 days in and no real movement. Added 12 email subscribers and lost 2. Wondering if this exercise is just gonna be a waste of my energy? Again, time will tell what sort of long game I'm playing.
Day #3: Friday 2nd December 2016
So far I'm pretty much still acting on strategies I came up with before starting this thing. The t-shirt give away has been in the works for a few weeks. Again, I'm hoping this will help me set up my long game of getting people into my Patreon page.
Sent the email off to all 80 people who have signed up to my email list.
Results: 11 Patreons = $79 a month. 0% increase. As for my mailing list, today it has dropped by two. So now I have 78 subscribers...
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Day #2: Thursday 1st December 2016
Again, it's very late, so I'll make this one quick.
Today's Action: I had a table at the X-Mas Markets at my day-job today. It wasn't open to the general public. Only employees of the government department I work for.
I had a t-shirt (with one of my characters on it) on display, and used that to pimp my email list. I've been pimping my email list with a competition where I'll randomly draw three names from my list and they'll win a free t-shirt. I got about 12 email addresses to add to my list.
I also have postcards with some of my characters on the front and my websites and social medias on the back (including my Patreon web address) and I made sure everyone who bought a comic took one of them too.
Results: My current Patreon following is still 11 people totalling $79. So again an increase of 0%.
General thoughts: I really wasn't expecting to move many comics today. Being a work-exclusive market place, and all the other tables selling teddy bears and ginger bread, my comic isn't exactly X-Mas themed and this market wasn't a comic-con which was expecting to attract geeks and nerds.
I was honestly not expecting to move any comics. Then why do it, I hear you ask?
The fee for booking a table goes to the Black Dog Institution so even if I didn't make any money, this was a fun way to donate to a good cause.
Now, having said all that, I moved heaps of comics. I walked away with a couple hundred bucks profit, which is gonna come in real handy this time of year.
But back on topic, I got about a dozen people sign up to my email list, and that was the real goal today. I've added them to my mailing list and tomorrow I draw out the winners, and then email everyone to announce the winners and then the winners specifically to get sizes and whatnot before I send them out.
I don't know if I'm playing the long game and or a dumb game. I guess over the next four weeks we'll see if any results trickle through to the Patreon or not.
Anyway, gotta be up in six hours for the gym. Talk later.
Today's Action: I had a table at the X-Mas Markets at my day-job today. It wasn't open to the general public. Only employees of the government department I work for.
I had a t-shirt (with one of my characters on it) on display, and used that to pimp my email list. I've been pimping my email list with a competition where I'll randomly draw three names from my list and they'll win a free t-shirt. I got about 12 email addresses to add to my list.
 |
| T-Shirt Design |
I also have postcards with some of my characters on the front and my websites and social medias on the back (including my Patreon web address) and I made sure everyone who bought a comic took one of them too.
 |
| Postcard Design |
Results: My current Patreon following is still 11 people totalling $79. So again an increase of 0%.
General thoughts: I really wasn't expecting to move many comics today. Being a work-exclusive market place, and all the other tables selling teddy bears and ginger bread, my comic isn't exactly X-Mas themed and this market wasn't a comic-con which was expecting to attract geeks and nerds.
I was honestly not expecting to move any comics. Then why do it, I hear you ask?
The fee for booking a table goes to the Black Dog Institution so even if I didn't make any money, this was a fun way to donate to a good cause.
Now, having said all that, I moved heaps of comics. I walked away with a couple hundred bucks profit, which is gonna come in real handy this time of year.
But back on topic, I got about a dozen people sign up to my email list, and that was the real goal today. I've added them to my mailing list and tomorrow I draw out the winners, and then email everyone to announce the winners and then the winners specifically to get sizes and whatnot before I send them out.
I don't know if I'm playing the long game and or a dumb game. I guess over the next four weeks we'll see if any results trickle through to the Patreon or not.
Anyway, gotta be up in six hours for the gym. Talk later.
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