Transparency
Added 2025-01-05 13:16:17 +0000 UTCHi My Darlings,
I have been reviewing the exit surveys and there is just something that I want to address which is the 'not as active as expected' and to offer an explanation as to why that is / the reality of creating content as a solo creator. As I think people do sometimes think it is as easy as sitting in front of a camera and hitting upload once done. Large react channels also do not help as they give a false impression of how quick content can be produced due to having a substantial team behind them to help with the editing process. Which means they are able to post a video on YouTube every day and have an entire series of a show uploaded onto Patreon within a week or two.
However, that's not realistic nor should it be the expectation.
I am a solo creator. There is no team. I do everything myself. From editing to creating thumbnails to dancing around YouTube and Copyright. Outside of content creation I am going back into full time work which is 40 hours a week and I have a house to maintain and real life responsibilities.
A single video to film can take up to an hour due to the long discussions in my outros. That then can take up to an hour to edit to get rid of pauses and to make sure that it makes sense for those of you viewing. Sometimes it can be more especially with the longer AOT videos that verge on nearly 2 hours. I film around 10 videos a week for 3 series.
So that's 10 hours of filming + 10 hours of editing = 20 hours a week. Not to mention then editing for copyright so you can add another 10 hours to that bringing it to around 30 hours which does not include editing thumbnails. That is on top of real life responsibilities too and also finding time for my own hobbies to prevent burn out.
I'm writing this to give you a realistic viewpoint into content creation when it is a single person working on this. Most reactors will have an editor that helps to take off the bulk of editing as that is the lengthy part. Most reactors are also group reactors so again there is more than one person who can help with the editing.
Quality over quantity is what I aim to provide and that takes time. It is not a quick process and I do think people need to balance their expectations rather than expecting the entirety of a series to be filmed, edited, and uploaded in a week or so.
I'm not going to lie and say it's not like a gut punch to see people not support my content due to output as it's something I'm conscious of, but I also don't think it is realistic to expect a single person to produce at the pace of larger creators or creators who have editors.
There will be content every week. You will be ahead of YouTube but I will be posting as and when works for me. If this does not work for you and you are wanting a creator that is able to upload an entire series in a week or so then it may be worth reconsidering your subscription to me on Patreon.
However, if you are here for quality content over quantity then you are in the right place and I am so grateful to those of you that understand and have been supportive despite the slower output because it really means a lot.
Again - I'm writing this for transparency purposes as I think it is worth giving a realistic view as many don't understand just how time consuming react content can be and just how long it can take.
Love,
Sophie.
Comments
Thank you Arturo - it is a part of my personality that I need to work on which is wanting to please everyone and feeling guilt if I can't live up to expectations even if they are unrealistic to my personal life. But as you said those who understand are willing to wait for quality rather than quantity don't mind and that's what is important!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-06 00:29:54 +0000 UTCI think you are doing great and shouldn't stress or feel the need to explain the volume of the content you are putting out. You should stop trying to cater to the minority of people that often have some of the loudest voices. Continue to do you and exporting quality content and everything else will fall in place. No matter how much your output, some people will never be happy and you can't let them get to you.
Arturo
2025-01-05 23:34:31 +0000 UTCYou are a sweetheart Delle and I love your profile pic every time I see it haha!! In all honesty I am glad that you have interests outside of just my channel haha!! Means that you've more to look forward to when the content arrives :P I'm just a chronic people pleaser and don't want to disappoint anyone so it weighs on my mind that I can't keep up with expectations of pace but in truth - the only expectations I should be meeting are ones that are healthy FOR ME and those that care about the content will be patient and wait for it to arrive!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 22:11:25 +0000 UTCI think people who criticize your upload pace are being silly. I know I can't speak for everyone, but i have interests outside of just your channel and content creators i enjoy watching who arent just you, so with so many options every day I'm naturally not even able to keep up with your output pace (good thing)!! And even if I WAS keeping up, my personal feeling is that I am paying you for uncut reactions more than for early uploads. The uncut reactions is precisely why I subbed to your patreon because I LOVE being able to actually watch the entire episode with you!! Any pace that is comfortable for you is the best pace!!
delle
2025-01-05 21:34:49 +0000 UTCOmg no I didn't see it as a jab at Autosave at all! Just more emphasising that those who support the content will wait and be patient even if there's no explanation as to why because you still want to support them and their content creation. If anything it makes me realise that I need to stop explaining everything and just do what works for me because those that understand and value my content will support no matter what and that's okay!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 19:41:56 +0000 UTCThank you lovely - I'm just a people pleaser and want everyone to be happy but then I end up stretching myself too thin which isn't helpful either! Think I have to remember it's not life or death. It's meant to be a fun hobby!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 18:33:14 +0000 UTCYou're doing plenty already, I'm fairly busy through the day so your uploading is frequent enough. I'm not sitting home clicking refresh on your patreon lol. I know it's easier said than done but try not to sweat the small stuff.
Winter
2025-01-05 18:28:14 +0000 UTCYes I hope Ben is doing well too! Ah I'm sorry to hear you struggle with depression and anxiety as I know how debilitating and frustrating it can be. I also have struggled with severe depression and anxiety since adolescence. I'm glad to see you are in seemingly good and motivated spirits with a thriving patreon community and a new incoming job! I hope my comment didn't come off as insensitive as it wasn't a jab at autosave as like I said I know how debilitating mental illness can be, which is why I was able to poke fun at the (unfortunate) and ridiculous means their patrons have yielded to to cope and wasn't poking fun at Autosave themselves. Although I see you understood that and thank you for the kind words :)
Russell Gambardella
2025-01-05 16:04:30 +0000 UTCThank you so much Russell and I hope Ben is doing well. I know he mentioned on YouTube that he was taking a break due to mental health and I completely feel for him. I have major depressive disorder and anxiety so it can be hard to make content when you feel that slump hit. Hope he recovers soon and begins to start making content again. It's not easy for sure and I imagine he and Anna probably feel guilty at not being able to provide consistent updates. They're lucky to have amazing people like you in their corner!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 15:53:35 +0000 UTCYou're doing great and we appreciate the transparency!! At the very least, you're doing better than AutoSave; no communication/updates with their patrons since Nov27 and the loyal patrons that remain have devolved into having ball-sacrificing rituals (yes you read that correctly, of course they are joking though) in hopes that it will bring content to the world just like how people of the past would perform rituals in hope of making it rain. Lmfao...as I am a loyal patron of theirs, it might be my turn ritual, anything for the benefit of humanity! Humor aside, don't doubt yourself as you're truly doing a great job and we love the quality and passion of your content
Russell Gambardella
2025-01-05 15:50:23 +0000 UTCyeah, I agree. They might have selected the "not as active as expected" as the reason for the survey, but it may not mean that they didn't understand that the release schedule was going to change. It just wasn't enough value for their money anymore, and they're free to make that decision.
Hezer
2025-01-05 15:29:03 +0000 UTCI completely understand that but again I just like to be transparent so people can see my perspective and gain a further understanding as to the extent of work within content creation. As I mentioned - there is a huge misconception due to how fast content gets pushed out by larger reactors or reactors with editors that it taints everyone within the genre that can't meet that output so I think it's fair for me to outline in detail the amount of work and give people the opportunity to decide if they prefer quality or quantity :) As for lowering the price? That won't be an option. It's Β£5 in UK currency which is a lot lower than other reactors for the amount of content I am producing. Having looked at other reactors Patreons they also hide things behind higher pay walls which I refuse to do because I believe it's unfair. I set the price at what I viewed was the most accessible whilst still earning enough to support my content after Patreon takes it's cut. Thank you for sharing your perspective and I do agree with you but I think it's also fair for me as a creator to establish expectations and clear transparency for people going forward so that they can make the decision on where they place their money. But that's because I care about the people that support my content.
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 15:06:30 +0000 UTCI completely sympathise with you doing your best effort. I also completely sympathise with people re-deciding where to put their money after your output has changed. There was a significant drop around the holidays, and even after that, there will be a slower schedule than the daily slugfest some signed up for. And then they may no longer want to spend their hard-earned cash on the slower trickle. .That doesn't mean those people suddenly dislike you or your content. They're probably still watching on YouTube. I doubt you lose them as part of the 'community', just as part of your paying clientele. That should not be the biggest problem, as it's happening because you got a new steady income stream. This is now a part-time job, and it'll earn less than full-time... Don't worry too much about people leaving Patreon. It's (most likely) not meant as a slap in your face, just as a practical decision on their part. You could also consider lowering the minimum subscription price if you want more people to stay/subscribe/interact here, but that is a mixture of practical considerations and pride in your own work/worth. I'll be staying for a while longer...
Wouter
2025-01-05 15:01:08 +0000 UTCIs it so painfully obvious that I'm a people pleaser and hate feeling like I've disappointed people? Because you hit the nail on the head haha!!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 14:18:36 +0000 UTCUnfortunately this is the life of most content creators, there's never enough of yourself you can give that people will be happy with in terms of consuconsumption of content. People always want more and are unsatisfied when they reach the end. Don't kill yourself working to death for people that cant be pleased. π
Sirlancelot
2025-01-05 14:16:38 +0000 UTCOh I initially was going to drop Death Note but there was a surge and it does come down to not wanting to upset people or having to pick up the series months later having forgotten what happened. Once I've finished the 3 I'm doing then I'll definitely either do 1 or 2 at a time. I think at the point of where I'm at with AOT and Death Note it's not possible to just drop them without killing my channel somewhat because it's not something I could just pick up months later due to the declined interest. So I'm willing to power through at the pace I am at. Especially as Frieren will be coming to YouTube after Death Note so there won't be additional pressure to film at least as I finish up AOT! If that makes sense?
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 14:11:10 +0000 UTCFor sure but I thought breaking it down would also be helpful for people because I know that in the react industry there's a lot of high expectations because of large creators with editors rapidly pumping out content at a rate that it can warp people's view. I like to provide realism :) People absolutely have the right to support what works for them but at the same time I like to be upfront and I hate the idea of anyone thinking I've misled them which is why I want to break it down time wise so no one can say they weren't aware beforehand!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 14:07:39 +0000 UTCIf I was in your (very understandable) situation, having to limit content output somewhat from previous due to real life matters, Iβd personally consider not spreading myself so thin over 3 series. You probably donβt want to let down fans of any series but dropping one for the time being would allow you to put out more of what might be the series people are most invested in (going out on a limb and say itβs AoT). Maybe polling people of what theyβd prefer is an option? In any case you gotta do what you think is best for you!
Weeros
2025-01-05 14:05:46 +0000 UTCas much as it sucks/doesn't help to get advice along the lines of "you just need thicker skin" if you create stuff online you will get people complaining wihtout understanding the context and it is often easiest to just let them leave and let the ones who aren't like that build up over time
HAL
2025-01-05 14:02:52 +0000 UTCOh for sure! Do you focus on mainly gaming content or? I haven't streamed in weeks due to YouTube haha but I am enjoyed it so there's that!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 13:45:23 +0000 UTCTwitch/Youtube content for 4 years, It is extremely tiring at times but it's worth as long as you still enjoy it
NFM NFM
2025-01-05 13:29:45 +0000 UTCWhat content do you create?! I'm always interested in knowing what others do!
Sophie Anders
2025-01-05 13:27:47 +0000 UTCPeople will come and go for several reasons, that's the day by day for a content creator (I'm one myself on another platform) You're doing great, specially as this is not your main source of income. You will learn to deal with these kind of situations and focus on doing what you enjoy, which is why people have come and supported you! Cheers
NFM NFM
2025-01-05 13:27:09 +0000 UTC
