2020.08.13 A common question I get about the Animation Tier

First off, thank you so much for your support in ANY form. I appreciate it and work to bring you my best every month!

Had a question come up on deviantArt I get asked a lot and probably have already spoken about here a few times. Still, it's worth repeating and ALSO re-THANKING you for joining me in my transformation art journey.

Without further ado....

QUESTION: "Ready, Why don't you make some of your old animations free to watch? But the color ones people can pay. "

MY ANSWER: Hey there and thank you for the comment and the question.

Been getting a few good questions here on deviantArt and this one is no different. I think it’s a reasonable ask and like some of the other questions I get – there’s a bit more to it than can be covered in a deviantArt comment.

The quickest and most basic answer might sound flippant but allow me to explain. I set up the animation tier on my Patreon to maximize value for the people who subscribe. My patrons are paying the bills and allowing me to continue with the work so I feel it’s in my best interest to give THEM the most for their money versus people who are not paying.

There are nuances in this answer and I think I might be able to guess some ‘insta-replies’ to my above statement so I will walk through a few common ones I feel are fair (if somewhat misinformed).

“Releasing old(er) animation or more animations will get you WAY more customers Ready! I SWEAR”. First off, I’m not entirely convinced of that. I released my comics for FREE for over 20 years. My website had over fourteen thousand signups when it launched and has grown a TON since then. When I started my Patreon and my website store the focus was on comics. My take way back then was around $15 a month. So over 10 thousand people were interested in reading my stuff for free but less than 20 people wanted to support me creating more. I know we can get into this huge rabbit hole about Patreon not being an ideal setup, or marketing, or this not being ideal for payment or other things but my point is free doesn’t always equal more customers. Trust me, I speak from experience.

“But Ready, you would get WAY more exposure with free releases.” – OK, I have a FREE website (with a sample movie, I might add) and free GIFs for people to download there. I have this dA gallery with TONS of free GIFs and I post regularly on social media with my art and sample animations. If someone is seeing all that and STILL needs convincing my work is worth it then we have bigger problems than paid movies. All that free work paints a pretty clear picture of my style, my subject matter and my ability to consistently deliver a quality product over time. (just look at my schedule over the last year if you wonder how much I put out). I guess I’m wondering who these magical people are that don’t think the Animation Tier is a value. (read below for more on what signing up gets you)

“But Ready!!!!! I can’t/won’t use Patreon” – I have a post about that on my front page. Long story short, it’s the best method for my current situation and I am always exploring others.

“BUT READY!!!!!!! Why not give the old art away? Why hoard it and not release it!?” First of all, we need to be clear that signing up for my Animation Tier tier gets you EVERY SINGLE ANIMATION (and most of the art) I HAVE EVER MADE. There is NO GATING of old content. I state that clearly on the Patreon. All old animations and rewards are linked for easy download. You don’t even have to search through posts. Basically, sign up for ONE month and get over four hours of animations immediately. Not a bad deal all things considered. To answer the question though – it’s about maintaining my respect for the people who do pay and put their hard-earned ducats into helping me. I post TONS of free animation samples and people can get a look at the fun. I like to think that anyone supporting me (with money or not) has access to a LOT of art and animation.

In the end though – I get it. Maybe you want ‘assurance’, maybe you just don’t LIKE the idea of me charging. That’s all fine but it doesn’t change the fact I have a lot of respect for the people who do want to chip in. I continue to work hard every month to make them and myself happy with the work. Still, I DEEPLY appreciate my longtime friends and fans who may not have the money or care to pay. I do my best to give you a great look at all the art I do.

Thanks for the comment and I know I rambled but I get it. Why not make everything free, or certain things free, etc.? Well, I know I might not convince someone who is dead set against paying but ideally you will read this and understand a little more.

Best,

Ready