Question on donations

[madsniper]

I have this little donation button all set up and ready to go, but my question is, would putting one of those on my site be extremely tacky?
I mean, if just a tiny fraction of my readers were to donate a dollar, that would totally pay for my rent, keeping me home and working on this stuff.
But I don't know, I don't want to look like some scheming leach.
Perhaps if I wait to put the donate button up until I have more of the site filled in, and maybe have something to email people like a special wallpaper as a thanks for their donations? What do you guys think?

[martiansushi]

I've actually seen the wallpaper donation thingy work really well, but I've only seen the results when a writer puts out a donation request for something specific (and it usually far exceeds the expectations). I don't know how well it works when people always have a donation button up...

However, I do think that it's good to reward donators with something exclusive - it creates motivation (and will make you feel less like a leach ) That being said, you might try a poll to see what people want out of a wallpaper...

(and thinking about it, even for special donation drives, etc, people usually put up a wallpaper or something, even promising more pages or whathaveyou... if you could do it, you might even say - if you pay my rent for this month I guarantee x number of updates, or something...)

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the martian has now submitted her two cents

[madsniper]

Ok, thanks, good ideas. I will post the donate button only when I have things to give away, taking it down after a certain amount of time. Ingenious! Now to create the poll thread...

[Poofiemus]

Actually, a webcomic you linked to (Kagerou) has started offering an extra page for every $100 in donations. It seems to be the most successful donation system I've seen so far. Dunno if you want to surrender your posting flexibility, though.

[madsniper]

Ooh, interesting. Man, Kagerou is still going??? Heh. I haven't read that in YEARS.
Hmm. Definitely going to have to think about that. But yeah, I wouldn't be able to casually miss a page here and there like I'm still doing.>_<

[Poofiemus]

Yeah, Kagerou is still going! It updates every Monday with 2 pages without donations, though donations drive it up to three on a regular basis, and I've seen it get to four a couple times.

You're right about the "no casually missing pages!" factor, though. Maybe it'll be easier once you settle into the schedule more.

[madsniper]

So, when does she decide what monday gets the extra pages? Does she total what she's raised one monday and use that to determine how many more pages get updated the following monday? Or does she do it over the weekend? Luka is crazy productive so I know she could do it.^^ She's my webcomic role model...
Okay. The "donate for more pages" thing is something I can do once I get more readers and, as you say, settle into my schedule.
I also was planning on making some flash games based on the comics. I'd intended to make them free, but they will be a lot of work (especially the WN platform game). Maybe I could ask for donations to download the games?

[Poofiemus]

I'm not sure how she determines the extra pages, other than that some weeks she posts 3 pages instead of 2.

Interesting! I like the game idea, too...Maybe the pages can be a cumulative thing, but for every ten dollars a person donates they get access to another level of the game? (Might be too complicated, though...)

[archangelkiragis]

If you're curious and motivated to, I can point you in the direction of the comics that gave rise to these different ideas. The Lady Yates at earthsongsaga.com has used the donation drive to great effect and, if memory serves, has also tried the open donation button method. Brian Clevenger might also be using the open donation button, but I've never tried it and can't find anything that says whether or not there's an incentive behind it. Pascalle at zapinspace.com uses the most extensive wallpaper incentive that I've seen so far. Contact them if you like, see how each one worked for em.

[Saknika]

I know Lora Innes of The Dreamer always has the donation button up for an exclusive wallpaper, and it does pretty well. She also sells short stories with it.