Patreon!

Patreon!

As most of you know, I don't make my living off my books. I also don't make any income from my videos. I'm luckier than most authors in that I make some money from book sales, but until recently, the majority of my income came from freelancing.

In the last two months, two of my biggest freelance clients have ghosted me. It's possible I've been replaced by AI, although I don't know for sure. This has left me scrambling to replace about half my income.

Totally not panicking over here

I'm hunting for new clients, but this type of work is becoming harder to find. So I'm also looking more seriously at making my fiction and video work more stable and profitable.

I spend upwards of 60 hours a week on my books and videos, on top of the time I spend freelancing. I swear to God, I am not exaggerating (Trev can verify, it's actually a serious problem, I can't stop writing, plz send help and pizza.)

To be clear: I'm super grateful that I get to spend this much time on stuff I love. However...it's starting to feel like I really should be making more money at this 🤔

I don't want to be in the position anymore of relying on someone who may ghost me at a moment's notice for my income. Especially when I'm also putting so much time and effort into my creative work.

So, in an effort to secure some more stable income through my creative endeavors, I'm starting a Patreon!

The Fun Stuff!

Okay, let me try and sell this a bit better and tell you about all the fun stuff you'll get as a Patron!

Advance Chapters

The main thing I'm offering is early access to chapters of whatever book I'm currently writing. Right now, that's Prologue, which is book 6 of Thalassic (and you guys, it's dark.)

The book doesn't come out until January 2025, but you can start reading it now!

You'll get 1-2 chapters every week, as I write them. These are first draft chapters, so they are fairly unedited and may be slightly different from what ends up in the book.

I've posted Chapter One already.

Click here to read Chapter One for Free

**As a bonus, I'll give the first 10 people who sign up at $5/month or more a complete eBook set of the series so far, so you can get caught up for book 6!

At the next tier up, you'll also get behind-the-scenes stuff, including beat sheets (how I plot out the books), character worksheets, the random notes I make in my iPhone, etc.

Video Requests

Is there a book or trope you've been dying to see me roast in a video? Or maybe you'd like me to make a video poking fun at your book? You can request that as a Patron.

Custom Scene Requests

At higher tiers, you'll have the opportunity to request a new custom scene every month. This scene will be written exclusively for you. It'll be between 2000-4000 words and can include any 2-3 characters you want, from any of the books or short stories, plus yourself (if you want.) It can be spicy or not spicy - basically, it's up to you!

Exclusive T-Shirt

I'm also offering an exclusive Patrons-only t-shirt that you can only get by subscribing to a particular tier of the Patreon or above. Here's what it looks like:

Bookshop Discounts

All tiers come with a discount code for my online shop. This code is good for life, on anything in the shop, and guess what? I just added a bunch of fun new merch! Check it out!

Check Out All the New Merch Here

One-on-One Manuscript Feedback

I know quite a few people who follow me are also authors, who may be working on your own manuscripts. At the highest tier (limited to 2 people) I'll read and give you feedback on one of your manuscripts once per quarter.

This feedback will come in the form of notes, plus a Zoom chat to discuss those notes. I'll also be available on Discord to chat and answer questions.

Why would you want my feedback? Great question!

Here's what I'll say (and please believe me, I'm not trying to brag, and yes, it does feel very weird to be saying this):

The first manuscript I ever submitted to publishers was picked up in less than three weeks. I've written 8 complete books and 10 novellas so far. At this point, I feel like I know a bit about writing, and it's possible I could help other people improve their writing. And that would feel really good 😊

Down the Road: Podcast and Kickstarter

In 2025 I plan to start a podcast (with Trev, if I can trick him into doing it with me!) It's going to be a fun, silly comedy podcast where we dive into our favorite and least favorite tropes in books, TV, and film, and talk about what makes them great (or terrible.)

The thing is, I can only really afford to do this if I'm making stable income off my creative work. So without support from Patrons...this probably won't happen. Also, Patrons will get access to bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and have the opportunity to request what we discuss on the podcast.

Finally, I plan to run a Kickstarter in 2025 to release a special, limited-edition hardcover version of the Thalassic Series, once it's finished. There will be bonus Kickstarter goodies that are only available to Patrons!

Other Stuff

All Patrons will get shoutouts and @mentions in weekly update videos. Certain tiers will also be added to the acknowledgment sections of my books. Certain tiers will also get access to download my entire indie back catalogue, plus get free downloads of eBooks and audiobooks released while you are a Patron.

You guys on my newsletter who get the short stories every month know I give a lot of stuff away for free (and don't worry - those free stories aren't going away!)

I wish I could afford to give everything away and never have to make anyone pay for anything. It's always been more important to me that people read my work than it has been to get rich.

But at this point, it's not about getting rich so much as just...making a living and continuing to write. Patreon may not be for everyone, but for those who join it can be a super fun way to build a community and be directly involved in the creation of work you love. The more support I have from my hardcore fans, the more work I can produce.

TLDR: I can't do it without you.

💖 If you've made it this far, thank you for reading 💖

Check Out the Patreon Here