Some thoughts about Patreon's recent changes

So I know that Patreon's new fee structure was announced a few days ago, and most of you have probably already seen lots of things about it (news coverage/social media reactions/etc), but I wasn't exactly sure how things would be affecting my patrons and I through these changes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a link to Patreon's blog post about their new fees for patron pledges.

Basically, the new structure is supposed to "give more money to the creators" after fees are calculated, so patrons are being charged a fee on top of their pledge (2.9% + $0.35). This works out to being a higher charge for patrons who only pledge small amounts, such as $1. I'm not happy about the thought of Patreon taking more money from people in general, but in particular the effect on low pledges is a concern. 

I still am planning to keep my Patreon running - it's only been up for a small amount of time and I've been enjoying the feeling of closeness with you all who appreciate my art and choose to support me directly. More than just money coming in, it's motivation and accountability to share my art with others, push myself to do better, and it's made me able to branch out more than I thought I would. This has little to do with Patreon as a service, and primarily to do with all of you that choose to be here and contribute.

I'm still hoping that the backlash from creators and patrons will lead Patreon to reverse the changes, but for now my main concern is being able to do what makes my audience happy, and be able to continue to grow as an artist as well. If you feel unhappy with these changes but want to support me in some other way, I would be happy to work something out with you instead. I'm considering making a Kofi page where people can choose to donate in whatever amount they choose without a fee added on each month (although this can also be done through Paypal). And I'd gladly set something up where I could deliver Patreon-only content to supporters that chose to leave because of these changes but still want to be a patron. Again, the main thing isn't about the money - it's involvement! Those $1 pledges may apparently not mean much to Patreon, but they mean plenty to me.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to comment here - or if you'd prefer, you can DM me on Twitter or send me an email (magical.ondine@gmail.com) any time you like.