Samantha Blacklock
patreon
[Please read!] Personal update (September 2022)
🕑 Added 2022-08-31 09:35:32 +0000 UTC
I wanted to ask for your help to make a decision.
I haven’t posted a lot lately, and I want that to change. Commissions are my main source of income, but while I enjoy working on them, they leave me with little time to focus on my own projects. I am really grateful to all of you for supporting me because it is not your obligation at all and yet you like my work as much as to consider helping me continue creating it.
That’s my biggest motivation, to know that someone enjoys what I create, but drawing is my only job and I need to pay for my HRT, bills, food, and lately my health. Nothing to worry about, but depression has made me neglect my health for years and now I’m starting to pay the consequences.
I’m not asking you for a single cent more, I AM extremely thankful for all you do for me, but I’d like to attract more support to my Patreon and Ko-Fi so I can depend less on commissions I, however, don’t like the idea of forcing people to pay to see my content. I’d like my art to be free for anyone to see, for what makes me happy is to know that people can find help, support, inspiration, courage, and other positive things in what I do. For that reason, I’m not sure what would be the best approach to attract more people so I can focus completely in Lizzy and Lynn’s story (I’ll start drawing the cover for the manga next week, BTW!).
One option would be to make it as it is right now, with completely voluntary support offering only previews, WIPs, and sketches, but adding two more tiers ($5 and $10 USD) just for anyone who wants to support without having any kind of exclusive content. Since this option would be completely voluntary, it probably wouldn’t be a great incentive for other people to support this project, but I know not everyone has the means, especially when some of us, unfortunately, have to deal with rejection and other issues. It would depend only on people willing and able to support ^^
Another option would include posting individual pages for my manga once I start posting it around twice a week from the $5 tier, posting the whole chapter for lower tiers when it’s finished, and making it public for non-patrons a few days later or so. The $10 tier would have some exclusive content.
This option could also include some slightly NSFW content. Only slightly, to be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever draw something way too explicit, but intimate and romantic scenes every once in a while, since intimacy and sexuality are also an important part of Lynn’s transition (and everyone’s, I think) but I don’t want to contribute to the fetishization of trans people, and also while I have nothing against NSFW artists, I want my art to be wholesome more than anything, so I won’t draw anything particularly or exclusively sexual. Still this may help make Patreon a bit more attractive for new supporters!
Actually, one of the latest chapters of Lizzy and Lynn’s story focuses on intimacy, and it's the only thing I was planning from the beginning to make a Patreon exclusive. That is also my favorite chapter of all I’ve written x) (I haven't posted the text because it's basically at the end)
But not only do I want to draw my manga, I also want to make more animations!
In any case, you wouldn’t lose access to my WIPs for my animations and most of my drawings if you stay in the Star tier ($3 USD), I would only add content for the manga on the new tiers ^^ But in the end, you all would see the finished product.
I’d love to know what you think! Again thank you all for your support, and I’m really excited to make more art that you can enjoy! I’ll be thankful If you could give me your opinions and also if you have other ideas ^w^
Thank you so much for your time! Here's a star for you ^w^
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Comments
Samantha Blacklock
Thank you so much! Yup, I think I've made a decision ^w^
Samantha Blacklock
Thank you so much! ^^ I wouldn't make content I don't like, so it would be kind of light NSFW, like this: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/86766662 something I consider intimate and cute but not too explicit (I wouldn't draw visible genitalia, for example, or any kind of fetish, but more like Avelyn exploring her feminity and such) so don't worry! Actually I'm a bit afraid people would want something more explicit and I know that kind of content sells a lot, but I just don't feel comfortable with that, I would go only as far as I feel like drawing ^^ Thank you so much for your opinion and support! <3
Cubes Endurance
I'm with Moof and LittleLilithPad. I could write the same thing they're saying but honestly there isn't much more to add.
Mika Moof
I think adding more tiers would absolutely be appropriate and warranted. You deserve to get fair pay for the amazing work you do. I think adding additional content would certainly give incentives for people to join, but also don't force yourself to do content you don't want to do (like the NSFW) stuff, otherwise you'll get burned out
