Don't worry. Just take a deep breath. I'm going to give you the inside scoop on just what your creator needs, and how you can make sure that they continue to do that thing you love for years to come!
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| Stimulants may be necessary, but we'll get there when we get there... |
Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!
Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more! And, of course, check me out on Blue Sky, since that's what we're talking about today!
The 5 Steps To Taking Care Of Your Creators
In the old days, artists had patrons who would give them money, food, a place to live, and so one. Whether it was rich nobles who wanted to show off by having a pet artist, or the church who needed their skills to create works of art to ensure the proper feeling of reverence in the populace, these old style patrons handled the day-to-day expenses of the creators so they could focus on using their skills to make art.
The world has changed since then. These days it's possible for anyone to support the work of an artist they like, though, and we definitely need all the help we can get.
Just follow these 5 Steps, and your artist will be perking up in no time!
Method #1: Direct Patronage
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| Seriously, every little bit helps. |
You may not be a member of the Medicis, but you can still help creators directly. Whether you want to become a Patreon patron and give them a specific amount every month, or just toss them a tip using a platform like Ko-Fi when you have a little bit to spare, these tips can add up when there's a lot of people participating. Never underestimate the power of a lot of people doing something small in large numbers... that is going to become a running theme throughout this post, for folks who are wondering.
And if you want to give me a hand up, consider become one of my Patreon patrons, or giving me a tip on my Ko-Fi.
#2: Buy Their Merch
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| Since a lot of folks haven't checked out this novel yet... |
Did you know that a band makes way more money from the purchase of a tee shirt or a CD than buying a ticket to their concert does, more often than not? In fact, most of the money made from concerts (even those that sell out) often go to pay for the expenses of the show. Even some tours that seem really successful from the outside can barely break even... or in some case leave the performers in debt if they don't sell enough merch to actually make a profit.
So if you have a creator you like, take a look at their merch. Authors have novels, RPG rule books, and so on, which makes them easy to support in this regard. But even if you have a YouTuber, a painter, or any other kind of creator, ask what kind of merch they put out. Do they have stickers? Tee shirts? Shaker cups? Prints of their artwork? Or do they have a sponsorship deal with a product or service that you would actually use (since every purchase through the creator's link puts money in their pockets)?
For those interested in novels and short stories, check out my Amazon author page. If you're more of an RPG players, I've got nearly 200 titles on Drive Thru RPG. And if you're a fan of energy drinks that I can attest absolutely get the job done, consider clicking right here to check out Dubby!
Method #3: Consume Their Content
If a creator you follow makes content that is free for you to consume (they have a YouTube channel, a podcast, or they publish articles on a website or a blog), then make sure you're actually watching, reading, and listening to the things they make! In some cases that free content does have a method of getting the creator paid, such as how YouTube gives a portion of ad revenue to the person who runs a channel once they've met the website's qualifications. Your reads, views, etc. will only be a tiny fraction of what they'd need to make a living, but it costs you nothing, and increases the creator's numbers, which matters a lot.
Why does it matter? Because the algorithm, which can decide our success or failure, pays attention to numbers. Videos, articles, podcast episodes, etc., that get a lot of interaction (which is both watches/views/listens, but also shares, upvotes, reviews, etc.) are the things the algorithm chooses to signal boost because it believes they're more popular. So the more you can add to a creator's numbers, the better they look overall. As such you should listen, but also like, comment, subscribe, and all those other things that can help them push the rock up the hill a little further.
For those who'd like to help me in this regard, I help out with the Azukail Games YouTube channel, but I also have an archive of 329 articles and growing on Vocal.media (and every 3 articles read basically puts a penny in my earnings cup... so reading even 1 article a day would make a big difference if enough people did it).
Method #4: Actively Follow Them on Social Media
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| On it, chief! |
Social media is the lifeblood of how a lot of us stay in touch, as well as how we find new things. The problem is that thanks to platform decay, only those with the loudest followings and the largest numbers actually seem to get anywhere... everyone else is just drowned out by the sea of noise, ads, and bots that exists on these platforms.
Again, if you want the algorithm to notice the creators you like (and possibly pay them, as apparently that's a thing that can happen if your following is big enough), do your part to increase their numbers!
That means you should absolutely follow/subscribe to the creators you like on all the platforms they're active on, but that's just the start. Interact with their posts by liking, commenting, and sharing them. Turn on notifications if that's an option so you don't miss posts. Make sure you're plugged-in so that you see the things they put up, and if possible try to persuade your friends to do the same! Pushing someone's signal up takes literally tens of thousands of people, but it can be done if folks show up and keep the energy going. Like the other stuff above, this isn't a one-and-done... make this a part of your regular routine. It will only take a few minutes a day, if that, and it does make an impact.
All of my social media links are at the end of this blog for folks who are interested... Hope to see you there!
Method #5: Make Sure You Tell Them How Much You Like Their Work
Being told that people like your work, that people are excited for a thing you made, is like a straight shot in the arm for a lot of creators out there. We put hours of time, energy, editing, an often collaborating to make our creations into things that can be experienced... and when we do all that, and no one ever reads, watches, listens, etc., it can feel like it was for nothing.
I wrote Waking Dogs Part 3: Warhounds a few months ago, and the audio drama above by the YouTube channel A Vox in The Void gave me chills to listen to. Even more than hearing someone else's interpretation of my work, though, were the comments folks left behind!
I'll be honest, I wrote the first story abotu Crixus and his bloody adventures in the grimdark galaxy because I was hoping folks would then turn around and check out my novel Old Soldiers... but this little fanfiction series has taken on a life of its own. And seeing just how excited folks were not just to have a new installment of the series, but how stoked they were to know I had plans to keep it going... that's a great feeling to have, and it's one that we don't get as often as you might think.
So if you love a creator's work, tell them. Because a lot of the time we might be wondering if anyone actually cares, and if there's anyone actually rooting for us to keep going. Sometimes a little cheering from the sidelines really does help us keep putting one foot in front of the other just a little bit longer.
Final Thoughts
I want to make it clear to folks that this advice is universal. Any creator you're following, whether they're an author or a graphic artists, a YouTuber, a podcaster, a voice actor, or an essayist, they need you to help them keep their career alive. You are literally the life blood of art. PBS wasn't screwing around when they said we can only do what we do because of viewers like you... without your support, a lot of us will have to stop making art... so support the people whose work you want to see flourish!
Support The Literary Mercenary
If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!
- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)
- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)
And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!
Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!
Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!
That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!
And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list.
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