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HOLA COMRADES!

well, here we are. the next frontier. here i am again, asking.

it’s now been over TWO YEARS (!) since i launched this patreon page and there’s over 11,000 people here, supporting my weirdness, and i am perpetually in awe. and really grateful.

and now that we’ve kind of gotten the hang of this patreon thing, i can explain some things to all y’all that weren’t so clear when we were starting out!

the video above is now a bit outdated, but it is a kind of nice before n’ after, considering i had a mission and now i’m a year in….here’s what i’ve released as paid “Things” so far!
https://old.amandapalmer.tasty.studio/patreon-things/

so what’s patreon? if you’re just showing up here for the first time….here’s the lowdown:

if you’re a fan of mine and want to support me in the creation of new songs/webcasts/videos/writing/performance-art and more random, unpredictable art-things, this is the place. as you can see, the list above is pretty varied…and who knows what’s next…comics? podcasts? i’m wide open. i like surprises.

the feedback from the patrons gathered here has been GREAT. it’s working. i read comments, we discuss, i love feedback, i am figuring this system out AS I GO, with the help of the people here.

my backstory:

i’ve been struggling since i got off my label in 2008 to find the right platform for ongoing support, through which i can release constant material (and get paid).

i’ve gotten to know myself. as a creator, as a songwriter, and as a recording artist, i thrive on instant gratification and a direct mainline to my audience without having to go through labels, distributors, the machine, the mass media. i love making things and instantly sharing. and i know my fanbase: you’re smart, kind, supportive, future-platform embracing people.

we all started learning how to trust each other with kickstarter, pledgemusic, indiegogo. i think subscription sites like patreon are a new revolution in music-release and art patronage.

what i’m doing flies in the face of most conventional approaches: i try to release pretty much ALL MY ARTISTIC CONTENT for free: the songs and videos live FREE on youtube, bandcamp, my site, wherever.
(in some cases, like david bowie covers, i have to charge, because bowie’s publisher charges me for the use of the songs. but usually, stuff’s free).

THAT IS HOW I LIKE IT. not everybody wants to buy it. that’s fine. it’s yours, it’s everybody’s, you can take it, you can share it.

but to DO this: i need support, true patronage. those willing to be the driving engine to pay for the recording studios, the filmmakers, the office rent, the staff costs, the gas, the food, the lodging. i need a salary and a budget.

i’m friends with jack (the CEO) and the fine folks at patreon, as i was pals (and still am) with yancey over at kickstarter. i *really* believe in the future of crowd-power and what these people and companies are doing. it isn’t making world news, because it is what it is: a quiet, underground network of artists connecting directly with their fans, bypassing the entire commercial system. this is AWESOME.

it is, in these days of negativity and tumblr outrage, the bright side of the net: it is how the web can really *save artists* in an art-economy that is floundering. AND it means YOU need to step up and support the artists you love, the political cartoonists you want to see bravely satirizing the system, the painters you want to see reflecting their realities, the musicians you want filling your hearts and your speakers, the journalists you want to see writing about the state of the world.

THIS IS HAPPENING!!!! HERE YOU ARE!!!!

almost 25,000 of you supported my kickstarter, and i don’t expect those kinds of numbers here – this is more of a commitment: though you do get to road test it if you’re scared (you can pull out before you’re charged at the end of any month, so it’s risk-free).

my kickstarter was a one-time deal, this is more of an ongoing commitment to me and my music and spontaneous art-making.

kickstarter was like a serious date, this is like getting married.

more backstory? i’ve been flailing (often happily, for sure) since i left my label in 2008. self-releasing and distributing vinyl & CDs isn’t easy. giving my music away for free online has been an adventure, but not as sustainable as i expected. you may be surprised to know that “theatre is evil” – even with 25,000 backers and rave reviews in the press – sold relatively few copies in stores.

but while kickstarter is awesome for huge one-time projects, i don’t want to do get repetitive and exhaust the fanbase with “HEY I’M MAKING YET ANOTHER RECORD, PRE-ORDER HERE….AGAIN!.”

i just want to be able to go into the studio, make music with friends, call a film director, make a video, take a few months off, write, record, and press PUBLISH when i’m done, the way i can with my blogs. bam, bam, bam. INSTANT ART.

i also don’t want to have to think up clever merchandise (i know we love fuzzy posters, and t-shirts, mugs and tea-cozies….but how much Stuff is too much Stuff before we don’t need any more Stuff cluttering up landfills?)

don’t get me wrong: i’m not going to give up on physical or merchandise (i mean, manufacturing my own vinyl and nudie pens brings me great joy) and i’m not going to give up on collecting my music into “albums”.

but i know me and i’m addicted to PUTTING OUT THE THING NOW. i’ve seen what’s happened to me when i’m able to slave all night on something and wave it around immediately the next day online or at a show. without that possibility, 8in8 (the all-night record i made with ben folds and damian kulash and neil gaiman: http://www.eightineight.com/band.html) wouldn’t have happened. and i don’t think i ever would have written “gaga, palmer, madonna” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dxDREaCyjE) if i hadn’t been able to upload it directly to YouTube that night. the immediate thrills me. getting PAID to make this art instead of just doing it for kicks thrills me even more.

about money:

SOME THINGS COST A LOT OF MONEY! some of the patreon projects listed above had budgets of $15,000. and SOME THINGS COST ALMOST NOTHING! a song like “a mother’s confession” cost me a few thousand dollars (to pay my kind engineer for his studio and mixing time).

the idea here is that you trust me to use the ongoing budgets as i see fit. not every project will cost the same…but the more budget i have, the more fun crazy shit i can do, the more staff i can pay (and the better i can pay the staff i already have), and more i can spend on my artistic collaborators. i like feeling like a pipeline through which money can flow. it gives me great pleasure to be able to pay other artists to Do Their Things with my budgets.

here’s the key: THIS IS A HUGE EXPERIMENT.

if you guys know me, you know i LISTEN. we’re here to make this sucker work together, and we will.
even if you’re a one dollar backer, i want to know what you’re digging about the platform and what’s bugging you. the conversation (via comments here, and on twitter and facebook, and on the live webcasts) has already been ON FIRE, and i hope to keep it that way.

every patron who’s supporting me is important to this community, YOU’RE who i’m creating for, and i’m glad you found me here.

whether you’re backing me for a dollar or ten dollars…THANK YOU.

ALLL THE THIIIIIIIIIIINGS!!!
MOAR THINGS FOREVER!!!!!!
let’s DO THIS SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,
AFP

p.s. if you’re just finding out about patreon and you’re like JA JA JA JA OMG, here are a few other artists/creators i suggest you look into….

neil degrasse tyson (making a startalk podcast!) https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio
geeta dayal (writing smart journalism about music and art!) https://www.patreon.com/geetadayal
martin gommel (photo essays about refugees in europe!) https://www.patreon.com/martingommel

p.p.s. if you’re not familiar with MY music, i’ve made a great primer page to acquaint you, it’s called “a walk through amandalanda” and has streams of my biggest records and best videos:

http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/
…………

THE FAQ (frequently asked questions)
if you have questions, please submit them on twitter, on facebook, on my blog, or here on the patron stream once you sign up.

Q: “i have a question about your patreon, who can i contact?”

A: reach out to patronhelp@amandapalmer.net and they will get you sorted!

Q: “why are you charging Per Thing versus charging Per Month, like some other patreon artists?”

A: i thought hard about charging Per Month instead of Per Thing, because patreon lets you do either, and a lot of artists are successfully charging per month. however, that makes me nervous: what if i’m traveling and touring and/or taking off time for three months in a row and don’t have output to share? i’d feel guilty. i know me well enough to know that i don’t work consistently: this isn’t a weekly web comic, i’m a sporadic weirdo. Per Thing seemed safer. here’s the way I figured it: patreon has a MONTHLY CAP, so if you want the security of only EVER paying $10 a month, because that’s what your budget allows, you can CAP at $10. that way it’s like paying $10 per month, WITH the added advantage that if i decide to post No Things in a given month, you’ll be charged NOTHING. so it’s technically better for you, and i won’t feel guilty, ever.

Q: “but if i cap my backing at $10 a month, does that mean I won’t get ALL THE THINGS? i want ALL THE THINGS!!!!!”

A: lucky for you, i’m treating everybody equally. and also don’t forget…almost nothing here is paywalled. the CONTENT goes out to the public, you guys are the backstage. you don’t lose access to ANYTHING when you hit your cap. you’ll still get EVERYTHING emailed to you if you’re backing at the email level, and access to all streams even if your cap is $1 a month. you don’t get punished for capping.

Q: “does patreon accept paypal?”

A: yes, paypal is accepted!

Q: ” I want to join your Patreon, but I don’t have any idea how much to donate. I want to do it for about $25-35/month. You say it’s donating “per thing” – how often do you do those “things” – so I can get an idea how much to donate per thing. For example, if you do a “thing” every 3 months, I will donate $100 per thing. guidelines on “thing” timetables… at least roughly?” (from samaire provost on facebook)

A: well…that’s really generous. the $100/month option is full right now, and i’m trying to figure out what to do about that. right now you have two options: you could just back me at $10/thing, which is the closest denomination (in general i put out about one thing a month and haven’t put out 2 or 3 yet… but might!) and i’d cap your donation at $30, or $60, or $60….so you never pay more than you’re happy with. OR if you’re feeling more generous, you can actually “write in” a higher amount per thing (i.e. you can write in $20/$30/$50 at the $10 level) and that extra dough per thing, until you hit your monthly cap, is just considered generous gravy.

Q: “when are you going to put out an Actual Record I Can Touch? call me old school, but i just want to buy a simple record.”

A: SOON! i’m workin on it. meanwhile, you can purchase one of the gazillions of physical records & CDs I’ve released if you’re super keen on touching things:
http://shop.amandapalmer.net/

Q: “um….what if i want to just donate money to you once? this is weird.”

A: um. that’s fine. you can make a one-time donation to my site’s music page here…down to the right where it says “support my art”. thanks. (https://old.amandapalmer.tasty.studio/music/)

Q: “i love you. i just wanted to say that.”

A: “i love you too. here’s a hug ((((((((((())))))))))))”