Last Updated on: 17th August 2021, 03:54 pm
I’ve Kickstarted a few things over the years, but I’m much slower on the trigger these days. There aren’t any projects I regret funding, but there are definitely categories I don’t fund any more.
I have more than enough games to play, for example, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the ones I funded through Kickstarter. Instead, I put most of my funding dollars towards fiction magazines and anthologies. They always seem like worthy causes even if I never get around to reading the stories. Also, magazines tend to deliver their rewards on time.
I’ve also shifted most of my funding towards Patreon instead of Kickstarter. Most of the creators I want to support release content on a regular schedule. They’ve all realized that it makes way more sense to send them a few dollars every month instead of hoping they reach full funding for their newest campaign.
One of the first people I supported on Patreon was Jeph Jacques, who created Questionable Content, the only webcomic I still follow.
When I first started reading QC, I read maybe a decade of his strips in a few days’ time. I enjoyed them so much that I bought the collected editions as a way to pay him back for all of that entertainment. Patreon is actually a much better way to support him because his comics never really looked right in print. I can also show my support on an ongoing basis instead of whenever I decide to order a book from him.
One of the creators I’ve supported on both Kickstarter and Patreon is Fireside Fiction, a magazine that has been around for a few years now. I support Fireside because they pay really nice professional rates, and they publish authors I enjoy. I want Fireside to stick around long enough that I have the chance to submit a story.
When they were doing yearly Kickstarters, there was always the danger they might miss their target and close up shop. Now that they’ve transitioned over to Patreon and reached a sustainable level, there’s a much better chance they’ll stick around for a good long time.
The final creator I’m funding is Strange Horizons, another magazine. If I remember correctly, I started funding them because they were having a fund drive and authors I follow on Twitter were advocating for them. I really just like supporting fiction markets because I want more chances to submit my stuff to some cool places. Also I always want to read more good short fiction.
In the future, I’ll probably favor Patreon over any new Kickstarters. I think the only project I’ve funded over there recently is a blu-ray collection of Don Hertzfeldt’s short films, which seemed like a worthwhile thing to own.
I think I’d rather put my money towards things I’m already enjoying instead of projects that might pay off two years down the line.