1KM1KT Free RPG Community

I'm curious if anyone else here has run a Patreon?

I'm considering doing it for a couple reasons: it's a way to get people supporting you, and it seems like once people give you money once in a while they're too lazy to stop doing it. Right now I'm working on Street Rats as a PWYW title, but I haven't gotten a whole lot of donations in exchange; I'm worried about setting my costs a little high, but I can't help but think that having an option to do a Patreon might get more than the PWYW, even though DriveThruRPG lets people go back to increase their donation if they want. That's also clunky and bulky; even though I release updates on a (now monthly) schedule, the users typically want to just download and play if they're going back for the new version, not go through the whole interface and payment process.

Mind you, all my games are still going to be free (or at least freely licensed; I plan on doing EP style "sell-it-but-technically-make-it-freely-distributable" method of distribution), but this gives me an option other than the DriveThruRPG releases and my blog for getting stuff to people who might support my work.

I have a Patreon page, but no one's ever signed up. I think it's best if you have a following that are already dedicated to your work.

I have a paypal donation link on my website and I've gotten more from random visitors than any other source. It's still meager, but it's greater than zero.

If you want to build a following, you have to get in front of people. Find a place you can run your games and then frequent them as much as possible. Once you have a local following, you use those people to build an online following.

Comic books can get a following online because they're easy to sample. Videos and animation is the same way. It's an instant fix. RPGs require a large investment of time before they're enjoyable, unless someone teaches the game to you by playing it. Then you can start enjoying it right away.

Who better to teach the feel and nuance of your game than you? Then there's the link that the player feels with the game because they can say "I played that with the designer". They gain a personal stake in your success because it gives them clout in the RPG community if you're successful. Make ways for early adopters to gain from their involvement. Give them jobs that can be credited in the book. I have a player that searched out any loophole he could find in my rules. I made him my rules editor.

Especially with free games, you need to get a foothold into people's time. The best way I know to do that is to run games at universities on open game nights. I started to do this but didn't stick with it long enough. Money was really really tight and I couldn't afford gas to drive an hour to the university. I probably should try it again.

I likewise have a Patreon, but after a year only one person signed up. It didn't feel worthwhile doing stuff for one person. I must check it again, it might be worthwhile doing stuff for two or three people.