I’ve backed some projects for the copy of the work plus any extras (e.g. prints or sketches) but I won’t back the ones that were basically “pay my rent and other living expenses while I work on this but you won’t get the actual work from this Kickstarter”.

The fulfillment can be very arduous from what I’ve seen some creators say, compound that obligation with freelance work would be a level of stress no one needs. I pre-ordered my copy of the Gaiman book. Hopefully I won’t get an email saying things get delayed. 😉

Outrageous! Kickstarters are rarely about the “donation”, the “donation” is just a way of framing a pre-sale. Almost no one “donates” to those things, they just send money to get stuff on the back end.

I’m 100% against giving money to people who just want to go on vacations or to a convention because they’ve been dopes with their resources, or have tons of stuff on hand they could easily move to finance their play. I’m not going to track them down and get shouty, but I’m not giving them any money, either.

But using crowdfunding to finance an art project is not the same thing.

I’ve considered doing a kickstarter at some point, but I know I’m just too overwhelmed with obligations at this time to do it. I need a clear slate to do that, and the Gaiman book took six months longer to do than I planned. It’s been an art triumph (she wrote modestly) and a disaster in every other way, LOL!

I recall some webcomic creator who called those who have kickstarters “beggars”. Yet, years later, when they had one, they kept ignoring those who called out the hypocrisy. That or flat out denied ever saying that. Bizarre.

I recall being at a convention once and had a big box of old videotapes under my table. And my mom was manning the table. Some dude barked at her, “IF Colleen Doran is so successful, why is she selling her collection?”

And my mom said “Because she’s gone to dvd!”

The people who have needled me most include the dude who had the GofundMe for a vacation while sitting on Smaug’s hoard of stuff, and a writer who makes his living selling stuff on ebay.

It’s OK for him to sell stuff on ebay, but when I sell art on ebay, this is a sign of weakness!

Hoo boy.

Whatever helps fund more ADS is a good thing! Odd how some beat the drum of more creators doing creator-owned work yet when creators find ways to self-fund, there’s a desire to poke at the choices made.

A dude I used to know who has a solid job, makes good money, and spend it all on collectibles that clutter his house so much you can’t walk in it had a GoFundMe so he could go on vacation.

I sell off collectibles when I need money, which is always taken as a sign I must be at death’s door. In fandom, collectibles go last! When I sold some expensive evening gowns on ebay, naturally the rumor spread that I was on the skids.

Even Jodie Foster has garage sales, folks. I know, because I have one of her suits.

I’ve always sold off stuff when I needed extra money, and I’ve sold off a ton of stuff to finance A DISTANT SOIL. That’s not down and out, that’s smart.

I’ve certainly had a few bad years here and there: ironically, back in the days when it was really hard to sell collectibles online. Now it’s easy.

I’d love to sell off these LOTR collectibles in my attic, which I got because one of the dudes from this old fan group owed me a buttload of money he couldn’t pay. So I got paid in collectibles. Hoo boy.

They’re nice to look at, I’m keeping some of them.

Art collecting can be a bit of an outlet for me and also something I can enjoy as something that came from saving as opposed to just working to pay bills. When I see what some pieces sell for, my jaw drops and wonder who has that kind of money. But when I see some fans setting up donation pages due to putting themselves in debt but aren’t willing to sell any of their collectibles, that irks me. Especially when I know how much they’ve dropped on art from certain artists I’ve also purchased from in the past.