Topic: Donations / tip jar (Read 7494 times)

dcnblues · « **on:** 10 Aug 2009, 09:38 »

I'm very interested in artists supporting themselves online, and am a big fan of QC.

I'm curious as to the percentage of people who'd like an easy option to tip the comic when they get a chuckle, paycheck, a month's worth of entertainment, etc. I believe that in a world where most will toss $10 to see a Michael Bay film without thinking to much about it, a few quarters here and there to a non-corporate artist isn't much of a burden to a fairly rabid fanbase. In fact, I'm guessing there's a demand for it.

If you've read the entire comic, listened to Deathmole, never bought a T-shirt, or used the 'Make a donation' link, would you consider tossing 25 cents, or 50, if it were as easy as sending a twitter tweet? New micropayments options are popping up all over, and I'm just curious. What's the attitude of the average, return reader on this topic?

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/db/2009/db090716.gif

Zingoleb · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Aug 2009, 13:56 »

I get where you're coming from, but one can not really honestly expect to have a steady income to depend on through, well, tips. That's the point where you have merchandising to sell to get your bread. A musician can't expect to live off the tip jar - they need to get paid gigs, concerts, or sell albums to make the money. I think Jeph seems to be on the right course.

nichidani · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Aug 2009, 16:36 »

not to mention, it is kind of a running joke that a lot of bloggers/webcomic artists always kind of 'beg' for money. i am pretty sure jeph doesn't wanna be 'that guy'

i.e. "how many bloggers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"
"none, lightbulb's broken. accepting donations for new lightbulb."

hur hur.

bicostp · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Aug 2009, 17:29 »

Problem is, donations aren't a steady source of income you can rely on.

Plus it makes you look like an e-busker.

'WILL COMIC FOR FOOD'

dcnblues · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 17:36 »

I think that attitude is inevitably going to change.

Music will drive it. It's accepted that the bands you love will have to accept that their music will be downloaded, and that the only money they'll make is from concerts. That's the prevailing attitude. (Don't even bring up paying some fuckhead corporation $18 for a CD of which they'll give the artist what, $3?).

FUCK THAT NOISE.

Having a single link to Donation information on your page is hardly busking or begging, and I can't understand, for the life of me, anyone who thinks there should be the slightest stigma attached to an artist who is giving away his/her work. I totally agree it's not necessary or productive to ASK for money. But giving your fans the option is completely different.

I want the musicians and webcomics artists I like to make it easy on me to support them.
I LOVE bypassing vampire distribution corporations. Donations give me a little rush when I know I'm bypassing those scumbags.
Sometimes I don't love the T-shirts, and sometimes the bands don't play where I live. And yet, if they're broke, I lose the art I like. There needs to be a solution.
Paypal works, and an account is good for stage II micropayment companies just starting up now, but it's not really designed for tips and they take too much percentage on small donations.

I don't get why artists or fans don't think the artist can make a living off tips. Are they so lo tech they've never heard of the long tail? Can no one imagine the collective power of tens of thousands of fans tossing a quarter every few strips voluntarily?

Also, even if you guys are right about current attitudes, I'd argue that those attitudes can change. Did you dismiss out of hand what I just wrote, or did it make you think?

Watched Pot · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 20:15 »

I don't think there's anything wrong with a paypal (etc.) donation system for webcomics. Personally I am a $3/month subscriber to a different comic's premium content system. I like supporting the author, and while I initially got it so I'd have access to the extras, I really wouldn't care if he made everything available for free, i'd still keep on paying and i think a lot of other subscribers would as well. I've bought a couple shirts from Jeph, and I'm planning to buy some more stuff as funds become available in the next few weeks, but I'd probably be willing to donate a few dollars now and then if there was some kind of auto-payment option.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 20:50 »

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is with busking.

est · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 21:30 »

I think that having the donation option there is like having a tip jar at a counter. If you want to tip then thanks, but if not then that's ok too. I think that is why he doesn't draw much attention to it or even have an image on it.

Surgoshan · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 23:17 »

Quote from: Zingoleb on 12 Aug 2009, 20:50

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is with busking.

Many buskers are suboptimal.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Aug 2009, 23:20 »

Well, besides quality. I'd rather someone be making a half-assed attempt at playing a guitar than just sitting out with a hat and begging.

nichidani · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 00:17 »

well yeah i'd rather have some dude with a broken guitar string playing off key folk music than a hobo askin' me for a dollar. i throw some quarters at a guitar player; i usually only give scruffy beggars a cigarette.

jonarus_drakus · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 10:12 »

Throw 'em a ciggie, but dont let them borrow your lighter. Sit back and enjoy the show as same hobbo asks everyone for 'a light' instead of spare change. Gotta love the lack of priorities...

Juniper Jade · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 10:59 »

That's just mean. D:

nichidani · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Aug 2009, 15:13 »

some insane homeless man outside a hotel i was staying in asked me for a light, and he was holding what i first thought was an ordinary black and mild, but upon a little more thought i realized the contents were green, and the crazy homeless guy had a black and mild stuffed with weed. i was tempted to be like "dude, i will give you a sandwich if you smoke that blunt with me", but i didn't want to get my legs chopped off or herpes, so i just went inside.

dcnblues · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 16:17 »

Quote from: est on 12 Aug 2009, 21:30

I think that having the donation option there is like having a tip jar at a counter. If you want to tip then thanks, but if not then that's ok too. I think that is why he doesn't draw much attention to it or even have an image on it.

Exactly! So he also needs to setup (easy, 2 minutes) a twitpay account. And those interested in using the tip jar (and who are willing to have a paypal account) should as well. Then, tipping gets REALLY EASY.
https://twitpay.me/p/faq

Jimor · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 16:22 »

Uhh, so all this was to get Jeph to set up some DIFFERENT method for his fans to send donations other than the one he already has? Right there on the front page? What am I missing?

EDIT:

Quote from: dcnblues on 10 Aug 2009, 09:38

I'm very interested in artists supporting themselves online, and am a big fan of QC.

...would you consider tossing 25 cents, or 50, if it were as easy as sending a twitter tweet?

Quote from: TwitPay

The recipients of the payment will be required to pay PayPal's commercial transaction fee of 2.9% + 0.30 USD and any other applicable fees.

So if somebody "helpfully" tossed Jeph a quarter using this service, he'd actually LOSE 5 cents.

ryan · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Aug 2009, 21:39 »

Quote from: Zingoleb on 12 Aug 2009, 20:50

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is with busking.

Completely agreed. I am a busker myself- I go downtown in Chicago occasionally and play some music. I people want to, they toss in a buck. If they don't, they get free music. There is no problem with people having the option to give an artist money. Also, nothing says a webcomic artist (or any other kind for that matter) would have to make their entire living off of it anyway. I don't make my living on it, but I'm not going to turn down extra money, either.

For this comic, it's a moot point though. There already is a donation button, I believe.

ModernRonin · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Aug 2009, 22:03 »

Topatoco will have my credit card number the nanosecond the Deathm0le shirts come back. :]

My "Bomb The Blogosphere" shirt is too obvious now. I was at the local Arts & Crafts co-op the other day and the girl behind the counter said, "Hey, you read QC." Arrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I am no longer hip, indy, or ahead of the curve!

workingrobbie · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 13:20 »

Quote from: Zingoleb on 10 Aug 2009, 13:56

I get where you're coming from, but one can not really honestly expect to have a steady income to depend on through, well, tips.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that Randy over at Something Positive (www.somethingpositive.net) relied on micropayments for his income. Or maybe that was for one year only. Granted, it would be very difficult to do and would require a really loyal and dedicated fan base.

Surgoshan · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 13:27 »

Randy said that if he got a year's worth of salary that he would quit his job. He got the donations and quit. Now I think he relies on donations and merch.

KeepACoolin · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 Aug 2009, 23:23 »

Didn't bother to read the rest of the thread, but just wanted to say that I would not donate, not because of any opposition to Jeph (though I have some), but because I am a poor college student.

Leon7386 · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Aug 2009, 21:27 »

I don't have the means to donate that but if anything I would buy a shirt, I just haven't seen anything that really catches my eye yet.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #22 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 21:02 »

Quote from: Surgoshan on 19 Aug 2009, 13:27

Randy said that if he got a year's worth of salary that he would quit his job. He got the donations and quit. Now I think he relies on donations and merch.

There's also advertisements. I looked up QC on www.cubestat.com and while I do not know how accurate the site is, it says that QC gets over $300 a day on advertising alone.

JD · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 21:15 »

Derailing the thread a bit, but I looked up google on that site, just for kicks

Website Worth: $2,190,000,000.00

Daily Pageviews: 1,000,000,000

Daily Ads Revenue: $3,000,000.00

I wonder what they do with that money

Zingoleb · « **Reply #24 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 21:30 »

Google was one of the first I looked up as well, also youtube (it wouldn't load my father's website for some reason)

I'm really curious myself. I'm wondering how much is used to pay for maintaining the company (including all those groovy things you hear about and employee pay) and how much goes towards the CEOs

KeepACoolin · « **Reply #25 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 22:27 »

Don't trust those calculations: I just entered my blog (which I and about three other people ever read) and it came out to 125,000,000 page views per day along with many millions of dollars in revenue. If so, this is news to me and I would like my cut please, blogspot.com.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #26 on:** 24 Aug 2009, 01:59 »

It's saying that www.blogspot.com gets 125,000,000 views, not your individual blog. It searches websites, not individual pages.

A little less fail, please.

KeepACoolin · « **Reply #27 on:** 24 Aug 2009, 13:51 »

Eh. What can I say, fail well deserved.

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Poll

If there was an easy way to tip QC I'd use it

Author Topic: Donations / tip jar (Read 7494 times)

Zingoleb

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ryan

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Zingoleb