Getting Off the Ground (plus the Donate Button)

[finch]

Hello! I haven't done a web serial in probably five years, but I was thinking it might be a good way to get some traffic on my website and also maybe make money writing things I actually enjoy.

I was thinking about starting with the "post once a week and if donations reach X amount I'll update twice a week" model but I'm not sure whether that's the best way to go. Do y'all think this is a good idea? Is there something else you'd recommend more?

Also I looked at setting up a donate button on paypal and it talks about being an actual charity. I know I'm unlikely to reach the $10k or whatever threshhold but is there any other way to set up a "pay what you like" model with Paypal? I can't seem to find it if there is.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Hello! I haven't done a web serial in probably five years, but I was thinking it might be a good way to get some traffic on my website and also maybe make money writing things I actually enjoy. <<

That has potential.

>>I was thinking about starting with the "post once a week and if donations reach X amount I'll update twice a week" model but I'm not sure whether that's the best way to go. Do y'all think this is a good idea?<<

The right model depends on your writing style and your audience. "Post weekly plus bonus" works well for people who write fast and have a regular readership with at least some active donors.

>> Is there something else you'd recommend more? <<

For a new project when you haven't been doing serials regularly, you might consider a miniseries. That gives you a little continuity but keeps the plot on track and the size manageable. If you have an established setting, you can do more than one storyline there.

Another possibility would be what I do, and kajones_writing does something similar. Put out small things, and let the readers decide what to support, so that the most popular things grow into the biggest series. This is a good choice for anyone who writes well in episodic format.

>> Also I looked at setting up a donate button on paypal and it talks about being an actual charity. I know I'm unlikely to reach the $10k or whatever threshhold but is there any other way to set up a "pay what you like" model with Paypal? I can't seem to find it if there is. <<

That's poor design on their part. As far as I know "donate" is the only "pay what you want" option. Lots of people use it for crowdfunding. Occasionally PayPal makes a fuss, but usually not.

If you're worried, consider other money handlers.

[anke]

Last time Paypal made a fuss, it seemed to be because someone was collecting donations for a charitable cause while not being an officially registered charity, so my impression was they don't allow that due to the high potential for fraud, but someone collecting donations for themselves was OK.

As a reader, I think for serials the model you mention works best. Posting only if you get donations would only work if you have a sizeable audience already, but the chance of an extra episode is an incentive that just a tip jar and a regular schedule don't provide.