MUST READ FOR PATRONS - Changes coming for 2022
Hey folks !
So, let's talk about 2022 !
I've been meaning to write this message for a bit now. Guess this is a good a moment as any other to let you know what I have planned for 2022.
MyMiniFactory has started discussing their project to host a Patreon-like service on their platform with a bunch of creators in early 2021, including me. Recently, they finally launched MMF Tribes, as a way to compete with Patreon.
Given how they launched it and their plans with this new service, I will very likely pass and stay on Patreon until further notice . Nonetheless, at first, I was pretty excited to see this new service emerge, mostly because I wanted to use the occasion to change a few things to my subscription plans. But I guess it won't be necessary, and I can definitely make these changes directly to my Patreon starting 2022. I won't delve too much into my reasons here but I'll be happy to discuss it further on the Discord server ;)
Counting my Goblinoid release, I have made almost 30 miniatures this year, and had to pause my Patreon page's billing cycles quite a few times to catch up on the numerous delays.
Pausing my billing cycles that often is quite annoying for all parties, and given my current output (4 new models per release, 5 for the Goblinoids), and my unwillingness to sacrifice quality, I cannot possibly honor this promise on a monthly basis. Also, for personal reasons, I have stopped working on weekends for about 6 months, and I have a big side project that takes time away from this everlasting production, so I need to make time for it all.
Therefore, I have decided to lower my pricing and production. Four models per release is pretty tough considering my new situation, but three models per month is completely feasible without pausing my billing cycle all the time.
I have also switched my Patreon payout currency from $ to €, since currency exchange rates (especially on Paypal, but I finally made the switch to Payoneer) can be really disheartening at times.
So, since I am changing my payout currency to € and decreasing my per-release production volume to make it an actual monthly thing, I have made the necessary changes to my Tiers, so go ahead and edit your pledges, or you will be slightly overcharged.
The only slight issue is, in 2021, I have mostly completed sets I started in 2020.
I could have a complete set of seven models at any given time because three of them were throwback models I made in 2020. That's true for most of my releases this year (Dark Knights, Loxodons, Kenkus, Gnolls, etc.)
Since I will start making completely new creatures, such as Dragonborns and Leonins in 2022, my monthly sets won't be as unified as they were until then, but I'll keep the throwback models in the lower tiers. So, in the future, expect two different sets each month : new models and throwback models, but mismatched ^^
So here's what to expect, basically :
- CUB Tier switches from $1 to 1€ - ($1.50 on Patreon - no pledge editing required)
- CUBROLL Tier switches from $2.50 to 2€ - ($3 on Patreon)
- FULL CUBROLL switches from $7.50 to 5€ - ($6.50 on Patreon - Three new models instead of four + access to CUB and CUBROLL rewards, as usual)
- Merchant Tier switches from $30 to 25€ ($32 on Patreon)
- MyMiniFactory prices increase to match current Market prices from February 2022
- 50% OFF models on MMF (and, soon, MiniHoarder) instead of 25% from January 2022
- MMF Redemption (yeah, about time I started doing that) from January 2022
(EDIT : Hopefully, the currency switch to € doesn't affect existing patrons' pledges, including Merchants.
https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048258772-Changing-your-payout-currency
Still, current FULL CUBROLL Subcribers that currently pledge $7.50 should update their pledge to $6.50 or 5€, depending on your location, since you'll be getting fewer models per release.
If you are at a discounted rate because you won a painting contest or otherwise, don't edit your pledge, you earned it ;)
So, yeah, hopefully, only future Patrons will be affected by the switch to €)
Let me know if you have any questions!
Comments (27)
Thank you! I didn't even notice the Chitu files!
Is there any chance of seeing the baby owlbears coming out presupported? No worries if not, I'm fairly new to resin printing and still getting the hang of supporting models
Hey Caleb! The owlbear cubs have had presupported versions for quite some time now. They're just in chitubox format instead of stl, but they are presupported ;)
I just signed up for the full cubroll patreon, but am having trouble finding links to download the welcome pack (baby owlbears) or to see if there is anything else to download, where do i go for this?
Hey David! Thanks for your support! I'll make the January posts very soon. You'll be able to get the lower tiers' content then, including the baby owlbears.
Where does one find that MyMiniFactory discount? I was just about to buy a few of your Loxodons when I came here to look for a code. (glad to see it's up to 50% too!)
Also, did you already remove the goblins from the drop box? I decided to pull the trigger & upgrade to Full Cubroll, but the link was closed.
I'm really glad to see the MMF redemption, as the scary thing about patreons is having a busy end of the month and missing out. And quality matters far more than quantity, so keep up the great modelling.
Thanks Andrew, I appreciate it very much :D
A question for the masses. I've had a few artist change currencies and by doing so I get charged a currency conversion fee and foreign transaction fee from my processing company, Paypal normally or my bank, as a separate charge in the billing cycle. Have others who encountered this found "work arounds" for the increased charge. I understand why artist do it, but it starts to add up when several artist are doing it. So far, the only work around I have found is switching to Tribes for those who do not bill in US $.
Sorry to hear the currency change is giving you trouble. The transaction fee should be split between the creator and the patrons. Paypal is pretty bad when it comes to currency exchange rates so changing your payment method might help, but other than that, we're pretty powerless :s
So, I'm a European and pay using paypal. The patreon prices are still listed in $ for me, am I missing something somewhere? This doesn't mean that conversion happens twice, I hope? I mean, anything to get a larger chunk of the cash into your pockets, obviously.
Hey Tim! I think there's a way to choose which currency you wanna use. If you do use $, we'll both pay a little extra (nothing crazy, but still). Here's the explanation I could find : On Patreon.com, hover over your avatar in the top right of your screen. Click Manage memberships. Find this page, and click Edit. Under Currency, choose your preferred currency. Click Update to save your settings. (https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048258772-Changing-your-payout-currency#h_01EJYP11XWEXGWGMTXE3VG53MM)
I'm definitely a huge fan of moving to MMF distribution and will second the request for past releases coming that way eventually as well. I've missed out on downloading some releases through my own inaction and that would be a fantastic way to catch up.
Hey Brad! I'll definitely look into it. In the meantime, my previous releases are still in my private Dropbox, so I can generate links easily and send them to you ;)
Been a merchant for a while now- as a merchant, I don't mind paying every month, even when you don't release something. As others have said, physical and mental health are of upmost importance (one of the few amazing things to come out of social media is the attention and acceptance of mental health). Keep up the amazing work.
Hey Jimmy! Thanks for your comment :) Too true with regards to social media and attention to mental health. With Patreon and MMF, I make enough money for myself, no need to push and try to release more stuff on a monthly basis, especially now that my weekends are spent blowing off steam. More than three models monthly + work on the big side project would too draining at this point. I'd just burn myself out. But then again, no way I am accepting anyone's money unless I produce something ;) Sure, as a Merchant, it'd make more sense since you'd still be paying for the ongoing printing license rights for models you already own, but on Patreon, you either charge everybody, or nobody, sooo... I'm more comfortable pausing the billing cycle for everybody when I'm late ^^ The number of models I produce yearly won't change, though (around 30). I'm just tweaking things so something new can come out almost every month ;)
If I switch to the new Full Cubroll tier now, Patreon's saying it's going to charge me now just to join that tier and then continue at that rate on January 1st. Does that mean that the best way to switch to the new tier is to wait until the end of the year, cancel my membership, and then rejoin the new Full Cubroll tier on January 1st? Or is there some easier way to do so that I'm missing? Nbd either way, just wanted to check to avoid getting double-charged!
Hey Olivia! I see in my notifications that a few people have already edited their pledges without being charged. Hopefully it should be fine. If you happen to be double-charged, I'll refund you, no worries ;)
I support a lot of patreons for their quantity. Most of them give me far more models for the price. I'm still here because of the quality. Keep doing what you do best, and maintain that work/life balance so that you don't burn out. I don't know much about the differences for the creators on Tribes vs Patreon, but I would love to have access to the patreon models through MMF. I see that most of the other people I support on patreon does this, but I don't have a clue about how much effort/cost this would be for you. It would be amazing if it could happen though. Really, really great for when I forget to download releases, or my cloud backup starts filling up.
Hey man! Thanks a bunch for the kind words, I appreciate it :D Given the state of the market, the incentive to churn out more models for the same amount of money is always there, but I'd feel terrible releasing half-assed models, so I gotta find the right balance. I think 3 models/month is perfectly doable given my almost 3 years experience in mini sculpting ^^ As for MMF redemption, my buddy Jonathan over at Vae Victis Miniatures gave me a rundown some time ago. Hopefully it should work fine ;)
I'm going to be honest, Manuel, for the quality of your sculpts I think you're already undercharging. I'm not looking to talk you out of your plans to change things up, but I would be fine paying you the extra dollar a month to support you. Take care of yourself and your health (mental AND physical!), and I'm excited to hear more about your big project if you're willing to share!
Hey man! I really appreciate the kind words and your long lasting patronage ^^ You're already on a discounted tier so don't edit your pledge, alright ;)? It is the point of Patreon in this current market : Heavily discounted models ^^ I try to make each model around $1.50 through Patreon but they cost much more on MMF (and I'll increase that price in the future, too). As for the big project, I'll give you a teaser in a few months ;)
I love that you don't sacrifice quality, I'm happy to receive 3 of your models and I'm glad you're taking weekends off!
Thanks Jason! Making that kind of post can be a bit stressful (you never know how people will react) so I'm happy you understand :D
Perfectly fine with your releases, even if less. :) No worries, I'll stick with you as long as you produce. That being said, do I have to choose new "now" or in January? Edit: bc I do only see 3x EURO pledges atm. ^^
Thanks ^^ The number of yearly models will be mosty unaffected ;) I'll just release them 3 by 3, hopefully on a monthly basis ;) Go ahead an edit your pledge now, or you'll be overcharged in January. (EDIT : You're already on the right Tier since your Merchant license is older compared to the more recent $30 ones. You don't need to do anything)