What would you do for more Shifters?

[ShadowsMyst]

This is a question I bring up actually because of a twitter question.

"Will Shifters ever run more than once a week?"

Right now, it can only be produced once a week for a couple of reasons. One is that I have to work on other, paying projects (design freelance, commissions, teaching classes, working at work.. you know) to pay my bills, so I can't spare a lot of extra time to draw more Shifters comics. I don't make any significant money on Shifters, yet. The shirts were a first step, but so far, the sales have been very slow.

Mysti, our fab colorist, is doing the coloring for free, but she is a freelance artist. Meaning that she needs to spend most her time taking paying work (like me) In order to pay her bills, eat, and keep a roof over her head.

Colorists normally get paid a 'page rate', which if I /could/ pay Mysti, would make it more worth it for her to put aside time to color more shifters. Pencilers/inkers also get a page rate, which if I could pay /myself/ would make it more worth it to turn down other work to make Shifters.

Currently we're producing 4 pages a month, for nothing. If we were getting paid, say we each got 25$ a page (which is a pretty average page rate, and easy math), that would be 100$ each, so the equivalent value for two artists bringing you 4 pages a month is 200$. If we double the pages, say to 2x a week, that doubles to 8 pages a month, or a total cost of 400$. You can do the math from there, I'm sure. The more pages per week, the more it costs.

Now, I'm open, if the fan demand and money is there, to finding a way to finance extra pages. You get your first 4 for free, but the question here is what would you do for more? And how would you like more?

This is the question I post to you guys, the readers.

What are you willing to support to get more Shifters? Or are you happy with once a week updates?

The most practical model I've seen to pull this off is the donation drive. There's a goal and when the goal is met or when X dollars is collected, it equals +1 pages for the following week or something. I had already had plans to re-instate the tipjar with a donation wallpaper incentive, but perhaps the donation threshold is something you guys are interested in?

Thoughts?

[Daggertooth]

Seeing more updates would be nice, but I am more than happy that Shifters has started up again. Worth the wait and I'm not one to grow impatient about the number of updates now that it is updating again.

I do like your practical model for the donation drive. I've seen others put up a sign promising an extra update every $50 or $100 in donations, and they simply take the sign down if the work loads become too high.

[Lunaticked]

I'm honestly pretty happy with a page a week after waiting so long. However, after reading the comic for years and years and years, I'm finally in a position where I -could- toss a little cash in that direction.

T-shirts are out, as I am a 27-year old single man and find it best -not- to broadcast that level of nerdiness to the wider female population (also, I am at this weird place between medium and large that makes buying shirts online a hazardous proposal!). However, I'd probably be quite willing to buy a few kickbutt prints, or even toss a few bucks in for donations. But the problem with donations is that 'repeat business' doesn't happen often enough. Eventually there's a bit of a drop-off, even with incentives.

Personally...I like tangible things. If I saw you two at a con, I'd probably buy tons of stuff at a reasonable price. No real reason I wouldn't do it online too, since I love the comic so bloody much.

[Tsureai]

You need to put your tip jar back out honey.

Only larger this time. And maybe with a little tracker of the monthly goal or something.

I've also seen people sell desktops. Not sure how cost effective that would be in terms of time spent, etc.

[Jon]

I would have to agree with everyone else. After so long of nothing i'm just dam happy that its back and better then ever =p.

From all the comics i have seen the donation goal bar works great for the occasional page or two extra. my favorites tend to actually have high total goals ex: $500 goal per month with A new page for every $250. Most of those comics have 3-5 people making them together so i guess the higher goal divids up nicer. they also rarely get to $500 often but people usually get up to the first extra comic just to have a bit more =p. Seeing as there are only 2 of you that would be a hopeful $125 each a month usually (with luck) and the rare $250 split. If they don't make it up to the first $250 then you just carry it over to the next month. if the first $250 is reached then it resets for the next month weather or not it gets to $500 or not.

To me thats fair. The artist's don't get burned out doing several pages each week +RL stuff all the time. The fans still get extra pages every so often even if it takes (in the worst case) a few months. Its a win win and who is to say that will be the only way to get more pages?

what do you guys think?

[Bubbanator505]

I gave 20$ this month. And will continue giving you 20$ a month. Sorry it is all I can afford. I wish I could dump a million dollars and make you right a total of 20,000 pages by the end of next month but I cant.