Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: thoughtful
  • Music: Glee, "Express Yourself."

I am considering doing a thing.

So here's the thing:

I am writing a lot of stories set in the history of the Price-Healy family, slowly pushing my way toward the modern day. There are also stories set in the present day, such as the Antimony-centric novella, "Bad Dream Girl," which is going to appear in the anthology Glitter and Mayhem. A lot of these get given away for free on my website, in a variety of formats, with covers and everything. I like keeping the canon centralized.

That said, unless an anthology is commissioning something, it can be hard to carve out the time for what is essentially unpaid work. I need to prioritize my time according to what I'm getting paid for (which is why, for example, the rate of "Velveteen vs." stories went up so sharply when I got a print contract). So...

How would people feel if I opened a "tip jar," with the understanding that for every X amount of dollars, I would add a story in one of my universes to the master list of Paid For Things? Those stories would still have to fit around everything else, but it would make them easier to schedule, and would also make my lights easier to keep on. The stories themselves would remain free on my website, so if you didn't want to donate, you could just stand back and wait for nature to take its course.

Thoughts?
Tags: contemplation, requesting things
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batwrangler

March 11 2013, 23:13:28 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

Yay! is a thought, right?

IOW, I am thoroughly in favor of a tip jar or sponsorships for this.

herewiss13

March 11 2013, 23:15:02 UTC 4 years ago

That seems eminently fair.

seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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fluffworld

4 years ago

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ebartley

March 11 2013, 23:14:59 UTC 4 years ago

I would contribute to such a tip jar, and if you ran separate tip jars for separate universes / characters I would contribute to at least Francis (or the old Healy generation), Sarah, and Velveteen (or anything in her universe.)

You're a professional giving away work in your field for free. IMO, you shouldn't feel shy about asking those readers who can afford it to chip in something, whether that takes the form of telling the next installation when the storyteller's bowl has enough coins in it, or shaking the tip jar when you've told a story.

reedrover

March 12 2013, 00:47:49 UTC 4 years ago

I agree with everything stated above, as stated. And so, I second the idea of separate jars so that I can spend more money on things I like and justify it as multiple things!

melebeth

4 years ago

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alicetheowl

4 years ago

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More Expand

spectralbovine

March 11 2013, 23:15:11 UTC 4 years ago

That sounds like a splendid idea. I'm sure there are enough interested parties to fill a tip jar occasionally.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:17:35 UTC 4 years ago

I hope so.

kay_gmd

March 11 2013, 23:17:19 UTC 4 years ago

Personally I think this is super exciting. I get a chance to support you, and get more great reading.

You're probably already on top of this, but I know you mentioned at the book release that your publisher or agent didn't want to be putting out more books than you are, is an additional set of stories going to be a similar concern for them?

I know with our dance group in the past we've had to work on the balance of getting ourselves seen and undercutting getting paid for paying gigs.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:18:16 UTC 4 years ago

Short stories actually don't stress my publisher; people who are in a position to find them are people who would buy six books from me a year. It's the shelf space and casual readers that can become an issue.

kay_gmd

4 years ago

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shiyiya

4 years ago

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fadethecat

March 11 2013, 23:24:00 UTC 4 years ago

I don't see how it could possibly hurt. People who want stories faster can contribute towards 'em, and people who are willing to wait will get them no slower (and possibly faster) than they would have anyway. And you get some more financial offset for all the time you spend on writing. Everyone wins!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:18:39 UTC 4 years ago

That was my thinking as well.

aedifica

March 11 2013, 23:24:23 UTC 4 years ago

Yes please!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:18:52 UTC 4 years ago

Cool.

juglore

March 11 2013, 23:24:41 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:19:06 UTC 4 years ago

Cool.

pointedulac

March 11 2013, 23:26:36 UTC 4 years ago

I think it's a great idea. Writing is hard work and you'd just be giving people the option to throw some cash at you if they want short stories faster, etc. Nothing wrong with that!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:19:42 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

angela_n_hunt

March 11 2013, 23:28:21 UTC 4 years ago

I would pay like a mad thing. Open that tip jar!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:19:54 UTC 4 years ago

Hee.

acelightning

March 11 2013, 23:33:33 UTC 4 years ago

I'm assuming this means that people contribute whatever amount they can, or want to, and when the tip jar reaches X amount of dollars, you write a story. (Instead of waiting for one person to kick in the whole amount.) I like this idea, because it means more stories :-)

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:20:08 UTC 4 years ago

Exactly.

acelightning

4 years ago

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jenett

March 11 2013, 23:36:34 UTC 4 years ago

Please!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:20:29 UTC 4 years ago

Noted.

kaberett

March 11 2013, 23:39:47 UTC 4 years ago

Yes! Please!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:20:43 UTC 4 years ago

Whee!

dimestore_romeo

March 11 2013, 23:40:02 UTC 4 years ago

That sounds like a fantastic idea.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:01 UTC 4 years ago

Cool.

crash_mccormick

March 11 2013, 23:43:42 UTC 4 years ago

Of course dear. Wonderful idea.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:12 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

morningapproach

March 11 2013, 23:47:13 UTC 4 years ago

I would "tip". I would love to support you more!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:21 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you!

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:32 UTC 4 years ago

Cool.

kyrielle

March 11 2013, 23:50:21 UTC 4 years ago

Yes please!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:40 UTC 4 years ago

Excellent.

umadoshi

March 11 2013, 23:50:28 UTC 4 years ago

I'm wholly in favor!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:21:53 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

anna_en_route

March 11 2013, 23:52:50 UTC 4 years ago

I would feel very good about that indeed, provided it wouldn't put too much pressure on you (and that people avoid acting like entitled a-holes). You've given us an awful lot of free entertainment and it would be nice to be able to contribute something towards it.
I'd also be willing to tip for a page with an ordered list of links to the Sparrow Hill road stories (apologies if this exists and I just missed it)


alicetheowl

March 12 2013, 01:22:27 UTC 4 years ago

It's coming out in the summer of 2014 from DAW, and so The Edge of Propinquity has taken down all but the first chapter. Tips will have to be in the form of buying the book.

(My source.)

anna_en_route

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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anna_en_route

4 years ago

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alicetheowl

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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alicetheowl

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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anna_en_route

4 years ago

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tuftears

March 11 2013, 23:53:19 UTC 4 years ago

I could see people wanting tchotke if they're frequent or large donators. Maybe something like 'This episode brought to you by X, Y, and Z' or 'write me in as a random bystander (unnamed but described)' or even 'write me in as someone who gets killed', or maybe physical stuff like bookmarks, bumper stickers ("My other car is a ghost pirate ship!"), I dunno!

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 00:10:52 UTC 4 years ago

The point at which people want tchotke is the point at which I can't do this anymore. I'm not a trained pony, and sadly, going "X pays for my time" doesn't leave room for "X pays for my time only I have to subtract Y to make swag that I then have to distribute for free to anyone who qualifies for it."

Saying "this is optional and no one has to do it but if you do there will be new stories sooner than later" shouldn't come with strings, and when it does, I stop making myself a target for those demands.

I'm sorry if this seems strident. I know what breaks me.

tuftears

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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elisem

4 years ago

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skelody

March 11 2013, 23:53:56 UTC 4 years ago

That sounds like... ooh, I forget which author did something like that. Anyway, I suppose the trick is figuring out an X that is sustainable and worthwhile for you...

archangelbeth

March 12 2013, 00:13:59 UTC 4 years ago

haikujaguar is a self-publishing (and small-press published) author who has done this (IIRC, Spots the Space Marine was roughly on this model), and still does it with other serialized works -- posts 1 update a week and if the tip-jar goes up to... $15? Then we get another update or two for that week. The episodes eventually go up on her webpage, too, and at the end, she bundles it up and makes an ebook out of it. (And often a physbook and audiobook.)

There may be other authors who've done similar, of course, but that's the one I'm familiar with.

elialshadowpine

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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inaurolillium

March 11 2013, 23:54:54 UTC 4 years ago

Yes. Do that.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:23:44 UTC 4 years ago

Noted.

paragraphs

March 12 2013, 00:00:01 UTC 4 years ago

it is sort of like a mini kickstarter.... which I love supporting. :)

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:30:08 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

tylik

March 12 2013, 00:03:01 UTC 4 years ago

I'm all for this. I mean, it's already a simple, "If you write it, I will buy it." If it helps to contribute ahead of time? Sounds great. Sounds like every time I think "But the next book isn't out for months!" I can go stick a buck in the tip jar, and then sit back knowing I've done what I can.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:30:24 UTC 4 years ago

Excellent.

ceitfianna

March 12 2013, 00:04:41 UTC 4 years ago

I would happily pay into a tip jar for more short stories as I love them and love how you use them to expand out your worlds. Also Midnight Blue Light Special is fantastic. I read two thirds of it yesterday and now have to wait until I can find another time to sit down and just read it.

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 03:30:40 UTC 4 years ago

Oh, thank you!
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