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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orlacarey

March 12 2013, 12:21:42 UTC 4 years ago Edited:  March 12 2013, 12:23:08 UTC

I know when Sharon Lee and Steve Miller set up something similar to write their first two Theo books they got contributions faster than they initially expected.

You might want to think about posting something on how often fans can expect a story if the "tip bucket" has hit the next funding level...

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:39:46 UTC 4 years ago

I would be very clear about that.

joyce

March 12 2013, 12:51:36 UTC 4 years ago

I cheerfully buy short stories when my favorite authors have them available on B&N/Amazon/Books on Board/whatever (and would have bought the stories you currently have up for free), so skipping the middleman and getting you the cash upfront sounds like a lovely plan to me.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:39:55 UTC 4 years ago

Excellent.

Michael Scheuerman

March 12 2013, 13:08:45 UTC 4 years ago

This thing, I like this thing very much.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:02 UTC 4 years ago

Hooray!

qnofhrt

March 12 2013, 13:49:19 UTC 4 years ago

This is a splendid idea! I've pre-supported a number of filker albums and would be delighted to have authors to support as well.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:14 UTC 4 years ago

Excellent.

midnightblooms

March 12 2013, 13:52:35 UTC 4 years ago

I'm always willing to pay for more stories from a beloved author, and I like the idea of my dollars going straight to the author, especially for short fiction. Also, I like tip jars because they let me give what I can, when I can.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:28 UTC 4 years ago

That's one of the nice things about them, agreed.

resolute

March 12 2013, 13:58:16 UTC 4 years ago

I will pay for more Price-Healys.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:34 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

museclio

March 12 2013, 14:27:21 UTC 4 years ago

I support this idea and would like to subscribe to its newsletter.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:49 UTC 4 years ago

It will be a very short newsletter, but none the worse for that.

ohari

March 12 2013, 14:28:37 UTC 4 years ago

Yes, absolutely, I would throw lots of dollars in the tip jar.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:40:55 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

briargrey

March 12 2013, 14:45:02 UTC 4 years ago

I like the idea. When we can, we can donate, and when we can't, we can't - no pressure, but it lets us feel a part of it while meeting essential needs for you. I say go for it! :)

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:03 UTC 4 years ago

Noted!

lysystratae

March 12 2013, 15:33:55 UTC 4 years ago

I like it

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:12 UTC 4 years ago

I do, too.

mneme

March 12 2013, 15:55:33 UTC 4 years ago

I think it's a lovely idea.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:22 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

ironed_orchid

March 12 2013, 16:34:02 UTC 4 years ago

I am all for feeding your cats. Will happily contribute some dollars out of my book buying budget.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:36 UTC 4 years ago

They're so big. They will eat me one day.

catsittingstill

March 12 2013, 17:00:24 UTC 4 years ago

FWIW I am okay with this. One of my more favorite online writers, ysabetwordsmith already does this, if in rather a different way.

I can't afford to pay in very often or very much but I'll try to chip in a bit here and there.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:44 UTC 4 years ago

Awesome.

vettecat

March 12 2013, 17:08:39 UTC 4 years ago

Sounds eminently reasonable. Especially if the tipper can choose which universe they're supporting.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:41:57 UTC 4 years ago

That's not going to happen. Any steerage and I can't.

ravenclawed

March 12 2013, 17:11:47 UTC 4 years ago

I'd contribute. I'm always willing to pay for quality.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:42:04 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

herefox

March 12 2013, 17:20:52 UTC 4 years ago

I fully endorse this idea and I'm sure the couple of my friends that have mentioned they'd like to give back and various authors more than just buying the books can do will agree (one of them went so far as to say she was going to buy your next album, though she might just give it away, so that she felt like she was supporting your awesome! This will probably work for her better!)

I do think doing something like "We need to reach this much for this story." and then cutting it off is a good idea when you've funded that story while leaving the tip jar open with "This is available should you wish to use it but we're not funding another story till I have time to do it again" noted is probably the best way to approach things.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:42:19 UTC 4 years ago

That's my thought as well.

filkpiper

March 12 2013, 17:26:52 UTC 4 years ago

Eminently fair and supportable. In a related development, " Bad Dream Girl" was released to Kickstarter $50 supporters today. Yay!

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:47:16 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

Pamela Adams

March 12 2013, 18:02:33 UTC 4 years ago

Heck yeah!

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:47:25 UTC 4 years ago

Glee.

gwenlle

March 12 2013, 18:16:10 UTC 4 years ago

This would be so cool; I would love to give you money and get to read more short stories. Yay! What a great idea! :D

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:47:36 UTC 4 years ago

Awesome.

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

March 12 2013, 20:45:02 UTC 4 years ago

I'm honestly not willing to go into epub. I love my publishers, because they do all the work. Even the stories I put up on my website are nothing compared to the work that goes into getting a novel ready for sale. My publishers 1000% earn every penny they take from a book sale.

I'm also not willing to do Kickstarter right now. Between needing to "over-price" to account for the Kickstarter cut, and the overwhelming desire for "swag"...no. I've seen too many Kickstarters turn into nightmares because the postage costs went up after the Kickstarter closed, and suddenly those casual stickers were actually absorbing the money that was intended for the actual product.

springfield40

March 12 2013, 19:06:22 UTC 4 years ago

Yes! I think you will be suprised how fast this will go

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:47:52 UTC 4 years ago

I hope so!

alitalf

March 12 2013, 19:36:52 UTC 4 years ago

Let me add my approval to the general paean thereof.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:48:01 UTC 4 years ago

Noted!

knittingwoman

March 12 2013, 19:47:20 UTC 4 years ago

I support this idea or "thing" too. I just read your Oz story, it was great and I liked being able to buy just the one story.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:48:06 UTC 4 years ago

Oh, yay.

phantom_wolfboy

March 12 2013, 20:40:08 UTC 4 years ago

I haven't actually read any of the incryptid stuff; I went through a bad period reading-wise and am months behind. But I approve of the tip-jar idea for artists in general. You in particular have already given away hundreds of dollars in free stories just in Velveteen alone, so I think you should get something back.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:48:18 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you. :)

jarissa

March 12 2013, 21:05:30 UTC 4 years ago

If it is a thing that would tend to increase your happiness, please do! I am a subscriber to Decoder Ring Theatre because I like their audio plays, even though I could listen for free; I am a subscriber to an MMO because I like the game, even though they have a free-to-play option. I not only like your stories, I value them, and I would be very glad to support them.

seanan_mcguire

March 14 2013, 14:48:30 UTC 4 years ago

This makes sense.
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