You guys. You guys made my heart swell, so much, after my last post, on needing your help to support me and the blog.
I received so many lovely messages from you all, and I can honestly say, I legit choked up. I knew you guys enjoy hanging out here, and that you like the reviews, but I guess I never realized how loved I am. I am blessed to have you all, truly. <3
I wasn’t able to write to everyone who contributed via Paypal, because I wasn’t able to trace every person’s email, so if you sent me a contribution and didn’t hear from me, I just want to say, thank you so much. Your gift means a lot, and I am very grateful for your love. <3
Today, besides saying thank you, I also wanted to talk more about Patreon and help give some clarity over what that’s all about and how it works (now that I’m getting the hang of it), and I also have t-shirts to announce! đ
Here we go:
WHAT’S PATREON ABOUT?
A look at Patreon benefits
I wanted to talk more about the Patreon benefits, explain how they work, and also say a little more about my intention behind them, because, from some of the confusion that’s arisen since I started on Patreon, I realize that the short blurbs I’m allowed to have on Patreon maybe aren’t clear enough. Oops.
Please know that the Patreon benefits aren’t designed to make patrons “more exclusive” or “more important” than non-patrons on the blog.. they’re just my way of saying thank you, for your decision to support the blog on a monthly basis. đ
Ah, one thing I’ve learned, is that on Patreon, we can message each other directly, so in that way, it’s a small perk. I kinda almost feel like I’m texting you guys, when I message you on Patreon (especially since you can use Patreon as an app on your phone), which is quite nice, really. đ But if you’re not on Patreon, you can still reach me easily, by leaving a comment on the blog, emailing me, tweeting me or sending me a DM on Instagram. So if you’re not able to join Patreon, there’s no need to feel left out. đ
Now, on to the benefits of the various Tiers I’ve got going on Patreon.
Tier 1: AdBlocker Tier, $1/month
I know ads can be a pain; they’re ugly and distracting, and yet, here I am, asking you to consider whitelisting this site! Subscribe to this tier and never feel bad about using an AdBlocker while on this site again, while making the blog look so much prettier during your visit! đ
Tier 2: Friendship Tier, $5/month
I love interacting with everyone on the blog, and I plan to respond to as many comments as I can, whether you’re a patron or not. But in the event that I’m overwhelmed or otherwise engaged and am unable to respond to most comments, I’ll make it a priority to at least stay current with patrons’ comments, from Tiers 2 through 6. I will eventually catch back up to everyone else’s comments, so don’t worry, and please be patient with me! đ
What is Early Access, exactly?
Early Access is basically a sneak peek at my episode notes in their raw form; my immediate thoughts after watching an episode. It’ll be kinda like a less polished comments section of a recap – without the actual recap. So you’ll get to experience the show with me, as I watch it.
Don’t worry, though. The reviews will continue to be hosted right here on the blog, in just the way that you’re used to. The episode notes will eventually be edited, trimmed, beefed up, added to other remarks, and given a structure, and screen shots and music will be added, in order to create the reviews.
If you’re not able to sign up for Early Access, don’t worry, you’ll eventually get to read essentially the same notes (except for the pieces that don’t make the final cut, which I’d say is usually about 10%), in their new incarnation as part of the final review. I hope that helps to clear up any confusion or apprehension. Nobody misses out. The early access is my way of letting you in on my creative process, and giving you a sneak peek at a rough cut of episode notes, as a thank you for supporting the blog. đ
The number of Early Access posts will vary from month to month, depending on how fast I’m watching the shows.
Example
Currently, Tier 3 receives early access to my Hyena episode notes. If I watch 2 episodes of Hyena in a week, you’ll get 2 Early Access posts that week.
This month, Tier 4 is receiving early access to my Hyena notes AND my notes for A Couple’s World (because Tier 3’s benefits are also enjoyed by Tiers 4-6). If I watch 2 episodes of Hyena, and 2 episodes of A Couple’s World that week, you’ll get a total of 4 Early Access posts that week, and so on.
Does that make sense? I hope so! đ (Totally let me know if it doesn’t)
You’ll get notified by Patreon whenever I post something that’s accessible to you, and you can decide when you’d like to read it. So if you haven’t watched E6 of Hyena, and want to avoid spoilers, then maybe don’t read that post yet. But it’ll be there for you, when you want it. đ
So this is what the benefits for Tiers 3 to 6 look like:
Tier 3, Early Access Tier, $10/month
Early access to ONE show that I’m currently watching (selected by me).
Tier 4, VIP Early Access Tier, $15/month
Early access to TWO shows that I’m currently watching (selected by me).
Tier 5, VVIP Early Access Tier, $20/month
Early access to THREE shows that I’m currently watching (selected by me).
Tier 6, Ultimate Early Access Tier, $25/month
Early access to FOUR shows that I’m currently watching (selected by me).
Like I mentioned earlier, pick the tier that works for you, and feel safe to change tiers anytime, or pause or stop as needed. We all have our practical considerations, so I perfectly understand. <3
BRINGING BACK MORE T-SHIRT DESIGNS!
At your encouragement and suggestion, I’m bringing back a couple of designs from the original round of #FindMyTribe campaigns in 2015. Thanks to lotusgirl for the nudge, because I totally wouldn’t have done this, if it weren’t for her.
Yes, I do get something from the sale of the shirts (or mugs, or other item), but a pretty large chunk goes to actually producing the items themselves, so please don’t feel obliged to buy any unless you actually want them, ok?
To be honest, because I’m not a professional designer, I’d thought it was no big loss to let the old designs retire (well, except for Shining Tiger, of which I’m quite proud, heh). So I was blown away when lotusgirl informed me that she actually preferred the old designs, to the graphic tee look of the 2 shirts that have been available all this time, one of which (the Healer one) I actually paid a professional to design! Woah. Mind blown.
So I’ve tentatively revived 2 of the old designs, with minor tweaks. These Classic designs from the old Healer campaigns can be found here: https://teespring.com/stores/FindMyTribe
I’ve also reworked some of the old #FindMyTribe designs (for Kill Me, Heal Me and Coffee Prince) into single-sided Graphic tees, with options for other items like mugs, tote bags, notebooks, cushions etc. You can check those out here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/findmytribe
PS: Just so you know, these 4 new designs on teepublic are currently on sale at 30% off, for the next 2 days.
Availability
I’m happy to share that the shirts on both platforms are now available INDEFINITELY. Woot! So there’s no need to rush to make it in time to place your order before the campaign ends, like we did back in 2015. Now, you order when you want to, and they’ll have the item produced for you, when you want it. Isn’t that great? đ
SUPPORT PAGE
I’ve created a Support page, so that everyone can easily find this information later on, when this post eventually becomes less current. It’s easily located on the main menu bar at the top of the page, whether you’re on a computer or on mobile. I’ve also put a sweet lil icon on the sidebar (on the right of your screen if you’re on a computer, and at the bottom of your screen if you’re on mobile), to take you right to the Support page anytime. It looks like this:
The other icons for Paypal contributions and Patreon remain on the sidebar as well, so that you can easily find the links anytime. đ
THANK YOU
Again, thank you so much for your love and support. The first night after my last post, I was so overwhelmed by your love, that I literally barely slept, all night. So, so grateful for you all. <3
