[electricpanda]

You could also spend small amounts of spare time over the next couple of years to build up an exclusive artbook of sorts, with concept sketches and stuff. Of course, this would be long term, but in a couple of years...

@ Brittea: You'll have to beat your Grandmother to it! ö
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Dubbed Pants by AsA, via the way of the electric pants.

[daydreamer_girl]

[devilman2045]

[Asa]

I have zero cash, so unfortunately, I can't spend it. However, I can make suggestions.

About the Tempts Fate-type fundraiser: If Teh Lady hasn't the time to draw, perhaps she can run simultaneous donation bars: One for outcomes, and one for the right to DRAW that outcome. I know we've got some great artists here, as well as people who think they're great artists, and that could be a quick and easy way to get around the problem. That way, the only time Teh Lady has to put in is reviewing the extra comic before posting it.

Another element you could add would be to put it on a schedule - say, posting once a month. BUT, you would accept/draw the new outcome whenever the donation bar filled, so that you could build up a buffer for when Charlie spits up all over your tablet or something disasterously worse.
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Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
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If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Squeeself]

When attempting to monetize any operation, it is vital to keep in mind your audience. Squee has learned this the hard way in the past. And, by and large, that doesn't seem to include many people with a ton of spending money from what Squee has seen. While there are plenty of people willing to donate when necessary, donations tend to be easier (yes, easier) to get than selling things. All it takes is a very few people willing to help with decent size donations; selling stuff requires many people willing to spend. And, even fans aren't always likely to buy more expensive merchandise.

This has been Squee's experience in the past, though not particularly with webcomics. However, Squee has watched a number of successful authors monetize their webcomics. Unfortunately, the Lady's comic didn't fair so well in this regard. If Squee were to guess, this would be due to too few people knowing about Earthsong. While web comic lists can get some word out, and Seven Seas did do some advertising, there really wasn't enough imho. Web comic lists actually have a very small audience; only those who really, really like a certain comic. Hard to convert those people, though possible. GOOD advertising would be to go outside of a webcomic market and into other markets where people might like Earthsong.

However, advertising would take the Lady's money at this point. A couple of people that Squee has talked to have spent quite a bit on advertising, though it has paid off in the end as far as Squee knows. Squee talked to Howard Tayler (author of Shlock Mercenary) extensively about 6 months ago about these issues. He lives entirely off his webcomic through books, merchandise, and advertising. When Squee used to run TDZK, we actually bought advertising from him directly. Pretty cool guy.

Scott, author of The Dreamland Chronicles, self-publishes. He recently go his books into Borders stores. It helps that he also sells some of his previous work not related to Dreamland Chronicles. He does, however, still have his day job working at Nickelodeon (am I right? Not sure if it's Nick or a studio doing contract work...) Again, both Howard & Scott spent a bunch advertising, and run advertising on their own sites.

I doubt the Lady has the time or the money to do what these two have done to get a larger audience that would be able to purchase more of their work. Having a large volume of work helps a ton too. (In the case of Shlock, just doing the comic everyday means there's a lot of books! And Scott has previous non-webcomics he can sell.) These guys don't have the volume of audience that, say, Penny Arcade does, but they still manage to make it work out. The one thing in common though is: it's a ton of time and work.

Quite honestly though, if the Lady would like to make some sales, she should worry first about advertising, then about making money. Web2.0 has been all about getting the audience and then monetizing later; the difference here is actual product that can be sold, not dubious clouds of synthetic wealth XD

Squee recommends that anyone with a website can help the Lady advertising by using an Earthsong banner. Also, word of mouth is good. Talk about earthsong in any other communities you're involved in (like Facebook, or other forums). Free advertising is the best kind, and keeps more money for that rascally guy the Lady has to take care of

[sunshine]

@ Tinalles - I just wanted to say thank you muchly for the html help! I am now putting an earthsong banner on every webpage I've got
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