Canister X – A.P. FuchsWriter, Artist, Creator
Patreon 2.0 Update
Patreon 2.0 Update
Patreon 2.0 is coming along. You should see the new layout, the new features, the new coolness of it all. I’m working hard to get things ready for you and to entertain you when you become a patron. The page is still a work-in-progress at this point with no official launch date. However, at the rate things are going, it’ll be soon-ish.
Just keep checking back here at the blog for an announcement as well as on all the socials.
Like they say, stay tuned . . .
Status Report – 101723
Status Report – 101723:
ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY is back from the editor therefore now it’s my turn to do go over the edits then do one final pass before book production and press time. As of now, we’re on track for a Halloween-ish release.
You guys are gonna love this tale. It’s been in the works since 2008. One of my “eventual books” though it originally was never intended as such but, alas, life happens and projects get set aside so other things can be born. Since 2008, obviously, I written and drawn a lot of stuff, but it was time to finally finish ZOMTROPOLIS and here we are.
Stay tuned for more news as this project develops.
In other news, we’re just working and establishing a strong foundation for PROJECT REBUILD 2.0. Been at it for a few months now and it’s paying off.
More thought is being given to the new Patreon page and how I’ll approach it from a content angle and how I’ll be able to pull it off without burning out.
Like the above, more news as this develops.
Lastly, I just finished a freelance editing project for a client. In other words, I’m open for business so if you need an editor, a formatter, or a book cover designer, I’m your man. Tons of experience. Details here.
Okay, time to get back to work.
Until next time.
This has been your Status Report for 101723.
Station Ident – 101223
Station Ident – 101223
This is your station identification for 101223.
I am . . .
. . . A.P. Fuchs. I’m a writer, cartoonist, and freelancer in the worlds of books and comics. This is Canister X, my official web presence and the Realm of Heroes and Monsters, where we attempt to entertain and inform you on a regular basis.
I’ve been at this publishing game for 20 years and I still have plans. Presently, we’re big on video content—both longer videos and shorts and reels—and podcasts so be sure you’re hooked up at the appropriate links below (podcast on YouTube).
My various social media presences are:
My Patreon page is here. It’s a special place where I once again plan to post post serial novels, serial comics, essays and articles on the creative arts business, behind-the-scenes secrets, and more. Join me and my other patrons and be a part of something entertaining and interesting with consistent content.
I also recently added a strip my webcomic, Fredrikus. Go here to check it out.
On Saturdays, I send out my newsletter, The Canister X Transmission. It’s a weekly newsletter where we all come together after a busy week, unwind, regroup, and kick off the weekend. Presently we are in The Very Long Year Six. Join us.
Finally, my new Merch Shop was launched last week and is open for business. Playing cards, hats, shirts, zippos, and more await!
End station identification.
The Great Patreon Dilemma
The Great Patreon Dilemma
As you know, I once had a Patreon page. With it, I’d air articles and essays, behind-the-scenes stuff, serialized novels, and exclusive stuff for my patrons. The problem was, for the amount of work I was putting in, it didn’t do well monetarily, so I shut it down as I was basically making a buck an hour working on it.
However, and in a bit of a dilemma, I’m thinking of bringing my Patreon page back but under a new, simpler model.
It would basically be this to start and, no doubt, would evolve over time.
Two tiers:
1) A mere tip jar for a buck. Just a simple way of saying thanks for all the content.
2) 5 bucks flat fee per month. This would get you everything I share publicly plus content just for patrons, like a serialized novel, one to be read before anybody else.
That’s it. The content would be regular as I’m producing stuff all the time, but by sharing it behind a Patreon paywall, then I get something out of it too, and also have an avenue to share stuff I don’t share with the general public. This could be special videos, special commentary, special thoughts, excerpts of my work, and more.
I still have my page but it’s inactive at the moment. I just need to flick the switch and under this new model, folks would have a chance to check out all the back-content plus the new stuff to come.
It’s not a question of if this will happen. It’s a question of when.
My only fear is it’ll flop again. But maybe not. I do know I can make it work. Just need to give it some time to grow.
We’ll see.
Status Report – 091223
Status Report – 091223:
Work, work, work. That’s what’s been happening every day since I got back from vacation.
See, I’m middle-aged, which means–though still a ways off–retirement is approaching and I need to be prepared, especially in today’s economy, so I’ve been burning the candle on both ends with the day job and then with writing and publishing outside those hours. I also need to ensure a future for my kids. Not that I’m to take care of everything for them, but rather have the means to do nice things with them and their one-day families.
The latest development-in-progress is an exclusive Axiom-man site, one solely dedicated to him and his adventures across various media.
See, here at the Realm of Heroes and Monsters, the ol’ Canisterx.com, is a compilation of all my work, besides my webcomic. I want Axiom-man to have his own space and breathing room on the Web. I have for a long time. He had a site once, one dedicated to his webcomic, which was the published issues serialized on the Web. But he never really had a home and it’s time he gets one.
So I’ve been working on that as well as toying with the idea of bringing my Patreon back in a kind of Version 2.0. It’d be streamlined, simple, loaded with content, and worth the $5-a-month I plan to charge.
But one thing at a time.
Axiom-man first.
If you have not read the character, I suggest getting your feet wet with the first book. It’s the origin story and Axiom-man’s first big battle with a supervillain. It’s the story that started it all and spawned (thus far) seven additional books plus a side adventure and some short stories.
By the way, he’ll show up in the podcast soon and in other ways on the Web as well. Stuff is done but I’m releasing things slowly instead of all at once. People are busy on the Internet and to dump everything Axiom-man on them all at once would only cause them to move on. So, yeah, a little at a time.
Okay, that’s enough for today. Time to get back to work.
Peace.
This has been your Status Report for 091223.
Patreon Future?
I started a Patreon a few years back and stuck with it for quite some time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t financially viable and I had to shut it down. (Too much work for not enough return.) But I’ve been thinking of reviving it in the distant future, the idea being there’s one flat monthly fee and you’ll receive content Monday to Friday. Could be an essay or article, a short story or piece of flash fiction, comics, behind the scenes, a blog post–pretty much anything of interest to the Realm of Heroes and Monsters.
I’ve yet to come up with a business plan for it but this is an idea I’ve had noodling around in my head for quite some time. Hopefully there would be enough interest in the endeavor to make it worth our time together.
We’ll see what the future holds.
Today, I unpublished my Patreon page.
This was the note I sent to my patrons not long ago indicating this and I’m posting it here for archival purposes. The Patreon page is now closed and so is access to the content.
The note:
Dear Patrons,
After this Thursday, I will have fulfilled my Patreon tier fulfillment for this month, which means as of August 1, no new content will be added.
I have also decided to use Patreon’s feature of unlaunching a creator’s page. According to Patreon, this will suspend renewal payments and access to my creator page. However, the good news is if at some point in the future I want to have a Patreon page again, I can relaunch the page.
I plan on unlaunching the creator page on July 31.
Feel free to leave questions or comments in the thread below.
Thank you so much again for your patronage.
Sincerely,
A.P. Fuchs
Just now I posted a message to my patrons regarding the closing down of my Patreon page. I am re-posting it here as part of due diligence to get the word out.
The notice:
Dear Patrons,
After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to discontinue this Patreon page. It’s been running for about a year and I’ve been unable to take it to the level I need it to be to be sustainable.
Thank you for your patronage over the past many months. I hope I was able to entertain you for that time.
Now it’s time for me to step back, have a break, and even pursue other things.
I will fulfill my end of tier fulfillment until the end of July, but as of August 1, no new content will be added.
As for the content presently on the page, I’m not sure if I’m going to leave it up for archival purposes or just close the account altogether.
Please take the time to mind your patronage renewal for this change as I want to be fair to everyone.
Thank you again for being my patron. Your support was always—and still is—sincerely appreciated.
Wishing you the best,
A.P. Fuchs
The One Marketing Trick Hiding in Plain Sight:
In this Patreon article, I reveal the one marketing trick that is hiding in plain sight. I don’t see many creators doing it, but it’s one definitely worth adding to your arsenal.
To read this article–plus the essays archives–subscribe to the Essays tier on my Patreon page. For just two bucks a month, you get a serial novel and essays or articles on the creative life, including tips and tricks to help make creators’ lives easier.
Please go here to subscribe, and thank you in advance for your support.
And, of course, please drop me a note any time with questions or comments.
It’s been decided that I’m dusting off the notebook for Secret Project No. 3. I wrote it a long time ago and now it’s time to turn it into a piece of art for you to enjoy.
What Secret Project No. 3 is, is my little secret until reveal (however, the details of this project were revealed on the Behind the Scenes tier on Patreon).
I’m confident you guys are going to dig it when it comes out.
Onward.
