It's 2022, And You Can Finally Find Me on YouTube and TikTok

There's an old saying that tells us insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. And in a racket that requires you to command as many eyeballs as possible in order to make sure you can reach a big enough audience to actually keep the lights on and tacos in your tummy, this hits particularly close to home. I've been running this blog for going on a decade, and while I have no intention of stopping, I have decided to try branching out into other mediums at the repeated urging of several of my readers.

So if you're one of the people out there who've been waiting to see me on YouTube and/or TikTok, you'll find me guest-starring on the Azukail Games channel, and regularly updating my own content on TableTopTips! So before you do anything else make sure to subscribe there to stay on top of all the updates.

Before I get into the nitty gritty this week, make sure you subscribe to my weekly newsletter! And if you've got some cash to spare now that the holidays are done (and you'd like to help me keep the content flowing) consider becoming a Patreon patron.

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Lights, Camera, Action?

People have been asking me for years why I didn't make video content to go along with my various blogs and articles. After all, there are dozens of popular YouTube channels, podcasts, and more out there, and it's quickly become a really popular way for players and Game Masters alike to consume their content... so why wasn't I leaping in on that with both feet?

Well, there are a lot of reasons.

First and foremost, you can't just start a YouTube channel, put up some videos, and get paid. As I said in Writers on YouTube? Prepare For an Uphill Battle, the platform has a rather high bar for you to even earn a side hustle as a creator. You need a minimum of a thousand subscribers, along with thousands of hours of watched content in the past year. So unless you get really lucky and something goes viral, leading thousands of people to subscribe and share your video to hell and back, this could take a year or more of work just so you can maybe start getting paid. And it isn't retroactive; you don't get back pay for all the watched hours you earned to get to that point.

When I helped out on Dungeon Keeper Radio for a year and change, and we barely got halfway past the subscriber goal, and nowhere near the watched content goal. TikTok is even stingier when it comes to getting money into creators' hands, with most people's income coming from sponsorships and their audience rather than from the platform directly (no matter how popular they are as creators).

That's bad enough, but there's more.

Secondly, creating video content is a whole different beast than writing blogs and articles. Because while I could still write a snappy script, and I could still make use of the various branches of knowledge I possess, I'd have to learn a whole new set of skills. From editing videos, to adding sound effects, to finding fresh angles and topics, all of that is stuff I wasn't really trained to do. Beyond that, it would require getting hold of new materials and tools, in addition to figuring out how to use them.

So, in short, it would have taken a lot of energy for me to learn a bunch of new skills, and to put several months to several years into this endeavor while likely not earning any extra income, and making no sales. And now that I've gotten started, I can confirm, this is a lot to try to squeeze into an already packed schedule of writing dozens of articles and several game supplements a month.

So Why Did I Finally Do It?

There's another phrase out there that often gets bandied about by folks trying to make a living doing what I do. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." So while it is definitely unlikely that I will make a living (or even an additional, small side income) making video content, I figured I should at least give it my best shot and see what I can manage.

However, I'm hedging my bets.

This is why, for example, I'm choosing to help out on the Azukail Games YouTube page instead of trying to make my own channel. This allows me to collaborate with other creators, and it means that all of us are bending our efforts toward getting views, monetizing the channel, and getting more eyes on the stuff we make. It also means that we can all reap the rewards once we reach that goal. this allows me to create content as I have time and energy, and to ask for help and tips from others so it's not just me trying to do everything all on my own. Again.

As for TikTok... well, I don't actually expect to make any real money off of it. Mostly it was just to test the waters, and to see what I see. Currently my most popular piece of advice, Game Masters, Liven Up Your Taverns, hasn't even broken 1k views. The platform doesn't let me share sales links for my supplements, and the extremely short-form video means I need to get to the point quickly... but who knows, it just might be the thing that catches folks' eyes and leads them to the rest of my work. And even if it doesn't, those videos are far easier to produce, so they take up far less in terms of time, energy, and resources.

What Can You Do To Help?

As with anything else, if you want to see me actually produce more video content, then help support the endeavor! Share videos you enjoy, leave some likes, and subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and TableTopTips if you want to see them get bigger. If you've got suggestions for topics you'd like to see me cover regarding game design, or about any of my products, then leave them in the comments below! And, of course, if you become a Patreon patron that support would allow me to make more time for creating more varied content, rather than focusing purely on things that have the biggest paycheck attached to them.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!