My First Patreon Shout Out (And A Big Thanks For All The Help!)

February has been a busy month so far, and unfortunately it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon. I was at Capricon this past weekend (my first time there since 2020, now that they're in a more accessible location), and now that I'm back I've got dozens of projects to pick back up.

However, it's also the first time I've posted in a new month since my Patreon page shifted to a monthly tier system, instead of a per-post system. And since I promised to give a shout out to my supporters who have moved to at least the $10 a month level, I wanted to take a moment to do that.

To Phillip Litherland and Tracy Bailey-Matthews, my thanks for putting yourselves on this level!

Seriously, thank you!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

All Support Is Welcome (And Very Much Needed At This Point)

For folks who don't get all of my updates on their For You Page, at the start of the year I officially transitioned my Patreon from a per-item account (where followers were charged for every blog I wrote) to a monthly account (where it's a flat fee every month). I have the full details in my recent post Improved Initiative's Patreon is Now Monthly (And I Could Really Use Your Help), but the short and sweet of it is that I made this transition because there had been rumblings that soon there would be limitations placed on the per-item account option and I wanted to get ahead of that as a creator.

The issue I've run into is that Patreon just left everyone at whatever their previous amount was... the issue for me is that instead of someone paying $1 per blog I put up (so $10 to $12 a month), it's now $1 a month. So my Patreon has gone from earning between $180 to $200 a month (which was my grocery and utility money) to about $65 a month.

So in addition to shouting out the folks who have stepped up to help in this time of transition, I wanted to take a moment to ask others out there to help me get back on my feet. Whether you're already a paid patron who hasn't upgraded their tier yet, or you're someone who wants to toss your coin in the cup, I definitely need all the help I can get right about now.

Any and all help is appreciated!

While this is a new step on a new path, it's also proving to be a treacherous one full of spikes! Which is why I wanted to ask those reading this a couple of questions:

- Do you find any of the current tiers on my Patreon appealing?

- Is there something else I could offer as a creator that would get your interest?

- What is stopping you from supporting me as a patron?

There are no wrong answers to any of these questions, I'm just trying to get a sense of where my audience is at, and if there is anything I could do to make my blogs (and other projects) even more appealing and/or helpful and useful for my readers!

As I've said more times than I can count, creators live and die based on audience support. So if you're here and supporting me, in whatever form that takes, thank you. I'm going to keep pushing on, and I hope you'll come on this new journey with me!

On a final note, those who want to give me a one-time tip rather than committing to becoming a monthly patron, please consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi! Thank you.

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

Dungeon Crate Is The Subscription Box Service Gamers Have Been Waiting For

I've never had a subscription box service, even though I love the idea behind them. It's a little surprise to yourself every month, geared toward things you know you like. The problem I keep running into, though, is that even though there are thousands of subscription services out there, for everything from bacon and beard grooming, to horror movies and comic books, I've never come across something that grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled, "Come on, we're going on a goddamn adventure!"

At least, not until I stumbled across Dungeon Crate.

Take some initiative!

What is Dungeon Crate? Well, the simple explanation is that it's a crate subscription service geared toward tabletop gamers. That means when you pop open your monthly package, you'll get dice, set pieces, props, and all sorts of goodies that can kick your games up a notch.

The service hadn't launched just yet (at time of writing there's still nearly two days until Dungeon Crate goes live), so I reached out to Wayne Brekke, the Overlord of this enterprise. I asked him some questions, and I wanted to share his answers with you all, in case you were wondering why you should click that link and join up with the Dungeon Crate legion.

What are the sorts of things you'd like potential fans to know?

We built Dungeon Crate because we are gamers who love the various accessories that come with games. We love dice, tokens, minis, character sheets, and all the things that are out there that enhance role playing games. We thought others would like that too and we are working hard to give subscribers a monthly box that not only is more than worth every penny they spend, but also filled with items they will use on and off the game table.

What makes Dungeon Crate different from any other subscription service?

We want Dungeon Crate to be the top RPG subscription box available. The fact is, there are thousands of subscription box services, but not a lot that cater to role players and table top gamers. We will offer physical items, digital items, and exclusive items. We’ll also have an online store where folks can purchase items we create. We’re also tapping into the crafting community as it’s huge and both Bill and I are crafters and creators. So many people create terrain, paint minis, and make things to enhance their game, so we will be looking for vendors of things like brushes, paints, tools, and crafting accessories.

We have some great ideas that will make Dungeon Crate more than just a sub subscription box service. We want to create a multi-faceted business model that brings together gamers, inspires makers, and showcases other businesses in the gaming community.

Who are some of the bigger sponsors you have lined up?

We’re really focused on the smaller vendors at the moment. There are so many out there creating awesome gaming accessories. That said we are in talks with some larger vendors and will have announcements in the next few weeks. Right now we are working with Chessex, Shire Post Mint, Arc Knight Games, Knight Watch Games, and a few others.

When should people sign up?

People can go now and put in their email address to get on our list. We will be launching in a couple weeks and will publish an email to our list letting them know what day and time open enrollment will start.

Is this geared toward all gamers, or will certain people get more out of it than others? DMs, players, certain systems, etc?

Our goal is to provide a box where every product is used in some way. We are targeting players and DMs, and want to stay system neutral for the most part. We realize as adults, it’s tough to get players together, so we want Dungeon Crate to be an experience that inspires players and game masters, offering items that will be fun even in between gaming sessions.

We’re launching in January. Folks can go to Dungeoncrate.com and get on the list. Our site will be updated soon and we are planning to have an online store, video channel, and great resources for gamers. We’re also looking into an app that will offer easy access to vendors, our store, videos, as well as provide functionalities players and DMs can use in game. More on that to come!

Dungeon Crate is a small business and we’ll always be available to our subscribers for feedback, comments, and suggestions. We want to offer the highest customer service and personal experience possible.

If that doesn't get your attention, then I don't know what will. Seriously, go check out Dungeon Crate for yourself if you're not sold yet. I guarantee you won't leave without at least bookmarking the page.

As always, thanks for popping in to check out my Monday update. If you want to help support me and my blog, just stop by my Patreon page, and pledge as little as $1 a month. Seriously, it helps out more than you know. Also, if you don't want to miss any of my updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too.