Posting NSFW content on Patreon has lead to a stunning revelation on my part. It happened when I noticed the reaction when a new Patreon backer doesn’t find the NSFW content to his or her liking. Instead of downshifting the pledge from $10 to a lower level that avoids the spicy content (like a monthly pledge of $1 or $5), they delete the pledge entirely.

Stop and think about that.

Keep in mind that many — well over 90% — of my backers registered with Patreon so they could back my campaign. They had no previous pledges with any other Patreon campaigns. Most (if not all) of them saw the promotion for NSFW content on my site (or on my social media) and decided it was worth $10 to try it out. They were already readers of the PG-13 version of my comic on my (free) website.

I’ve done a good job of keeping the vast majority of my patrons, but the ones that didn’t stay… they cancelled their pledge all together instead of reducing it.

What does that tell you? Does it prove the age-old axiom from the Broadway musical Avenue Q?

Perhaps.

But, to me, it’s an indicator of something far more interesting.

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