Wordfence passes along an important notification for anyone using the WPEngine hosting. Here’s what you need to know, and how you can address the problem.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
Patreon has officially changed the way it presents its public-facing numbers. Instead of showing a Patreon campaign’s gross pledge amount, each page will now reflect a more accurate tally of what the creator will make after fees and declined pledges.
Here’s what you need to know.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
One of the major developments of 2015 is the sudden spike in ad-blocking software. In October, I wrote that Web publishing had seen the tipping point for ad blockers — in other words, we’ve crossed a threshold that we can’t cross back over. Use of ad blockers has started reaching mid-level users (instead of being a feature used only by the tech-savvy among us). And that means that consumers will soon come to expect this feature. Furthermore, if Firefox or Chrome were to cease their support of ad-blocking software, a new browser would pop up and gobble up the dissatisfied consumers.
Nope, we’re not going back to an ad-supported publishing system.
Where are we going? I’m glad you asked.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
It’s always difficult to set a price for your work. It’s important to go through the mental exercise of determining what your time is worth, but a crucial part of quoting a price is knowing what the prevailing market will bear.
In other words, how can you quote a reasonable rate unless you know what others are charging for similar work?]
Complicating issues further, getting people to talk openly about what they charge for certain jobs tends to be rather delicate.
My go-to resource for this has always been The Graphic Artist Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines.
And I was very happy to come across a new tool in addressing this situation.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
It happens more frequently than we’d like it to — a card entered by a Patreon backer has been declined. This happens as often to longtime supporters as it does to first-time pledges. And it happens for a number of reasons — cards that have expired, maxed-out limits, Paypal errors, and so on. So it’s not a good idea to jump to the conclusion that you’re being scammed.
But… should you delete that patron?
To make the correct decision, you need to understand a little better how Patreon works.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
It’s the best daily briefing in webcomics. If you’ve ever been curious about subscribing to Webcomics.com, this post is for you.
Here’s a wrap-up that highlights some of the best posts from last month.
Amazon Seller Central: A short while ago, I ran a post on Amazon Advantage — describing how you can set up a distribution-style arrangement with the online sales giant. And I’ve recently updated the information on this site being offered in regards to the Amazon Affiliate program. In the interest of maximizing your effectiveness on Amazon, there’s one more program that you should be aware of: Amazon Seller Central.
Greeting Card Hot Seat: We launched a Hot Seat critique series to help people improve their greeting-card design.
Speaking of holiday-themed merchandise, the Webcomics.com Poll asked: Are you planning special merchandise for the holiday season? You can vote on the poll in the right-hand column on the site.
Grawlix CMS, a new webcomics-publishing tool: Although it’s undoubtedly the most widely used Content Management System (CMS) in webcomics, WordPress just isn’t for everyone. It can be downright daunting —especially for the first-timer — and, let’s face it, since it’s the most popular CMS, it’s also the biggest target for hackers. So I was more than eager to help out when the makers of the Grawlix CMS contacted me and asked me to consult on their built-for-webcomics publishing engine, the Grawlix CMS. I’m using it on two of my own sites —Arch Bros and Greystone Inn — and I recommend it strongly.
Using Automator to create a simple Mac OSX app: I wanted to make a quick-and-easy PDF with the images I’ve been creating for my Patreon supporters. Of course, I could use this handy trick to do it through Adobe InDesign, but I wanted to know if there was an even easier way to do it!
Checking a colorist’s work: Hiring a colorist is one of the smartest things I ever did. And I’ve worked with two of the best — Ed Ryzowskiand Alex Heberling. Recently a Webcomics.com member asked how he could check his colorist’s work — to make sure it would look good when it was printed. My first impulse was to get a look at the original PSD file — with the layers activated. By colorists are reticent to release their original files — for fear of a well-intentioned collaborator going into the file and trying to change things. So many colorists only release a flattened TIFF file. Luckily, Alex Heberling, who does a marvelous job of coloring my stuff, stepped in to share her expertise. With her permission, I’m publishing that information here for the greater membership who may not have been following the forum discussion.
Adding a cover image to a PDF using Calibre: One of the things I hate about making files for my readers to download on their Kindle Fire tablets is that they look awful! For some reason, Kindle doesn’t take the first page of the PDF (or MOBI file) and make it the default cover — the way iOS handles it. Nah, they just give you a generic, white file icon, with the beginning of the filename, written unceremoniously across it. Blurg. Luckily, there’s a snazzy workaround.
Getting the Preview app to show images in order: Does this happen to you as often as it happens to me? You drag a bunch of files to the Preview app so you can view them all at the same time, and it opens them up in the wrong order. It’s actually an easy fix, but you have to know where to look!
Patreon alert: It seems a scam was being attempted on Patreon supporters and creators. The sender claims to have the creator’s Social Security number and other pieces of personal information. Jack Conte, Patreon CEO, issued assurances that this was not the case. Webcomics.com gave you an early alert on the situation and told you what you needed to know.
The Layout Arrow: If you need an arrow to direct the reader from panel to panel in your comic, stop and start over. You failed. Here are some thoughts on steering clear of that situation.
Manga Studio Sale: For a limited time, users could buy this strongly-endorsed software for a measly fifteen bucks. Webcomics.com gave you the heads-up so you didn’t miss this limited-time offer.
Handling Dual Monitors: If you use a digital tablet, chances are good that you’ve run into the dual-monitor problem. Your tablet counts as one monitor and your computer’s monitor counts as another. When I work off my Mac Mini, this isn’t a problem. I disconnect the computer monitor, and fire up the tablet instead. But for an integrated system — like my studio’s iMac — the monitor is integrated into the computer. I’m sure I could disconnect it, but it’s actually pretty useful to have that second screen for image searches and other art essentials (like Pandora.com). But then it happens. The software you’re using pops into the computer monitor, and — even if you drag it to the tablet monitor — the control bar and all of the dialog boxes appear in the computer monitor. We give you the lowdown on the simple solution.
If you’re curious about joining, we’ve made it easier than ever with a $5 trial membership. You’ll get full access to the site for thirty days so you can see what you’ve been missing. At the end of the trial, you can choose to re-subscribe ($30 for 12 months of access) or walk away with no strings attached. You will not be re-billed unless you choose to subscribe.
Please note: The links below will lead you to content that is “subscription-only” content. Why do I do this? Simple. If you see something that intrigues you and decide to subscribe, you can come back here and use this post to jump right to the post that caught your attention. And once you do that, use the other Best Of posts to drill even deeper into the site!
It’s already December. It’s a month dominated by holidays — both preparing for and celebrating them — and it’s the end of the year. It’s probably the most challenging months for a webcartoonist, so let’s get organized.
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Patreon made a couple very interesting announcements yesterday. They’ve released an API, and they’re introducing two-factor authorization. Plus, they’re making advances on their discovery functionality, and they have some insight on why patrons leave.
Here’s why you need to know.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
Gumroad is going to start offering some expanded functionality on a subscription basis. The monthly fee starts at $10 per month for publishers with fewer than 1,000 customers, and rises based on the number of customers. Some Gumroad features will be limited unless you upgrade your account. From their press release:
We are launching a suite of tools that will let you turn Gumroad into the core of your creative business. It will cost a monthly fee, starting at $10 a month. It is entirely optional* — we believe it will add a tremendous amount of sustainable, recurring value to your life and hope you opt-in.
Here’s an analysis of their new offering.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
Here’s a great tip on creating custom calendar quickly in Adobe Indesign. This is perfect for print projects — as well as handy desktop wallpapers you can offer to customers and Patreon backers.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
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