Subless was a subscription platform for creators that enabled users to issue support based on a monthly budget. In short, the user deposited money into Subless, and it was divided among the participating creators’ sites based on how often the user visited them.

I published a post explaining why Subless was a bad business decision for creators. One reason I listed was that it conflicts with a creator’s efforts to build revenue on Patreon. One of the comments I received was that incorporating Subless into their business was good because it added a passive revenue stream. It was a clear indication that many of us don’t really understand what a passive revenue stream is. Let’s discuss that topic in greater detail.

There’s a discussion on Reddit that I want to call your attention to for two reasons. First, it’s packed with some really good tips on writing marketing/promotional text. Second, one writer’s response to that advice is a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with many artists who find themselves trying to build a business.

Recently, a comics artist decided to remove the paywall for their Patreon campaign, asking instead that people view the previously exclusive content and support the artist if they like what they see. Predictably, this had disastrous results.