I've spent literally the last year or so waffling on the question of whether to make a Patreon account, even to the point of writing down notes about reward levels and milestone goals or whatever it is they call them, and trying to figure out what rewards I could offer that readers would be interested in, that wouldn't take up more writing time than they wound up being worth. I even signed up on the site, but every time I've thought about setting up my page, I've balked and put it off.

In the end, I've decided to pass on Patreon, at least for now. Yes, I want to do special offers and sales and giveaways and bonus material for those of you who really enjoy what I write. But I want to do those things because I want to do them, not because I feel obligated to have to give patrons their money's worth for another month. Patreon makes a lot of sense for a lot of artists in various media, especially ones who want to do more personal work instead of commissions and the like. I'm not against it as a concept. Maybe it'll make more sense for me later on. But I don't think it makes sense for me right now.

So this is what I'm doing instead:

I have this mailing list now. It's totally free. Sign up and you get a Smashwords code for a free copy of Real Dragons Don't Wear Sweaters. You'll also get announcements about my new releases -- everything from new books to new short stories posted online. And I'm planning on giveaways and bonus fiction and other fun stuff.

I want these things available to everybody who cares about my writing, whether they can afford to make an ongoing monthly pledge or not. I know what it's like to have ten places to put every dollar, what it's like to watch your checking account like a hawk because just paying for things like gas and food threaten to drop it into negative numbers. I've been there. So for my readers who can afford to toss a few bucks in the tip jar here and there (or even on a recurring basis), there'll be links and reminders available to do that, and it will be very much appreciated. If you can't, no worries; there'll be ways for you to help me out that don't involve cash, and you'll still get the same exclusive stuff all the other subscribers are getting.

Right now, I think this is a win-win solution for me and my readers -- you guys get benefits and are kept up to date, and I get to do extra stuff for people I know will appreciate it, without feeling obligated to do it, or guilty because I feel like I'm not doing enough, or depressed because I'm not getting x amount of dollars pledged and having to do a bunch of extra work regardless.

Sign up here, and let's get started. >^_^<