Uncategorized
Creator of the Week with Aubrey Sitterson
Meet Aubrey Sitterson, a podcaster and comedian e book author at present operating TWO Patreon pages for his separate artistic tasks.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Patreon Pages:
www.Patreon.com/Straighshoot and www.Patreon.com/SKALD
Q+A with Aubrey Sitterson
Patreon: Describe, in your personal phrases, what it’s that you just create.
Aubrey Sitterson: A variety of issues! I’m a comic book e book author at present engaged on the G.I. Joe ongoing sequence at IDW and a slew of unannounced tasks. I additionally run two separate Patreon pages.
The primary web page is for The World’s Smartest Rasslin Speak Present, STRAIGHT SHOOT, a podcast the place we talk about the whole lot that goes down in WWE, in addition to broader matters, together with illustration in wrestling, wrestling storytelling idea and extra. My intelligent-but-fun “let’s speak about what we like and why” method has allowed me to e book all types of loopy company: Wrestlers, actors, MMA fighters, writers, artists, musicians, comedians and extra…anybody who likes wrestling and might need an attention-grabbing tackle it. Previous company embody Cody Rhodes, Ron Funches, Shayna Baszler, the Lucas Brothers, Jason Aaron and extra.
My second Patreon is for SKALD, The Solely Story That Issues. It’s an ongoing, serialized, sword & sorcery narrative that grew out of my need to have a constant move of serialized storytelling accessible. Every week I write a brand-new 30 minute episode after which I report it in a single, single, flawless take. There are not any voice actors or music cues or wacky sound results, it’s simply me telling a narrative in precisely the way in which I wish to inform it, indulging no matter impulse I’ve that given week. It’s like Conan as advised by the Final Warrior, and I’ve completed it each single week for nearly two years.
How did you get your begin as a creator?
AS: I used to be working at an organization referred to as 2K doing interactive advertising and marketing for the WWE Video games, they usually determined to maneuver your entire group from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I’d have beloved to dwell within the Bay Space, nevertheless it’s a lot costlier than LA they usually weren’t providing any sort of wage adjustment, so I used to be, in impact, going to be taking a wage lower whereas additionally having to pay for my transfer. I stated “No, thanks.” and stayed in Los Angeles.
My plan was to return to freelance, which I had completed beforehand, and I needed to discover a place to write down about wrestling. Hassle was, whereas there have been a number of locations that might have been prepared to host my writing, nobody truly needed to pay for it. I figured that if I used to be going to be doing one thing free of charge, I ought to not less than personal it, so I made the decision to start out doing my wrestling dialogue as a YouTube present and podcast, STRAIGHT SHOOT. Initially, I hoped to monetize it by way of YouTube advertisements and affiliate packages, however the advertisements had been giving me pennies and affiliate packages appeared like a rip-off to me. Why would I wish to give somebody free promoting on the off-chance that somebody buys one thing from them utilizing a code I gave out? It didn’t make any sense.
I used to be about prepared to surrender – to pack it in and return to a advertising and marketing gig in a cubicle someplace – when my pal James Viscardi advised me about Patreon. I signed up, began selling my web page, and located that I might earn more money for my work by going on to my viewers than I ever would by counting on a intermediary.
What did it take to finish up the place you’re at the moment?
AS: Gallons and gallons and gallons of elbow grease. And, simply as necessary, a willingness to attempt issues, listen, take a look at analytics, and swap issues up once they aren’t working. I feel lots of people assume Patreon is a fast and straightforward answer, however as nice because the platform is, it’s solely pretty much as good an answer as persons are prepared to make it. Everybody’s viewers is totally different, so it’s necessary that you just experiment and continually alter to get probably the most out of Patreon.
In case you may very well be any ocean creature apart from a dolphin or a shark, which might you decide and why?
AS: Narwhal! It’s a whale with an enormous horn protruding of its head. It’s virtually a unicorn! A sea unicorn!
At what level did you determine to develop your artistic ardour right into a enterprise?
AS: Since I used to be a young person I’ve needed to inform tales for a dwelling, and ever since then, it’s simply been a matter of determining how you can do it and nonetheless pay my lease. For many of my grownup life, that’s meant working a day job and attempting to carve out time to do my artistic work on nights and weekends. I had restricted success, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient for me. The impetus for beginning to pursue my passions full-time was when my job was transferring and I didn’t wish to go together with it. I figured that it was put-up or shut-up time, so I rolled up my sleeves and started working.
What are three techniques you’ve used to develop your viewers over time?
AS: Social media has been an enormous assist to me, particularly Twitter. It’s not essentially the platform for everybody or for each viewers, however that’s the trick: Determining the place your viewers congregates, after which making inroads there.
Much more useful than Twitter, nevertheless, are visitor spots – each having individuals on STRAIGHT SHOOT, in addition to hopping on different individuals’s podcasts to advertise my work. Each time I do a visitor spot or have another person on my present, it’s an opportunity to cross pollinate audiences and I’ve skilled huge progress that method.
Lastly, I’ve actually benefitted from one thing that sounds easy, however far too few individuals take severely: Consistency. I went greater than a yr earlier than I missed per week of STRAIGHT SHOOT, and I nonetheless haven’t missed per week of SKALD. Being there for individuals each week permits them to rely on you and your work.
What has been the best monetization methodology on your Patreon the final yr?
AS: The factor that’s helped probably the most this previous yr has been regularly switching up how I speak about and plug Patreon. A variety of people simply use the identical canned gross sales pitch each week, however that makes it too simple on your viewers to only tune you out. Moreover, not each member of your viewers goes to answer the identical sort of pitch. That’s why I’ve made an effort to speak about and advocate for Patreon another way each single week.
How has launching a Patreon web page for every of your podcasts improved your relationship with every set of followers? Would you suggest this to different podcasters with a number of reveals?
AS: At first, I thought of doing a single Patreon that encompassed all my tasks – it gave the impression of a neater factor to handle and I do know it’s not an unusual factor on the platform.
In the end, I made a decision towards that method, as I didn’t desire a fan of certainly one of my tasks feeling like they had been paying to subsidize one other one. Nor did I need anybody being discouraged from pledging as a result of they solely like certainly one of my reveals. It’s undoubtedly extra work, however I’d completely encourage different podcasters to arrange particular person Patreon pages. I’ve even had a variety of individuals pledge to each of them!
We see that you just use Podomatic to host each of your podcasts! How has Podomatic helped you produce and develop your podcasts?
AS: I really like Podomatic. It was the primary podcast platform that I ever used and actually, I don’t know why I’d ever swap at this level. Podomatic options nice add and obtain speeds, moderately priced packages, ample bandwidth and storage and superior assist. I’ve by no means had a problem with my podcasts from the Podomatic aspect. However all of that stuff needs to be assumed – it’s the sort of stuff {that a} podcast host is obligated to supply. For my part, what actually units Podomatic aside are the analytics.
One of many hardest issues about any artistic endeavor is determining what’s working and Podomatic’s sturdy, various analytics make that doable. It’s easy for me to, at a look, determine which podcasts are hottest the place after which, make selections primarily based on that info. If not for the consistency of Podomatic and the data gleaned from it, rising my podcasts can be a nightmarish guessing recreation.
How has the partnership between Patreon and Podomatic improved your relationship along with your listeners?
AS: As a very long time consumer of each Patreon and Podomatic, I used to be so stoked when their partnership was introduced. It was very a lot a chocolate in my peanut-butter sort state of affairs. The personal RSS feeds make it really easy to provide and supply Patreon-exclusive content material with none loopy workaround and the Patreon button I used to be in a position so as to add to each of my podcast pages is a big assist to conversion charges. Nobody has to do any guessing to determine how finest to assist my reveals!
When was the toughest time in your artistic profession, and what do you would like your current self might’ve advised your previous self throughout that point?
AS: I’ve had some tough months since going freelance. It occurs to everybody: Gigs finish, leads dry up and also you’re left scrambling. However as nerve-racking as these occasions had been, I’ve not too long ago realized that…they weren’t that dangerous. As a result of on the finish of the day, my success or failure was fully in my arms. It’s nerve-wrecking, but additionally liberating.
I used to be in all probability at my most sad again once I was working at 2K. It was, by all accounts, a “enjoyable” job, and one which paid me nicely. Nevertheless it was nonetheless a job – a spot I went daily to bust my ass for another person’s profit. I didn’t prefer it and I didn’t see a future for myself there outdoors of climbing the company ladder, doing much less and fewer precise work and changing into an increasing number of expendable.
If I might return and inform that Aubrey one thing, it could actually be, to give up. Stop instantly. Stop huge. As a result of in the event you consider you’re price a rattling, which I actually do, it’s important to begin betting on your self.
As a result of in the event you consider you’re price a rattling, which I actually do, it’s important to begin betting on your self. Click on To Tweet
What’s the biggest problem you face proper now as a creator?
AS: Discovering time to get the whole lot completed! I’m writing comics, I’m speaking wrestling, I’m lining up company, I’m writing podcasts and recording them. Plus a bunch of different bits and items and issues like, you already know, going to the gymnasium, taking part in Dungeons & Dragons and hanging out with my spouse and pets. Luckily, I’m a relentless scheduler – I make to-do lists like no one’s enterprise – and I’m a routine multi-tasker. As a matter of reality, I’m answering these questions whereas watching SmackDown!
How have your followers helped you all through your artistic profession?
AS: One of many issues that’s actually amazed me about Patreon, is the neighborhood that’s grown up round my work on account of it. That neighborhood provides me not solely financial assist, however verbal and emotional assist as nicely. I might rattle off not less than a dozen individuals who began as my patrons, however now are individuals I contemplate legit buddies of mine, individuals I care about, speak to regularly and love spending time with.
Oh…and I’ve additionally gotten connected with retailer reductions, tickets to reveals and even cupcakes as soon as! Hah!
What does Patreon imply for artists and creators?
AS: It means freedom. Freedom not solely from jobs, from seeing your work profit your bosses as an alternative of you, but additionally from exploitive methods like YouTube’s ad-based income or affiliate packages. It’s a approach to produce artwork and content material in the way in which it needs to be completed: With creators connecting immediately with their supporters, and no center males.
What’s subsequent for you? Are there any thrilling tasks or huge objectives you’re working in direction of?
AS: Sure! A ton of stuff! With SKALD, I’ve been taking all of my previous episodes and posting them on YouTube – one daily. Within the subsequent month or two I’ll be caught up with the podcast model and I’ll begin publishing concurrently on each platforms. I’m stoked about it, because it’s going to assist expose the present to a complete new viewers. I’m additionally trying ahead to the discharge of SKALD’s sixth prose quantity in early February!
On the STRAIGHT SHOOT entrance, we’re transferring into WrestleMania season, which is all the time my favourite time of the yr. That’s as a result of not solely does the wrestling get a lot, a lot better, however all of the informal followers come out of the woodwork. I don’t wish to spoil something but, however I’m laborious at work lining up some wonderful company between now and the most important wrestling occasion of the yr.
In case you might problem creators to do one factor that labored for you, or was transformative in your expertise, what wouldn’t it be?
AS: I alluded to it earlier, however I feel it’s price repeating: Be nimble and be malleable. Attempt new issues, experiment, cease doing what doesn’t work and customarily simply get in the place you slot in. Conserving an open thoughts, speaking to individuals and making buddies wherever I am going has supplied so many alternatives, and it’s an enormous a part of what has introduced me the success I’ve discovered on Patreon.
That’s all, people! Need to say hey? Attain out to Aubrey right here: