If you want to submit a topic you would like me to write on for this blog or my Patreon, sign up for the Uruz or Thurisaz level or above here on my Patreon.
From Amanda Artemisia Forrester comes this topic:
“Can you talk about your experiences making a living as a pagan writer? How long have you been doing Patreon, do you think it’s too soon to draw any conclusive conclusions?”
It is way too early to refer to it as ‘making a living’. The Patreon is a wonderful addition to my income and I am proud of its success. However, it is not making enough to support my family and I. I can talk about my experience as a Pagan writer, though, because it took me almost ten years to get to this point.
Patreon started in 2013, and by then I had been blogging on WordPress for two years. For the nine years I have been blogging on this platform I spent all but the last without being paid for my work. I wrote for pleasure. I still do.
There has been a big change in content in that time. Before launching the Patreon, most of the subjects I wrote on, especially early on, were reflections and reactions to things I saw in the Pagan communities both on and offline. I would write the occasional deep dive into a topic I wanted to explore or thought needed to be fleshed out. In the last couple of years I took to writing more breakdowns on subjects like what ritual praxis is and how to do it, worldview, animism, polytheism, Heathenry in general, and Tribal Heathenry. I would occasionally dedicate months to devotional poetry to the Gods, but my output of devotional poetry would come in fits and starts.
Before the Patreon I would have large chunks of time where I would not write. There were a few reasons behind this, usually to do with home life and especially my jobs. I had it in the back of my head that maybe I should start one, though, but that is where the idea stayed.
Finally, the idea would not let me be. I talked with loved ones, friends, and colleagues. I took the plunge after a lot of encouragement. Given I had heard from so many folks that they wanted to hire my Spiritwork Services (what I used to call my Shamanic Services) but could not afford the $75 flat fee I still have for a Rune reading and most of my other spiritwork, I began to look at how to incorporate my spiritwork into the Patreon. What I offer now is the result from that.
Now, I write several articles every month on this blog for the topics and prayer/poem/song requests my patrons make. The Q&As I write are posted right to the Patreon page. My focus in writing is tighter than it ever has been. Rather than restricting my work, producing content my Patreon patrons want to see has made me open it up. The topic suggestions and Q&As keep me thinking, and exploring my views as a polytheist, especially as a Heathen. My thanks to my patrons for pushing me to be productive, for challenging me, and for supporting my work.
I think that Patreon’s structure came at a crucial time for a lot of content creators. Online ad revenue’s value took a huge nosedive in the last decade or so, and a lot of places in the late 90s and early 00s that relied on that to keep producing content were forced to shutdown. YouTube’s restrictions and algorithms over the years crushed a lot of channels that likewise depended on that steady income. Patreon came in to fill a niche at the perfect time. Where Kickstarter has had great success helping folks produce projects, Patreon’s success has come from helping folks produce regular content.
For me as a writer, as well as a spiritworker, Patreon is a powerful way to connect with my readers and folks wanting Rune readings and spiritual consultation. It allows us a solid platform for communication and Gebo. My hope is things continue this way, and I can expand what I offer through my Patreon. Thank you to all of my readers and Patreon supporters!
Ves Þu heil!
Sarenth Odinsson 