Metapost

Hi there faithful readers. ;)

As you know, if you read the very first post, this blog is something of an experiment in cyber-funded creativity. Me trying to see if I can make some kind of money out of putting my stories out in the world. If you are reading this, you get to be my experimental audience, on whom I try to see if I can make this work.

Several of you have helped enormously already by getting the word out. You've linked to me on your own blogs. I believe some of you have been plugging me on facebook. And I thank you for spreading the word, because without readers this will never work. Those of you who came here via one of those people, yay! Thanks for coming! Please feel very free to tell your friends. *grin*

However, Belgatherial's Hearth has been in existence for over two weeks now, and I have yet to make a cent on donations. I have had a fair number of "wow, this is awesome"s (even from complete strangers! (Hi, thanks for popping round. Please keep coming back - oh, and tell all your friends. ;P)), which suggest that the writing is pretty decent, and I am getting more hits than I thought I would, so people are reading, they just aren't donating. So, I have been toying with a number of ideas for trying to encourage the donation thing to happen.

So, if you were on the verge of donating, which of these things would push you over to pressing the button? This is a purely hypothetical, and there are no obligations at all. I'm just looking for a little feedback. :)

Some of the things I have thought of doing:

* Not starting the second story until I get a certain amount in donations. Yay! Bribery. Of course the evil side effect is no-one ever donates and the whole project slides into disuse.... Which would suck, since the next story is ready and waiting to go. Of course, I do have various odds and ends I could throw your way until we hit the target, and I would make it a fairly managable target. How about NZ$50? What if I posted something tid-bitty, like a poem, or flash fic, each time anyone donates anything, even $1, and once we hit $50, I'll start on Pandora?

* Offering some kind of perk for donors. I'm not entirely sure what though - any suggestions? One of the things I thought of is a bonus epilogue. I'd write an epilogue to Eternity Touch which only donors get.

* Offering some kind of extra. Like printing and binding each story all pretty like at the end and sending it by mail to those who want it. Problem is, this would be pretty expensive to do, since I'd inevitably be sending internationally, and would have to charge accordingly. I am fairly crafty though, so I could make it look really good. If there's any interest I'll do some actual research into how much it would cost to do and send. Would any of you be interested in something like that, and if so, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

* Other forms of donation? (I'm really unsure this would work at all, but it crossed my mind, so I'll put it here). I have a wishlist for the books I need and want to write my thesis. Allowing people to donate by sending a book instead? The thing about this is it would probably be more expensive than if they just donated, and they clearly aren't doing that, so I dunno.

* Allowing donors to pick the next myth with which I deal. If you donate, you are able to tell me what to write about. Pick a myth for the next story I do (On a first come, first served basis). Multiple sponsors for the same myth would get equal bragging rights. ;)

* Creating a Donors' Link section on the sidebar, where I would acknowledge your contribution, and link to whatever website you choose. (Your own, or something you wish to support)

* For those of you on LJ, 'Song suggested it may help to be on LJ. In other words, as of the next story, I would double post to there as well, so you wouldn't have to follow a link, the story would just pop up on your friendslist.

So. Which of these do you, as the readers, think would be most effective?