tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600560384355436278.post6317615285674240214..comments2024-02-24T15:19:02.095-08:00Comments on SPARK NEWS: FACT: THERE IS SO LITTLE TIME & THERE ARE SO MANY PODCASTSKen Mills Agency, LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00792966356989583664noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600560384355436278.post-1587723203874161512018-08-29T07:49:08.527-07:002018-08-29T07:49:08.527-07:00Ken, a potentially useful analog might be the webc...Ken, a potentially useful analog might be the webcomics industry. It has zillions of artists writing and drawing comic strips of all shapes, sizes and styles. But only a very small number of them make any money at all, and of that small number, most are one or two man operations making a very modest living at best off their art. High four figures to low five figures per year are the norm. Usually through a combination of Patreon (very similar to public radio "sustainers") and merch sales. Many used to make a little money through web ads, but that revenue has crated in the last two years to almost nothing; I know one guy who was making $2000/mo off web ads alone in 2015 who's seen that dwindle to $100/mo in 2018. Eek!<br /><br />A tiny, tiny percentage are true businesses with multiple employees, and in every case the artwork is part of a larger enterprise. Sometimes as a loss-leader of some sort. Several do other media ventures, like animation studios, tabletop gaming systems, music studios, etc etc etc. All have extensive merchandising sales and usually multiple heavy-duty Patreons, as well.<br /><br />Interestingly, several have turned to, well, smut. The market for cartoon porn is large and growing, and they make a good living by creating special Patreon subscriber pages for that. High five, if not six figure incomes (pre-tax). Most of the artists I know in that realm aren't very happy about it, but they've got mortgages to pay and kids to put through college. <br /><br />Does put a decent spin on the concept of "news porn", doesn't it? :-) You almost have to wonder if those European TV channels that have sexy female newscasters who do their reports topless are onto something. :-/ Although I suppose there's nothing news about a news agency that has a separate enterprise to subsidize it. It's no different than the old days of network TV where the entertainment programming was what paid for the CBS Evening News.Aaron Readhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com