Many artists have conflicting views on using photo references. The truth is that judicious, conscientious use of photo references can be a valid part of the drawing process.
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Since December 2023, I’ve been using a publishing strategy on Substack that enables me to optimize the reading experience for my audience while taking advantage of Substack’s SEO and promotional strengths. Some of those original strategy was very effective. After making a few changes — and dropping some aspects entirely — I’m ready to discuss my updated Substack strategy.
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Is your Patreon actually growing—or are new members disguising a retention problem? Brad walks Dave through the process of calculating churn rate and shows how one number can unlock a much clearer understanding of a membership business. They discuss subscriber retention, lifetime value, onboarding, well-timed interventions, and how to determine whether advertising or convention appearances are truly worth the investment.
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In a recent livestream, I discussed how I use a scheduler — Buffer.com — to schedule a week’s worth of posts in advance. As the conversation got quite detailed, one of my viewers asked if I’d write about that approach in more detail, including a screenshot of a week of planned posts. This is that post.
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If you’re like most creators, your focus is probably on your subscriber count. The higher the number, the better. The same goes for your monthly revenue. But that number only tells part of the story. That’s where churn comes in.
Churn measures how many subscribers you’re losing over a given period. Knowing that number won’t just satisfy your curiosity — it helps explain why your membership is growing, stalling, or shrinking. More importantly, it gives you a way to measure whether changes you make—new rewards, better onboarding, special promotions, ongoing storylines, or improved communication—are actually encouraging people to stick around.
Let’s talk about how to calculate your churn rate and, more importantly, how to use that information to build a healthier, more sustainable membership program on Patreon, Substack, or any recurring-subscription platform.
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It’s the first month of the second half of the year! Let’s make a plan to finish 2026 strong!
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs on a copyright page, and explore the many ways cartoonists can approach the first page of a story or chapter. The best opening isn’t determined by a universal rule—it should establish the right expectations, reflect the story you’re telling, and give readers a reason to keep going.
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Q.: I’m used to the world of print. Online publication still confuses me, mostly about file prep. My original strip size is 16.25 x 6 inches and 600 dpi in Clip Studio Paint. I export it to Photoshop, where I reduce the file to 144 dpi with resample unchecked. But that then makes the file 67.708 x 25 inches. That seems obnoxiously huge. What should I be doing differently to reduce the dimensions without making the image look like a 6-bit video game image?
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I’ve been seeing this happen a lot recently, so I wanna talk about it. A creative person finds themself at a crossroads, and they need to make a decision. And in a moment of weakness, they do something that dooms them. Now, I’m going to focus on business decisions in this talk, but this can often apply to creative decisions as well.
Maybe it’s a new Patreon tier they’re considering. Maybe it’s a publishing decision. Maybe it’s a Kickstarter reward. And they go to their readers and ask: “Would you support a Patreon tier that featured XYZ reward?”
And — nearly 100% of the time — they end up getting the worst advice imaginable.
That’s because readers are experts in consumption, not creation.
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