Why is When Diplomacy Fails Podcast on Patreon, and what does that mean for you?

I know it seems like I just never shut up about Patreon. It brings you the song of the week more often than you'd probably like, but have you ever stopped to wonder on those rare occasions when you're not skipping through the promo - what it's all about, and why I'm so excited about it?

You have? Well great!

This is the place to come if you have any questions about US being on Patreon.

I tried to provide all this information on the Patreon page, and while I did put some info there, it started to look a tad crowded after a while with all the updates and info I had, so then it occurred to me that I'm paying for this website space anyways, I may as well use it! Here I'll answer some questions such as:

Basic questions

• What even is Patreon?
  Patreon means a lot of things to different people, but to put it simply, it is a subscription service which fans of a product can pay to a content creator that they like in return for something which only that creator can give them. With artists, it might be a demo for their new song, with comedians, a personal message, and with podcasters, we tend to use the very handy paid subscription algorithm, which enables us to essentially set up a membership feed with none of the fuss. If you wanted to donate to the show, you would then get something in return, so everyone wins!
• Why did I join it?
  For several reasons. At first, it was something I hadn't thought through all that much - the long and short of it was that the costs were growing and I want to cover them. Yet, this soon grew to incredible heights as my ambitions and dreams escalated with every new pledge. At the time of joining in Feb 2017 I was a podcaster by hobby, now WDF forms a large part of my income, so it's impossible to look back at my decision to join in the same way as before. In the back of my mind though, I hoped that this would help me invest more into the show, be that time or money, while I always had that dream that I would be able to do this as part of my living, a dream which Patreon has helped me to fulfill. 
• Why should you join up?
  Here's the thing, there's no golden answer. I know for a fact that so many of you have done great work spreading the word about this show, and that's super appreciated all on its own. You guys are great, and you don't need to support me at all. I try to make this as clear as possible. In return for ads on the show about sponsors and my books etc., you guys get a podcast with no mid-roll ads and the best content I can muster. This has and always will be the case. However, if you want to help monetarily, then you should know that you will be helping me bring WDF to brand new heights. I have some impressive plans for taking history and bringing it to new peoples, and with your financial support, I can do just that!
• How little can I pledge, and still get something in return?
  That's the beauty of it - everyone gets something! Even the lowly Tribal Warmonger ($1) will have access to the WAR FEED, which entitles you to ad-free episodes of the Thirty Years War. At the $2 level, you'll get ad-free episodes of WDF a week before everyone else, and at the $5 level, you can access an hour of additional content. Any higher than a fiver a month, and you're just being a kind soul who is deserving of a pint. Perhaps these handy graphics below will explain what each tier offers - remember that past $5, the rewards are more concerned with merch, books, t-shirts etc, and some will even let you pick a topic for a one-off episode! 
• If I don't pledge to your Patreon, what will happen to WDF?
  We will curl up into a historical ball and cry! Nothing - nothing will happen. We are not going anywhere, and WDF will always be here belting out the highest quality content that is possible to create. This is not an ultimatum - I will always do this no matter what I make because I feel so passionately about it, and of course because I love it so darn much (you guys aren't bad either). Monetary support is an option for people who feel obliged to give and get something in return, but that does not mean there is an obligation. You give because you want to ensure that I have more time for this, and so that you get more content from me. 

More detailed questions

• I don't like Patreon but want the rewards, so can I send you money for the year and access the rewards that way?
  I'm afraid not - I don't have a facility to process payment for a year and give you access from that payment to any of the Patreon feeds - this is why I need Patreon in the first place. Don't worry - it's very secure, and well worth it!
• What are your plans for Patreon in the future?
  I have great plans! Most of them revolve around growing this podcast as much as I can, and on making WDF the place to go for all your history podcasting needs. Basically, you have to ask 'What are your plans for WDF?' since the podcast and this Patreon are connected, and I would not be able to do what I do now without Patreon's income. To cut a long story short, my aim is to increase this income for the future, so that I can bring WDF to even greater heights.
• How do you plan to balance the podcast's Patreon commitment with Cambridge, if you get your PhD application sorted?
  We will talk more about this when the time comes, but suffice to say, don't worry - I won't be dropping off the radar. I have roughly a year to get everything prepared, and so long as I can maintain a reasonable production level, I should be able to manage this without too many problems!
• Are you really making money from it? How much of this goes to you?
  That's a good question, and a lot of the answer depends on variables which seem to change every month. The best way to get a tally of my income from Patreon - my net pay if you like - is to knock about 25% off of what Patreon says I'm making. This quarter essentially disappears into cyberspace thanks to the not very great dollar to euro conversion rate.
• How do I connect my Patreon RSS feed to iTunes/Podcast Addict/Overcast etc...
  This question is a bit multi-layered, so I created a special section all for it on the site which you can find here.
• I am entitled to merchandise as per my rewards, so when do I get it?
  All being well, you should be getting your merchandise after you pay your pledge for the third time. However, if I haven't gotten my act together, please don't be angry - all in good time. Since this is a one man show and Ireland's postal service isn't always reasonable, things can happen. As always, make sure you contact me if you have any questions.
• I'm not happy with what you're doing on Patreon and I want to cancel my pledge...
  I'm sorry to hear that! I hope you don't feel like you've wasted your money, and that we can still be history friends! If there's something which I said I would do but did not do, then you are well within your rights for a refund from me. This has never happened before, but I am adamant about giving my patrons value for money, so head here if you want some info on that, or contact me if you have any questions. Otherwise, thank you so much for what you've given so far, and of course I understand you can't afford luxuries like me forever!
• Can I pause my pledge for now and resume supporting you later?
  Yes you can! First of all, do let me know that you're doing this so I know what's going on - a simple 'hello, I'm pausing' will suffice, and second, head over here to find out how you do it!
• I see you have a $1,000 tier and I want to ask some questions about that...
  Get outta here! Seriously though, if you really want to pay me $1,000 a month, then please get in touch with me before you press that big red button so I don't have a conniption...