"Patreon is a membership platform that makes it easy for people to support their favourite creatives." But what exactly does that mean? A patron is someone who gives financial or other support to an individual, company or cause. So it's a way readers can directly support their favourite authors beyond the purchase of their book. Patreon is the website that connects creatives with supporters. You can have a look round my Patreon page here: patreon.com/grasshopper2407 The membership is not to Patreon, it's a membership to the creative individual - in this case, me! Here is my welcome video from my Patreon page. Like most memberships, there are several different tiers available. Tier 1 - Monthly Story & Sneak Peek - $3 a month an exclusive short story, only available to patrons a sneak peek of new book content before anyone else additional exclusive content e.g. book cover concept art, character profiles and backstory extras June's exclusive short story, Where Do You Go, was released on Friday 28th June and enjoyed immensely by my current patron. Tier 2 - Credits Shoutout - $5 a month your name immortalised in print as a supporter of my writing in the current project I'm working on when you become a patron plus every project afterwards plus everything from tier 1 Tier 3 - Goody Bag - $20 a month a signed paperback copy of three of my books, your choice on the titles, when joining the tier a signed paperback of each new release hereafter bookmarks and other merchandise as they become available plus everything from tiers 1 and 2 Tier 4 - Name a Character - $50 a month Either your name or your choice of name for a character in the current book I'm working on plus everything from tiers 1, 2 and 3 So it might be that you've always wanted the opportunity to name a character in a published book and you might choose Tier 4 as a way of achieving that goal. Once you've paid that first month you can either stay on that tier for as long as you like or go down to Tier 1, 2 or 3. You might really enjoy reading my books and want me to hurry up and finish writing the next one but while you're waiting, $3 a month seems like a great deal to get access to some exclusive behind the scenes content and a new short story every month. It's a flexible membership platform and if there's a membership level that you think I should have but I don't then get in touch and let me know. Q&A Be honest - how often will I really get exclusive content? As my patron, you will get an exclusive short story, written by me, on the last Friday of every month. On the other Fridays of the month, you will get the other behind the scenes exclusives like book cover mock-ups or character backstory. Concept artwork for The Interspecies Poker Tournament I already buy your books, why should I become a patron? It's a good point and first, let me say thank you so much for buying my books. It means more to me than you can imagine and I am thrilled that you enjoy reading my novels. The truth is, being an author is my business. The money I earn writing and selling my books helps to put food on my table, buy clothes for my children and goes towards treats like days out and new toys. I'll be honest, being a self-published author is hard work and sometimes it feels like you're running as fast as you can but getting nowhere. Having a supportive community really is the motivation I need to get up at 5am and work on my new book. Knowing that you believe in me encourages me to work hard and go to the library when my husband has his day off so I can spend the day editing. Being accountable to you makes me want to spend time on social media and connecting with my readers. After all, we all love books. How do I pay? Patreon handles all the transactions and I use PayPal to collect the money - safe and secure. What if I want to stop being your patron? You can downgrade or cancel your patronage whenever you like and always come back when you want to. I really hope this blog post has given you an insight into what Patreon is and how you can get involved. If you have any queries about the membership platform, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.