(My intended journal title was too long for DeviantArt: "Why I Won't Do Commissions, Commission Others, or Use Sites Like Patreon.")



Over the years, I've been occasionally asked about writing requests and commissions for others, and more recently, as it rises in popularity in the Zootopia fandom (and I'm sure elsewhere), I've been asked about Patreon (exactly twice: once by someone wanting to support me and once by someone looking for support). I have never been one to participate in fandoms in these ways, and I don't see myself changing.



My policy toward simple, free requests is easiest to summarize. I have never openly sought requests. My main reasons are that I simply work best with my own ideas at my own pace, that I don't always have the time, and that I don't really have the natural inclination. Any unsolicited requests that fans have given me I've at least given cursory thoughts to, though, promising only to add them to my list of things to maybe write about someday if they were at least plausible. To my knowledge, however, I have never written anything solely because of a request in my (just a few days short of) ten years of writing fan fiction, only a few requested things that I was going to write anyway (a sequel to one of my Penguins of Madagascar stories, for example). So if you would like a request, it is probably best to seek another author. But thank you for being interested in my work.



As for doing commissions, commissioning others, using sites like Patreon, Ko-fi, and PayPal, and anything else involving money, it has long been—and remains—my practice to not engage in these areas of fandoms. The reasons for my disinclination are closely related and largely overlap. Fueled by caffeine, too little sleep, and a tinge of misanthropy, my reasons at one point went on for more than 2,300 words. It was way too much, though, so I've summarized the most important ones.



Just a fan: I'm just a fan. I write fan fiction because I enjoy it (although I sometimes enjoy the finished product more), because I have stories I want to tell, because I'm a good writer, because I love the canon Zootopia and want to explore that world more (and from 2009 to 2017, the Penguins of Madagascar world), and because my readers (though I wish there were more of them) largely enjoy what I come up with. But I don't write fan fiction to make a profit. Any thoughts of doing otherwise have never really struck me. I have a day job for regular income—I'm not paid what I'm worth, but who really feels that they are? But it's enough, at least for now, that much of it just exists without being spent. The old idiom generally holds true: money can't buy happiness. But what can buy a little happiness? To me, the best payment I can receive for a piece of fan fiction is thoughtful feedback. Reviews and comments are truly appreciated by fan authors, perhaps more than non-authors realize. Active support is much more meaningful than passive support. Another three bucks from a "coffee" on Ko-fi or five bucks a month from a patron on Patreon wouldn't matter as much to me as someone taking a moment and telling me, "I really love this story, and here's why."

Not the best with others' ideas: As I said earlier regarding requests, I'm always the best working with my own ideas at my own pace. When you create for others, you're trying to meet someone else's expectations. I'm not one to typically take on unnecessary stress and pressure voluntarily.

As I said earlier regarding requests, I'm always the best working with my own ideas at my own pace. When you create for others, you're trying to meet someone else's expectations. I'm not one to typically take on unnecessary stress and pressure voluntarily. Privacy: When money gets involved on the Internet, so do things like names, addresses, credit cards, and bank accounts. Unnecessary risk to carry on fandom-related accounts, in my opinion. And depending on what websites you use for carrying out transactions, in the case of a commission, both the artist/author and the person commissioning them may necessarily know at least some of each other's details. That's not for me.

When money gets involved on the Internet, so do things like names, addresses, credit cards, and bank accounts. Unnecessary risk to carry on fandom-related accounts, in my opinion. And depending on what websites you use for carrying out transactions, in the case of a commission, both the artist/author and the person commissioning them necessarily know at least some of each other's details. That's not for me. Legality: Strictly speaking, things like fan fiction and fan art are already unauthorized derivative works of copyrighted material. What truly qualifies as fair use is actually a lot less than what most people think. Still, fan works are generally tolerated by copyright holders, particularly when they're made for fun rather than profit. Once money gets involved, though, fan works become more difficult to defend legally and ethically—the ice on which fandom content creators skate gets thinner. While it's unlikely that companies like Disney would litigate against fans for commissioning a fanfic cover or dropping a sawbuck each month on a fan artist's Patreon—they have bigger fish to fry—some dice, I think, are best not rolled. (A good article on this issue is "The Messy World of Fan Art and Copyright," by Jonathan Bailey.)

Strictly speaking, things like fan fiction and fan art are already unauthorized derivative works of copyrighted material. What truly qualifies as fair use is actually a lot less than what most people think. Still, fan works are generally tolerated by copyright holders, particularly when they're made for fun rather than profit. Once money gets involved, though, fan works become more difficult to defend legally and ethically—the ice on which fandom content creators skate gets thinner. While it's unlikely that companies like Disney would litigate against fans for commissioning a fanfic cover or dropping a sawbuck each month on a fan artist's Patreon—they have bigger fish to fry—some dice, I think, are best not rolled. (A good article on this issue is "The Messy World of Fan Art and Copyright," by Jonathan Bailey.) Philosophical factors: I am a conservative Republican, and I vote accordingly. But Election Day doesn't really end in November for me. I believe that politics and ideology are major reflections of one's character. I would be disinclined to commission, do a commission for, or financially support someone who was not a philosophical ally. I would similarly be disinclined if the other person were highly, graphically sexual in their own creations, no matter how artistically talented.

I am a conservative Republican, and I vote accordingly. But Election Day doesn't really end in November for me. I believe that politics and ideology are major reflections of one's character. I would be disinclined to commission, do a commission for, or financially support someone who was not a philosophical ally. I would similarly be disinclined if the other person were highly, graphically sexual in their own creations, no matter how artistically talented. Cliques: There exists among some (but certainly not all) content creators and their commissioners/donors a degree of cliquiness, where fans who aren't financial backers are made to feel as if they don't matter or matter considerably less, whether intentional or not. I don't wish to perpetuate this. I don't believe in paying to gain or maintain anyone's favor, or in order to artificially rise in popularity, recognition, or prominence in the fandom at large. Some (but, again, certainly not all) seem to maintain their tip jars of choice for the wrong reasons.

There exists among some (but certainly not all) content creators and their commissioners/donors a degree of cliquiness, where fans who aren't financial backers are made to feel as if they don't matter or matter considerably less, whether intentional or not. I don't wish to perpetuate this. I don't believe in paying to gain or maintain anyone's favor, or in order to artificially rise in popularity, recognition, or prominence in the fandom at large. Some (but, again, certainly not all) seem to maintain their tip jars of choice for the wrong reasons. Personal disinclination: I am at best a familiar stranger to much of the Zootopia fandom, a name seen around but whose contributions aren't widely read, shared, discussed, or known. Some reasons for this I know (or can infer)—including some that I am ultimately responsible for—and some reasons I do not know. Some of anyone's success or failure is also pure chance. I suppose, if my other reasons for not engaging in certain things suddenly disappeared, that I would, theoretically, be more open to them if I were better appreciated. Don't get me wrong, though. Many people have made me feel welcome in this fandom, and I hope that my own comments and discussions have made others feel welcome too. It's just a little different here than the glory years of The Penguins of Madagascar (2009–2012), when I was perhaps somewhere among the top ten best-known fandom authors and was the first president Fanpop's PoM club elected in 2010. A face card in the deck vs. like a three.

In conclusion, I don't expect everyone to agree with me here. I don't expect everyone to agree with me anywhere. I don't even agree with myself sometimes. This is just how I see things. My reasons and determinations are mine and mine alone, and it is up to each individual fan to decide what to do in these situations and any other situations. I acknowledge that some of my statements may still be too much, so let me say this: In a perfect world, I'd do a lot differently. For example, there are several artists who I would commission for fan art. I'd get a cover for every Zootopia fanfic I write, have all my drabbles illustrated, and have other ideas I have drawn. The Zootopia fandom truly has some great talent and greater people. But alas, ours is not a perfect world, even with Judy, Nick, and all of us doing our parts to make it better. So primarily for the reasons given, I am compelled to not participate in certain areas of our fandom—or any fandom.