Reconsidering Giraffe Incentives and Time Crunching

[aldersprig]

As I struggle to finish January's Giraffe Call, I am coming to the conclusion that I have overextended myself on, at the very least, the higher reaches of the call incentive levels and need to rethink them.

So, my question to you, oh my readers:

* What incentives do you really like, that encourage you to participate/donate?
* Which don't motivate you at all/do you really not care about?
* Would you rather have less in a more timely fashion, or more stretched out over 2-3 months?

Comments

[inventrix]

I may be the odd one out, but I am utterly unmotivated by the number-of-your-prompts-used incentives.

Actually, come to think of it, this ties into that discussion before about people not donating because they felt it would be too much work for you to do, answering all their prompts. I for one have felt pressured to give at least three prompts, even when I only really have one good one, because of this particular incentive.

The only donation pool incentives that motivate me are the fun or practical irrelevant-to-the-fiction ones, and the setting pieces.
"Oh hey she's only ten dollars away from a new wheelbarrow!" *gives ten dollars*

The only personal donation incentives that motivate me are word-count extensions on existing stories.
"Oh boy I REALLY like this, I want more!" *gives money to get more*

As for the call size versus call frequency, I am ambivalent, so long as I get to read stuff. ;D

[inventrix]

A note!

One idea that you may benefit by is having a hard deadline for accepting new prompts, unrelated to donation levels or activity. Accepting donations (and thus receiving benefits from them) would still benefit everyone with a soft deadline, but I don't think you should do extensions on taking new prompts.

[inventrix]

Another note!

Maybe, instead of saying "if you donate, I will write you all/X number of prompts you give", you can do personal-donation-goals?

Donate $5 and get two of your prompts written, donate $10 and get three, donate $20 and get four, something like that.

[aldersprig]

<3<3<3<3<3

[inventrix]

Oh! Or maybe you can "sell" chunks of your donation-word-counts to get another prompt done! Cost of a second prompt, 500 words regardless of final story length or something.

[aldersprig]

/ponderponderponder/

[clare_dragonfly]

I like this idea.

[aldersprig]

*ponders* Yeah?

[meeks]

I like this idea, too. Give the patron a choice of 500 more words, or an additional prompt filled for every $5 that they donate.

[aldersprig]

Ooh. That would cut the writing considerably.

[clare_dragonfly]

Exactly. Not that I want you to write less, but I want you to be less stressed out about it!

[aldersprig]

:-D

[(Anonymous)]

I like all the writing you do so I enjoy all the writing to prompts, but I do feel that writing to ALL the donor's prompts is a bit much for you. If I am having fun writing prompts then I later realize that some of them are just too silly or that there are waaaay too many then I feel a bit guilty when donating.

However, I LOVE getting the words per dollar donated incentive. That is the main thing I get excited about so please don't change that part!

-Anon

[aldersprig]

So limiting the donor prompts to 3 or 4 wouldn't bug you?

[(Anonymous)]

Not at all! It would make me feel better in fact. That way I could throw out as many prompts as I felt like and then you would only feel obligated to select a reasonable number of them to write to.


-Anon

[aldersprig]

*purrr*

[aldersprig]

So, ah! I've written to 4 of your prompts. Do you want me to write to the additional 2, or are you satisfied with money's worth?

[clare_dragonfly]

Yeah, pretty much what they said! More words for money is good; more prompts answered doesn't thrill me. I give you multiple prompts partly because you request them and partly to give you choices. Since I know sometimes I prompt things that are already in Addergoole or something XD

[aldersprig]

*giggle*

Okay, thank you.

[(Anonymous)]

Most fun was seeing you reach another goal. Asking for extensions of existing stories was also nice. And I like the whole Alder-by-Post thing. XD

I'm not sure about the "write to more prompts". I kinda like it, but both this and asking for extensions seems a bit much?
I like giving a bunch of prompts, partly to leave some room for choosing, but leaving 10 prompts and then tipping is kinda awkward with the workload. (I said that it's fine if you don't write to all of the prompts I left in January, right? I think there were quite a few...)
So I support putting in a limit, if you keep it.

I like the idea of getting an ebook version, but that's a level not often reached.

Podcasts or audiobooks don't interest me at all.

Regarding time, well, I wouldn't mind slower/more spread-out posting in total. I get a tad overwhelmed at times. X)
I'd be fine with new calls every two months (which would cut down on worrying about finding new themes) or something. I don't think you have to stick to a monthly schedule, particularly if you still have writing to do from previous rounds.

[aldersprig]

(you did, thank you)

/ponders scheduling/ Hrrm. I may consider that.

[anke]

That was me, by the way. (On the old study-laptop I'm not permanently signed in.)

[aldersprig]

It was either you or Moonfox. :-D

[anke]

Is it the closed-eyes smilies?

[aldersprig]

You both said "don't feel obligated to write to all my prompts."

[meeks]

I'm more motivated by the possibility of extending existing stories than by the idea of having more prompts answered (mostly because I'm terrible at coming up with prompts :P). It usually takes me awhile to catch up with all the ficlets you post, so I wouldn't be bothered if they were a bit more spread out.