Dear Patreon new/adjusted sponsors: PLEASE CHECK YOUR PLEDGE CAPS

Because the 1st of the month is Patreon pledge collection day, and...  okay, bluntly:  I think some of the people who came in for the first time or raised from a previous total forgot something.  Namely, I think someone (and possibly multiple someones) may have forgotten to make sure they established -- or changed -- their monthly cutoff line.

I do see some of the adjustments taking place.  I know a group of new people came in during the pledge drive, and there's a chance I'm the first person they've sponsored.  And because I see some of the adjustments taking place, I noticed a minor trend.

Some of y'all front-loaded.

I think there's some worry about my burning out.  Pushing for five posts every month and just dropping.  So instead of, just for example, three dollars up to five times per month, someone went for fifteen dollars once per month.  And that's their decision, I respect every pledge, I'm thankful for everyone who's still here, who came in, who stayed for a while and had to leave --

-- but today is collection day.  So this is the first time I've seen some portion of the altered total.

I'm not sure the people who front-loaded remembered to also make the change to 'once per month.' 

I am currently really not sure how Patreon backdates pledge adjustments, for previous and new sponsors, when compared to the number of posts per month and when each person came in/switched.  This scares me.  A lot.

(ETA:  Just heard from BrumbyRun.  " I just looked at my receipt from Patreon. I adjusted my pledge during  the pledge drive. The increased pledge only started after the date of  change. It was not backdated."

"I did not change my cap, so I can’t comment on that side.")

(However, that's for an increase.  The reverse may be true for a drop, and I'm still trying to run down how that works.)

And for the new arrivals?  Make sure you've set that monthly sponsorship budget.  Establish a maximum and stick to it.  And please see if your cap is in place.  That you're supporting one, two, five posts a month -- whatever you determined in advance.  (Still terrified of going to six.)  Because that total feels off, and that may mean someone forgot to cap.  I just don't know who.

I am going to leave the collected pledges from February with Patreon through 9:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday.  (This will not hurt me.)  That way, anyone who finds they did not put a cap in place should have less trouble in pulling excess pledges back.  If there are no changes by then, I can semi-safely assume that everything's normal and I was just reacting for no real reason, because it's possible that I was looking at the proper total.  If the number drops, I'll just recognize that as people slamming caps on and adjusting the brim for sun glare and fiscal safety.  No harm, no foul.

So please.  Check your caps.  Make sure they're where you wanted them to be.

Always sponsor responsibly.

And don't drink Corona.

Not because of the virus.  That's just stupid.  Because Corona is horrible.

(Cross-posted to my FIMFiction blog in an attempt to reach more people.)