How can a writer utilize Patreon?

I received this question from someone who attended my free “Grow 2 Scale” Patreon webinar, and I know this is a question many writers and authors have because one of my more popular YouTube videos, How to Use Patreon as a Writer, is on the same topic.

In this blog post, I am going to give you 6 ways a writer can (and should) utilize Patreon:

Before we start, my philosophy is different than many other creators who try Patreon. For me, Patreon isn’t a tip jar. It’s a creative infrastructure that is supporting my creative freedom as an author. Yes, many of my members are in my community because they support my work, but I also know there has to be value there for them – both for them to join as paid members and for them to stay (retention).

My goal was always to scale my creative business, not just survive. With that out of the way, here are the six ways a writer can utilize Patreon:

1. Use Patreon to Get Paid Before Your Book Is Finished

I don’t wait for publishers, grants, or permission. Patreon lets writers monetize the process, not just the end product. Sharing sketches, drafts, abandoned ideas, annotations, and voice notes feels premium to real fans.

A writer can use Patreon to turn ideas that didn’t make it into books into value (Think unfinished business energy).

People don’t just want your book. They want proximity to the mind that made it.

People love the process and crave to follow your journey to see how it will end up.

2. Turn Intellectual Labor Into Recurring Income

I am a scholar, creator, and entrepreneur.

Patreon works best when your thinking is ongoing, and for me, it is. I am sure you have ideas constantly! All of them don’t make into a full book. Therefore, Patreon is a place for you to share frameworks, breakdowns, and analysis since you’re already doing that anyway (Take what you’re thinking and turn it into value for your Patrons).

This is especially powerful for writers with expertise, like academics, journalists, cultural critics, and any creator who specializes in their medium.

Here are some things I share inside my community:

  • Dissertation access (I did my dissertation on The Boondocks at Howard University)
  • Research breakdowns
  • Media kits, pitches, talks, drafts
  • Behind-the-scenes of publishing and negotiations (I go live and give updates about meetings, etc)

I stopped giving my smartest work away for free on Instagram and TikTok and started posting that stuff inside Patreon for the true fans.

3. Build a Small, Serious Audience—Not a Loud One

I don’t chase virality; instead, my goal is to convert trust. It does help to go viral and then send people to your Patreon.

Patreon isn’t about millions of followers. It’s about 300–1,500 people who believe in your voice, and from there you can scale it to the tens of thousands and, hopefully, millions. With this mindset, I have built real monthly income without selling my soul or flooding people’s social feeds with nonsense.

If you can’t get 100 people to pay you $12, the problem isn’t the algorithm; it’s most likely messaging, clarity, and in many cases, visibility.

You can definitely learn how to fix this in my free “Grow 2 Scale on Patreon webinar.

4. Use Patreon as a Testing Lab for Bigger IP

This is so important because:

  • Patreon helps you see what resonates before investing time or money.
  • Ideas that perform well become books, talks, films, or pitches.
  • You don’t guess. You validate.

My Patreon tells me what’s worth scaling, even at the tier level.

Let me share an example.

A few years ago, I added a $500/month Patreon tier, thinking no one would ever join it.

It included: a 2-hr monthly call + editing support.

It sat empty for MONTHS. Then, out of nowhere, someone joined. And stayed.

For a year.

That tier funded a whole year’s worth of bills.

Lesson: Try things. You never know.

Don’t shrink. Stretch your offers.

Someone’s waiting for you to go premium.

P.S.- I don’t offer this tier anymore.

That tier experiment showed me what people are willing to pay for, and it was a consulting business I could bring to market if I chose to.

5. Separate Your Platforms by Purpose

This is advanced thinking, and most creators miss this. Here is how I think about the platforms I am most engaged with at the moment:

  • Instagram/Threads = discovery
  • Patreon = depth, access, sustainability
  • Patreon is where the real relationship lives

I’ve learned that social media applause doesn’t pay rent. Patreon does. This is not to say that I do not make money on IG; I do, but Patreon is more predictable and doesn’t require me to hire a Meta Ads person!

6. Why Patreon Works Especially Well for Writers

The great thing about writers is that they usually think in systems, stories, and/or series. This is great because Patrons love episodic content, where you drop something in a series weekly or even daily, if you can. Patreon rewards consistency, not hype, because it’s about true fans tuning in, and with the new quips feature, you can find other creators to support you more easily. For me, Patreon is a great vehicle that captures the value I offer and allows a single place to hold that value for others.

I didn’t build Patreon to be liked. I built it to be free and help people.

If you’re a writer sitting on years of ideas, drafts, and knowledge, Patreon isn’t “extra work” if you make it a part of your process and approach it with a value-first philosophy.

-Sheena

Author of First 100: Your Patreon Strategy Guide

Host of “Grow 2” Scale Your Patreon