Today marks the 11th birthday of The Anime Nostalgia Podcast! Thank you all so much for joining me for 11 years of delving into anime, manga, and fandom. And over the years, I've had people come to me, asking me what the best way is to help support the podcast and my work. Well, I'm happy to announce that I've officially set up membership tiers on my ko-fi!
As you all probably know, the landscape of anime & manga companies has changed QUITE a bit since I started the podcast over 11 years ago. For a while, I was able to justify all the work I put into the podcast with the modest amount I'd receive from affiliate links I was able to use. But over the years, the amount of what I receive from those has gone down dramatically: from some affiliate programs changing their payout percentages, to some programs closing entirely. The tips I get on ko-fi have been a huge help, but I know that it can be a hassle to remember to send them in every month. So now, you can support me and the podcast monthly with just a few clicks, and get some cool perks in return!
Tier 1: Tip Jar
For those who want to show their support on a budget, the monthly Tip Jar tier is for you! $1 a month might not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Those who sub to this Tier will get my undying gratitude for their support.
Tier 2: Anime Club Member
For those who take a more active part in supporting the podcast, and get some fun perks! As an Anime Club Member, you'll not only get some behind the scenes posts, but you'll get access to a brand-new side podcast called The Secret Anime Club! A bi-monthly (that's every 2 months) podcast, it will come out the same months as my short ReView podcast eps. So if you were missing having extra-long podcast episodes on the months when those go up, now you can have DOUBLE the podcast every 2 months!
So what's The Secret Anime Club, you might ask?
The Secret Anime Club podcast will be a chill place where I talk to friends about various things--maybe more modern anime we're enjoying, manga we're loving lately, maybe even video games and toku/dramas! And since it's a subscriber-only podcast, we just might do some reviews on some of the vintage trashy "mature" anime titles that wouldn't fly on the regular podcast. A little more relaxed and laid-back, but still a lot of fun. And all delivered exclusively to subscribers for a mere $5 a month!
Tier 3: Anime Club Producer
Want even MORE perks? Than the Anime Club Producer tier is for you! You get all the perks of an Anime Club Member, PLUS: the option to suggest the topic of a podcast episode, early access to the main podcast episodes, AND! If the main podcast episode has a sponsor for that ep, you'll get the ep delivered to you with NO promotional ad reads. Folks at the producer tier will also get their names read in the special thanks of every episode they're subscribed for!
In the future, I'd also like to do special giveaways for ALL tier members, too, just to show my appreciation for your support.
You may have some questions about this new membership set-up. Here's some answers!
Q: Will this effect the main podcast? Will it be changing??
A: NO. The Anime Nostalgia Podcast will not be changing at all! The only thing changing is that there will be another podcast you can potentially listen to if you want to become a paid subscriber! I want The Anime Nostalgia Podcast to be free to everyone, no matter what, and that will never change!
Q: Why ko-fi for memberships? Why not Patreon?
A: I've already been using ko-fi for tips, so it's the easiest way to go! Also, ko-fi charges way less fees than Patreon does, so more of your money goes directly to me and not some company. I know for some, this will mean signing up for another platform, which I know is a little annoying. But I've also noticed ko-fi tends to have less technical problems than Patreon does, too, so in the long run, it sounded like the best choice!
Q: Does this mean no more sponsored ad reads?
A: Not YET. Long-time listeners will know that I don't always have sponsored ad-reads for the podcast. I'm extremely picky when it comes to accepting paid ad-reads. To date, I've only ever accepted sponsored ads for 1. a small, lesbian-owned vintage anime/toy store, 2. a shoujo-focused podcast, and 3. a Japanese snack subscription box. I've been offered others, but turned them down because while I could have easily made money with them, I didn't think they'd be a good fit for the podcast. My hope with opening memberships is that once my current partnership with the Japanese snack box subscription service has ended, I won't need to accept more sponsored ad-reads to make extra money. Finger's crossed this will happen with your help!
Q: Are you going to stop giving shout-outs to people who tip you?
A: Of course not! If you don't have the means to get a membership right now and just want to occasionally tip me, that's totally understandable! I'll still be doing shout-outs for people who tip 2 or more coffees at my ko-fi page.
Thank you all so, so much for your ongoing support over these 11 years, and here's hoping that with your help I can continue on improving it! If you have any questions about the memberships, please don't hesitate to comment or email me at AnimeNostalgiaPodcast@gmail.com !
