How to fund a comic book with Patreon or Ko-fi

Most indie comics never get made, and it usually isn't for lack of a story. The writer has a script and an audience that would love it. What's missing is the money to pay an artist, and a way to keep that audience close while the pages get drawn. This guide takes you from the first patron to the finished book.

Start with the number

Before you ask anyone for money, know what you're raising it for. An issue is priced stage by stage: pencils, inks, colors, letters and a cover, each priced per page by the artist who does it. Our comic artist page rates guide has published 2026 ranges and a calculator that adds up a whole issue for you. Write the total down, then write down what each stage costs on its own. As you'll see, you don't need the whole total on day one.

Three ways to fund a comic book

1. Out of your own pocket

The simplest option, and you answer to nobody. It's also the slowest, and it caps the comic at what you can afford.

2. A one-off crowdfunding launch

A launch on a site like Kickstarter raises a lump sum in a few weeks. It works best for creators who already have an audience. On Kickstarter it's all-or-nothing: miss the goal and you get nothing. And once you hit it, you owe every backer their reward, which can take months.

3. Ongoing support: Patreon, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee

Patrons pay a small amount every month, or tip when they like, to follow the comic as it's made. Each payment is small, but it arrives steadily and keeps arriving between issues. Each platform takes its own cut, so check their current pricing before you choose.

Why monthly support fits how artists get paid

The usual worry with monthly support is that it never adds up to a lump sum big enough to hire an artist. On renaissBlock you don't need the whole book's budget at the start.

• You fund each artist when it's their turn: when they accept, or, if their work builds on someone else's (inks on pencils, colors on inks), once the first piece they need is approved. You then have 14 days to fund their share.
• So you need the penciller's share first. The inker's comes due once the first pencilled pages are approved, and so on down the line, while your patrons keep paying in.
• Each artist's pay is locked in before they start, so they never draw on a promise. It goes to them milestone by milestone, as you approve the work or 72 hours after delivery if you don't respond.

From first patron to finished comic, step by step

1. Set up your support page

Create a page on Patreon, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee for the comic. Tell people what they're backing: the story, the team you're looking for, and what they'll see along the way. A private page showing how the comic is coming along is a strong reason to stay subscribed, and renaissBlock builds it for you (step 6).

2. Plan the comic

On renaissBlock, break the comic into stages and milestones, each with a price and a deadline. It's free to start a project. The plan is what artists see, and what your patrons are paying for.

3. Post an open call with your support link

• Post an open call to find your artist. You'll need a verified email and a public profile.
• The call shows the stages and the pay. It stays up for 30 days, and we remind you 3 days before it closes.
• Add your Patreon, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee link. Artists see "Supported on Patreon" (or Ko-fi, or Buy Me a Coffee) on your call, with a note that it's where you raise money for the comic, not a payment to them. A comic with real backers is a project an artist can take seriously.

4. Show artists the money is there

Turn on "Funds ready" and signed-in members see a green check when your wallet covered the call and everything you've already promised other artists, as of our last check. They never see your balance, and we recheck it every few hours. For an artist deciding whether to trust a writer they've never met, it's a strong signal.

5. Move your patrons' money into your wallet

Once your support platform pays you out, add the money to your renaissBlock wallet by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You don't need to know anything about crypto: a payment provider converts it to USDC, a digital dollar pegged to the US dollar, and puts it in your own wallet. USDC you already hold elsewhere can be added too.

6. Hire your artist and share the backers' page

• Invite the artist you've chosen. They see every term before they accept. When it's their turn, you fund their work. The money sits in a smart contract, not with renaissBlock and not with either of you, until each milestone is approved or its review window ends. If a milestone is cancelled, its money comes back to you.
• Posting a call also gives the comic a private backers' page, unless you've turned it off. It shows the comic and your name, who's making it and where each stage stands. It isn't on the board or in search. Only people you give the link to can see it, so paste it into a patrons-only post.
• It also shows a watermarked sample of the paid-for art: about one piece in ten by default, up to 12 images, earliest work first. Patrons see the comic taking shape without getting the book for free.
• Artists are credited by username, and only if their profile is public or unlisted. They're told when they accept.
• If the link gets passed around, reset it and the old one stops working, though what people already saw can't be taken back. You can also turn the page off.

7. Tell your patrons each time work is paid for

Each time a milestone is paid out, your project page drafts an update for your patrons, with the artist tagged if their profile allows it. Edit it, copy it, and post it to your patrons only, so the backers' page link stays with them. Regular, real progress is what keeps people subscribed.

8. Approve the work

• The artist delivers and you approve it, or use one of the two revision rounds included per artist.
• Approval pays that milestone out to the artist. If you don't respond within 72 hours of delivery, it pays out automatically.
• Ownership of each milestone's work passes to you when that milestone is paid out.
• Changed your mind? You can cancel a milestone within 24 hours of it starting and get everything back, fee included.

The full detail is in how to pay a comic artist safely.

9. Publish, sell, and start the next issue

When the comic is done, you can sell it in the renaissBlock store, and your patrons are the first people to tell. The ones who watched it get made are your launch audience, and the reason the next issue gets funded.

Common questions

Do I need the whole budget before I start?

No. You fund each artist when it's their turn, with 14 days to do it, not the whole book up front.

Can my patrons pay the artist directly?

No. Your support link is where you raise money. The artist is paid by you, from your wallet, milestone by milestone.

What does renaissBlock cost?

It's free to start a project and to post an open call. renaissBlock charges 3% when a milestone pays out, and you choose who covers it: you, the artist, or half each. Selling in the store has its own fee.

Will my backers see the full, clean art?

No. The backers' page only shows watermarked previews, never the clean files.