An important message to my patrons (Long post) (Patreon)

Hey guys, I don't mean to be a bummer so close to new posts, but I gotta address an issue that's given me a lot of anxiety in the past and has been doing so a LOT recently.

And that's leaks of the work that you all generously pay to see early. This has been an issue since I started Patreon as people always want paid stuff for free on the internet, especially NSFW content. In the past I've spoken to you all about this, and many of you have stated you're here because you support me as an artist. And while that's super nice and I appreciate it, this is still a monetary service and I aim to be professional.

Which is why I'm being transparent on this situation, because I'd rather be open about the issue rather than trying to silently deal with the stress of the leaks while trying to maintain a poker face for you guys. The fact of the matter is this: leaks happen weekly, because as long as anyone can sign up to my Patreon and see the work, they can save it and reupload it wherever they please. It could be some random person trying to get clout on a 18+ comic site, or the owners of the sites themselves. 

Point is, it's extremely hard to prevent the spread of the work outside my Patreon. Despite this, I've spent 2+ years searching through rule34, Reddit, imageboards, and forums DAILY to search for possible leaks, and I've sent dozens and dozens of DMCA's. I've even hired professional legal help. Thankfully, I've been successful in removing work from some of the most high profile sites. But there are other sites I've been flat out told I can't do anything about. As a last resort, I've even talked with leakers and siterunners who host the leaks, and for the most part they don't care. Or they figure I make enough money, and it's not gonna hurt my career.

I say all this to say, work I post here has been getting leaked in mere minutes after I post here for a long time now. And I've tried very, very hard to fight against it, and will continue to do so. But it gives me a ton of anxiety because I think about how it's undermining the service you all are paying for, and I simply can't find a way to stop it. It has made me doubt continuing my Patreon at times, as it seemed like promoting early access was pointless if I can't keep up my end of the bargain. But the majority of this anxiety came from me imagining how my patrons would feel, and I thought I could alleviate some of that if I was up front and honest with you guys about it. And then get a clearer image of how you feel.

So like I said, I will keep on fighting against the leaks in the limited ways I can. And if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them. But if any of you decide to leave the Patreon and stop pledging because you don't see the value in it, I completely understand. And while I know it's not my fault, you all have supported me so much and deserve absolute 100% exclusivity, I am so sorry for not being able to deliver that.

EDIT: Thank you for all the kind words guys. For real. I don't deserve this kind of support. I'm a degenerate drawing nude cartoons lol, but you guys make me feel amazing. Love all of you, even if you decide to leave. Thank you for even supporting me for a second. Now go watch ChiChi struggle with a giant green sausage!