Frequently Asked Questions
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN AFTER SIGNING UP
Help! I signed up for a Patrons account using [payment method of choice], but when I try to log-in afterwards, the site doesn’t allow me access. What happened?
If you sign up and register your username, but cannot sign in immediately, it is typically because your PayPal (or Stripe) transaction did not go through completely, and your membership is stuck at “Pending” status. According to our payment processing software, “Pending means the transaction was started but the member either didn’t finish the payment process, or the payment gateway has not yet confirmed the payment was completed.”
Whichever of the above two situations is the case, the result is the same: your account was registered, but not activated; this is why you cannot log in. And you have not been billed yet. If you are unsure if this is what happened, please contact us and we will investigate.
In order for your account to become active, you must complete the PayPal and/or Stripe payment process completely. Most of the individuals having log-in issues were discovered to have exited the process or closed their window prematurely, which did not finalize payment. When this happens, we do not get any notice that you have signed up, and no record of the transaction is recorded in our payment system (as there wasn’t any transaction).
If this happens to you, we recommend you simply try again. If you are having trouble with PayPal checkout and are using a credit card, please consider using the Stripe payment method instead, or consider signing up through our Patreon page, which bills using a different system (note that if you sign up that way, you must elect the $10 per month contribution or higher to get Patrons Area access, due to Patreon taking a significant cut of the contribution each month, and that your access is not automatic, as Patreon’s system does not communicate with ours, requiring us to manually supply your credentials).
CANCELLING, PAUSING, CHANGING, AND UPGRADING
Can I pause or cancel my subscription after signing up?
We would be sad to see you go, but, yes, if necessary you can pause or cancel your own subscription anytime by accessing your subscriptions page. From there you can view the details of your subscription, and you can choose to pause or cancel it.
A note on cancelling VS. pausing: Pausing your account is intended to be temporary, and allows you to restart your membership at any time with the same terms as you previously had. If you got your membership using a promo code or when different payment options were in effect which may have been more favorable to you, we recommend you pause rather than cancel. You will need to resume your membership manually when you are ready. Cancelling is permanent and stops automatic billing indefinitely, and if you choose to cancel, you will lose the grandfathered status of your account.
Pausing may be the most appropriate option if you are having a tough month financially but expect things to improve later and don’t want to lose your membership permanently. Cancelling is more appropriate if you don’t care to support us anymore or can’t afford to, and have no plans of restarting.
Can I change and/or upgrade my membership type or donation amount at a later time once I’ve signed up?
Yes, you can upgrade or change your membership by clicking a Change Plan link in the upper right. From that page, you’ll be able to click a link on the right to change your plan. A pop-up will be presented with the various options you have to choose from.
Will you notify me by email when a new release is published?
Not automatically, but we’ve created an easy way for you to opt-in to such notices if you’d like to get them! You can sign up for our patrons-only mailing list by clicking a Mailing List Sign-Up link in the upper right. From that page, you can complete a short form, inputting an email address of your choice (it doesn’t need to be the same one linked to your account necessarily), and you’ll receive a confirmation email asking you to confirm that you want to be on the list. Once you agree to this, you’ll begin receiving messages when we have new items posted, as well as Production Updates.
How do I know what the team is up to?
We post all patrons-only production updates whenever we have important news to share. You can access the Production Updates section in our Patrons Area via a link in the upper navigation area. You can also sign up for our patrons-only mailing list in order to be notified any time we have a new update!
If I have a question, comment, request or concern once I am signed up, what is the best way to contact you?
Patrons enjoy access to a specialized contact form that will allow our supporters to get in touch with us – and get a response – more quickly than an ordinary listener! The contact page also shows our business correspondence address, a phone number you can call or text for emergency purposes, and the email address itself, if one prefers not to use the form for some reason. The contact form makes reaching us easy!
As a patron, if I would like to see you perform or adapt a particular story, and would like to formally request it, can I make that request?
Absolutely! You’ll be able to use the patrons support contact form to connect with us and let us know, and get an expedient response!
I would like to volunteer to help the team in addition to supporting you (or in place of becoming a patron). How can I offer my services?
We are always looking for volunteer help. If you choose to become a patron, you’ll be able to use the patrons support contact form to connect with us and let us know what you’d like to help with, and we’ll do our best to make room for you in some way! Ifyou’re not a patron yet, you can still reach out using our public contact form.
Can I join your voice acting team?
Auditions are formally closed, but if you feel you have something truly unique to offer, if you feel your talents fill a niche and if you have prior experience doing voice over work – either as a professional or as a hobbyist – use the public contact form to contact us. Be prepared to provide links to your existing work, or to do so in an email exchange once we respond to you.
I’d like to support you more than your monthly membership options allow for. How can I donate an amount of my choosing?
You can donate funds in an amount of your choosing at any time – visit our donation page here! The options there will make it possible for you to designate an amount of your choosing. We appreciate your support!
How do my patronage and donations help?
Chilling Tales for Dark Nights depends on the revenue it generates to fund its myriad projects. Without this funding, we cannot pay our producers, sound designers, composers, editors, authors and voice over talent for their efforts.
Through the efforts of individuals contributing small amounts each month, this project will ultimately become totally fan and crowd-funded, which will lead to numerous benefits, such as increased output of material and continued improvement of the quality of the productions you know and love.
Among other things, your continued support helps us to cover the following costs, including (but not limited to):
Compensation to the staff involved in the production of stories, including our director, producers, editors, composers, graphic designers, video editors and voice over talent
Licensing fees paid to authors for use of their stories
Licensing fees paid to filmmakers for use of their films
Costs associated with hardware and software and the maintenance and the periodic upgrading of those items
Costs associated with website maintenance and hosting
Costs associated with cloud-based project management systems which we use to coordinate on projects
Marketing and advertising expenses
The expansion of our brand into additional mediums, including but not limited to print and eBook publication, short films, video games, apps, toys and/or merchandise
What will change if your financial goals are met, and how will those changes benefit me personally?
Your support will allow important members of the executive team responsible for this project to dedicate 100% of their work weeks to producing content
Improved workflow will allow for an increase in content output and improvement in quality of productions
Our response time when getting back to fans and one another will improve dramatically
Our release schedule will become far more consistent
Advertising and marketing can be leveraged more effectively, which will increase our audience and funding further
Celebrity guest performers and specialized voice over talent, such as child actors and those with specific accents and ethnic backgrounds, will become more accessible, allowing for the creation of more authentic and attention-grabbing productions
Production of 100% original, commissioned stories can begin in earnest
We will be able to branch out into other forms of entertainment more quickly, including apps, games, publishing, and film-making
We will be able to produce a pilot short film series based on our audio work
We can branch into production of a serialized episodic audio drama series in addition to our usual content
We will be able to properly pay our talent and compensate our authors, without who CTFDN would not exist, which will improve our relationships and make it easier to acquire new material