I feel like... this is not an attitude I'd encourage young creators to have. : ( I would ABSOLUTELY want them to believe that their work is worth supporting and that they shouldn't feel bad about asking for that support. But you don't wanna go into it with the idea that behaviour that drives people away is probably just driving away the Non-True Fans.
If someone who Isn't A True Fan would've supported my work if I behaved differently, I think I should at least consider if I can accommodate that. Sometimes, they have a grudge against support, and I can't do anything about that. But it's worth thinking about what I can do to keep from making people uncomfortable!
Plus -- this isn't just about your existing readers. This is about how you present yourself. If I see some of your art, and I like it, but while I'm checking out your work you come across as salesmany to the point of making me feel pressured, I might not stick around long enough to become a real fan in the first place.
I'm gonna be honest, just sticking a little reminder at the end of things has never come off desperate to me. "If you liked this video, please like and leave a comment!" isn't going to make me think "GOSH, WHAT A DESPERATE SELLOUT" unless I have a pre-existing grudge, and a little "if you like my comic, please consider checking out my patreon!" at the end of the author's comments isn't pushing anything inappropriately. That's fine. That's just letting people know you HAVE a patreon, which, you need to do!
And as much as you insist that people already know how to like and subscribe: no, they don't. Watching Youtube for however long I've been watching Youtube, it had never occurred to me that liking a video helped out the creators I enjoy until they all started asking "hey, if you liked this please click the like button!" at the end. And now I do!
Ultimately, these sorts of requests are easy to ignore, but that's why they're inoffensive.
What IS gonna be a turn-off for me,
I think the reason we're reacting so intensely to this idea is because these specific examples can easily sound cringingly salesman-y, depending on how you usually present yourself online. If I did this, it would feel like a schtick!! Maybe they'd work well with you and the way you present yourself -- after all, all of Gigi D.G.'s hilariously over-the-top "YOU SHOULD READ MY WEBCOMIC" tweets sounded totally natural and just funny coming from her, and inspired me to be less afraid to straight up tell people that my webcomic is good -- but I had to do it in a way that was natural for me.
I really believe in being genuine, and that that's one of the most important parts of being a creator online. I think it's good to explain why support helps you a lot -- that's genuine! To let people know that signal boosts help you out so much and you truly appreciate every one, or to ask your followers to let you know what kind of thing they like and want to see more of -- these are very honest and personal. I remember the first time I subscribed to someone on YouTube was after a heartfelt thank you from a guy whose work I loved, thanking his subscribers for getting him so close to making YouTube his full-time job. But the "WAIT-- LOVE MY COMIC??? THEN YOU WANNA SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!!!" stylish patter can risk losing that genuineness, unless that really really fits with the kind of online persona you have.
I agree, there are people out there who just have a grudge against the idea of a creator innocently asking for support, and that you cannot please people who have a grudge. And I agree that creators do need to be less frightened of letting their followers know how to help them out!!
But there's a battle that I feel doesn't need to be happening, between "I'm afraid of begging" and "Don't be afraid to ask!!" Instead I feel like things like patreon could be looked at as opportunities. Rather than imagining that you're trying to talk people into supporting you, which can feel very nervewracking and ungenuine (especially for Guess Culture folks), you are reaching out to people who already want to support you and telling them how. I think that outlook changes how you present it just a little bit, to something that feels less like you're trying to pressure people into doing something for you, and more that you're thanking them if they're able to do so, and that can make a big difference. ;u;