Catching up: A lot going on, so check this out.

Art by Brian Lee, colored by Rebecca Coulthart

It's been a while since I posted about my new adventure, so let's catch up a bit.

Two years and still going strong:

Hard to believe that I've now been publishing role playing game books for two years!  It has been a LOT of work and has been possible through the support of wonderful backers on KickStarter and from the remarkable work of the freelance art team.

From the beginning, I've tried to learn from every project and worked to make every book better than the one that came before.  It can be quite tiring but I'm happy to say that I'm very pleased with each book I've released.  That is a HUGE thing to be able to say and it's only because I know that I did my very best effort with each project that I can feel that way.

There is a stack of "to do" projects sitting next to my little desk now.  Throughout this blog I have recommended that self-publishing writers / game designers take notes of every project concept that blossoms in their mind.  I've been doing that and now have a little over 100 (seriously) projects that I've noted.  Many of these ideas are getting scheduled for development while others have to wait their turn.  Some projects garner more interest than others and the momentum that builds behind them gives rise to discussions with artists, to KickStarter campaigns and the calculations of how to make them a reality.  IT. IS. AWESOME!

There are a LOT of projects I'll be releasing over the coming years, but here is where I reiterate one of my biggest points I return to on this blog:  "No one can enjoy your book until you write it".  In other words, you just need to do it.  Please remember that a bad draft is still MUCH better than no draft at all. Hit the keys, pick up a pen and paper, write down your ideas.  Even if it's vague or strange, (Example:  'book about goblins getting murdered by evil heroes').  Come back to what excites you and get to work.

Cover of Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock
Artist: Brian Lee

Work life balance:

Writing, game design, coordinating your release schedule, dealing with printers, running crowdfunding campaigns and all the various little tasks you do when you publish your own work take up considerable amounts of time.  I recommend that you DO NOT let your writing and publishing intrude to far into your personal life. 

I'm a single father.  I work a day job, one that I actually enjoy, then pick up my child from school and we head to the park or go home and play.  I make dinner, we eat, play time gives way to getting cleaned up for bedtime, we have reading time and then it's lights out for the little human.  Even though I love writing, I love my kids far more.  Even with deadlines fast approaching I make every effort to keep my time with the kids sacred.  Don't get me wrong, there have been a few times when I've had to compromise a few hours, but it bothers me to do so.  I don't want to miss anything from their lives while they're so little. So, I work after bedtime, often until two in the morning, then I'm back up at six to get breakfast made and get our day started.  It is tiring.

Speaking of tiring, I'm normally good on four to six hours of sleep.  This is just how I'm made, and is definitely not for everyone.  Don't let my schedule intrude on yours.  The key take-away here is, don't miss out on family time to get your writing done.  Find time outside of those moments, in the quiet hours when it's 'me time' to put your ideas down. 

From "Whispers of Persephone"
Artist: Christian Martinez

Is there money in it yet?

Friends and family ask this of me sometime.  I think they assume I'm making money because I have put out several books over these two years and when you look at my KickStarter campaigns you see dollar signs.  I can tell you honestly, that after expenses I'm still just about breaking even.  Extra revenue, what would be 'profit' gets used up for art on new projects.   My list of books, posters, merchandise items and art that I own rights to, continues to grow but like so many of us I keep working the day job to pay the bills.  To my thinking, there is nothing wrong with that. 

When I started, people actually told me that I should wait until I had a few thousand followers on social media before I tried launching a KickStarter campaign. Nope, I didn't wait.  I still, to this day, don't have numbers like that.  What I can say is that I'm slowly approaching 200 followers on my personal KickStarter account and that, to me, means a lot.  It means that people who are happy to support creators have taken the time to follow so that they will get notice when I put out a campaign.  It is a great feeling.

But is there money in writing, in designing game content, in being your own boss?  Yes, I firmly believe there is.  I'm building for the long term, so I can leave my company to my kids one day, but I am optimistic for the future.  Someday, maybe when I write about being three or four years into publishing, I'll be saying 'Yes, there is money to be made"... time will tell I suppose.

D'Inn, the veteran goblin mercenary
Art by the amazing: Alexia Veldhuisen

Monthly Releases and Patreon:

I have a simple ambition that has grown from producing books.  One day I would like to release a lot of content for subscribers each month.  Sounds simple, right?

The truth of the matter is that funding art becomes pricey very quickly.  Currently, I fund it out of pocket with help from subscribers (now on Patreon).  So, I realize that seems pretty standard, but what I'm wanting to grow to isn't.  I aspire to release a monthly comic, a dystopian rpg "news sheet", a monthly pair of pin-up illustrations (one male & one female), the monthly PDF detailing a character/companion/creature/monster that I'm currently releasing, and adventures and news for a living campaign.  I want to combine this with a live stream to provide fun, good quality content that I can enjoy and be proud of.  Is that too much to ask for? (hmm... maybe, lol).

Fact is, it will take copious amounts of funding and I don't have that level of following, yet.  I say 'yet' not because I think it's inevitable (I certainly don't) but because I've watched an audience grow over the last few years.  It's a small, close knit audience certainly, but an audience I've been blessed with because they have been AMAZING!!!! So, I'm sticking to my guns on my opinion on the matter of growing your audience.  Creating the best quality content you can, being open and honest about missteps, and daring to put yourself out in front of folks to say "hey I made a thing!" is really a fantastic way to grow.  Is it slow?  Yes.  It's also what I'm comfortable with.

Now, last year I got some criticism for making comments on growing an audience when mine is so small.  There is a validity to that position in that conventional wisdom measures followers in the thousands as a minimum.  I just happen to disagree with that position.  I think an audience of five is just as important as an audience of five million (though not as financially beneficial).  Those five people following you think enough of your work to check it out so treasure them because they are important.

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Shameless self-promotion warning:  As I write this entry the Patreon page has been active for three days.  So far, three of the subscribers from the Drip page have migrated over and I have three new subscribers who have arrived.  I invite you to subscribe as well to receive the monthly PDF and to be a part of what I hope will become a growing community.  (Subscribe Here) Or use the button at the top of the page.  Thank you.
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Back to what's new:

                                                                Sinopa Omnibus

Collecting the monthly releases together into a biannual book proved to be a good idea.  From a formatting stand point, the book was simple to produce as the PDFs were already put together, so stitching them into one book was relatively easy.  This also appealed to KickStarter backers who are not fond of subscription formats and/or who prefer print over digital.  Bringing the Omnibus to KickStarter also allowed me the opportunity to release bonus content and to set up stretch goals to add even more.  The first volume funded fully and I'm cautiously optimistic about it as a recurring biannual title.  Volume Two will come to KickStarter in late September.

                                                          Break KickStarter!!!

As a subheading, 'Break KickStarter' is fun.  This a campaign theme being promoted by the folks at KickStarter as a sort of challenge to do things differently, shake up the status quo and to make things on KickStarter look different.  I'm rising to that challenge with the help of some very talented people as we work to fund Broken!

Title card designed and illustrated by: Zack ViolaClick on image to preview the KickStarter campaign

You can click on the title card image to preview the campaign page.

With this campaign we're working to create a new, never before seen role playing game.  But unlike the usual method, we're putting the choice of what is going into the game in the hands of the backers.  I've built the budget, assembled the art team and even lined up additional writers to help bring this game from nothing to play test in four months time. 

I'm very excited about creating Broken! and can't wait to see what the community chooses for it to become!

                                                        Fantasy Pin-Up Collection

Yes, you read that right.  We're putting together a fantasy pin-up collection.  These illustrations will be done in a tasteful manner reminiscent of the pin-ups of the 40s and 50s.  The pin-up girls for this first book will be from fantasy races straight out of tabletop role playing games and fantasy themed fiction.  This is going to be a beautiful little book and lots of fun to create.


                                   Tarot Adventures, Book Three: Death comes to Glenfallow

Several re-writes have gone by and now Death comes to Glenfallow is in its initial play test (the one I'm running).  After this adventure has been resolved, I'll make what corrections need be done, then send it on to the play test group for a good beating, err, I mean round of testing... yeah, that's it.  Art for this Tarot Adventure will be done by the remarkable Anthony Ojeda.  See the illustration below he did for Tarot Adventures, Book One: The Draw of Glenfallow!

Goblins ambush the group in 'The Draw of Glenfallow'
Art by Anthony Ojeda

                                                                  47 Furious Tails

With the successful funding and release of 47 Furious Tails, Issue One I am thrilled to say I have released my first comic book!  This was a labor of love, requiring two kickstarter campaigns to get it funded, and months of illustration work by Alexia Veldhuisen.  The comic is gorgeous!  I'm really excited to be working on a few re-writes for issue two before we come back to KickStarter to fund book two.

Cover by Alexia Veldhuisen

In 2019 we've released issue one of 47 Furious Tails, the first Volume of the Sinopa Omnibus and the regional map of Glenfallow (the setting of the Tarot Adventures).  As you can see, it's been a busy year indeed.


There are several books in development at this time, and the Sinopa Assemble comic anthology is currently live on KickStarter.  You can support that campaign (please do) by clicking on the link to it in the Featured Crowdfunding Campaign, link above. 

*****

There is a lot going on in my new adventure.  I've had some successes, a few setbacks, some inspired ideas and some not-so-great.  KickStarter has been particularly kind to me and I look forward to breaking it with Broken!.  I'm enjoying the thrill of writing as well as the challenges of production. I've had the opportunity to share useful information with first time KickStarter creators and I'm very happy for their success.  I think the future is bright and I am looking forward to pushing my limits with each book.

Most importantly, I hope that the people who read my work, play in my games, and pick up my comics enjoy them every bit as much as I enjoy creating them.  Maybe then I am sharing some of my own joy with the world, and that just might make the world a little better.  I can hope so anyway.

Thank you for joining me on my adventure. I hope you'll join me for the next post as 'Adventure Awaits' and it's more fun to have such adventures with good company.

~ W.S. "Sam" Quinton

Self-Publishing, planning ahead, things to come, and giving yourself a little pat on the back.

Art from: Tarot Adventures, Book One: The Draw of Glenfallow
Artist: Anthony Ojeda

Publishing your own material is a lot of fun and quite a bit of work.  Writing the book, editing, working with your play tester feedback, conducting final revisions and edits, then formatting the book involves a significant commitment of time and resources.  If you are crowdfunding your work in some capacity (such as I do to pay for the art I use), then you also find yourself working to promote your coming project, interacting with your audience (backers/supporters:  this is tremendous fun really), and managing a self-imposed deadline by virtue of the fulfillment project your create.    While this may sound like a lot of work, and can be, if you enjoy the genre you will find that there is a great amount of joy in holding those first run proof copies of your book and in knowing that your work is in use by others.

Self-publishing requires that you familiarize yourself with a number of things: copyrights, ISBN and Bar code sources,  distribution systems, and promoting your work.  Before releasing anything you write, do your research on these points.

*****

Art from: Tarot Adventures, Book One: The Draw of Glenfallow
Artist: Anthony Ojeda

Planning your titles in advance is critical if you're going to be crowdfunding.  Using a single platform, such as KickStarter, places a constraint on how many projects you can have launch at a time.   Use your time during your crowdfunding campaigns wisely!  Complete your project to the highest quality level you can produce.  You want your audience, your backers and supporters, to be thrilled with the items you produce.  This makes them more likely to support future products of yours.  Be mindful of your fulfillment projects.  Make realistic determinations on how long it will take to fulfill rewards, and work diligently to meet those deadlines.

When you are planning your project timetables, I recommend that you use a calendar.  I know this seems obvious, but its an important way to manage your time.  Set up your goals for task completion and indicate them on your calendar. Work to complete each task on time and you'll find that you reach completion of your projects in a timely manner and with less stress.  {Note: I also recommend that you copy all files and save those copies off your native system, either in a cloud service or a physical storage media}.

 *****

Cover Art:  47 Furious Tails, Issue One
Artist: Alexia Veldhuisen

For 2018 I have the following planned releases (fingers crossed on the crowdfunding!):

Fulfillment of The Steel Road is to be fulfilled by end of August... presently I expect fulfillment to be complete in July.    The KickStarter campaign for The Steel Road has been a huge success so far with the first stretch goal having already been reached and 10 days (at the time of this writing) remaining for us to reach the second.  You can check out the campaign by using the link below (art by: Zack Viola).



Launch of  "Whispers of Persephone" in August 2018.   This campaign will have a higher funding goal as I am attempting to wholly fund the art for this book via crowdfunding.  With all color art by Christian Martinez, this book is going to be darkly beautiful.  I hope it haunts collections of gamers all over the world.  You can find more information about Whispers of Persephone ~ HERE

I'll be closing out 2018 with two final projects:  Tarot Adventures, Book three:  Death comes to Glenfallow, and 47 Furious Tails Issue One!   With the remaining months in the year, my KickStarter calendar is quite full.  It will take careful planning and spot on execution to make all these projects release on time.  I'll be updating progress on each project as I go along.

*****

Be proud of what you've done.  Give yourself a little pat on the back.  Many people start working on projects and never finish them.  By working diligently you can release your own game, book, or other project to the world.  I hope you do, and I hope I get to enjoy it.

My best advice for anyone who wants to publish their own material:  Do your research, work tirelessly, and never give up.  Don't stop creating.

Thank you for joining me once again on my adventure into writing, self-publishing, and game design.
The art for this entry was done by:
Anthony Ojeda      Alexia Veldhuisen     Zachary Viola

Each is a remarkable talent and are among those 'Fantastic Freelancers' (TM) who have taken the risk and worked for Sinopa Publishing LLC (my company).  I want to thank them all for their contributions to the success of those projects they've worked on, and I look forward to years of mutual success to come.


I hope you'll join me next time, as the adventure continues.

Multi-tasking: writing, crowdfunding, & meetings (Oh MY!)

Promotional Image for: The Steel Road (now on Kickstarter)
Art by: Zachary Viola

Like many of you, I have a day job that pays the bills.  Then when I'm off work I play with my daughter, take care of our home, and basically do the responsible adult gig.  I happen to like my job and the people I work with, so all in all things are pretty good.

Writing, however, is a joy to me.  I like doing it and when I'm not actually writing I'm actually thinking about writing or things related to my writing and publishing.  I'm not obsessed (honest).  So it is likely no surprise to those of you who read this blog, that I've been working on several different projects simultaneously.  Currently I'm running a KickStarter campaign, formatting text and cleaning up art for The Steel Road (the subject of said KickStarter), working on draft for Tarot Adventures, Book Three: Death comes to Glenfallow and the draft of Whispers of Persephone, coordinating with artists on an anthology project, working on game design elements for my RPG project, and planning crowdfunding for the above projects and the re-launch of 47 Furious Tails.  There is a lot of work going on around me right now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Now, how do I find time?

My day starts are 0600 (most days) when my baleful alarm chirps and wheezes at me to inform me that its time to get out of bed.  I hate that alarm.

I then get up, preheat my oven, jump through the shower, mix up and set to bake (some thing) for breakfast.  After pushing the muffins, or cinnamon rolls or whatever into the oven, I go engage in the task of waking and dressing children.  By the time that is done its time to pull the whatever out of the oven and feed myself and the children.  It's an easy and quick routine.

Then its off to drop off youngest at daycare, and then onto work.

Work is where I do the things that pay those pesky bills. At work I don't write, except during my breaks and if I'm off property.  There are legal reasons why.  I work until the afternoon hours, then retrieve my child and we go home so I can make dinner.  We then play until bath time, whereupon we engage in the ancient form of combat known as "bathing a small child".  This is followed by drying, dressing, and then putting the small human to bed.

Big deep breath, then on to writing.

I write, and I write, and a small portion of it is good enough to share with other humans. I write posts for this blog, promotional material for my crowdfunding activities, and somewhere in and among that I have video conferences with artists.  My day usually ends somewhere between Midnight and 0200.  Last night it ended at 0230, and I woke up at 0600.

My point is, I have my pace.  I've found what I can do to make time to write and not have my time with my family compromised.  It works for me, but this schedule is demanding and not for everyone.  In truth, this afternoon I'm pretty tired and haven't had coffee yet (its now 1430), so sometimes its hard on me too.

Throughout the day, I have to multi-task.  Getting a few things done in small span of time is a critically important thing to master.  By completing even small tasks while working on larger jobs, you chip away at your work load and speed completion of the project.  Give it a try, you'll find it's true.

Crowdfunding:  Wow, as I've mentioned with each of my previous crowdfunding campaigns, they take up a LOT of your time.  Responding to your backers' questions and comments, working to compete the project, these are all things that must be handled to support your crowdfunding.  These are also habits to get into so you can connect with your audience.  It's important that you spend time on your backers, or else they may become former backers.  Think about that.

Meetings:  Nothing says you can't complete tasks while in a meeting.  Do it!  If you've been needing to speak to Rosa about a graphic design she did, then knock that out during the meeting or schedule a time for it following the meeting.  Optimize you time to enhance your production, you'll find you get much more done than you ever thought you could.  If you have people working for or with you, delegate tasks within the capacity of your team to complete things in a timely manner.



The KickStarter for The Steel Road is well underway and already funded and has some exciting stretch goals awaiting.  I hope you'll check it out, support the project, and share the campaign page with others.

*****

Thank you for joining me today on my adventure into writing, game design and self-publishing.  I hope this blog continues to prove useful to you as you engage in your own projects.

I hope to see you next time.

W.S. "Sam" Quinton

Fun things you learn when you let people see a preview of your new KickStarter campaign

Screen capture from the KickStarter campaign for : The Steel Road
This image was grabbed last night while I was working on the page

Hello everyone!

I'm about to launch my fifth kickstarter campaign.  With my fourth campaign I had made previews of the campaign available to some bloggers I'm acquainted with, and ran the information by some friends to look it over.  It was helpful.    For The Steel Road I wanted a broader spectrum of people to take a look at the campaign prior to launch.  I was looking for feedback and I got it!

Things I had pointed out to me from the earliest of drafts were that I had too much text. Really, I had written to much, put forth a lot of detail, and had pretty much made the page read like installation instructions.  That kind of format is no fun to create, and no fun for the people coming to the campaign.  So, don't over do it, be honest and sincere, and don't worry about things that people are likely to already know.

Also from The Steel Road Kickstarter page
This  capture shows the pledge level for pdf and pod after the early backer tier expires

The next thing that was pointed out to me, was that I needed to tell people what the book was for.  Somehow, in all the excitement and in the process of putting words to page, I had forgotten to indicate the book was for the 5th Edition game mechanic.... oops?    So I did a bit of work to clean that up.

I cut down the extraneous matter (still clipping that back a bit), and tried to stick with just the meaty bits of the thing.  Its a book for your 5th Edition game, it has a bunch of weapons, all are illustrated, please support it... that kind of thing.  I found it was much more fun to read through, easier to digest, and people didn't have to try to interpret things.  All good things I believe.

Page from: The Steel Road
Art by: Zack Viola

Stretch Goals:  

Everyone seems to want more stretch goals.  I've been torn on this point as I don't want the project to get out of hand, but then something great happened.  One of the people looking at the page had been a backer of a prior campaign and he made a suggestion about something he would like to see as a stretch goal.  Its easily done, and I like the idea, so I'm checking the math to see if its feasible. Thank you very much Alexander for such insight!

My position on stretch goals is that they should always be something that makes a great contribution to the project.  Additional art, more content, better quality materials, and things in a similar vein are what I like to see.  As a creator though, you must balance these ambitions against your costs.  It is critical if you are to succeed in the business side of things and be able to afford to create new projects in the future.

So for all of you who are planning campaigns, be mindful of your stretch goals!

original page art for The Steel Road
Art by: Zachary Viola

Audience  

I talk a LOT about how to treat your audience when you are a crowdfunded creator.  I always encourage people to do all they can to make the best products possible, in order to give their audience the best value.  Yesterday, I was reminded that people appreciate the effort.  I'll not get sappy about it, but I received some very kind words from a few backers of my last KickStarter (for Tarot Adventures, Book Two:  Comet over Echo Rock) which had its fulfillment running late (two weeks late as of this writing, but fulfillment is underway).

Once again, I'll recommend that in all dealings with your audience be honest, realistic, and put forth your very best effort.  I hope that in your creative endeavors you receive the same kind of messages I have.  They really do mean a lot to me because they are encouraging and really make all the work more worthwhile.

Yesterday I was told that my work mattered, that people are looking forward to my next book, and that they have fun with their friends as they play through the adventures I've created.  I can't think of a better reason for all the hard work, than knowing that the people supporting my kickstarter campaigns, my audience, are enjoying what I do.

(Thanks folks, you ladies and gentlemen have been the best!)

Your audience makes your creations possible.  Cherish them all.

*****

Thank you for joining me once again on this adventure into game design, writing and self-publishing.

I'll be continuing the countdown toward the KickStarter campaign for The Steel Road with a new entry tonight.  

I do hope you will share this entry with others to help fellow creators.

Adventure awaits!

KickStarter fulfillment for Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock

I received proof copies for Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock today!

Cover Art by: Brian Lee

This was pretty cool, but I did discover a formatting problem and a few text problems that had managed to slip past our editing.  So I'll be correcting those issues through this week and will begin fulfillment once the updated interior files are complete.  So backers for this KickStarter campaign will begin receiving their rewards next week.

This adventure is released under the Open Game License, and is designed to be a difficult to deadly level challenge for characters of second through fourth level of experience.

Some of art going into that adventure:

Art by: Alexia Veldhuisen

Art by: Kelsy Cowan

Art by: Christian Martinez

Art by: Jake Ochoa

Art /Cartography by: James Lee

Background/border art by: Nick Caponi

 You can see more of Nick's work by checking out his web comic SANDI on Tumblr

*****

Whether you are new to the Tarot Adventures, or a survivor of The Draw of Glenfallow, you and your friends will enjoy this brutal adventure!

What is going on in this book:

Monsters remain in the Echo Rock silver mine.  Pieron wants your group of brave adventurers to rid the mine of its monstrous inhabitants to avenge the deaths of those who have tried to reopen the mine before you, as well as to bring the wealth from the mine to help continue the growth of Glenfallow.

Survive the climb into the northern mountains, brave the depths of Echo Rock, and rid the mine of its infestation.  There is wealth to be had, political clout to be earned, and monsters to kill.

Packed with several full page illustrations, a selection of six (6) pre-generated characters, example dialogue, a selection of example skill results, and pages of NPC and setting data, this adventure is full of material for the adventure at hand as well as material that easily adopted for expansion.

*****

As a final note, I do use KickStarter to fund my various projects.  There are some neat projects on KickStarter right now and I want to point a few of them out to you.

Here are some of them:




At the time of this writing there are two days left to support the Coronary campaign.




At the time of this writing there are twenty-two days remaining to help fund Shinobi: Ninja Princess
Disclaimer:  I don't know the people responsible for Shinobi, I just think it looks like a cool project.






Gadget, another project that I saw that really just looks cool to me.  It is early in the campaign and could use a LOT of help in reaching its goal.  I haven't backed this comic yet, but I'm planning to in the final week of its campaign.  Give this campaign a long look, the numbers look realistic and the concept seems really cool to me.  I do wish it had an electronic copy only option or an option for print copy only.  I've messaged the creator to that effect as well.   It's the creator's first KickStarter campaign, at least that is what KickStarter says, so lets share this around and help make it a great first time experience.





Finally, one of the most exciting KickStarters that is running right now (to me anyway), I was looking into developing something similar but I just don't have the coding chops to make it work.  If there is any RPG themed KickStarter you are going to support right now, this is it!

How cool is an Augmented Reality monster?  Just check out their visuals to see.


Thanks for joining me today as I explore writing, game design, and self-publishing. 

I hope I'll see you again next time!

W.S. Quinton

Game designers, publishers, and writers: Treat yourself!

Map by: James Lee
For: Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock

Map by James Lee from the soon to be released 5th edition adventure,
Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock.  (Early version of the map)

*****
You wrote your book, illustrated your comic, created a great game, funded your project, managed your printing and production, marketed your product to garner attention and now people are reading it and/or playing it.  Congratulations!


Your work is far from over, as you'll be fulfilling orders (or overseeing such), promoting, managing the money (and taxes that follow the money), and going through all those processes which govern the business end of your work.  In other words, you're managing your sales pipeline and working a LOT.


During all this excitement it can be very easy to feel overwhelmed.  The problem this causes is that it can discourage you from creating new projects.  After all, who wants to add to their work load?  Stop!  Don't let the specter of more work dissuade you.  More work simply means that more people are reading your material, playing your games, and that you're making more money.  Don't be a one hit wonder.  Take a moment to recharge your energy, and to encourage yourself and your creative process.


The following are some things you can do, which I have found useful in re-energizing my creativity and in encouraging me to step up and tackle the next project:


1) Personal promotional appearances:  Book signings and speaking engagements (small panel or whole room).  It is great fun to discuss the work of writing with other writers, to talk about games and game theory with other game designers, and to encourage others who are aspiring to produce their work.  Take some time to speak with others who are experiencing the same labors you are.  Whether you develop a sense of camaraderie, friendly rivalry, learn, or mentor others; you'll find that the socializing your experience is quite refreshing. 


Making these appearances can also be quite productive for your business as well.  By building community, making connections, and providing the benefit of your own experiences you can learn others.  I would also encourage you to assist those in your community in their endeavors where possible.  You may have noticed that I maintain a link to featured crowd funding projects on this page now.  Doing so has yielded a tangible benefit to each of those projects by helping to expand awareness.  {As a side note, I want to convey my gratitude to those of you who have supported these campaigns. I don't receive any financial incentive for this.  It does benefit those creators whom I network with and there is a certain amount of reciprocal aid from those people as they share my project links around too.}


2) Physical activity:  Take a walk, go to the gym, or otherwise undertake some form of physical action you enjoy.  This doesn't have to be a life changing exercise.  It is healthy to get up from your desk, get your muscles moving, to take a break from your work.  Of late, I've fallen into the trap of toiling away at my desk.  Don't do that to yourself.  Get up and go for a bit.  I like to play with my children until they go to sleep then work after they are down.  If you have children this is a good option, but do make certain you are getting some physical activity through the day too.  It will help clear your mind and reinvigorate you.


3) Invest in yourself and your business:  This is very important.  Once you have revenue coming in from your product, use the money purposefully.  Do you need a new camera for your podcasts and social media activity?  Do you need a scale for your mailings?  Is there a tool or software that can increase your productivity, streamline your operations, or otherwise alleviate some of the burden of work?  If so, invest in it!


Hard work will get you far.  Working efficiently and completing your work with less strain, cost, and labor will afford you the ability to do more.  Whether you are investing in a better scanner/printer, subscribing to a fulfillment service, or otherwise optimizing your operation; you will improve your long term market ability by investing in your operation.


4)  Take a break:  Make time for family and friends.  Take a day off to rest and recharge.  This will help you to maintain a healthy balance between your work and personal life.  Don't let your work overshadow your happiness.  You owe it to yourself, and to your fans/customers, to have joy in your life.  It WILL show in your work product. 


Take care of yourself, treat yourself, and live a little.  Use your time and money wisely to grow your business in an efficient way.  Refine your processes to ease your work load.  Make a point to enjoy yourself so you don't burn out.  Use these simple points to keep yourself motivated and working toward your goals.


*****


Thank you for joining me today on my adventure into writing, game design, and self-publishing.

I am presently working to complete the fulfillment of the Tarot Adventures, Book Two: Comet over Echo Rock  Kickstarter campaign.  The map above was created for that book and the image is used with permission and under contract.  All rights are reserved.

In May of 2018 (next month) I plan to launch the KickStarter campaign for The Steel Road, a source book containing fifty exotic weapons from far flung parts of the world.  Each weapon is illustrated, described, and contains an illustration and description of an enchanted "legendary" version of each.  I hope you'll check that on KickStarter when it goes live and support that fantastic book!

As always your comments and questions are most welcome.

I hope you'll join me again next time!

Productive uses for KickStarter "profits" ~ advice to new creators

Art from "The Steel Road"
Artist: Zachary Viola

KickStarter

There, do I have your attention?   Good.   KickStarter and other crowdfunding platforms have been a terrific boon to small press self-publishers, game designers, and indie comic book creators.

Money from your crowdfunding campaign allows you the luxury of creating your project and may also provide the funding to improve upon it. I have always advocated that you use the funding to enhance your product to make it the best value for your backers as is possible.  Hold on to that idea, as it is important in building and retaining your audience.  People who see that you are creating high quality products are more likely to support your future endeavors. 

I would like to point out that you will very often have some residual funding left over.  While it's nice to call this "profit" and go about your day, I want to point out some uses for these funds that I advocate for, and which you may wish to consider.  Please note: this entry is NOT addressing the costs incurred by the KickStarter campaign (fees, production costs, shipping/fulfillment, etc.), we're just looking at the money made in excess of what you need, and how any such funds can be put to good use.

Art from "The Steel Road"
Artist: Zachary Viola

Productive Uses of 'profits' from a KickStarter campaign:

1) Bonuses:  For my first KickStarter I was able to provide a small bonus to my artists. While this was literally just a few dollars, it was very well received.  I tell you, without hesitation, that I don't miss those few extra dollars but my artists definitely appreciated it.  Morale has been very high ever since.  You cannot put a price tag on having people who are eager to work with you, who enjoy working for you, and who respect / trust you.  Consider this as an option, and be certain to weigh it against the following considerations.

2) Product marketing:  Extra revenue is a fantastic resource for your project once it is ready to be made commercially available.  Even a small amount can go to good use in paying for add space.  Give this some critical thought, as a well run marketing campaign should translate into sales.  This is where your revenue begins.

3) Product production:  Do you want to take your project to a convention for sale?  Do you want to make your product available for sale on your website?  If so, then odds are you're going to need inventory, which means you'll need money to create it, store it, ship it, etc.  A word of caution on this, however, be mindful of your tax obligation on inventory at year's end.  Consult a tax professional for specific guidance on this point.

4) Research and Development:  Fancy way of saying, 'costs for developing future products'.  This is one thing I've been terrible at doing.  I've focused my efforts on my first three points here (above) and have historically neglected this point.  This has put me in the position of having to fund initial costs out of pocket.  I don't recommend you do that.  Instead, I recommend that you take any excess funding and allocate a portion of that for future product development.  This will help ease the burden of your future crowdfunding efforts.

5) Taxes:  This is IMPORTANT!  Consult a tax professional regarding your tax liability.  This is one thing I had found very little information on in my own research before launching my first KickStarter campaign.  Now I'm factoring it in for each.  I recommend finding a local Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in your area, and consult with them on this issue.  Save yourself a tax-time headache by planning ahead in this point.  Once you are aware of your tax obligations (if any), then you can put aside the funds to cover any tax obligation you may incur.

Art from "The Steel Road"
Artist: Zachary Viola

I hope you will find great benefit in using KickStarter and other crowdfunding platforms to bring your projects to new fans and so you can see your dreams realized.  I hope you'll take these points and use them to enhance your own experience with crowdfunding and project development!


*****

Thank you for joining me today on my adventure in writing, game design, and self publishing.  It is always my hope that by sharing my experiences and insights that this blog will help you to avoid pitfalls I have encountered, and that it will help you to achieve your own goals in developing games, writing, and publishing.

As always, your comments are most welcome!

I hope you will share this entry with others.

The art included in this entry is from my coming project "The Steel Road" which I plan to have up on KickStarter in May (2018).  All art for "The Steel Road" is copyright (c) of Zachary Viola (2017 and 2018) and is used under contract and with permission. All rights are reserved.  I hope you will support that great project and share it with others.

Thanks again!

W.S. Quinton

Work, failure, success, and YOU! More art from "The Steel Road"!

Art from "The Steel Road"  African weapons chapter
Art by: Zachary Viola

About work:

I have an ordinary day job.

It's true.  I work for the courts during the regular day-time office hours.  After my day job work hours are done, and after the children are asleep, I work on things related to my books, games, and publishing efforts.  I do sleep, I promise I do.  I usually work on my writing and publishing endeavors, and the numerous small tasks that make them possible, until midnight. 

Some nights I say 'no' and I write while watching anime or YouTube videos.  What can I say?  I'm a huge nerd. 

As with most day jobs, I have small periods of my own time.  During these break times I am quite guilty of working.  I usually take my notepad and write things down that have occurred to me, jot down plot notes, doodle rough outlines, and otherwise add to my growing pile of projects I want to develop and insights into projects I am developing. A perfect example of this is that I wrote the first four paragraphs of the entry during my lunch break.

The key concept I'm trying to convey is that by working when you can, every day and at every opportunity, you can accomplish a lot.  Elon Musk once commented about working eighty to one hundred hour weeks as opposed to working forty hour weeks and how much more you can accomplish in that time.  (You can see a clip of that interview HERE.)  While I'm not going to recommend that you work hundred hour weeks, I find that if you devote your time and effort to your goal, you bring yourself closer to realizing it. I firmly believe that to be true.  I feel that I usually accomplish quite a bit so long as I continue to work each day, in as much a capacity as I can. 

For those of you who want to release your own novel, or comic book, or design and produce your own game, this work ethic is a must.  You have to get up and make your dream a reality, or it will forever remain a dream. 

*****

About failure:

Failure is a fantastic opportunity for learning.  You can, and should, learn as much from a project that fails as you can.  What did you do wrong?  Is my idea something people are interested in? What could I have done to make the project successful?  Those are questions you should ask yourself.  Give yourself honest answers.  Don't be satisfied with what should be, dig deep and find out what is.  This is a key distinction to make, as it will reveal whether your projects are viable or if they are not. 

If your idea isn't viable, if people aren't interested in it, or if it isn't possible then you should look into what it is that makes it that way.  If a project can't be done at a certain budget point is there a way to refine your method to decrease costs?  If people aren't interested in it, why aren't they and what, if anything, can excite people about your idea?  If you project just isn't possible, is there a technology that you need to develop or adopt to make it possible?  Take a long hard look at the issues standing in your way and make a realistic appraisal of what it will take to bring your project to life.

A project's failing does not make you a failure. Please take a moment to digest that previous sentence, because it is very important. I have done a lot of research by reviewing crowd funding campaigns.  I have noticed an alarming trend where people who have their first campaign fail, don't seem to try again.  I say this is alarming because I do not belief that creative people are usually limited to a single idea.  If your project fails, do NOT be afraid to try again with a new idea.  Innovation doesn't come from stagnation, it comes from people who are brave enough to put forth new ideas.  Be brave, don't let the past control your future.

*****

About success:

Having a successful project, regardless of how successful it may be, is a wonderful feeling.  I hope you have that experience in your life.  Success can be a heady experience, it can drive some people to see more and greater success while in others they may be content to bask in the wonder of it.  Which you choose to do, is up to you and your overall goals.  If you want to build a business, create value, and make an impact then I believe you must allow success to motivate you to new successes in future projects. 

Building on past success can also be a risk.  By way of example, let me cite my coming project "The Steel Road".  For that project I have high hopes that people will be excited by it, support it's KickStarter campaign, and that it will actually generate a bit of revenue I can use to help fund the initial costs of a particular pair of coming projects.  By committing those dollars earned to future projects I am risking that money.  Is it worth it to me?  It certainly is, because I am working to build a business that provides books for people to enjoy.  Investing money earned into more development is simply a basic principle of business, but one that carries with it the risk of loss.  It also brings with it the potential for success.  Examine both possibilities and determine whether you will dare the risk or not.

Success without ethical responsibility is not success at all, just greed.  This is a moralistic viewpoint, my own, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me.  My point is this: If you can succeed at your projects with a clear conscious, knowing you have acted ethically and in good faith, then you have nothing to fear if people question your product, actions, or development.  Be honest with persons in your efforts and you will find that your success is all the sweeter for it.  {I know I'm going to get flamed for this point and that is fine.  Comment section is below.}

*****

About ART:

Art is incredibly important in the fields I'm working and developing for.  Comic books and role-playing games need art.  Card games and board games need art as well.  When you need art, you need artists.  Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

I've written previous entries on the artists I've worked with.  You can find my most recent such entry HERE!

With artists, please do understand that you are dealing with people who possess a valuable skill set.  While I understand the desire to find art at the lowest price available, I do not condone doing so at the expense of your artists.  Pay fairly, pay promptly, and be a good client.  You will, after all, need their services again in the future.  Build strong business relationships with your artists, you're going to need them.

*****

About You:

Surprise!  Yes, this is about you.  You've made it this far in this short article about some things I am very convicted about.  I encourage you to develop your own projects.  Bring your own book, comic book, or game to the world.  Be responsible to yourself, be open and honest with your audience, create to the highest quality level you can, and enjoy the process!

Thank you for joining me on my adventure into writing, self-publishing, and game design.  I wish for you tremendous success and I hope you'll join me next time as my adventure continues.

I hope you will enjoy my coming projects, and I hope I will enjoy yours!


*****

One last thing:

There is a really cool indie comic series, "Coronary".  It's creator, Ryan Burke, is running a Kickstarter campaign right now to fund the latest edition.  Check it out at the link below.




Note:  All art from "The Steel Road" is copyright(c) of Zachary Viola (Copyright dates 2017 and 2018) and is used under contract and with permission.  All rights are reserved. 

A short entry on RPG story development

TriShula from India
Early art by: Zachary Viola
Art from: The Steel Road

If you have been playing role-playing games for any length of time, you are aware that there are many genres, game systems, and settings available for your enjoyment. Regardless of what type of game you are enjoying, an important component to any campaign is the story being created by interactions between the player characters and the plot points presented by the game master.

When you are developing a story for your RPG session keep in mind that it will likely NOT proceed in a manner exactly as you expect it to.  Player actions will often change the narrative with unforeseen results. Player interactions with NPCs can go awry, take on more in-depth properties, or the players may choose not to interact at all.  As the player characters interact with your plot points, you should be flexible enough to adapt the story's progression to a logical consistency with your overall plot and how the player characters have affected it.  This is not to say you should rely entirely upon improvisation, but to encourage you to help your stories grow organically from player participation.

To prepare a story that is adaptable you should flesh out the motivations of the NPCs.  This will help you conceive how those characters would react. This makes your story more dynamic and flexible.  Remember that the NPCs should react according to their character.

Address your story elements with attention to the interests of the players and their characters.  The story hook, grabs the attention of the players and Player characters, and should draw them into the story.  The antagonist(s) oppose your players/PCs and provide conflict.  Create antagonists that are interesting and that fit with the story.  Give them motivations that drive them to act and react.  Good stories have an ending of some kind.  Whether your ending is a springboard into the next adventure or not, make sure that your ending concludes or at least staves off the conflict created by the antagonists.  Wiley antagonists might escape to oppose the the players and PCs again, their plots only foiled for the time being.

Game sessions where the story unfolds are certainly more memorable, and generally far more enjoyable.  For your story, you'll want challenges for your player characters to confront that appeal to your players as well.  Use the challenges to move the story along, as well as to reveal new twists in the plot upon resolution of those plot points.  As an example, if your group is chasing bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside, then confronted and defeated the villains. How will they feel when they discover that the bandits were in the employ of a neighboring lord who sent them to stir up trouble?  Something like that may need to be looked into and the local lord should, perhaps, be notified as well.  Use these points to inspire your players to action and they will narrate the tale of what their characters do, and the story shall unfold in a more natural way.

Create stories that grab the attention of your players, that will facilitate the involvement of the player characters, and be flexible enough to adapt the reaction of the NPCs as the story unfolds.  When you are writing and designing your story, look for classic conflict themes for inspiration, or from real life.  Do you have conflict in your life that plays a huge role in your real life story?  If so it can certainly be a source of material for your game.

Thank you for joining me today on my New Adventure into writing, self-publishing and game design.  As always, I do hope to see you next times.

BONUS:
I saw a kickstarter campaign that I thought was really cool.  So in addition to "I am the Greatest, Hero Edition I also leave you with the link to a neat wooden dice case.  Check them out and support the ones you like.