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

Three Live Comic and Games KickStarter campaigns (January 14th, 2019)

A little divergence from my usual content, today I want to shine the spotlight on some of the current KickStarter campaigns that I found interesting.  To be clear, none of the campaigns mentioned here have any association with my own releases, these are just some cool projects I wanted to share with everyone.

COMICS:

It is an interesting time for indie comics. With crowdfunding sites like KickStarter and Indiegogo, these gifted writers and artists are bringing their vision to the world.  In some cases whether the world is ready or not!

As I prepare to re-launch my own comic book title I enjoy checking out what's new in comics on KickStarter.

***
Cornrows #1

Urban fantasy, no heroes and a story of revenge.  I read over the story description and it caught my attention immediately.  A high school phys. ed teacher dons a mask to avenge the death of a student.  As someone who lived in Baltimore for a time, I find the setting choice very powerful.  If you're looking for a gritty title that doesn't pull its punches, you need to see Cornrows #1.





***

SuperKids! Mental Health Support Coloring Book

I discovered this campaign by accident, when Bill Shatner (Captain Kirk himself) tweeted out a link to it.  I looked it over and knew I wanted to help this project succeed.  I've backed this project myself.

This project creates coloring books for sick children in hospitals, which just makes it the 'feel-good' campaign of the year for me.  The example pages on the campaign are well done, with excellent attention to the lettering.

This is not your typical comic / coloring book KickStarter campaign.  Check it out.


***

GAMES

Treacherous Traps for 5th Edition!

This is the RPG KickStarter campaign that all of my friends are talking about.  Launched by the fine folks at Nord Games (these guys know their RPG's), this campaign is rapidly reaching for its next stretch goal, where trap schematics get added to the book. 

This project boasts both a book and decks of cards for the creation, generation of unique trap combinations.  A fantastically ambitious title and one that promises to bring new and exciting challenges to tabletop role playing games everywhere.




With 2019 off to a strong start on KickStarter, I look forward to what the creative communities bring to our little blue world in the coming months. 

I hope you'll check out the projects presented here, share the link with others, and help these creators to reach their goals by supporting their campaigns.

*****

Thank you for joining me on my adventure today.
This post has been a bit different from my normal fare as I am preparing for my own KickStarter campaign launch for 47 Furious Tails, Issue one.
I hope you'll check that campaign out when it launches on January 23rd.

Thank you

D&D Facebook Subscription groups and other stuff

It's been a busy three weeks since my last post here.  Sorry for the delay, but life has been unforgiving with my time of late.  There are a few things I want to touch on today, so lets get to it!

Recently, on Facebook ~

It sounds like the continuation of a television drama, doesn't it?

A few days ago, on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition closed Facebook group, I noticed that one of the admins had posted about a closed subscription group known as the "5e Adventure Academy".   As that group allows for advertisement of crowdfunding campaigns by members, I didn't think anything of it beyond the question "Facebook has subscription groups?"   Like many of us, I quickly turned to Google to see what information was out there about this group model.  One of the articles I found (released in the summer of 2018) can be found HERE (Written by Josh Constine).

For the record, I fully support people making money from content they create. I myself have a Drip page, I know several people who have Patreon pages and I am an avid creator and consumer on KickStarter.  I don't see anything wrong with people creating new content (within licensing boundaries) and making that content available to the community in a fairly priced way.

As this is a relatively new model for Facebook, it can seem a bit alien. There have been a wide range of responses to the announcement and posts by the Admin who made the announcement.  People have condemned the idea, supported the notion, been surprised by the list of contributors, and have expressed a wide range of opinions regarding this new development.

While I am not subscribing to that group, it isn't because I don't care for the model or that I'm condemning the use of Facebook in such a way.  The reality is that I'm a single father and a creator who puts almost all the revenue generated from my own work back into new projects. To be blunt, I can't justify the additional expense at this time.  Even as I write this entry, I wrestle with this decision because the list of contributors does include people whose work I am somewhat familiar with. I am of the opinion that you can always learn from others.  I'm afraid that I may miss out on a valuable learning opportunity, at least for the next few months, by staying out.

My understanding is that new, original content is going to be generated by the contributors within that group.  Such creative energy is something the RPG community always needs.  How you and I, the audience, choose to consume such content is up to us.  I am not endorsing nor condemning this new subscription group, but I do think that all of us should be aware of it.  If you like the idea, you can always elect to join and can leave if it doesn't live up to your expectations.  If you don't like the idea, don't subscribe.  It really is just that simple.

Full disclosure: During the discussion within the Facebook thread, I expressed my opinion that people charging for original content was a good thing, which prompted a bit of blow back directed at me and my releases.  When I went back to respond to the comments that had been directed at me, I saw that my comments as well as those who were actively discussing the matter in that same conversational "comment" thread had been deleted.  I did not ask for that to occur and I'm not certain what spawned that decision.  It does seem that one of my most vocal detractors has since left the group, which is unfortunate as I believe it is important to hear all sides of a discussion.  Whether he left voluntarily or was kicked from the group, I do not know. What I do know is that I did not ask for the content to be removed, for his criticisms of my opinion and my own creations to be censored, nor for my own comments to be deleted.  I'll chalk that up to admin or moderator intervention and leave it at that.


Whispers of Persephone ~

Work on WoP has picked up and is nearing completion as I now have all of the information from the backers who pledged at the Acolyte of Death and Fallen Hero levels.  While I had originally hoped to have all of that content formatted in before the Thanksgiving holiday, that didn't happen as life intervened (details involve my children, so I'm not going into that here). 

I had believed that fulfillment would occur early, before December 1st, but now it seems it will be on time and be delivered in December.  This puts my holiday magic item book in jeopardy, but I'm working furiously to resolve the timeline.  More on that as it develops.

Christian Martinez is creating the final two art works for the book, and I believe they will be wonderful as he never fails to impress me.

To all of you who supported the campaign, pledged your support and helped make this book possible:  I thank you!

Several pieces of art for Whispers are now available on merchandise on my Society6 and RedBubble pages.  (More on that below)


Creators, Explore your options ~

Sites like Printful, Redbubble, Society6 and so many others open an opportunity for creators to expand the use and market for their art.  If you are a small publisher who commissions art for your work, be aware that before you use art you've commissioned you need to make certain you own or have license to use the art for merchandising purposes. I have written such language into the contracts I use with the artists whom I hire.  We negotiate the price for art with those rights in mind.

You're probably asking, 'But, will I make money?'.  I can't tell you that.  Personally, I've made about $18 after expenses on merchandise sales this first week.  Of that amount, about $4 is attributed to friends of mine who both liked the item(s) in question and wanted to support my efforts.  The remaining $14 were from users I do not personally know.  As I had already paid for the art in question, I'm calling that a profit.  This may not seem like much to many people, but for me I see it as a few grocery items for my kids.  Which is something I'm very appreciative of.

If you haven't explored these sites yet, take note that there is a considerable overlap in the type of goods they offer, the terms of sale, your own access to merchandise at discounted prices, and whether or not they have templates available for your use. 

As most such sites have no fees for you to pay to maintain your page (they make their money on their cut of the individual sales), it is a nice way to offer merchandise to your audience if you cannot yet afford to have items produced in bulk.  Be aware that such merchandise has a smaller profit margin that if you had items produced in bulk and the retail price is often slightly higher than what you may otherwise charge.  This is due to each item being produced to order.

Examples of my own merchandise creations are indicated below. You can click on the image to go to the site to see other stuff I put together. This will give you some idea of the kinds of things that are available to these two sites specifically.  There are several other sites where merchandise can be created and it can be fun to play around with the images as you develop what the final product will look like.  As examples I have my "Ritual of Sacrifice Cutting Board" (yes, I think that is pretty funny) and one of the phone cases I designed using art from 47 Furious Tails (art by: Alexia Veldhuisen).

Drip, Patreon, Indiegogo and KickStarter are all valuable resources for us as creators.  It can seem intimidating when you first use them and can be disappointing if you don't reach your expectations.  I encourage you to keep creating, to been open and engaged with your audience, and to never give up on your efforts.  Being able to create is a wonderful thing.  Be proud of what you create, happy with how your audience receives your work, own your mistakes and your accomplishments and you will find that whether you make a dollar or a thousand dollars, you did well.

_____________________________

Thank you for joining me once again on my continuing adventure in game design, writing and self-publishing.  I hope that you find the information here of use in your own efforts and fun to read.

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

Subscription based Crowdfunding on Drip ~ Observations and a working hypothesis

Art by: Alexia Veldhuisen
From: Monthly PDF release on Drip

Drip has been an interesting adventure.  I've now had the page running for one month and this morning I released the second issue of the monthly PDF.  From what I have heard from the subscribers thus far, these releases are a bit hit.  I am thrilled to be releasing monthly content and beyond happy that folks enjoy the content.

This blog isn't just about what is happening and how I'm feeling. We're here to discuss the adventure of writing, self-publishing, game design and all the steps (and missteps) so you can find what works for you.  So lets get into that!

My hypothesis on subscription based crowdfunding:  (be patient, it takes a moment to arrive)

I call it a hypothesis as I have not yet completed testing my premise.  Over the coming years we'll see how well my hypothesis holds up under the data that becomes available.

After reading several articles concerning Patreon and Drip, speaking with creators who have Patreon accounts, and speaking with people who support other creators through Patreon I arrived at the following data points which support my hypothesis:

1) Subscription based crowdfunding really works best if you already have an established audience.  This is a very common sense kind of notion, that is widely believed.   I support this as likely being true.  Estimates vary widely as to what kind of numeric conversion you should anticipate based on your audience size.  My best estimates put my regular audience, spread out between KickStarter, this blog, Twitter, Instagram, MeWe, and Facebook is somewhere around two hundred individuals.
(I know, I was surprised that number was that high too!)

Given that audience size, and an initial number of subscribers of seven (7).  I have achieved a 3.5% subscription rate for my audience size.  Remember that number, it comes up later.

2) For people to subscribe to your Patreon or Drip page they must see value in what you offer.  Okay, this is the "Duh" moment in this blog entry.  Basically, you have to be offering good value for people to want to support your efforts.    Presently, I offer three different subscription levels ($1, $3 and $6 tiers) with higher level tiers encompassing the benefits of the lower tiers.

As a creator, I like this approach to subscription levels as it gives your audience common ground for what you are releasing.  It also means that having created content for the $1 subscription audience, my $3 and $6 audiences have ready made content as well.  My thoughts are that this builds the value for higher tier audiences and doesn't leave folks feeling "left out" from other tier builds. 

Price points on the tiers need to reflect the value of the release. I confess that I looked at the Patron and Drip pages of other creators to see what the going tier rates look like.  I then realized it was unlikely that I would break even on art costs for my monthly release.  If you've been following this blog, you probably know what happened next.  That's right, I said 'So be it!' and marched forward.  So I'm losing money on my Drip page due to art costs, but its a loss I can absorb.  In the meantime, I'll keep working to promote the page and will (hopefully) reach the break even point within the next ten months or so. 

3)  My current subscriber base is too small to derive meaningful statistical data. {My fellow math nerds often disagree with regard to relevant sample size.  For purposes here, I'll assume the minimal, meaningful sample size for this topic is sixty subscribers.... yes, I know... flame away.}  At the risk of using entirely unsubstantiated data references, I've looked at my current subscription data points and discovered that my highest tier ($6) is the most popular with the second highest ($3) being the next most popular.  To coin a phrase from earlier RPG sessions, "I actively disbelieve!" that $6 will continue to be the most popular and will use the $3 as the most common or average projected subscription tier.  Knowing what I require to break even on art costs, I then project that will $3 being my expected average / most common tier, that I will need 60 more subscribers to reach that break even point. 

Now, why is that important?  Because you don't want to lose money on your crowdfunding (it defeats the purpose).

So, keeping in mind the 3.5% subscription rate to my audience size and the need for a total of 67 subscribers, I can rough out what I need to grow my audience to in order to reach my break even point.  (I know we're talking about math here folks, stick with me as if you begin a Patreon or Drip page you'll want this information).   So I'm going to need to increase my audience size to 1915 people at the current subscription rate, to break even.  OR, increase the percentage of the audience who are actively subscribing. 

I don't like the way that sounds "I'm going to need to increase ...."  it makes it sound like you can control who likes what you do and who doesn't.  That isn't realistic.  I create to the best of my ability, and I am fortunate enough that some people like my material and enjoy what I do.  So let us accept that we do not control who likes what.  Let us, instead take ownership of the work we do and move forward into the working theory I'm using....

Call it "Sam's Hypothesis" or whatever you like, but here it is:

The best quality work will receive the best possible interest from your audience and the highest possible subscription rate among your audience, while growing the population of that audience.  

So there we are.  As creators, using Patreon, Drip or whatever other site we like, we must produce the best quality work possible.  Not just to retain those people who already like our material enough to support it, but as a necessity to growing the audience and the number of subscribers.  Though you may be tempted to think of subscribers as being more important than your overall audience, I'm going to shout "DON'T DO THAT!" because the fact is that one is simply a portion of the other.  The entirety of your audience is important and equally as important as the portion who support you through subscriptions. 

But what about promoting my page???? 

Okay, yeah, do that too.  But first: Create the best, highest quality work, you possibly can and do that consistently.  I'm reminded (often) to work on my promotional skills, because they sort of suck.  Let's be honest, they do. I like having my work speak for me, which is not the most productive line of thinking in today's world.  I've been very fortunate to have several people within my audience who actively help promote my books through social media (Big shout out to John (all five of you), Miguel, Leslie, West, Draco, Nerdie, Rene, Mike, Michael, Jordan, Joto, Han, PrincessP., Josh and the other Josh(es?), all of the Chris(es?)... seriously its not easy pluralizing names..., West, the Shadowrun fanfic audience, and really to all of you who read this blog).  Without them I would just be another shouting voice in the void.

Now, for everyone who likes to point out that I have a small audience and may not be the best source for deriving theories on this topic:

1) You may be right.  (Seriously, anyone who reads this blog knew I was going to admit that.) Having said that, I have asked subscribers and other creators about this topic and used their feedback for developing this working hypothesis.  If you have other feedback please do post it below, I would love to get your insights.

2) See point one! (lol) No, but seriously now, yes I have a small audience.  The people who read my blog are likely in the same position as well.  Learning to grow your audience and what to realistically expect is, (I think) more useful than saying "first grow your audience to 10000 people who love your work!", because that doesn't exactly help people who don't have huge social media presence or people who are socially awkward to begin with. For that matter, it doesn't help people who are just getting started, or who (like me) are just into to their second year of content creation. So your feedback is certainly welcome, but please lets keep the audience in mind, shall we?

Cool!

This entry was titles ".... 'On Drip'" because that is the platform I'm using.  I had a brief appearance on Patreon, but shut it down for many reasons.  Nothing against Patreon, by the way, I just wasn't doing a good job with it and that goes against my primary convictions.  Do your best in all things, right?

 Hard examples:

There are a number of creators who have attracted a sizable audience of subscribers on Patreon and/or Drip.  Below are a few to check out, see how they do things, and learn from what is working.  I'm also going to put a link to my Drip page (as I do hope you'll check that out too):

Bully Pulpit Games (On Drip):   I'm not personally familiar with their work, but with 208 active subscribers (as of this writing) they are certainly doing something right.  I'll leave it to your best judgement to judge what that may be.  I first discovered their page by scrolling through every creator on Drip.  (There wasn't a search feature, no seriously, it wasn't there).  I check out this page frequently as I'm interested in what they do.  You should too.


Story Forge (On Drip):  I don't own any Story Forge products, but I'm taking a hard look lately. The content on their Drip page is intriguing! Their Drip page is particularly interesting to me and I'll be adopting their practice of linking the Youtube videos in the public posts.  I think this is a fantastic idea, that is probably a no-brainer to someone with marketing savvy or social media acumen.  Not being either, I'll just nod knowingly and trudge forward. Check them out.

Kobold Press (Patreon):  I am a long time fan of the Kobolds.  Having said that, I'm at a loss as to why they don't have more subscribers on their Patreon page.  The Kobold Press Facebook page and Twitter account are active, engaging and personable.  My only thought is that people may not be aware of the Patreon account and the benefits it offers.  As one of the bigger 'Indy' RPG companies around, Kobold Press has years worth of audience building supporting their efforts and quality has always been top flight for their releases.  (Told you I'm a fan!)  I would really like to see their Patreon subscriber base reach 1000 or more as more funding could potentially mean more cool stuff from these people.  Something I wholeheartedly support.

Terminally Nerdy (Patreon):  One of my favorite Twitter personalities.  Patreon creators take notes.  His page is full of transparent data that tells you exactly what you're getting, what he uses the money for and gives you a perfect sense of the value of pledging. If you're looking for quality content, he's got it.  You can follow his exploits on Twitter as well, and you should.  Take a few minutes and read up on what he is creating.  It is definitely worth your time.


W.S Quinton (Drip):  Yep, me. Presently, I'm providing subscribers with detailed behind the scenes information, access to play test material, how-to information on creating KickStarter campaigns, sneak peeks at art and material in development, and the art for my monthly publication is in color and commissioned specifically for that monthly release.  I'm striving to release high quality content from the beginning, and I hope to expand the content release as more subscribers come on (allowing me the luxury of affording more art).  So check it out (please) find a tier you like (I hope) and subscribe to help me create cool stuff. 

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Thank you for joining me on my adventure in writing, self-publishing and game design.
I hope this blog continues to provide you with insights that will help you in your own efforts, and help you to avoid my own missteps. 

As always, your comments/questions/criticisms are most welcome.

Until next time, remember: Adventure Awaits!

Helping each other, a bit of advice about KickStarter Live, and shameless self-promotion!

In the time that I have been writing this blog, I have very often made mention of my belief in building community with other creators.  I have personally enjoyed doing so, have benefited from sharing information, and have develop a few new friendships along the way.  It has been beneficial and personally it has been most gratifying.

One thing I like to do, is to reach out to first time Kickstarter creators to offer encouragement, of if they are slow funding I like to recommend free things they can do to promote their campaign.  It takes just a few minutes of your day to reach out to people (bloggers, podcasters, Youtubers, etc.) who use an interview platform and put them in touch with the first time creator.  This has the remarkable benefit of providing content and provides a ready made audience for the first time creator to be introduced to.  This works best when you maintain these relationships.

Support those who have supported your efforts, and support those whose work you respect.  If you'll look over to the right you'll see the "featured crowdfunding campaign" section.  Folks don't pay for that spot, I put it there because I think their creation is cool.  This is one of the ways I make an effort to help other creators.  Those of you who have a broader social reach (so really, just about everyone who reads this blog) can have a tremendous impact on the success of a crowdfunding campaign. Remember, if you think its cool then the people who read your material will probably enjoy it too.

It really comes down to building each other up.  Share information about each other's campaigns.  Point folks to print shops and manufacturers you've had good experience with (Thanks again, Adam!).   Use the social media sharing options on your crowdfunding campaign to spread the word on things you like.  You'll find that people are usually very willing to help you in return.

'Pro' tip:

Starting with The Steel Road, I began making a habit of using KickStarter Live (their live streaming utility) to stream during the campaigns.  I've found that this is a wonderful way to connect with your audience!  While I cannot say that live streaming has had a direct impact on the amount of funding raised (there just isn't enough to data present for me to attempt a responsible correlation calculation) I will point out that The Steel Road was a great success for me and Whispers of Persephone saw even more funding from its campaign.

Yes, I'm recommending that you use this feature when you launch a KickStarter campaign.  I'm also going to recommend that you not limit it to just non-stop prattle about your project.  I try to spend about five minutes an hour talking about the project and the rest of the time taking questions, talking with guests (get to that in a moment) and making it a fun activity for all.  Making it a fun thing really does take a lot of the stress away launching the live stream, so have a good time with it.  If you look forward to it, then others will as well.

I also recommend having guests on.  I've had live streamers, podcasters, Youtubers, artists, an author and friends on my own streams.  It keeps the conversation going effortlessly, makes for a wide range of appeal, brings in fans of the guests in question, and really does make for a fun evening.  People have said that I don't live stream "the right way" in that I don't spend a LOT of time talking about my own stuff.  I do, however, take questions about the project and address them as prompltly as possible.  As a great side effect, my relationships with those guests have improved, they've picked up more viewers as audiences cross populate, and I've found more support from some of their fans as well.  Get to know people, even if they have an audience of five people that is potentially five more people you can reach.

Shameless self-promotion:

Yes indeed, it is time once again for me to plug my own stuff.  Whispers of Persephone's KickStarter campaign is complete and I'm working hard to complete the last stages before sending it to be edited.  Once Whispers fulfillment is complete, I'll be launching a holiday book.  I would like to see that campaign launch on the 14th if at all possible, so I'll be working pretty hard in the coming days to make that happen.  It will have its own KickStarter campaign with a rapid fulfillment turn around. Wish me luck!

Drip

My Drip page has entered its second month.  This month (November) will see a monster character as the subject of the month.  It is being illustrated in full color by Alexia Veldhuisen.  I've seen the black and white (pre-color) version of the art and it is stunning.  I'm looking forward to putting that PDF out and sending out the Magic in the Mail cards.

Drip (and Patreon) are wonderful resources for creators.  It is surprising how just a little bit of support can go such a long way!  I am hoping, really hoping, to achieve a milestone of fifty subscribers by the end of April 2019.  That is a BIG goal, but would (most likely) make the Drip page self-sufficient (I commission original art for the monthly release and it does cost some money) and would eventually like to expand the breadth of the material released to the subscribers.

So here is my vision of what my Drip page releases will, eventually, look like:

1) Behind the scenes releases will continue to include play test materials for subscribers.  This is already happening and I'm cautiously optimistic that this will continue to be a popular point with the subscribers.

2) Monthly release will be gradually expanded to increase content provided to the subscribers without raising price points.

3) Subscribers will have the first choice option for limited availability tiers for coming KickStarter campaigns.  One of the first examples of this will be with Tarot Adventures, Book Three: Death comes to Glenfallow.  For that campaign, I have arranged to have a fully illustrated map developed.  On that map will be ten (10) locations that KickStarter backers can pledge for to have the area named after themselves.  Drip subscribers will have the opportunity to pledge for this limited reward prior to the KickStarter going live. I'll reduce the total available tier slots available before launch.

Long term goal for Drip page:

Okay, so this is a bit of misnomer... Drip is shutting down next year and the Drip creators are being migrated to a new site.  I'm not certain what the new platform will be named so for now I'll just refer to it as Drip.  Also, I originally drew up three different long term goals but they are all dependent upon the goal below.

1) Reach 1000 subscribers!  There are a lot of reasons I want to reach this goal.  It would allow me to expand the amount of content released each month (as above), help fund the art and development for the Tarot Adventures and would (potentially) allow me to commission art for my own RPG (currently in development).

You can click on the image to check out my Drip page ... I'll be updating the video in the coming days.

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Thank you once again for joining me on my adventure into self-publishing, writing and game design.  I invite you post your comments and/or questions below.

Please do remember, this blog records my experiences and thoughts. I recommend that you conduct your own research and make your own determination as what has worked for me might not work for you.  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are mine alone (except where other people are quoted).

I hope you'll join me next time, as we continue my new adventure in game design, self-publishing and writing.

Thank you all!

The Drip Platform from KickStarter: Some useful information

Hello everyone!

If you read my post immediately preceding this one, you know that I was planning on launching a Patreon page, and documenting the promotion, use and results of that effort.  That plan changed when I received an unexpected invitation to become a creator on KickStarter's Drip platform.

At this time, I have halted my Patreon page development and I am focusing on the development of the Drip page. By the time this entry is public, my Drip page will be active.

As Drip is invitation only for creators at this time, I thought it would be useful for people to know how the platform works (from a new user's perspective) so you can know what to expect once it becomes available to you either by way of invitation, or once it becomes openly available.  It is my hope that you find this informative and useful, so lets get down to it.  All of the forthcoming data is from my experience with the platform to date, and links go to the Drip resource pages,  FAQ, and an article I read earlier this year. 

If you aren't familiar with Drip, don't worry not many people are aware of it yet. KickStarter's introduction post to Drip is here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/introducing-the-new-drip

You can find the Drip FAQ page here: https://help.d.rip/hc/en-us

Also see an interesting article about KickStarter and Drip here:  https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/15/16652582/kickstarter-drip-creator-subscription-service-announced-perry-chen-interview


Getting Started: 
Getting logged into Drip was simple.  It appears to clone the credentials from your KickStarter account, but you can change those easily.  

Once you are logged in and ready to start work on your page, you'll find that your image and video upload points clearly indicate available file formats.  Having a recommended image file dimensions would be nice, but the lack thereof didn't cause me any real difficulty.  Choosing the image and creating the video for the page were far more time intensive.

Choosing the page image ~ I elected to use the illustration created for Tale of the Wizard's Eye by Phoenix O'Faery.  I secured permission to do so (seriously folks, make sure you have rights/permission before using someone's art), and had the image loaded in seconds. 

The Video ~ My webcam is a decade old.  No, seriously, it really is. It doesn't have great resolution, and I'm going to need to replace it soon.  This means that I didn't want to, and fortunately I didn't have to, shoot the page video on that old hardware.  I had help from my friends at Digital Eden Entertainment, and had a new video with much clearer resolution in a matter of minutes.  To develop the video content I looked at resources on Drip as well as information from articles I had read on creating Patreon pages. We did the video in two shots, as I fumbled the first attempt.

Page description ~ The Drip platform has little helpful tips that populate along the side of the page as well as links to other Drip pages in your category.  I found it particularly useful to look at the pages of the two other game developer creators I could find.  Both were receiving what I would call significant support from their subscribers and followed a similar outline for the page descriptions. I told myself not to try to reinvent the wheel, and outlined my own data in a similar fashion.  Let me be clear, I didn't copy and paste anything, I just chose to structure my description after the same fashion  (so introduction, what I do, what I'm making available, etc.).   I like the natural flow of that format and I'm planning on sticking to it.

Category ~  Your drip page is limited to one category.  My page is categorized under games.  As all of my currently published work has been role playing games, that makes sense to me.  I have a friend who has been invited, and his is in comics.  You can offer a wide variety of materials, but you'll only have the one category.  Keep this in mind as people exploring Drip for people making comics are not going to find you if you are in games and vice versa.

Subscription Tiers ~ Setting up subscription tiers is remarkably easy. If there were something I would like improved, it is the ability to feature an image with the Tier.  Presently that isn't available like it is on Patreon.   One thing you do need to differentiate in your tiers is whether it is a monthly subscription or a one time (pay this amount and get X) tier.  I've set up three different tiers of monthly subscriptions.  I won't set up one time payment tiers until I have a developed item for such a tier. Presently, I'm planning no more than a quarterly release of such material as I don't want to over burden my work load (which is already pretty heavy).

What you do with your Tiers will vary as widely as the material we all create. I think most of us will focus on digital rewards only, as it is the most cost effective and easily fulfilled.  Having said that though, I like physical rewards as a way connect with my audience in a very real and tangible way.  Consider those physical rewards carefully, do your math and check it twice, and make sure to leave yourself some room for things to go wrong and for you to pull in revenue.  Drip is intended as a way for people to support your creative endeavors, so make certain you do see some of that money in your hands to help keep the lights on.  I know that is what I'm hoping to see.

Promoting your Drip page ~ I'm not great at self-promotion but I've had some success and I've done some research on the subject. I recommend you do your own research as well.  This is a good example of the scientific method of testing theories devised by others and looking at the results to reach your own conclusions.  Pretty much every source says utilize your social media, place the links online, network with others and have them help you spread the word.  I agree with all of these. Place the link into your pages, remind people of how they can support you, and as in all things, be honest with your audience.  When people ask, "what are you doing with the money",  tell the truth. I'll be using it to commission art, help keep my lights on, to put food on the table for me and my kids, keep my car running, etc.  Whether I find $20 a month or $200 a month, every bit helps.  Be honest about that. People will relate to you and be more likely to support you.

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I made my Drip page live just before posting this entry.  You can find it HERE

Take a look at it, and keep it in mind for your own page (should you decide to launch one). Maybe it will be a useful example of how to set one up. Maybe it will be a cautionary tale of what not to do. Only time will prove if it was successful or not.  I hope you'll take what you like from the example and make good use of it in the future.

Oh, also please do support the page. Your subscription is very appreciated.  I will give my best effort with each release.

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Thank you for joining me today as we continue our adventure in game design, writing and self-publishing.  My book "Whispers of Persephone" is currently on KickStarter.  Please do take a look, support it if you can, and please do share the link to the campaign to help me reach my funding goals.




I will be updating information on how Drip is working for me, things I learn along the way and what I'll be offering on that page.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact me through blogger, through KickStarter messenger, on Drip, or on my social media channels. This blog is a means for me to convey my experiences, help you avoid my mistakes in your own endeavors, and to chronicle the material I've been developing.

Time and Money, thoughts on crowdfunding and the growing pile of projects on my desk

I have been remarkably fortunate with the success of my crowdfunding efforts.  Thanks to my wonderful supports on KickStarter, I've been able to release four books (so far) and my fifth book (Whispers of Persephone) has reached 72% of its funding goal in just the first four days of its campaign.  Things are going well, so why are projects piling up on my desk?

The answer lies in the age old relationship between time and money. 

While I make time to write in my evenings, money to pay for art is slow in coming.  It takes time to lead into a crowdfunding campaign, more time to make it through that campaign, then if it is successful it often takes as much as two weeks before you have your money in hand.  Time ticks away, leaving you with ample time to write but without art.  Once you have money with which to pay the artist, you wait for the art to be completed.  Time ticks away a bit more.  Assuming that your artists meet deadlines (and I am very fortunate in that the artists I contract with do), you spend time formatting the art into your book, correcting any problems with the text layout and putting the final polish on your book. 

Lately my question has been, 'how do I accelerate the funding cycle so I can keep the art coming in steadily and produce more books?'.  I look at the pile of projects I want to produce, the books waiting in various stages from outlined to 'just needs art', and I ponder how to get speed things up.

Whether or not you agree with old saying that 'time is money', it is a fact that if you are like me and lack the skill/talent to create professional grade visual art, then you need money to pay artists to create that content for you. You'll need time for them to create in, and you'll want that time spent in parallel with any remaining writing/development you are completing.  This will allow you to get the book/product out to the audience expediently. 

What has and hasn't worked:

I've had success using KickStarter and no success on other crowdfunding platforms (GoFundMe, Indiegogo and Patreon).  As I look back I realize that I didn't really give Patreon a chance.  I needed to provide more value for patrons, should have kept the page up and running, and really should have done more research before my first attempt at using the site. My Indiegogo and GoFundMe campaigns simply didn't get the attention that my Kickstarter campaigns have garnered.

Insanity or insight?

*Edit* Following the release of this entry, I received an invitation to become a creator on KickStarter's "Drip" platform.  After reviewing the data available on that platform, I've decided to launch my monthly subscriptions on Drip.  I'll be posting a new entry concerning my thoughts on Drip and pointing out some other creators who are already there.*

What is the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  Or so the common wisdom would have.  So I have been taking a look at where I've failed in the past.  How do I utilize sites like Indiegogo, GoFundMe and Patreon to enhance my crowdfunding efforts?  These are big questions and I'm still working on some of the answers. 

I do have an idea on how I can use Patreon to some effect.  Whether or not it will work, remains to be seen.  As this blog is all about my adventures in game design, writing and self-publishing I'll choose to look at this as yet another encounter along my journey.  Time will tell if this was insightful, or insanity.  See what I did there?

Patreon, as I understand it, is premised upon people providing some monetary support that you then use to fund your creations.  While I understand that there are people who earn their primary income on Patreon, I am convinced that number is very small percentage of the overall Patreon creator population.  Fortunately, my goal isn't to earn a primary income, but to help fund art for my books.  So my page needs to be set up with this in mind.

Monthly subscription options, are one of the patronage types available. As I have a monthly product I want to release anyway this is something I'm going to offer for patrons. Patrons should receive good value for their support (see any of my prior posts about providing the best effort for your audience).  So, I want to provide something that is unique for those patrons that is manageable on a recurring basis.  Fortunately, I have something that fits the bill nicely.  I've set up a total of three monthly subscriptions, ranging from $1 to $5 (with the $5 having a physical reward).  These are to facilitate the monthly release, which will now be done exclusively through Patreon, and it looks like it will be easier to fulfill this through Patreon anyway.

One time payments are of particular interest for directly funding future products.  With this, I conceive of a tier where I would transmit a Print on Demand code as well as PDF for those patrons who pledge that tier (Pledge?  I wonder if that is correct terminology.  Donate?... please comment below which you think is more appropriate).  In this way it acts just like a KickStarter Tier.  I do have one bit of concern, which is that this may migrate many of my KickStarter to Patreon. I happen to really like KickStarter, as it has fantastic RPG and comic book communities.  The potential advantage is that I can deliver these rewards upon release of the title, while earning revenue to pay for art ahead of time. 

Content for the Patreon needs to be more than just product in order to deliver real value (my opinion, feel free to disagree).  So I will be posting exclusive behind the scenes commentary on development, project progress, triumphs and setbacks.  It will be more detailed than what I manage to squeeze in here, more raw in many ways.  Who knows, maybe it will help patrons develop their own content.  That would be amazingly cool!

That's the theory anyway.  Will it work? I don't know, but I'm certain it will be exciting.

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I want to thank you all for joining me on my adventure.  I hope that this blog will help you along in your own creations, and that you can avoid mistakes I've made. 
Presently Whispers of Persephone is live on KickStarter and doing very well, but it could use some help to reach its goals. Please do check it out (link below) support it if you can and please do share it with others.   Thank you!

There are some really neat things on KickStarter right now (Comics, Fiction and RPG) here are a few of them!

KickStarter is full of exciting Role Playing game, fiction and comic titles right now.
Check out some of these great campaigns!

From Dragon Knight Publishing:


Neat art, a good narrative in the video to help catch us up on what is going on.
Give it a look if you're like me and a fan of small press role playing productions.
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From Matthew Hanson:


I have to give Matthew respect.  He has come back to KickStarter to make this book happen and it looks really good to me.  Give it a peek, ask the man questions, and share this ambitious project around to help it see print.
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From Joshua Palmatier:


 A collection of anthologies.  This campaign has only a week left as of this writing and could use some help crossing the finish line.  This just looks really interesting to me and more than 400 people already agree.
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From Counterpoint Comics:


 The sample art on the page grabbed my attention. It is nicely done, but be advised there apparently is 'topless' content available.  Not judging, just want to make you aware. The cover art is beautifully depicted and the interior art samples look really nice as well.  Definitely worth checking out.
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From David Tramma:


We need more Starfinder content, fortunately creators on KickStarter are rising to the challenge.
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The RPG and Indie comic creator community have been successful thanks to the people who play their games, read their books and enjoy their comics.  Whether you can contribute money, share the links to their campaigns, or just talk about the campaigns with friends, each of these actions ripple through the community and help it to thrive as people help fund these great projects.

Take a look, explore KickStarter and the numerous creators making brilliant content.  Games grow, books see print, and comic heroes and villains leap from the imagination onto paper as crowdfunding brings new adventure to us all.
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Thank you for joining me on my continuing adventure in writing, game design and self publishing.

Today's entry is a great resource for seeing how people create their crowdfunding pages in a variety of styles.  When launching your own project on any crowdfunding platform be transparent, honest and responsible.  Your audience deserves your best effort, make certain you give it to them in the product you're creating and in the presentation of your campaign page.

I hope you'll join me again on the next entry in this continuing adventure!

Disclaimer:  None of the creators listed above have been interviewed by me.  I put this short list together after looking around on KickStarter and seeing some campaigns I thought were really interesting.  I do not accept money or product to post about crowdfunding campaigns (so don't offer).

Second Disclaimer:  My own campaign launched last night and is fixed in the featured crowdfunding slot. Please do check that out as well, share it with others and pledge if you can.  Your support is greatly appreciated at any level.

Checklist before Crowdfunding campaign launch

I'm counting down to Whispers of Persephone's KickStarter launch and the excitement is starting to build for me.  Excitement, stress, and that fierce pace to spread the word far and wide are common for me whenever I'm readying to push that "go live" button.  So, today I wanted to talk about a few things I have found useful to control the nerves and free up my mind to enjoy the excitement of a new crowdfunding launch.

1)  Make a checklist well in advance.  Define each step for your launch and make certain you actually check those things off once they are complete.

2) Check your print quotes (if any), shipping figures (again, if any), and run your numbers against your reward tiers a final time.   With this, you'll be checking the pledge level amount (minus the fees associated with the crowdfunding platform in question) then subtracting costs to determine how much this pledge level is benefiting your production cost total.

3) Look over your equipment.  This is an old hang-up of mine.  Before you go on "a mission" as it were, make certain that your stuff works.  In this case I'm checking my network, home system, webcam, mic (thanks Daniel for the new one!), and making sure that all are in working order for my live stream event.

4) Submit your campaign proposal for review at least four days ahead of time.  I've never had a campaign take longer than a day to be verified and approved by KickStarter, but they say it can take a few days on their site, so I respect that.  Give yourself that time so your campaign can launch on time. Related to this is your banking verification.  Do that at least a week in advance.

5) Reach out to your audience and let them know when the launch is happening.  It makes things easier on you when you hear from folks who tell you they are going to pledge for the new project.  I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't.  I'm not talking about mailing lists (I don't like those), I'm talking about updates on prior campaign pages, social media interactions, and generally just giving folks a 'heads up' rather than an advertising blurb.

6)  Read over your campaign to make certain it says what you think it says.  Check the reward descriptions to verify that they say what they should about what rewards are going out.  Ambiguity in your reward descriptions is NOT your friend and is not friendly to your audience and backers.  Clean up any vague language prior to launch.

7) Get your interviews in!  Folks, I will tell you that a LOT of my new audience members discovered my projects because I showed up on a podcast interview, answered some questions from a blogger/reviewer, or otherwise just made myself available to talk to people who want you for the content you provide.  I like the shows I've been on and it is always a thrill to do an interview.  Swallow any stage fright, be open and honest, and try to have fun talking about your project.
{of note concerning point seven:  I usually manage to get in a plug for other creators that have cool campaigns out there.  This is certainly not required, but I think it is good for the creator community.  Just my two cents on that.}

8) Finally, make certain you launch on time!  Once you launch, share the link to all social media channels you have available (with groups, make certain you are following group guidelines and have any permissions needed from admins).  In short, follow the rules with regard to your social media channels.  Not only is it the right thing to do, it is what you must do if you ever intend to launch another project!

Stygian Mummy screen capture
From Play test version 3.5 of
Whispers of Persephone

That's pretty much it for the final days pre-launch.  Check your math, make sure you're ready, and do what you can to get the word out.  As I've mentioned before, be honest with your audience and set realistic fulfillment deadlines and you'll be fine.

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Thank you for joining me on my continuing adventure in game design, writing and self-publishing.  I hope that this entry is of use to you in your own efforts to fund and publish your work.

I hope you'll join me next time!

Look for Whispers of Persephone to launch on Saturday September 22nd, 2018 at
12:00 PM (noon) EST.

Ending soon on Kickstarter: Don't miss these

Something a little different this morning.

I was looking at different projects on KickStarter, seeing what is new and marveling at the creativity on display, and saw some projects that are ending soon and could use a bit of attention.  These are projects that, as of this writing, haven't funded yet but look very interesting to me.  Check them out, support them if you like them and can.

Please remember, that even if you can't support a campaign financially, you can make a great impact by sharing the link on social media platforms.  A single share can reach hundreds or more people and introduce them to new things to enjoy.

(Disclaimer:  I haven't spoken to these creators.  I will share the link to this blog with them after it goes live, so they know their project was mentioned here. These are projects I think are cool and I wanted to give them a little help. I do not accept payment for endorsement, reviews, or hosting the link in the featured crowdfunding spot on my blogs.)

L'gat's Tome of Amazing Creatures, Volume 2


I have a lot of respect for anyone taking on the work load that a trilogy of books entails.  The creator really nailed the backer rewards for this project and I particularly like the $20 reward tier ~ Knight Errant of the Sacred Flame.  As of this writing this project is only $125 (USD) away from funding and has 14 hours remaining. (Ends August 30th just before Midnight EST)


Bloody Handed Name of Bronze by Joshua Newman


This unique, ambitious project is unlike anything else I've seen this year.  The art displayed on the page really points to the primitive setting motif.  Its interesting, has a great potential for roleplay of classical myths, and comes from Joshua Newman (of Mobile Frame Zero and Human Contact). As of this writing the campaign is $527 (USD) from funding with 14 hours remaining.
(Ends August 30th just before Midnight EST)




Odie #2


I like comics and there are great comics that were made possible through KickStarter.
Odie looks really good and I lament that I missed the first issue, but that's okay because I can get digital of Issues one and two from this campaign.  As of this writing, the campaign is $404 (USD) away from funding and has five days remaining (ending September 4th). 

The art for Odie looks really good from what I've seen of the campaign, so check this out and see if it would look good in your collection.

*****
Thanks for joining me for this atypical entry.  I hope those of you planning your own crowdfunding campaigns will take a careful look at the different styles of these campaigns. Take note of what works for you and what doesn't and remember those features when you launch your own campaign.

Until next time.

The Steel Road and some notes on Whispers of Persephone

Enchanted Skull Cup from "Whispers of Persephone"
Art by: Christian Martinez

The Steel Road (mistakes made and things I learned):

Fulfillment is underway of The Steel Road and I've learned a few things from some mistakes I managed to make.  So, for the benefit of all (save the laughter for later please), lets talk about how NOT to make these mistakes.

PDF fulfillment :  When executing your PDF fulfillment, it is wise to create a separate file for upload, apart from your print file.  Your print file is often at a higher resolution than that which you'll need for an electronic copy.  Keep this in mind as it can make profound differences in file size and convenience to your audience.  By way of example:  I uploaded my "electronic" file and forgot this very basic premise, exporting it in all its nearly 470 MB glory (yeah, I know).  Tonight, I'll be uploading the compressed files for The Steel Road's PDF versions. 

Other issues crept up (file corruption, and export mistake that resulted in one page document being uploaded ... yeah it was a rough couple of hours.)

Take away from this:  Create a checklist to prevent yourself from making little mistakes like this. It can help you to avoid huge inconveniences for your audience.

Scheduling:  I pride myself on scheduling for fulfillment.  That said, I had some set backs during The Steel Road final formatting.  One of the biggest set backs was that my computer suddenly, and catastrophically, died. RIP.  Fortunately I had saved copy of the InDesign files off that machine (yeah, cloud services) and was able to resume work once I get a new system.  This did, however, disrupt my time table when coupled with life rising up to eat my time up.  The final stroke was that I uploaded my print files and ended up needing to make a few last minute changes.  This is problematic when you are working on the weekend, and can't get the file rejected so as to upload the correct version.

Take away from this:  Upload your print files and electronic copy files during 'normal' business hours if at all possible.  The extra couple of days can be very important.

Now, these are things I really should have known better than to let impact my timeline.  But they happened, and it has.  The Steel Road PDF fulfillment is done (with the newly compressed file going out to make it more user friendly).  Print including the print on demand codes, are running late as I insist on having a proof copy in hand before ordering copies or triggering the codes.  This is so I can identify any printing problems before sending it on to the backers.  I recommend this, as I believe in giving people the best quality book possible.  Take that with you, and hold it close in your memory.

The net impact is that the print and print on demand copies of The Steel Road will deliver a few days outside of the estimated fulfillment period.  Originally I fully expected to fulfill this month (August 2018), but those POD codes and print copies will now be going out in early September.  I hate being late.  I have advised the backers through updates (please remember to post updates regularly, it is a great way to stay connected to your backers and to keep your project on track).

The Steel Road (great things that happened!): 

The Steel Road was a joy to develop, and despite the initial difficulties with fulfillment, has been a tremendous amount of fun to put in the hands of backers.  I've received a number of messages from backers who are very happy with the book.  I'm keeping those, as it is a wonderful thing to know that people are enjoying your work.  I also had several nice posts in comments about the book.

I can't tell you how fantastic it is to hear that people are enjoying something I created.  I hope you have the opportunity to experience this feeling.  It's joyous.

You can find these comments and more, many about the chaos around the PDF release, HERE

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Let's change gears a bit: 

Whispers of Persephone has been pushed back twice now to allow for completion of the fulfillment of The Steel Road.  That is as it should be.

I'm using this time to work on the new file for the next round of play testing, which will be occurring during the coming month, through the kickstarter campaign, and concluding prior to fulfillment.  This is the second round of play test, which is something I really recommend.  I want my material to be the best it can be.  I don't have the years of experience of the legends like Monte Cook or Steve Jackson, so I have to be careful and use the great thing that is play testing to make sure I'm not way off in my designs.  It also happens to be great fun to talk with the people who are testing your material.  Very often they have insights to offer, suggestions about things they would want in the book, that can really polish up the work.  Listen to your play testers!

Coming off fulfillment of The Steel Road, Whispers of Persephone is launching very soon.  Having been pushed back a few weeks, it is impacting my timeline for other projects I intend to release later this year as well.  That said, I thought about the KickStarter, the funding needed, and the best way to incorporate everything I want to accomplish and to give backers the best quality rewards I could.  I concluded, that going will all digital rewards (PDFs and Print on demand codes) was the best way to provide good value to backers while raising the money needed for art.

This was a tough decision for me, as I really enjoy signing physical copies and sending them on to backers.  A big part of me, still wants to offer signed copies.  I'm fighting that urge.  Fulfillment will go more swiftly, accounting will be easier, and fulfillment overall will happen more quickly with digital rewards.   I still intend to offer physical / signed copies of future books, I just want to get Whispers into the hands of backers as smoothly as possible.  As a side consequence, it also allows me to set my goal lower, as I don't have to account for physical rewards. {I may still convince myself to make signed copies available.  I'm going to ask prior backers for their input before launch.}

Crowdfunding has been a remarkable boon for me, allowing me to produce books I'm very proud of.  I look forward to future projects and campaigns.  I hope that you will create wonderful things for yourself and your audience, and know the joy of bringing that creation to other.

I will be posting more about my crowdfunding/KickStarter experiences in the near future as more projects come up for funding. Will Whispers of Persephone be well received by the ttrpg community on KickStarter?  We'll soon see.

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Thanks again for joining me on my adventures in game design, writing and self-publishing.  I hope this entry helps you to avoid these mistakes and to achieve your own publishing goals. 

Art from this entry is from Whispers of Persephone and was created on commission by Christian Martinez.  Copyright Sinopa Publishing LLC, all rights reserved.

Whats new with Sinopa Publishing and what is to come.

Title page from the play test edition
"Whispers of Persephone"
Art by: Christian Martinez

Updates:   

Editing for The Steel Road is proceeding at a fantastic pace.  I want to thank Pat for all her hard work in rooting out those pesky grammatical irregularities that tend to crop up.  (Thanks Pat!)  At this point, I fully expect The Steel Road to fulfill on schedule, though signed copies will likely arrive in September due to printing and shipping times.  The Steel Road will be available on Drivethrurpg.com following fulfillment.

Whispers of Persephone survived the first round of play test months ago.  Presently I am formatting a play test version that will go out to my entire play testing roster for a thorough shake down leading up to, and continuing through the KickStarter campaign.  The KickStarter campaign has been moved back to September, to all for completion of the fulfillment of The Steel Road and so I can get physical proofs in to check the art in print.  As a note to all of you who may be planning on publishing your own work in the future, if you have art on a page I recommend that you get a proof copy to see how that art fairs when it is printed.  It will always look different than it does on screen.  This is, in part, because your screen is backlit whereas the pages in your book are certainly not.  All art for Whispers of Persephone was created by Christian Martinez.


Things still to come in 2018:


Tarot Adventures, Book Three: Death comes to Glenfallow ~ Things heat up when a dreadful villain sets her eyes upon Glenfallow.  This adventure is designed to be of deadly level difficulty, incorporates a number of challenges, and brings new NPCs to the game. This book's art will be funded through KickStarter.  Watch here for more news on this title.

{For writers/game designers/self-publishers:  This project will require a substantial amount of art and I'm hoping to fully fund that from the KickStarter campaign.  There are a number of different features I hope to incorporate in this book, including two pages of comics if the KickStarter campaign can reach that stretch goal.  I'll be working on promoting this project quite a lot, posting information about the coming launch to the previous Tarot Adventure pages, and setting up podcast interviews as well as blogger interviews.  I hope to chronicle this effort in detail, so you can follow this process.  This will reveal my own errors as well as my methods (as usual) so that you have insights into what worked and what didn't.}  

47 Furious Tails, Issue One ~ The story of 47 Ronin re-told with anthropomorphic characters.  This project has been a real labor of love and is the first comic book I've written for publication.  Art coming in has been simply amazing, as Alexia Veldhuisen is showing the world that she IS the modern samurai of comic book artists.  47 Furious Tails will have a total of twelve issues and will tell the story of the Ako incident.  Beginning before lord Asano's fateful, final trip to Edo, issue one introduces principle actors of this historic act of loyalty.  


Planning for 2019:


Scheduling projects is proving to be more important as time progresses.  For 2019 I have the following projects that are planned for release as well as several other projects which may make their appearance before the end of the coming year:

'Untitled' comic book anthology ~ This title is packed with the original work of some amazing comic book artists and writers.  We'll be launching a KickStarter campaign to fund printing and will be providing signed copies, signed by all writers and artists on the project, as backer rewards. 

{For writers/game designers/self-publishers: Page count calculation, creation scheduling with the artists, and mapping the production/printing timeline is essential to this project.  To facilitate this endeavor each artist works to meet their creation deadlines, the project's print time was estimated and a generous amount of "whoops" time applied, costs were calculated for printing and shipping (both from the printer and to recipients), and the responsibilities for each party were carefully delineated. People have told me time and again that such anthologies don't get done because people can't finish their art, or because of monetary issues.  I've been working to avoid potential pitfalls and I recommend that if you ever try to create an anthology, such as this one, that you exam every detail in your planning.}

Tarot Adventures ~ The Tarot series continues as new adventures unfold in and around Glenfallow.  Will your player characters continue to earn their reputations as heroes in light of new challenges?  Fate can be fickle, and the future reveals strange twists in the life of Pieron. 

Look for several Tarot Adventures to be released in 2019!

Luther's Revenge ~ Tale of the Wizard's Eye introduced the Cavern of the Damned and the spawn of the vampire Luther.  Now he is seeking his revenge for the death of his bride.  Survive the machinations of this villain or become one of the undead. 

{For writers/game designers/self-publishers: Developing your timeline for release is an incredibly useful habit to adopt. I would like to recommend that you look to the future, plan your development thoughtfully, and build into your timeline for each project, an ample amount of time for you to make mistakes and then correct them. Creating a plan, then executing it, will make it easier for you to release multiple books each year.  Stay focused, work hard and you will prevail.}

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Thank you for joining me on my adventure in game design/writing/self-publishing.  I hope that my experiences will help you to avoid the same pitfalls I encounter, and be of use in your efforts to publish your own material.

I hope you will share this entry with others to help raise awareness of my own efforts as well as to help others to avoid my missteps.  I hope to see you here next time.