Santa Dragon Claws Presents, 25 Holiday magic items (DnD5E OGL)

Happy holidays everyone!


Back in October, while the Whispers of Persephone KickStarter was running, I came up with an idea for a holiday themed RPG book detailing useful and fun magic items.  Zack Viola liked the idea, and so he launched the KickStarter campaign for the book last night.


While I'm finishing up Whispers for fulfillment, Zack is going to be running the campaign for the Holiday magic item book.  It will be good for him to learn the creator applications on KickStarter for his future endeavors. 


What we did with this crowd funding campaign:


This project is something of an oddity, in that we launched the campaign to fund our marginal costs but we wanted to keep the campaign simple and the pledge level low.  We hit upon the idea of having only one backer tier and keeping the rewards as digital only for simplicity sake. 


$4 backer tier:  The only backer tier for this campaign was specifically created to provide value for the backers while minimizing fulfillment expenses and facilitating a rapid delivery of rewards.  To maximize value for the backer, we are distributing PDF and Print on Demand codes for hard cover and soft cover versions of the book.  {Yes, this means we aren't making any money on the print versions through this campaign.  The purpose is to provide the best value possible for the backer. This is our way of saying 'Happy Holidays' to the KickStarter community}




How it's going so far:


We didn't promote this campaign much before launch but we've seen several people sharing links for us on social media platforms.  As of this writing, the campaign is less than twelve hours old and hasn't yet funded.  With six days left in this short campaign I'm optimistic that we'll reach our goal.




Fulfillment:


Normally, I wait to fulfill campaigns until after the money comes in from Kickstarter.  This is due, in large part, because I usually need to use that money to pay for printing costs and shipping.  With this campaign, where are rewards are digital, fulfillment will begin Christmas Eve night after the backer survey goes out.  PDF files will be sent out starting that evening, and the print on demand codes will go out once they are available from drivethrurpg.com. 




For other creators:


Running a campaign like this, where you are collaborating with someone you work well with, is a lot of fun.  This project benefits from having little stress on either Zack or I and is a fun holiday project.  If you decide to run a campaign like this yourself, I recommend far more advance promotion that Zack and I did, as we limited ours to a few social media blurbs and reached out to some bloggers and podcasters we know.  Give yourself a couple of weeks ahead of launch to build interest.


Here's to one last KickStarter campaign for 2018!
Now, I'm going to get back to work finishing up the things I've left to do for Whispers of Persephone.  Backers are getting that book this month and I've still a few things to take care of.


Check out Santa Dragon Claws Presents at the link below.  Happy holidays to you all!

Kickstarter campaign and fulfillment, then "What's Next" and other stuff

Art from Whispers of Persephone was created by Christian Martinez
Copyright (c) 2018 Sinopa Publishing
All rights reserved

The KickStarter campaign for Whispers of Persephone has been a tremendous success.  I want to thank all of you who have supported the campaign, shared the links and helped to reach all of its stretch goals.

This campaign was full of pleasant surprises.  The backers came out in force, seizing the backer reward tiers of Necromancer, Acolytes of Death and Fallen Heroes (all slots were claimed as of this writing).  As I write this, there are 37 hours left in the campaign.  I'm writing up material for the backer reward tiers, naming the Acolytes of Death and creating their character / NPC information based on the date provided. I am also formulating the obituary pages for the Fallen Hero backers, telling stories of noble effort and ignoble death.




Art is very nearly complete, and I am hoping to have the book in front of Pat for edits before the end of the week. With 24 pages of character data to complete, 12 pages of Acolyte background, 6 obituaries, and a smattering of quotes to insert, I am optimistic that I'll get this book to her shortly.

Fulfillment:

One of my favorite things about crowdfunding campaigns is sending out the material once it is completed.  Of all the material that goes out, I think the signed copies are my most favored.  With Whispers of Persephone, I will be fulfilling the PDF and PoD codes once I have the final editorial changes done and the book uploads (PDF), for the PoD codes I will fulfill those once the printer approval of the book is back (which usually doesn't take long).  Copies for signing will be ordered before the PoD code is released {this is because I'll already be in the Drivethru system, so I'll order those copies then build the PoD code}.

What's Next!?!? 

Santa Dragon Claws' 25 Holiday Magic Items 2018 (tm) ~ coming this holiday season!

Saturday I announced that I had recently had a flash of inspiration.  This inspiration gave rise to a new book, which I am working on now for release this holiday season.

That's right, I intend to release it in the next few weeks.  That is because it is a shorter book and I've already managed to create much of it.   Art is coming in starting this weekend.  The art for this project is created by none other than Zack Viola (of The Steel Road fame).

As a fun thing to do, we've created 25 new, holiday themed magic items. Zack has sketched them (in the same style as The Steel Road) and we're going to release that book this November. The really neat thing though, is HOW we're going to do that.

We're going to have a short KickStarter campaign, with a small goal.  We're setting it to fund at $600 and it will only last for a few days (seven at most).  With this campaign we're going to have only one reward tier.... $4.  That tier will get you the PDF and a print on demand code for the book in hard cover. 

Content:  6x9 hard cover, 25 magic items with each detailed on a full page, each item illustrated by Zack Viola on the adjoining page (so you don't have to page back and forth, they are right there together), Introductioni from Santa Dragon Claws and an illustration of the holiday dragon.  Due to the time constraint for people to get this book in by the holidays, we will NOT be including backer credits in the book, but we will be placing those on the product page attached to this blog.

Now this campaign happens fast, and here's why:

Drivethrurpg suggests ordering books by the 25th of November to have them in time for the Holiday season.  So we want everyone to have their PoD code well before then.  So we're ending the campaign on the night of the 21st of November at 10:45PM EST. 

But wait, there is more to this...

The campaign will end that night, while I'm live streaming.  I will then trigger the backer survey to get the email addresses for PDF fulfillment.  But I will also be sending out the Print on Demand code to all backers that night! 

You heard it, we're going to get those print on demand codes out just as soon as we can, the same night the campaign ends.

From Zack Viola and myself, we hope you will all enjoy the campaign, cherish the book, and check out the cool stuff we have coming out for 2019 as well!


This will be the final KickStarter campaign of 2018.  Death comes to Glenfallow is being moved up to 2019.

Other Stuff:

Drip ~  What is Drip?

Last week Drip announced that the platform was shutting down next year and migrating all users over to the new platform.  My hope is that this will facilitate the implementation of several new features that are curiously missing from Drip in its current form.

Keep your eyes open here for more news on this as it breaks!

My own Drip page now has six subscribers (thank you all) and we're coming up on the end of the founding period.  My drip page offers truly behind the scenes information, news and access to play test material at the $1 level!  The monthly PDF release (currently one character, companion, creature or monster) comes with full color art and pages of content (stats, narrative, story hooks, treasures, example skill results, etc.) and is available at $3 and included the lower tier material as well. The Magic in the Mail tier subscribers receive all the benefits of the $3 tier plus a full color post card of the subject that month (it is sent in an envelope so it doesn't get marked up with postmarks) signed 'thank you' from me to the backers.  The post cards have a few notes on the subject to help with game play use.  Check it out below:

Thank you for joining me on my adventure in game design, writing and self-publishing.
As always, your questions are most welcome, so feel free to post them below. I'll respond as soon as is possible.

Until next time, Adventure Awaits!

Bringing darkness to the dark arts of the 5th edition (Final round of play testing is underway).

Ild, the dark prodigy
Art from: Whispers of Persephone
Artist: Christian Martinez

Whispers of Persephone has been an adventure in research, writing, and planning.  Delving into the design of rituals and spells meant to elicit the feeling of the macabre and to push well past ambiguity into the realm of deepest, bloodiest evil has been 'interesting'.

I'm pleased to report that the second round of play tests have begun, with one of the game masters reporting that the entire party was entirely freaked out by one of the NPC's included within the book, Ild the Dark Prodigy (see creepy picture of Ild above).  Certainly there is a hope that people will find a way to bring a bit of horror to their games with the material I've included in this book. Providing ample opportunity to players and game masters alike to flex their role playing muscles as they play characters so at odds with the heroic concept.  Some times it is fun to be the bad guy!

One of the play tester game masters
printed this page from the current
play test file.  

Presently, Whispers of Persephone is in its final play test phase.  I want to say "Thank You" to Daniel, one of the play testing game masters, who printed these two pages from Whispers of Persephone and discovered that the book is going to look pretty neat.  Speaking of Daniel, he was kind enough to provide a little bit of information about his players' response to their encounters with a particular NPC:

I've finished formatting the digital version of Whispers and am now formatting the print copy file.  I'm hoping to have that complete tonight, and to be ordering proof copies by the end of the week.
My goal is to have print copies in hand by the launch of the KickStarter campaign.

Title page from play test digital file
version 3.0 which weighed
in at 99 pages in length!

Christian Martinez has created stunning work for Whispers of Persephone and will be creating all art going into this book.  Presently, the cover, page background art, and the art included in this blog entry are done (with several works of art remaining).   Stretch goals will focus on adding more art to the book.

An enchanted skull cup, used in blood drinking rituals

This book is not child appropriate.  It contains explicit details of ritual activities of the most heinous sort. Sacrificial rituals, cruel spells, poisons, alchemicals, potions, and magic items are included to paint a vivid picture of horrific evil.

Promotion image using the art from
the section of the book containing
Stygian ritual magic

Whispers of Persephone is coming to KickStarter in order to obtain funding for art.  I'm working to raise $3500 to fund more interior art. Reaching the funding goal will allow me to include more illustrations from Christian Martinez, to make this book look its absolute best.

The KickStarter will be launching on September 22nd, 2018 and I will be streaming live on launch day.  That live stream event is planned and will incorporate a number of guests, who will be joining me to talk about Whispers of Persephone and to introduce themselves to the KickStarter community.  We're going to make a show of it, to provide some entertainment, and bring some real value to the launch day activities. I'll be announcing the line up once we confirm their time slots!

As always, your comments are question are most welcome!

Crowdfunding: the impact beyond the money

Art by: Nick Caponi
From the coming comic book anthology (final title pending)
to be released in 2019

Today I would like to say a few things about crowdfunding and the impact it has made in my work, and the lives of contributing artists.  This entry talks about projects that were made possible by KickStarter backers, as well as some coming projects and the impact these have made in the lives of the contributors.  I hope you'll enjoy and share this around!


Cover of my first RPG release "Tale of the Wizard's Eye"
Front cover by: Phoenix O'Faery
Back cover by: Brian Lee

Its been a little over a year since I released Tale of the Wizard's Eye.  From work on that first book, I became familiar with crowdfunding, book layout (that was harder than I had expected), fulfillment, and final publication/release. I still have much to learn, but with each book I release I strive to improve.  Remember this, it is important to focus on improving your knowledge and the quality of your work.  People will see your efforts reflected in the books and games you produce. 




Cover for "Tarot Adventures, Book One:"
Artist: Rebecca Coulthart

With the development, crowdfunding and release of The Draw of Glenfallow, I began my first series. I think this book benefited from my experiences with TDoG.  The Kickstarter campaign ran smoothly and fulfillment went well, though it ran a little late due to a printing problem.


It was during the development of Tarot Adventures, Book One: The Draw of Glenfallow that I began to realize the (unexpected) impact these publications were having.  By commissioning art specifically for the books I release, those artists were reaping the benefit.  It feels great to cut the checks and pay people for such work, but it took on a whole new meaning when I heard things like "this paid my light bill" or "this paid for my kids lunches".  I think about that often. 


Crowdfunding and what it has done for me (beyond the money):


Crowdfunding (GoFundMe, Indiegogo, KickStarter, etc) is a fantastic way for people with aspirations, creativity and drive to fund their creations. It took me a while to realize that such funding really does benefit people. 


Because of the success I've enjoyed from crowdfunding my books, artists have earned revenue and had their work recognized. I've seen artists who were looking for opportunity suddenly burst forth with an eagerness to create that is simply inspiring.  This energy makes creating new books even more exciting for me. 

Cover art for by: Alexia Veldhuisen
(coming soon to Kickstarter!)

That said, not all crowdfunding campaigns are successful.  My first attempt to fund 47 Furious Tails failed.  I should have waited on the effort for more of the art to be done, and should have spent more time promoting it.  This was my fault (as it always is when you own the company and/or are self-publishing).  The key thing to remember, if and when you have a campaign that fails, is to not let that discourage you.  Learn from the experience and carry on.  I'm going to re-launch 47 Furious Tails later this year and I'm very excited to see it succeed (I hope you'll check it out and help that comic book see print).  My first comic book.  This is the realization of a dream that has lived in my heart for thirty years.

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

As the Tarot Adventures have continued (Books one and two are out, book three is in development), I find that I have the several artists who are willing to work on these books.  There is an audience for the Tarot Adventures, a small group of game masters who have found a lot of use in these pages.  I'm looking forward to launching book three, and injecting some dark horror into the story line!  No art for that project is done yet, but I'll be teasing out material once it is. 

Promotional Image from "The Steel Road"
Artist: Zachary Viola

Crowdfunding made The Steel Road possible.  That cannot be understated.  The volume of art that went into this book (one hundred pages of illustrated weapons alone!) is not something I could have funded without such a fantastic level of support from the KickStarter community.  (Thank you all!!!!)  Zack Viola worked on art for this book for over a year, sketching with meticulous detail to make each piece of art fit the theme of the book. His dedication to making The Steel Road see print has been remarkable. 


The Steel Road is a great example of how crowdfunding your projects can have far reaching benefit beyond the immediate monetary concerns.  The backers of this campaign proved (to me anyway) that Zack and I were correct in our belief that this kind of book is needed, that people would want something with this authentic look.  I'm pleased to report that formatting is nearly complete on this project and I expect to fulfill the kickstarter rewards before the end of the month!  I also made the acquaintance of several of the KickStarter backers, received some fantastic feedback as well as encouragement to continue to develop. As a new game designer/publisher/writer I can attest that having people send you messages saying "I really enjoyed *your book*" is an amazing feeling.  I hope each of you who have been following this blog have that experience with your own releases.

From: "Whispers of Persephone"
Artist: Christian Martinez

I use the money from crowdfunding to create the best books I can.  If there is any additional revenue, I use it toward future products.  Eventually I will take an income from business, but for now I'm focused on creating the best quality I can and on expanding my catalog.  This has made it possible for me to put a little bit of money into projects like 47 Furious Tails and Whispers of Persephone. 


A year ago, the idea of releasing an RPG source book was fantastic and something I longed to do.  I knew I would have to learn a lot, work hard, and I would need funding for the art and assorted publication expenses.  Now, a year later, my first source book (The Steel Road) is about to come out and I am looking forward to producing Whispers of Persephone.  Once again, crowdfunding helps me to realize a dream and makes it possible for me to pay my contributing artists (and to pay them fairly.. which is important).

From the coming comic book anthology
Art by: Brian Lee

Several months ago I was approached by artists who had worked on projects for me before. They wanted to do a comic book anthology together, showcasing their individual properties and bringing their work to print.  I am happy to help make this happen.  We're going to launch a crowdfunding campaign for this anthology in 2019.  Right now each contributor is working on the art, color, and lettering for these comics.  It will release under Sinopa Publishing LLC (my company) with proceeds going primarily to print production and to benefit the artists.  Crowdfunding this project will make it possible for this anthology to be produced in print, giving the artists copies they can take to conventions and sell at their local comic shops.  Each month, as more pages come in, the book begins to take shape before my eyes.  I want to give a heartfelt "Thank you" to Alexia Veldhuisen, who took on the job of art coordinator/editor to oversee page production.  I look forward to sharing more about this project with all of you soon!


I hope that you will benefit from crowdfunding your projects and that you will take the time to enjoy the enormity of the impact it can make in your life, the lives of those people contributing to your project, and the joy it can help bring to your audience. Your life and work touches the lives and work of so many others. Having the funding made available to complete your project can certainly provide monetary benefit but, to my thinking, the benefits of crowdfunding go well beyond your wallet.  Give each project your best effort, your audience deserves it.

Use your crowdfunding efforts to get to know your audience, connect with the community, and bring about success for the people working with you.


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Thank you for joining me again as my adventure in writing, game design and self-publishing continues.  I hope you continue to find these entries useful to your own efforts.


As always, comments and questions are most welcome.

Four little things about self-publishing (very basic stuff)

Art by: Lotus Blair
From Sinopa Publishing's first comic book anthology
Coming Summer of 2019

You can learn more about the artist Lotus Blair at her biography page HERE


Writing, publishing, and game have become a fierce passion of mine.  Over the last year I've made the acquaintance of (and built professional relationships with) several artists, other game designers, a handful of bloggers and podcasters, and received some very helpful criticism.  Since I've begun this journey I've launched five Kickstarter campaigns, with four funding.  I'll soon be fulfilling The Steel Road, and will then launch my sixth KickStarter campaign for Whispers of Persephone.  I've had a fantastic time as release books and plan for the release of exciting new titles!

This is just my experience, short as it may be.  For all of you who have been reading this blog, the trio who follow it and all of you who follow me directly, I want to thank you for joining me on this journey.

Thank you.

Many of you are creating your own content and planning on publishing.  Some of you have been planning on doing so for quite some time.  I would like to encourage you to take the next step, to put your material together, to copyright and upload your book and share your vision with the world.  Whether you write darkly beautiful horror, romance, fiction or non-fiction, comics or games, your creations bring you joy.  I tell you that it is a wonderful experience when people are reading your work or playing your games.  Yes, even if it is only a handful of people.  Yes, even if you aren't making your living or even most of your income from your writing and development, it is worth it.
 
*****
What you really need to do to publish your stuff (a very basic overview)


1) Something you created ~ Write the book, create the game, draw/ink/color/letter the comic (yes, comics are a LOT of work).  Have a few people look it over for any problems.  Accept the criticism for what it is worth. If people aren't being constructively critical, I don't listen to them.  "I don't like" isn't enough, you need criticism that analyzes the problems so you can understand them and decide whether they are actually 'problems' or not and if they need to be edited or left in.  Produce to the highest quality you are capable of and keep at it.  Hone your skills by using them and create better books each time.


2) ISBN and Bar code for printed works ~ This is an expense and was one of the things that pushed me toward crowdfunding (along with the need for copious amounts of art).  Amazon talks about these at length.  As my use of these is based on that source I'll leave the link to that information HERE, but you can also get a lower cost per ISBN and Bar code by picking them up directly in larger numbers (see details HERE).  Do yourself a favor and read it.  Don't skim it, don't just go to the comments on forums, read the information and digest it.

Screen capture from Bowker ~ basically $30 per ISBN for a ten pack
rather than $130 each.  Save yourself some money in the long term.

3) Digital, Print or Both ~ Decide how you make your book available. 

If you are releasing digitally, and I think anyone who self-publishes will probably recommend that you do, identify the platforms you are going to be making your book available on.  Read their terms of use.  Let's say that again.  READ THEIR TERMS OF USE! Decide if you're going to be release under an 'exclusive' agreement or not.  For me, I'm not exclusive with any one platform.  I like it that way but it means I have more than one site to keep up with as far as looking at my overall traffic.  Keep this in mind!  

If you are releasing in print or by print on demand:  Ordering a print run is expensive.  I strongly recommend that before you order a print run of any product that you have funding well in hand.  Crowdfunding is a great way to do this and minimize your financial risk.  If you are releasing by print on demand, READ THE TERMS OF USE for the sites that will be producing your POD copies.

For those of you who have a print run done, make certain to identify where you will sell / distribute these copies.  Conventions and book signings are a great place to go, but having copies in local book/comic/game stores can be fantastic.


4) Have fun promoting your book ~ I want to thank my old friend, author Micah McGurk, for inspiring me to start writing again.  One of the things I learned from watching Micah is that you should enjoy promoting your work.  It really is that simple.  Do things that you enjoy and introduce people to what you are doing.  By way of example, I do book signings at comic and game shops, I blog and do podcast interviews (thanks to everyone who has had me on), I talk with my KickStarter backers, and I have fun doing these things.  This makes promotion of your books less a chore and more of an experience.  Try it, I think you'll like it.


These four things are the bare bones, high level overview of self-publishing, as I understand it.  This is about getting your feet wet, and creating a habit of being an author and game designer.  Put yourself out there, invite the criticism, be gracious with everyone (fan and troll alike), and share your vision with the world.

One of you may be the next Charles Stross, Jim Butcher, Stan Lee, or James Vail.  The world won't know until it sees what you can do. 


I hope you'll be sharing your vision soon. 


As always, your comments are welcome. 

******


Thank you for joining me once again for my adventure in writing, game design, and self-publishing.  I hope you get good use from my experiences, mishaps and opinions. 


Opinions expressed are my own.  I don't claim to be an expert. I'm just sharing my own experiences and understandings.  Please do your research (read that as: READ THE TERMS OF USE) to make certain your publication plans best suit your interests.


Art for this entry was created by the very talented Lotus Blair, and comes from a comic anthology project currently in development.  I'll be releasing that project in 2019.  I hope you'll check it out as it is AWESOME!






Cold Steel, Dark Arts, and comic books ~ a LOT of art in this entry~

Original painting (before digital enhancement) by Christian Martinez
From: Whispers of Persephone

It has been a very busy summer with me working to complete the formatting of The Steel Road, and getting the play test draft together for Whispers of Persephone.  I've also been coordinating work for a comic anthology project I'll be publishing in 2019 (once again we'll be using KickStarter to fund that printing).  So things have been very busy with me and Sinopa Publishing LLC lately!

The Steel Road:

Work on this project began more than a year ago and progressed nicely.  Things were going swimmingly and then my laptop died rather unexpectedly and in a fantastically thorough fashion. Long story short, I couldn't get my InDesign file to link to the image files again once I got a new computer system. This forced me to reformat the art for the book all over again (and YES, that cost me a lot of time).  I have been formatting text into the book for the last few weeks, and that has progressed nicely.  Presently, I have completed all but one region (the islands of the Pacific), and am very nearly done.  Great news is that The Steel Road is set to fulfill on time this August!

Lessons I've learned from this:  

1) Save the image files to your cloud after you've formatted them into your document so you can re-link them easily if your computer suddenly catches fire one day and you have to use a new machine.

2) Formatting text around an image and making it look good is a lot more time consuming than you might expect.  It is far easier to simply format blocks of text with reserved space allotted for your images.  That said, I think the text wrapping around the image looks far better.  So if you plan on doing this yourself, budget the time accordingly.


My thoughts on this project

The Steel Road was tremendously fun to research and write.  The KickStarter campaign was my most backed to date, and many of those backers have asked if I would be putting a second book with more weapons out.  I've spent a great deal of time formatting the text, revising the material and sweating the little things to create the best book I can for the backers and the RPG community at large.  I'm thrilled to put this book out and very grateful to Zachary Viola for all the fantastic sketch art he did to make the book possible.



Whispers of Persephone

I wrote this book's material by hand.  I'm hoping to format the complete play test file for the next round of play tests this weekend.  With Whispers of Persephone I'm going to send this file (which should have the page background art in it) to the entire play test group with just a little art in it.

Christian Martinez is doing fantastic work for this project, creating all original paintings (some of which will be available as backer rewards during the KickStarter campaign).  If you've seen his work in The Draw of Glenfallow or Comet over Echo Rock you're probably as excited as I am for this new art! 

Lessons I've learned from this project:

1) I took a different approach with regard to play test on this product.  I put the material in front of a handful of people rather than in front of the whole play test group.  This afforded me the opportunity to tweak a few points early on.

2) For Whispers of Persephone I want a LOT of art, but I had to calculate my art budget based on a smaller number of images.  I've decided to create stretch goals for additional art in the KickStarter campaign.  Content is key, after all, and art is incredibly important.  This project has been an excellent exercise in project budgeting.


My thoughts on this project

Whispers of Persephone was fun to write.  Presently I'm looking to the launch date for the KickStarter and working to coordinate the live stream event (more on that soon).  The book's mechanics and content are things I'm particularly proud of and I hope people will get much use and enjoyment out of this evil tome, this bloody little book of necromancy!  As I write this I'm plotting out the time line for the KickStarter launch.  This an incredibly exciting project that has been a long time in development (from the writing and design) and one that I am enjoying the thrill of receiving new art for!



Comic Books   

Yes, I blew the font up for this section.  I have some dramatic feelings on this topic, so stick with me. There are a lot of fantastic comic book creators working on titles I'll be releasing in 2019... check this out!

47 Furious Tails  

The first comic book I've ever written for publication.  Last year (2017) I tried and failed to fund this project through KickStarter.  This year (2018, if you're viewing this in the far future) I'll be relaunching this project, with more of the art done.  This first issue begins the retelling of the Ako incident in a unique way.  Alexia Veldhuisen has made tremendous efforts and I'm thrilled that she has continued to pursue this project with me.

Cover art by Alexia Veldhuisen
47 Furious Tails, Issue One

Untitled Comic Anthology project  

We're focusing on the book and will have a working development title in a few months.  Right now that's not the important part.  The IMPORTANT part, is the work going into this jewel of a book.

This book will have eight (8), yes EIGHT different contributing artists sharing their titles.  These are projects the artists and writers are very passionate about and it shows in the art they've produced so far.  Each of these contributors are producing eight pages of content to introduce everyone to the fine work they are doing.  I'm pleased to help bring the work of these talented professionals to the world. Art direction/edits by Alexia Veldhuisen.

I'll be launching a Kickstarter campaign in 2019 to fund the printing of this book. Below I have included samples of art from that project. I hope you'll enjoy it and look forward to that book.  Artists credited with the images, and most of them are available for commissions (follow the links in their biography pages for more information).

From the mind of Brian Lee
Art by Brian Lee

You can learn about Brian Lee and his art HERE!

From the mind of Colin Hartigan
Art by the legendary Christian Martinez

You can learn about Christian Martinez and his art HERE!

From the mind of Kelsy Cowan
Art by Kelsy Cowan

You can learn about Kelsy Cowan and her art HERE!

From the mind of Lotus Blair
Art by Lotus Blair

You can learn about Lotus Blair and her art HERE!

From the mind of Nick Caponi
Art by Nick Caponi

You can learn about Nick Caponi and his art HERE!

From the mind of Rebecca Coulthart
Art by: Rebecca Coulthart

You can learn about Rebecca Coulthart and her art HERE!

From the mind of Zachary Viola
Art by: Zachary Viola

You can learn about Zachary Viola and his art HERE!


We've assembled a great team for this project and I hope you will all look forward to some fantastic comic book material coming from these talented artists and writers!

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{Legal stuff:  All art included on this blog is copyright of their respective creators and are used with the express consent of those same individuals.  All rights are reserved.}
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So stick with me for more information on these and other titles that are presently in development.  2018 will continue to be busy as development for "Death comes to Glenfallow" is underway, and new titles will be seen coming out with more art from these artists and more!

*****

Thank you for continuing this adventure with me!  I hope you'll join me again next time for more information on artists I'm working with, projects I'm exploring, games I'm developing, and mistakes I learn from as I continue to publish.

See you next time!

A little bloody book of Necromancy

I wrote a book on a new arcane tradition that involves the darkest rites of necromancy.  It is a book themed on evil practices, full of horrific rites, searing spells, poisons, and magic items of vile purpose.   It is my own little bloody book of necromancy, and I'm almost ready to unleash it upon the world.  That book is Whispers of Persephone.

This is a far different book than any I've done before. I want to make certain it is as cool as I think it is before I unleash it into my general play test teams.  To keep this book under wraps, I've kept it to only a handful of people.  Now I'm preparing to release it a select few game designers I'm acquainted with and an enlarged field of players/game masters.  One of the things I want to do first though, is format the book (without art, I'm not completely mad), to give these people an opportunity to comment as to the look and "feel" of it.

As with my previous works, this one is going to use KickStarter to fund the art included within.  The artist creating these commissions is none other than the remarkable Christian Martinez .   I'll be teasing out a little of the art for this book in the coming weeks.  I hope you'll enjoy it but be advised that this is content meant to adorn a book about horrid practices and bloody evil.  It is NOT intended for children nor is it suitable for work environments (you have been warned).

The KickStarter launch will be kicked off with a live stream event unlike any I've ever seen before.  I hope you'll turn out to participate.  The campaign will go live in August of 2018.  I'm working with several folks to coordinate the launch date.  This will be the "First Blood" event of the campaign and will launch with an early backer tier.  Come early and support the book to get a great deal.

What is in Whispers of Persephone???   

Inside a cover which hints at its contents, Whispers of Persephone contains dark rituals, searing spells, poisons, potions, alchemical agents, new feats, a new arcane tradition, and a selection of NPC data.  The book is uniquely created, with page art that is designed to make it look like the book has been bleeding from its spine, and the text is being colored to look as if it were penned in blood.  Have I gone too far in producing a book that brings darkness back to the dark arts?  We'll see...

I've been developing this book to bring a sense of purpose to characters who perform evil acts, and to bring darkness back to the dark arts.  I hope you'll find I have succeeded.


Who is going to use Whispers of Persephone???  

I imagine that Whispers of Persephone will see a lot of use from Game Masters who want their heroes to face horrific villains, as well as by players who are playing evil characters of the most wretched sort.  It is fun and disturbing, like a good horror movie.

This book is also created to resemble an evil tome. As such, I believe cosplayers will find the book useful as their grimoire.


What I'm doing about Whispers of Persephone right now ... 

While I am finishing up my formatting of The Steel Road, I'm working on Whispers of Persephone in those moments between tasks.  I've done work on the introduction (trying to polish it up a bit), the text accompanying the Stygian Necromancer arcane tradition,  working on narrative text for some of the NPC's that are named within (Kroalish and Ild being two of the most infamous), and following up with Christian Martinez (read that as harassing him about art).

I've been going over the stretch goal calculations for things I really want to add into the book (art, art and, oh yes, more art!).  These calculations must be done with care as you want to be certain that the different permutations of expense calculations all fit within your stretch goal figures.  I've been checking that over with great care and so far, everything looks great.  I've calculated stretch goals all the way out to $35000.

Preparations for the promotional campaign for this book are underway (I suppose this entry counts as promotion???).  I'm working hard to schedule the launch, and a special live stream event featuring some very special guests.   I'll be revealing more about the live stream event once all parties have agreed to the schedule.  Some other things I'll be doing for promoting this book include reaching out to yet more RPG blogs, podcasts, and YouTubers for interview opportunities.  Here's to a full schedule 😊.

Color matching:  This is a fun task for a grim purpose.  I'm working on picking the exact color for the text of the book.  This book will only release in full color (for several reasons) and I want this color to be, well, special (insert evil grin here). 


What rewards will be available in KickStarter campaign???  

For the first few days there will be the "First Blood" reward tiers that allow early backers to support the campaign at a lower rate.  This is being done in conjunction with the previously mentioned live stream event, sort of a "thank you" for all the people checking out that event and discovering the book through it.    During "First Blood" backers can get PDF and Print on Demand codes for Whispers of Persephone, as well as signed copies of the book at that reduced rate.

What else is available:

PDF copy of Whispers of Persephone as well as a PDF of a custom character folio designed for the 5th Edition for use by Necromancers.

Signed copies of the book!  If you've been following this blog, you know I love to sign books.

Fallen Hero reward ~ This is a limited reward where the backers get named as one of the heroes who have been struck down by the necromancer forces.  You also get a signed copy of the book and the digital rewards.

Acolyte of Death ~ This is another limited reward where the backers get named as one of the 13 Acolytes.  You get named in the book and get signed copy and digital rewards as well.

Surviving witness ~ A very limited number of backers can pledge at these levels for original paintings done for the book by Christian Martinez.  Each one is specified in the backer description.

The Necromancer ~ There is only one!  One backer will be named as the Necromancer and have his or her portrait painted for inclusion in the book (as the Necromancer).  Whispers of Persephone will be dedicated to that person.

Lord Hades & Queen Persephone ~ This one requires a little bit of an explanation... I saw a KickStarter campaign done by an RPG satirist and he had included a reward tier for someone to fund the entirety of the project.  There was a great deal of sarcasm in the that reward but I thought it amusing and decided to put my own version of that idea into practice.  If you want to fund the entire project, there are some neat rewards in that tier, but it literally funds the WHOLE book in one fell swoop, so maybe talk to your spouse before pledging it .... just a suggestion.

What you'll find when you see that campaign is that I am once again working to fund as much art as I would like to include in the book.  So you'll see some a lot of ways to get your hands on Whispers of Persephone, and I hope you'll take the opportunity to do so.

What to take away as a writer/self-publisher/game designer:

One thing I will point out is that I'm basically booked through the end of this year and well into 2019.  I would like to recommend that if you are also writing and developing quite a lot, that you may want to consider shorter KickStarter campaigns once you have a following large enough to support such.  Right now, I don't have enough people following me for a realistic expectation of 200 or more backers on a KickStarter campaign (though The Steel Road passed that milestone this morning). 

As discussed in numerous locations throughout this blog, build your audience by doing the best work you can and keeping your communication lanes open, and your dialogue honest and realistic.  I firmly believe it takes time to earn the trust of your audience.  I've been working for a year on building mine.  I've made mistakes, and owned up to them, and continue to work to improve.  I think that honest effort is the principle reason I've seen such a high rate of backer retention.  I hope you'll experience the same!

I would also like to point out that working toward small goals, crowdfunding small amounts for projects (such as adventure modules, comic books, etc) can give you invaluable experience in not only crowdfunding, but also in fulfillment processes.  Fulfillment is critically important, don't forget to plan for your fulfillment and to have fall back plans in case things go pear-shaped.

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Thank you for joining me once again on my adventure into writing, self-publishing and game design.  I hope this blog continues to prove useful as I chronicle my own experiences here. I'll make mistakes, I know, but I hope that by being open and honest about those missteps I can spare you the same.

The KickStarter campaign for The Steel Road is in its final hours, so if you haven't checked that out, please use the link in the "featured crowdfunding" spot above and to the right of the page to take a look.  Please do share that link with others to help spread the word before the campaign ends.

Until next time, have a wonderful time and I look forward to your comments and questions.

RPG Creators: A few thoughts on Stretch Goals for your crowdfunding campaigns

Original cover art file from: Tale of the Wizard's Eye
Artist: Phoenix O'Faery

Cover art from Tale of the Wizard's Eye by Phoenix O'Faery

I was exchanging messages with some important people recently.  Specifically, I was exchanging messages with several of the backers from my previous KickStarter campaigns, in other words, my audience.  These conversations were informative, ultimately quite useful, and I encourage any of you who use crowdfunding to reach out to backers in a safe and professional way.  You will learn a lot about your own efforts by speaking with those who have bought your work.  Don't miss out on these opportunities!

Social & Stretch Goals:   

Stretch goals have long been a tough thing for me to put together.  This is because I want to create rewards that are fun for the backers, easily fulfilled, and that don't terribly inflate the costs of the project.  Still each stretch goal should enhance the value of the project in some way.  That last point is key.  Digital rewards can be a good way to produce value without damaging your costs overly much.

By way of example, I point to a project that is in the late stages of writing (so first third part of development for me), Tarot Adventures, Book Three: Death comes to Glenfallow.  With this book, I have a pretty firm idea of the page count (which is high), I know I've got a LOT of art costs to account for, and I'm not going to want to add pages to the book itself.   With that in mind, I know that I do want some stretch goals in place so as to motivate other backers and to provide the backers with the best product, and best deal I can.  I looked at my page count and realized I had a couple of pages that I could spare for more books material. With that in mind, I decided to add two pages of content.  But rather than create additional adventure material and then need additional art for that, I decided to include two pages of comics about the Tarot Adventures.  This is a bit pricey but so worth it.  It fits into the existing page allotment, and definitely tunes up the book.  The second stretch goal is a secret that I'll not release until that campaign has exceeded it first stretch goal, as I want to build anticipation.

For social goals, I wanted additional content and I wanted to coordinate with some existing goals I have (regarding audience size).   Firstly, 200 backers for a Tarot Adventure: not too many RPG adventure books on KickStarter see that kind of turn out but I really want to be one of them.  So I set that as a benchmark.  I wanted something really fun for the backers, so I hit upon the idea of a treasure map and side quest.  It will be art-light, with just the treasure map for art and encounters and hijinks for the backers to use.  Inexpensive to produce, loads of fun for everyone, I think it is one of my better goal ideas. 

My second social goal has me writing about 5000 words as an excerpt from the prophesies that are referenced in the first three Tarot Adventures.  I like this idea a lot, it will only cost me the time it takes to write it and have it edited (those associated costs) so its a very affordable and interesting option.  Both Social goals will be delivered electronically and thus I do not worry about shipping!!!

My point here, ladies and gentlemen, is that creating Social and Stretch goals need not be expensive to create real value for your backers.  Think about your audience, and give them something they want that you can easily afford.

*****

Thank you for joining me again on my adventure into game design, writing, and self-publishing.
I hope you can use this information in your own efforts.

Remember, you can follow me here as well as on KickStarter to keep up to date with titles I'm working on, crowdfunding, and releasing.

I hope I'll see you here next time as the adventure continues.

Sharing some cool moments: The Steel Road KickStarter Campaign first day

Screen capture from this morning

I really enjoy the KickStarter campaign process, but I think what I most like (other than getting my projects funded so they get printed) is chatting with the people who support the campaigns.

Last night I launched the KickStarter campaign for The Steel Road (screen capture above) and I saw a sudden surge of support from backers from previous campaigns.  I have to tell you everyone, that was the best feeling!

There were a lot of fun moments in the live stream, jokes, laughs, and some technical difficulties but I think we all had a pretty good time.

Its still early in the campaign and we haven't yet funded, but there was something else that happened that I wanted to mention.  When the campaign launched I saw a lot of other creators sharing the links for me.  Folks whose kickstarter campaigns I had linked to this blog, or had been retweeted on the Sinopa Publishing page.  Comic book shops in New Jersey and Ohio who I had messages with over the last year, sharing sales and events links and generally just getting acquainted.  People whom I have a feeling of community with.

I have to tell you, it was really very touching to see people like Ryan Burke, James Vail, and the great folks at Gunslinger Comics (Hi Adam!) come out in such force.  It was incredibly cool and I literally bounced in my chair a bit (in full view of the live feed) when I saw these links going out. 

My thoughts

For all of us who create content and seek to fund our works on KickStarter and Indiegogo and other places, lets remember to keep helping each other out.  Share the links for campaigns you like, put in a plug for campaigns that need some help, and do the little things that can make a huge difference in these campaigns.  This is particularly important for the folks who are launching their first campaigns and maybe don't have many people who know about them yet.

I want to thank all the backers, all the people who shared my campaign links, and all of you who are have been reading my blogs.  Your support is everything that is important in my creative efforts.

*****

Thank you for joining me on my adventure in game design, writing, and self-publishing.  I hope that this blog helps you to avoid mistakes I've made, and gives you some good information on getting your own projects developed.

The Steel Road is live on KickStarter as of this writing, with the early backer reward active until May 27th, 2018 at 7:00PM.  I hope you'll take advantage of the best deal I could put together! 

The link to the KickStarter is in the "featured crowdfunding" pane at the top of the page.

Thank you all!

Video: A few words from Zachary Viola about The Steel Road ~ KickStarter launches tonight, May 24th at 7:00PM EST

In his own words:  Zachary Viola on what it was like to work on The Steel Road

Remember, the KickStarter goes live tonight at 7:00PM EST.  Zack and I will be live streaming on Kickstarter, taking questions and talking about this and other projects.

Come join in the fun and support a great book project.

*****

For all of you who follow this blog with regard to my adventure in writing, game design and self-publishing: I have to tell you that when Zack sent this video to me it choked me up a bit.  I'm grateful to have been working with Zack on this project, and happy to see that being professional and treating the artists who work with me well is making a difference.  He and I both had a great time developing this book.

I hope you will all come check out the KickStarter.  Please do help spread the word by sharing this blog entry, as well as the kickstarter on social media and by telling friends. 

Thank you all for your support!

Dungeons and Dragons campaign Idea: Sword Art Online survival of the fittest style campaign/event

No art for this, I just had a random idea ...

What if, as part of an area wide campaign, you took a sign in registry of all the players who wanted to play in one grand campaign.

You then create one list of random encounters drawn up for all the GMs to use at each level of the overall map.

Everyone makes up first level character.  All seems normal.

Until ...

Each session you rotate GMs, with each using the random table for that level, as well as running a homebrew adventure of their own devising for that level.  Neither the GMs nor the players know who will be running/ playing what until you meet up that week.

Every time a character is killed, that player is removed from the event.

As players are removed you reorder the groups, to fill in gaps.

The campaign ends when the characters have survived a fixed number of sessions, or you are down to one group of six or fewer.

When the campaign ends, the final test is to send those player characters through a high level dungeon.

I think this would be awesome!!!!  Something you would stream for posterity.

******

Game design / event  thought of the day...

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!