Considering a Kickstarter to fund Quick and Dirty Map Tutorials Book!

[- Max -]

@Max - I'm surprised to see that you'd think it would already be done prior to the start of a Kickstarter. I know of no Kickstarters where the material was ready prior to the start of a Kickstarter campaign.

That's probably because working as graphic/layout designer for a RPG company, I'm used to work on short deadlines after some announcement. Usually when we announce a game release, we'll publish it in the next month., but that's probably different for kickstarters indeed.

[Gamerprinter]

That's probably because working as graphic/layout designer for a RPG company, I'm used to work on short deadlines after some announcement. Usually when we announce a game release, we'll publish it in the next month., but that's probably different for kickstarters indeed.

Which is the difference between a Kickstarter and a product release - they are nothing like each other. A Kickstarter is not an announcement of a game release, rather it's an announcement of initial development of a project. It's stating, "I have a cool project I'd like to produce, but I have no idea if there really is a market for it. So in order to know whether there is, we've set up a Kickstarter with a goal of several products for X dollars to be collected within a specific funding period. If it's successfully funded, then we know you want it, so now it will be created."

A product announcement means you've got a production process already in the works, or even the bulk of the work complete, and we expect a release date on such-and-such a time. A Kickstarter is nothing like that.

I create plenty of low budget products out of pocket with no need nor intent of using Kickstarter to fund it. I only use the patron funding system for projects with high dollar costs involved. Printing full color 250 books is expensive, and part of my goal is to see these products being sold in chain book stores, individual bookstores, in addition to Amazon, DrivethruRPG and the usual sources.

[kjdavies]

Which is the difference between a Kickstarter and a product release - they are nothing like each other. A Kickstarter is not an announcement of a game release, rather it's an announcement of initial development of a project. It's stating, "I have a cool project I'd like to produce, but I have no idea if there really is a market for it. So in order to know whether there is, we've set up a Kickstarter with a goal of several products for X dollars to be collected within a specific funding period. If it's successfully funded, then we know you want it, so now it will be created."

Hi, Keith Davies here (mentioned earlier in the thread). I've seen both, actually. It's not uncommon that the (core) product is ready and just needs funding for production. It's not uncommon that it still needs to be written. It's also not uncommon that the bulk of the writing is done and they're looking for funding to get the layout, graphics, printing, and so on done. It all varies.

This one, you started with about half the book drafted and know how to do the rest. I'd consider it roughly in the third group -- it's not entirely written, but it's clearly not just getting started. You've got most of your production chain in mind, you've got realistic goals even if things get blown out of proportion and you do all the books rather than just the one. I have quite a bit of confidence you'll not only get funded (four days in and you're already about 75% funded, that's a pretty safe guess) but that you'll be on time or early, depending how many volumes are needed.