Writer's Corner #1
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Mar 31, 2022 at 09:14:30 AM

Happy Wednesday folks!

I've run a few Kickstarters over the last few years and if I'm being honest: it get's kind of monotonous. 

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the rush of seeing the "New backer" notification, I enjoy getting to respond to comments and questions, I really enjoy giving sneak peeks to backers (those are on the way); but that being said, it still starts to feel stale. So this time, I'll be bringing you this "writer's corner" update for all my creators in the crowd. Each of the next 3 Wednesdays I'll be sharing 2 tips from writers and crowdfunders who know their way around a Kickstarter campaign. First up? Me!

What’s one piece of time saving writing advice?  

Don't waste time trying to figure out "which type of writer" you are. Do you like outlines? Awesome, make one. Do you enjoy the spontaneity of just running with ideas as they come to you? Great, go with the flow. Make sure that you have a versatile set of tools to work with so that no matter how you do it you capture the ideas that come your way.  I personally use the Bear iOS app for most of my writing. It works across all of my Apple devices and saves to the cloud in real time. If I'm in a pinch and just want to jot down a random idea in a hurry I turn to my Notes app or the Voice Recorder on my phone. As a writer you are missing out on potentially great story threads every time you fail to save an idea. Don't get fancy!

What’s the most underrated crowdfunding strategy?

Treat your Crowdfunding campaign like an "in person" event. You are responsible for being a good host; of course you want to make sure people actually come to your party, so you do everything you can beforehand to get them there. But once they are in the door, then what do you do? A Kickstarter campaign is like a wedding, you've got to say hi to everybody. Whether you are genuinely excited to see them or have no idea how they got in, once they are there you treat them like family. Over my 5 campaigns I've met some really cool folks who also happen to support my work. It's a win/win.

There you have it! Week 1 of Writer's Corner! Tell me what you think in the comments!

JL

Let's Celebrate!
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 06:26:52 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Slowly But Surely
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 09:01:51 AM

As Week # 2 begins I am once again blown away by the show of early support. Turns out we are just $109 away from breaking the second highest funding total Ennead has had here on the platform... in under 10 days! Anyone interested in upgrading a pledge or two? ;)

Serious question: Are any of you clamoring for "campaign only" add ons?

I say "campaign only" because Kickstarter forces creators to add shipping to each individual add on, so I want to limit that cost as best as I can. Things like Maps, mini-prints, and bookmarks are easy enough to include because they don't alter shipping weight much, if at all. Let me know in the comments what you think.

We've got plenty of time to hit the next few stretch goals, I think you'll be excited about the ones I've got planned. I really want to get some of these in your hands! 

If you haven't yet, check out what I'm building over on Substack. Every Wednesday I release a free newsletter and every Thursday I'll be releasing a piece of exclusive Ennead content. This Thursday's post is the last of the free exclusive pieces I'll be sharing before the paywall goes up!

The Gyro Universe

Set within a Grand Cosmic Plot, TGU is a science fiction story with a fantasy nature.  It is the impossible and the improbable forged together to create a multi-narrative invasion. The family whose home is long gone, the reluctant soldier conflicted about his place in the universe, and the tyrannical chancellor behind it all.

The Gyro Universe is a serialized graphic novel with inspiration drawn from The Twilight Zone. The goal of this series is to create an immersive universe where ET meets House of Cards and everything in between. Giving you all the perspectives of an Alien Apocalypse that you never knew you needed.

If you like ambitious storytelling, and let's face it I know you do, this is a can't miss series.

Tune in tomorrow for something new!

JL

A Look Behind the Veil
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 29, 2022 at 10:39:10 AM

Well folks, we did something special last week. $6k worth of funding is Ennead's best single week on the platform... by a mile. With nearly $3k more in funding after the first week than in any of my other 4 campaigns there's no telling where this one will end up. Thank you.

I always like to give insight into the nuts and bolts of crowdfunding on Kickstarter, so to start off a fresh week I wanted to share a bit of the creator dashboard. We get to track all kinds of numbers, things like funding total (obviously), % funded, as well as number of backers and days left. With such high numbers across the board I can't help but feel an immense sense of gratitude. 

The breakdowns of where most funding is coming from helps to focus my attention when attempting to bring in more traffic and therefore increase our chance of getting new backers. This campaign is no different than my others, most funding comes from "Kickstarter," which really turns out to be folks who clicked the "notify me at launch" button along with folks who Kickstarter thought might like the project based on past backing history. This is the part of crowdfunding I love: the part that reenforces the community aspect of it all. This is shaping up to be Ennead's best campaign. Not because of a huge marketing budget, but because folks like you decided to get involved and pledge!

Once a campaign launches folks are still allowed to follow along without backing. They click a "favorite" button, for lack of a better term, and are then sent notifications at key moments before the project ends. Here's to hoping that number gets upwards of 30% before all is said and done!

I told you last week, I'm the Kickstarter Number King (self-crowned, of course) and I'll always try to be as open as I can about this process with the folks who decide to support Ennead. This project wouldn't exist without folks like you, so it's only right that I share as much as I can about the process you are so intimately a part of. I've got some cool things coming for my fellow creators in the crowd, so stay tuned!

KLAATU - Comic Creators UNLEASHED! / RAID Anthology

Experience the stories top creators choose to craft when set loose upon the page. Driven by their passions and unhindered by the limitations of a traditional publishing model.

Featuring Eisner Award Winner Ramón K Pérez (Marvel's Wolverine and the X-Men), Ho Che Anderson (Fantagraphic's award winning biography of Martin Luthor King), Scott Hepburn (Marvel's Spider-Man and Deadpool), Marcus To (DC's Batman), Derek Laufman (Star Wars Adventures) and many more.

Packed with genre-driven stories of Scifi, Fantasy, Supernatural and beyond!

This project is another who's who of comic creators. I suggest you check it out!

CRIT: Intestinal Fortitude - A D&D Superhero Adventure

 Homebrewed Heroes is a group of friends that wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons, but instead of adventurers, they wanted to be superheroes and "homebrewed" their own campaign. Playing together for over 10 years, the group brings together interests around video games, comics, fantasy, science fiction, and anime. The game sessions around this particular story are challenging and entertaining enough that it was decided to turn the sessions into a comic book.

CRIT is now in for the fight of their life. Will they succeed? Or will it be a critical failure? 

A fun twist on the action adventure story that is certainly worth a look!

I'll be back tomorrow with another update!

JL

Happy Friday!
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Mar 28, 2022 at 06:31:40 AM

Afternoon Folks!

This campaign is just $35 away from surpassing the total funding amount from Ennead's first Kickstarter... in under a week! Talk about progress. Wouldn't be here without the return backers who have helped Ennead become one of the most popular serialized comics on Kickstarter (I'm manifesting, let me be)! 21% of Ennead's 500+ unique backers have returned to support this campaign so far. That's amazing.

I wanted to do a few things today: announce two new tier options, give a snippet of a short story set in Amashik, and highlight another great Kickstarter comic.

New Tiers

These are both available now! If you're interested in adjusting your pledge to include one of these and have any questions comment below!

Sneak Peak: Man of The Sword

I've been building out the world of Amashik over on Substack and I wanted to give you a taste of the content I'm sharing. Take a look:

Miika stood stiff with shame as the King reached for his saddle and swung himself back atop his warhorse. His father’s sword hung free in his off hand until his squire, Broderick Carle, came eagerly to fetch it. It glistened in the young man’s hands as he wiped the blood from it.

“Come.” King Ulius said sharply as he rode past both his sons.

Udonis urged his horse forward and spoke up before his older brother could shake himself from his state of humiliation. “As you will it, Father.”

They’d ridden all this way for one reason. Quarter any that surrender. Kill all who resist.

During the fight Miika froze, as he had dozens of times before. Only this time, his father had been here to see it, and Miika had watched the embarrassment on the King’s face turn to anger.

The late morning mist grew thin as they approached the isolated, wooded town once again. People had begun sharing their versions of this latest ordeal as they put their homes back in order. They crowded their doorways and gave nods of thanks to The King and his retinue as they returned. The smell of fresh bread and recently spun-up dirt almost filled the center of the small town with a sense of normalcy.

News of raiding parties had reached the Capitol more frequently as of late, but this seemed different. More than just aimless vagabonds. These men acted with clear purpose. As though they were being driven towards something, or someone.

And they targeted Theton, of all places.

Miika continued to wonder aloud as he rode with Udonis a horse-length behind the King. “Was it father? How were they to know he’d arrive?”

His questions hung in the crisp morning air before Udonis quipped, “You know the rest of us aren’t privy to what goes on inside that head of yours, don’t you?”

“How’d they know we’d ride? Or that anyone would for that matter?” Miika ignored his brother’s wit - he still had to choke down the shame in his throat either way.

“You keep that up, some’ll start thinking you're mad.” Udonis said.

Miika kept his next thought to himself. Not here. Not now.

Read the rest here!

Cthulhu Battle Royale

"Do you love Lovecraft?

These books are our love letters to Lovecraft fans of all kinds, from those that obsess about Cthulhu, to the ones that never want to leave Arkham, to the ones that keep a copy of the Necronomicon under their pillow, and everyone in between. Whether you are a casual fan or a rabid one, we've got you covered.

The third volume, Cthulhu is Hard to Spell: Battle Royale, features stories by Trina Robbins (the first woman to draw Wonder Woman), David Pepose (Scout's Honor), Christian Gossett (The Red Star), and a fantastic cover by Aaron Alexovich (Invader Zim), among many fabulous writers and artists.

In total, over 75+ creators contributed 34 incredible stories to this third 180-page hardcover collection, and the results are pretty mindblowing."

Check this one out folks. Lots of pros and heavy hitters contributed to the creation of the book.

Be back next week with more!

JL