Long Overdue Update
I will be brief, because there are still several mountains of work to get through before I can launch. Turns out doing a kickstarter campaign largely by yourself is….well, a bad idea. But sunk cost makes for great decisions, right?
Early 2020 I had contacted a bunch of print companies, found one that was available to print around the time I was needing it, I gave them files and started to source fulfillment companies. I was working with a puppet designer on making puppets for our promotional video, looking for puppeteers, and working with a camera operator friend of mine on crafting the promo video. I was also working with an editor and graphic designer to clean up the game manual. I was waiting to finish most of these things before getting into an earnest promotional push, because I am new at this and thought it better to have a polished product to present to online game communities, reviewers, and you, rather than an in-process project and a promise that it will eventually be done.
Then Covid.
Covid meant that the parts of this process that could have had other creative hands in it became impossible, and then the Portland Police Department and 45’s Feds tried to silence demonstrations supporting racial justice, and wildfires raged with some of my states elected officials lying about how the fires started, and then anti-vacers, anti-maskers, and anti-democratic forces collided at the capitol, and 2020 burned right out of my hands. I could not fathom conducting creative business in 2020, so I put everything on hold.
Start of 2021, I came out of the fog and remembered that art and entertainment are an essential medicine in difficult times, so I picked up what hadn’t been lost (i.e. print shop quotes, etc.). This meant that I did the promo video with my partner and roommate. I used my I-phone with the creepy spider eye cameras, a green and purple screen, morph suits, and so many takes. I could actually write about this a while, but fast forward, four months of writing, filming, voice overs, and editing, and the promo is done!
So, what is left?
Finalize & roll out promotion plans
Secure a print shop & test prints to show backers
Secure fulfillment options (likely amazon, unless you know good option for me.)
Recalculate printing & shipping costs for printing & fulfilling to price out backer levels
Update Kickstarter page for approval
Reach 500 pre-backer pledges (100 so far)