Resolving the Kickstarter

So, the Kickstarter succeeded, raising $3,500 at the end.  Took some courage, some investigation into something I haven't done before ... in all honesty, there were moments I had my doubts.  It truly felt like more that 45 days.

I know how this is going to sound, but I want to get this point across:  you contributors who jumped in with me on this project, you're a part of this just as I am.  I owe my success to you — not only in this venture, but in every venture that follows ... including those I haven't invented yet.  You've helped provide a foundation upon which I can build a better process for my delivering game materials.  The menu has been a sea change; I've been in conversations about things we can make, along with more books, to supplement my writings online.

The thing that has helped me push on, through my various struggles and especially of late with covid, is my feeling that I'm never alone.  Patreon is always there, intelligent comments seem to appear at moments when I most need them; and it's a comfort knowing that whatever I write, there are always people who are listening.  There are a lot of people who really care about these posts — and who care what I'm doing and want to say.  Knowing that you're willing to back a project I've invented means a great deal to me.  Just as I know these posts and ideas mean a lot to you.

Now, to business.

I have folders coming, expectedly, in the first week of November.  As I live in a very large city, the printer I use has no trouble managing my workload, and I've tried and tested their work.  Another in-city printer is responsible for the coasters, telling us they have a 5-7 day turnaround time.  The pig logo for the menu has been reworked by a graphic artist and we have full rights to its use.

I am in the midst of building up two more pages for the menu, with additional items; I have every expectation these will be done around the 2nd-3rd of November.  I'll be shipping out the first six menus to those six backers who pledged $200 or more.  I'll take a week to track those shipments and see how they fare, then send out 13 menus to those who pledge $100.  I'll have coasters with a logo matching the menus good to go for the 20 people who pledged more than $50.  I'm arranging for printed labels.

All of these will be sent by mail.  I've looked into faster service and making arrangements with Amazon, but the numbers I'm getting are totally impractical for this number of sales.  After everything to my supporters gets sent off, I'll be ready to sell additional copies through this blog — which I'd rather do than go through Patreon.  The latter is still an option, however.  I'll have to see.

For those who have pledged more than $50, I'll need addresses for sending the materials.  Please provide an updated, full address to my email at: alexiss1@telus.net.  I'll need your "backer name" so that I can confirm your address against your pledge.  I know nearly all of you, so if I don't hear from someone, I'll do my best to track them down and send a private email request.

For the moment, I can't think of anything else.  Any questions?

Countdown to Zero

The Kickstarter is done.  It's official.

Thank you to the multiple souls who increased the amount this evening.  You're amazing.

I should start shipping out materials in 10 to 14 days, depending on when I get products from manufacturers.  I'll write more in the morning ... for the time being, I'll be heading off to bed.

55 Hours

Before continuing with this series of posts, put off because of the contract I'm working on to pay bills, I want to remark that the Kickstarter has a mere 55 hours to go ... and is presently holding on by its fingertips.

I've observed already the instance of some putting in a pledge and withdrawing it again, so I'm a wee bit concerned I'm going to lose this at the last minute.  Just sayin'.

It's not my goal to pound and pound the Kickstarter day and night.  I've hardly mentioned it since it passed the post about 14 days ago.  That's because this blog is not destined to turn into an advertising vehicle for game products.  I've seen this happen to many times before and it's always an enormous disappointment.  The moment someone has something for sale, they clam up and presume the offline content is sufficient.  This is never going to be me.

My feeling at the moment is only that Kickstarter needs to be observed ... and I've done that, so we can move on.  Thank you all for your pledges; I'll start making good on my pledges as soon as possible.  That comes after I have the product in my hot little hands.

So Very Close

Ah, good news.  After the contribution of a VERY generous European gentleman, who would like to remain nameless, the kickstarter is $81 from success.  That is all.  I also received another donation this morning from a 24th backer.  This is 25 in all.

One thing; in his email to me, he added that he "abhored" the captioned photos.  I understand.  The numbers do very well though, and for the most part people don't comment on anything I write between Thursday and Sunday, anyway.

I've spoken to the manufacturer of the binding I need to complete the menus; the image and printing has been confirmed a week now.  I told the company to go ahead and print the menus for me; I expect to have them in my hand come the first week of November.  I will then mail them out to those who deserve them through the Kickstarter forthwith, the moment they arrive, and I will start taking orders come mid-November.  In time for Christmas, if anyone's interested.

UPDATE.  We're there.  Thank you everyone.

Revisiting the Kickstarter

I got a couple new supporters for the Kickstarter today.  Let me say thank you.  Both to the ones today and those who have already pledged.  I have some promises from others that I'm relying on.  I'm past two thirds now; there's 24 days to go.  Most tell me the first half's worth counting on, not the second half ... and I suppose that's true for some folks.  Me, I don't give a damn.  Seems to me people are always telling me what is and what isn't true, while most of the time being wrong.  I'm more sure today that I was last week that I'm going to get there.  Nor is that "positive thinking."  Hell, I don't believe thoughts make reality.  I believe in reaching out, communication, answering questions and doing all that I can to make things happen.

Just now, I'm thinking about taking the leap and setting the venture in motion.  That would mean having product in my hand before the kickstarter ends ... which seems less and less like a risk every day.

Meanwhile, I'm not beating the reader over the head every day, as I've seen many bloggers do.  From my perspective, its best that people remember why they support me.  By writing.

For now, I'll leave it here.  I'm struggling to keep this blog positive; yesterday's post was a brief expression of the bitterness I feel about current events.  Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed.  Feelin' a bit of that now.  If I write something this minute, it's going to be filled with resentment.

Best I let that go.

Shooting Myself in the Head

Looking at the Kickstarter, which is ongoing, I am, um ... worried.  Good, strong start, and if I'd asked for $1,300 I'd be home now.  It's possible some don't know that if I don't make the $3,000 that's asked for, I get nothing.  I'm sure most know that.

Now, there are some who perhaps hope that I get nothing.  And perhaps the pool of people who support me is a small number, too small for this to work.  I accept that.  But if I can't get an ask this small off the ground, then I find myself re-evaluating this whole thing.  Not just the menu, but all of it.

I've banked on the menu being the lynchpin for a host of plans to follow.  Without backing, I'm very concerned with going forward ... since who knows what the market would be.  If it weren't for Covid, and I could arrange to attend some game cons, I think I could pull through even if the capital were tight; but I've run the numbers and without this support, I'd be crazy to go ahead.  I'd be risking more than my online presence and reputation.

I'm going to suggest something that is a risk.  A great many of my readers already support me through Patreon.  Right now, that support would be better placed on my kickstarter than on my Patreon.  Therefore I'm asking ... and damn, this could be burning down my future ... that you stop supporting me on Patreon and put that money towards my kickstarter.

In fact, I'm asking that you find the will to give me two months support that you would normally give me on Patreon, through Kickstarter.  In the meantime, I'll ask you to reduce your Patreon support to $1, keeping your account alive.  I will not change your status if you do.  Then, on December 1st, if you would kindly renew your support on Patreon, I should have reached my goal on Kickstarter safely.

That's the plan.  Of course, the plan could have dire consequences, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  If my Patreon dries up permanently, well ... I'll certainly have some thinking to do about that.  Right now, the Kickstarter is the focus.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Menu's Logo

We have art.

The expectation is that the artwork will be embossed on the front cover of the menu, in silver.  We're having this done by the company when the time comes; I'll be pricing it tomorrow.  As such, the artwork cannot be overly complex.  For something like this, simple is best.

I'll be interested to hear from those who like the picture.  I have no interest in hearing from those who don't.  First rule of the internet: there will always be haters.  Always.  Such comments and opinions are, therefore, useless to a creator.  It's only important to count the number of likes.

Those who cannot like something might as well say nothing at all.

It's Alive!

The kickstarter is indeed live.  It seems to have started just after midnight last night, my time.  As of writing this, I had 8 backers pledging $639.  I'm overwhelmed by the considerable generosity shown by such a small number of people.

Necessity requires that I ask my readers to please go to the sign, watch the video if you have not and then contribute what you can.

If you feel you cannot for some reason, please tell me what thing I could say that would convince you.  Explain the post I could write or the subject I could address.  Define the proof you need that would allow me to demonstrate my commitment and passion for this project.  Help me to help you understand how important this is.

One thing is true: the plans I have hinge on the menu doing well.  I think it will do well.  I've had the opportunity to show it to complete strangers now, and the result is everything I'd hoped it would be.  The immediate impression is startling; one might say electric.  One fellow exclaimed quite loudly, in a public place, that not only was the menu unexpected, but that "It's like nothing I've ever heard of before!  I've never even imagined that something like this could exist!"  High praise.

Therefore, please contribute.  Contribute and I will do my part.

Jousting Piglet Kickstarter Launched

I've been approved and the Kickstarter for the Jousting Piglet menu starts tomorrow, Sep. 2.  Here is the site's url:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authenticdnd/the-jousting-piglet-menu

Please support me if you can.  Go to the link and sign up to be notified upon launch.

I don't know what more can be said that hasn't already been said, except that you're all wonderful.

Ere the Kickstarter

It's been two months since I teased the menu.  Sigh.  Sorry about that.  What with one thing or another, hesitancy being a part of it, getting ducks in a row has been trying.  In any case, the kickstarter has been filed and is awaiting review.  I'm told I'll get a response by Thursday Sep 2, and they'll let me know the official start date at that time.  Perhaps it will be this week; I don't know, I haven't done one of these before.

I'm awaiting art for the menu, still, and investigating with the printers/cover manufacturers on the cost of embossing that art into the cover, which would be extra rich and cool.  All things going well, we might be able to begin sales before the kickstarter is completed, as I have banked monies waiting to move ahead on that.  The kickstarter would make me feel more positive about not going broke on a boondoggle ... which I still do not think this is, as it feels so damn fine when I hold it.  I've made arrangements to send a copy to JB of Blackrazor to review it, but that hesitancy again is keeping me from letting go of the only copy I have.  So things are happening, even if it appears weeks are going by without word.

As far as purchasing the menus go, I haven't many options.  Using Amazon costs $29.99 per month, +8-15% per product sold, so not very desirable since we'd like to keep our profit margins as thin as possible.  There are online products that would let me process credit cards, but I'm not familiar with their set-up at this time, Stripe for instance; but I know from watching others not to invest in something like that until actual sales are coming in.  Lots of people think starting a business means setting up to look like a full-fledged 20-year-old company from the starting gate ... and end up spending a bunch of money on products they don't need, sometimes bankrupting themselves.  Trust me, I'm thinking about it.

Paypal is simple and practical, though I know some people don't like paypal.  I've set up a bank account that people can e-transfer into, if they prefer.  People can pre-buy if they want to, but I don't know why the hell you would; supply isn't limited and you might as well keep your money until I actually have the product, sometime in mid-to-late September.  The price is going to be dear; the item is a work of art, not some slack piece of trash, in a faux-leather folder that will maintain it's attractiveness for a decade.  I'm asking $45 + $20 shipping ... that last should surprise no one, for as I said, it weighs more than half a kg (1.3 lbs.).

Kickstarter did not provide a space for describing "stretch goals," as in what happens if I raise more than the $3,000 I'm asking for.  I don't think that's going to happen, but then the hew and cry of angered internet villagers with pitchfork railing against creators daring to take in more than they ask for weighs upon me.  As such, I've decided that if the numbers climb, I'll be ready to create additional meaningful content to reflect that, in the spirit of this project:

* $6,000.  I'll create a second menu with specifically D&D themes, such as monster haunches, sweetmeats, creatures that are served alive, enchantment effects that aren't just magic items for purchase, things that humans can't eat and yet can be eaten by specifically elves, dwarves, etc.; as well, logically, items that will affect different races in different ways.  This won't be an easy project but it will be easier than the next one.

*$12,000.  I'll create a third menu based mostly upon pre-Columbian foodstuffs, such as sassafras and sarsparilla, maize, peppers, okra, cacao, potato and various beans, derived from Incan, Central American and Native America sources, as best as I possibly can ... and to fill out the menu I'll mix that with authentic Creole and a 17th century Carolingian cultural menu, favoured by pirates at the time as a general theme.  This is going to take considerable research, more than what I can accomplish on the internet; and I can see from some investigation already that the origin of many items is a cherished dispute by many between whether it comes from America or Africa, or even Asia.  The best I could promise is that it will definitely not be European.

*$24,000.  A truly impossible number, but if that happens then I'll take the menu for the Jousting Piglet and create a functional, fully illustrated and kitchen-proven cookbook for (almost) every item in that menu.  I have no doubts of my being able to make any of the foods there; they're all real, from legitimate sources, and about half I've cooked before.  The beverages, however, are going to be a real challenge.  Obviously, I think we can forgo recipes for Absinthe and Grand Chartreuse, among two or three others, but with a budget I'll locate someone who can teach me to make mead or spirits.  I live in a city with multiple distillers of both beer and spirits so this isn't out of the question.  I've worked in hotels and restaurants for a total of 15 years, some with a 5-star rating, so I'm confident I can cook anything, and even make a dozen attempts at something to make sure that when the recipe is attempted by someone else, it will taste good.  I'll get a competent photographer to film it and the final book will be elegant and gorgeous.

Very well, that should do for now.  I'll keep the reader posted on the kickstarter's status.  I should get around to publishing something more intrinsically about D&D soon.  After all, I don't want to spend all my time selling, like other bloggers have gone.