Kickstarter musings

[Zaukrie]

The rules many of you have certainly are discouraging for launching my first KS sometime this year......since many of you won't back a first one.....and the main reason I'd even do one is to pay for art that I can't currently afford realistically.

As for my rules:

• The only times I've really cared about stretch goals are on physical KS, like minis and terrain, where I end up getting A LOT more for my money. Indeed, I usually wait to near the end to see what the real value is or is no.
• No more PC options (other than Level Up, which feels like a full new "game" in some ways). I have more than I can use.
• There are people I like to support, so I usually do back their KS.
• I have ZERO interest in physical stuff I don't need (stickers, buttons, whatever)....it is just landfill waste and makes me NOT want to back a project.
• Adventures need to really offer something different at this point, as I own hundreds of PDFs.
• Boardgames .... I need to be certain I'll play. I own a lot of games I rarely play. I don't really know what that means until I see the gameplay video, so I won't back them without that.

I used to back a ton of kickstarters, but have learned that I don't actually use most of what I already own.....so a KS has to offer something that makes my GM/Player life easier, something really unique, at least in the DnD space. I'd also back something like LU where it is a full re-write / improvement on the game. Or a rules supplement that brings back some of what I loved in previous editions.

Edit: Oh, ya, I'll back something like Solasta that allows me to play DnD solo......though not sure I need more of those right now. We'll see.

 

[Zaukrie]

Thanks for the clarification!

I already own Beyond Damage Dice, and had assumed that Beyond Damage Dice 2 was released and in my digital library. My mistake there!

What about Deep Magic: Battle Magic and Warlock: War & Battle? Both are existing titles listed under bonus PDFs, followed by . . . and more!

It's not a deal killer that Kobold is offering existing works as bonus PDFs . . . it's just not a very exciting stretch goal idea, and one that moves the needle down for me, if slightly. Well, at least I will look forward to Beyond Damage Dice 2, as I'm sure the campaign will easily pass 200K!

Agreed. As a long-time Kobold backer, offering PDFs I already helped them fund as stretch goals bums me out, and makes me not want to back their projects.

 

[Morrus]

The rules many of you have certainly are discouraging for launching my first KS sometime this year......since many of you won't back a first one.....and the main reason I'd even do one is to pay for art that I can't currently afford realistically.

That is disheartening, and it speaks to the very reason for Kickstarter, but plenty of people do back first time creators. Don’t worry too much about that. Everybody has to have a first project.

 

[Zaukrie]

That is disheartening, and it speaks to the very reason for Kickstarter, but plenty of people do back first time creators. Don’t worry too much about that. Everybody has to have a first project.

If I ever finish any of the projects in the hopper, you'll be the first to know (after my wife, of course)......the comments here sort of reinforce some of the things I've been trying to fix BEFORE I launch, frankly. Most of the comments here are super helpful.

 

[ART!]

In years past, I would back a pdf and digital stretch goals of things that seemed especially cool and up my alley.

I needed to trim down my digital storage recently, and...why the heck do I have all these PDFs?!?! I'm a very out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of person, so I've realized 95% of PDFs never get any use.

Also, my gaming group is far and away more interested in D&D 5E than anything else, so buying gaming stuff non easily usable with 5E is a waste of money, time, and emotional investment.

As a result, 99% of the rpg stuff I back is a hard copy and D&D 5E-compatible. Print copies cost more than just the PDFs, so I'm much choosier for that reason, too.

I have little to no interest in trinket and gew-gaw rewards for my support.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Ironically, the above poster (while he has a legitimate point about games never likely to be used) is in the exact opposite of my situation; though I've made a couple exceptions, I mostly could not care less about anything for D&D proper, and I absolutely won't bloat up my available space with more hardcopy books.

I'm super-uninterested in various physical stretch goals, though.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

The rules many of you have certainly are discouraging for launching my first KS sometime this year......since many of you won't back a first one.....and the main reason I'd even do one is to pay for art that I can't currently afford realistically.

I will back a first time - the rules I listed are "general rules" - If the project looks interesting and has good ideas, and a small sample, I'll back a first time at a digital level.

 

[Dire Bare]

The rules many of you have certainly are discouraging for launching my first KS sometime this year......since many of you won't back a first one.....and the main reason I'd even do one is to pay for art that I can't currently afford realistically.

As for my rules:

• The only times I've really cared about stretch goals are on physical KS, like minis and terrain, where I end up getting A LOT more for my money. Indeed, I usually wait to near the end to see what the real value is or is no.
• No more PC options (other than Level Up, which feels like a full new "game" in some ways). I have more than I can use.
• There are people I like to support, so I usually do back their KS.
• I have ZERO interest in physical stuff I don't need (stickers, buttons, whatever)....it is just landfill waste and makes me NOT want to back a project.
• Adventures need to really offer something different at this point, as I own hundreds of PDFs.
• Boardgames .... I need to be certain I'll play. I own a lot of games I rarely play. I don't really know what that means until I see the gameplay video, so I won't back them without that.

I used to back a ton of kickstarters, but have learned that I don't actually use most of what I already own.....so a KS has to offer something that makes my GM/Player life easier, something really unique, at least in the DnD space. I'd also back something like LU where it is a full re-write / improvement on the game. Or a rules supplement that brings back some of what I loved in previous editions.

Edit: Oh, ya, I'll back something like Solasta that allows me to play DnD solo......though not sure I need more of those right now. We'll see.

Running a successful Kickstarter is hard work and risky. The chance of failure, or pyrrhic success, is high. Do your homework before you enter into this sort of thing. Having said that, don't be discouraged either! Some hints I think would be useful (I'm a backer, not a publisher):

• Under-promise and over-deliver . . . especially on timelines.
• Unless your project is fully digital, have a plan to deal with delayed manufacturing and shipping, both of which are a mess right now due to COVID.
• Use drivethrurpg.com for digital fulfillment. It's more convenient for most of your digital backers. If you use your own storefront, offer that AND ownership thru drivethru.
• As a first-time Kickstarter campaigner, start with a small project that should be easy for you to complete and not a huge investment for your customers/fans. Offering a digital book between $10-15 is a price-point many will jump on, even if they are unsure of your track record.
• Production values. Don't skimp on them. Art, layout, editing, marketing . . . . these expenses are why you are running the Kickstarter in the first place, right?
• For the above, the annual Kickstarter zine promotion . . . . where Kickstarter encourages campaigners to launch small zine projects and helps market them . . . . is a good place to start.
• Be honest and upfront in communications with backers, but also don't whine about how hard your life is and how it's causing your Kickstarter to be delayed another year. The balance between is a fine line, of course.
• Keep communication constant, but don't overwhelm backers with multiple updates per day either. Again, the balance between is a fine line.
• Don't overdo it on stretch goals and add-ons, but also don't ignore them (yes, fine line). Stretch goals that feel like things that should already be a part of the project are irritating, stretch goals that push the project in new directions are fun. More than a few campaigners are deciding to skip stretch goals and add-ons for small projects, perhaps sacrificing marketing and backer excitement, but making the project easier to manage.
• Make sure completing the project PLUS any stretch goals, are a part of your initial planning and timelines. More than a few overly ambitious designers started with a project they could have finished on time . . . . and then got stretched to death, so to speak.
• While a lot of us have complained about doo-dad stretch goals and add-ons . . . some folks like them! It's easy to go overboard on these, but if you have a cool idea . . . like cool artwork on a sticker or t-shirt . . . offering it as an add-on isn't a bad idea. Those who aren't interested don't have to add-on. Having these as a stretch goal irritates some . . . but the reasoning for doing so might be, "I can't afford a t-shirt run unless I bring in over a certain dollar amount . . ."
• Please don't offer existing products as stretch goal rewards . . . . but offering them as add-ons is a good idea, either in the Kickstarter itself, or later on backerkit. Of course, if you're new to all of this, you probably don't have existing products yet . . . .

 

[Zaukrie]

Running a successful Kickstarter is hard work and risky. The chance of failure, or pyrrhic success, is high. Do your homework before you enter into this sort of thing. Having said that, don't be discouraged either! Some hints I think would be useful (I'm a backer, not a publisher):

• Under-promise and over-deliver . . . especially on timelines.
• Unless your project is fully digital, have a plan to deal with delayed manufacturing and shipping, both of which are a mess right now due to COVID.
• Use drivethrurpg.com for digital fulfillment. It's more convenient for most of your digital backers. If you use your own storefront, offer that AND ownership thru drivethru.
• As a first-time Kickstarter campaigner, start with a small project that should be easy for you to complete and not a huge investment for your customers/fans. Offering a digital book between $10-15 is a price-point many will jump on, even if they are unsure of your track record.
• Production values. Don't skimp on them. Art, layout, editing, marketing . . . . these expenses are why you are running the Kickstarter in the first place, right?
• For the above, the annual Kickstarter zine promotion . . . . where Kickstarter encourages campaigners to launch small zine projects and helps market them . . . . is a good place to start.
• Be honest and upfront in communications with backers, but also don't whine about how hard your life is and how it's causing your Kickstarter to be delayed another year. The balance between is a fine line, of course.
• Keep communication constant, but don't overwhelm backers with multiple updates per day either. Again, the balance between is a fine line.
• Don't overdo it on stretch goals and add-ons, but also don't ignore them (yes, fine line). Stretch goals that feel like things that should already be a part of the project are irritating, stretch goals that push the project in new directions are fun. More than a few campaigners are deciding to skip stretch goals and add-ons for small projects, perhaps sacrificing marketing and backer excitement, but making the project easier to manage.
• Make sure completing the project PLUS any stretch goals, are a part of your initial planning and timelines. More than a few overly ambitious designers started with a project they could have finished on time . . . . and then got stretched to death, so to speak.
• While a lot of us have complained about doo-dad stretch goals and add-ons . . . some folks like them! It's easy to go overboard on these, but if you have a cool idea . . . like cool artwork on a sticker or t-shirt . . . offering it as an add-on isn't a bad idea. Those who aren't interested don't have to add-on. Having these as a stretch goal irritates some . . . but the reasoning for doing so might be, "I can't afford a t-shirt run unless I bring in over a certain dollar amount . . ."
• Please don't offer existing products as stretch goal rewards . . . . but offering them as add-ons is a good idea, either in the Kickstarter itself, or later on backerkit. Of course, if you're new to all of this, you probably don't have existing products yet . . . .

All great advice, thank you. I can assure you, my KS will be all digital at this point in the process. I have one idea that might be a really good hardcover, but that won't be one of the first ones I do.

I'd guess 100% of the revenue on my early projects would go to art (and, if I get enough money, someone else to do layout).

My goal is to do a Morrus, and release the product the moment it closes, but given I'll be buying art based on what I sell (see goals, stretch), that won't happen.

Again, great stuff. Thanks!

 

[RealAlHazred]

I have backed 190 projects (really?... I may have a problem.) I have also backed projects that didn't deliver.

I backed both the Knights of the Dinner Table Live Action Series and Spinward Traveller TV Pilot kickstarter projects launched by Ken Whitman.

I also backed the City State of the Invincible Overlord, which is, I guess, still ongoing. The last update was a year ago, I'm not holding out much hope for this one.

I also backed a Masks of Nyarlathotep Prop Set, at a high level. Eventually, the lower tiers received some fulfillment (PDFs of props) but I never got anything. Except for the brush off.

My lesson learned is, I only back people who I'm reasonably certain will fulfill the project (and I'm a skeptic). For example, Gavin Norman already had the stuff written for the Old School Essentials kickstarter, so that was pretty certain to go off. He fulfilled on-time and in spades, so I'll back his follow-up projects, even though he maybe isn't finished with them yet, because he's earned my trust.

On the other hand, if I lived next door to Ken Whitman, and he told me personally that I would get as a stretch goal a lawn chair that I could clearly see in his backyard, I wouldn't believe him.