The Omnibus edition Kickstarter is complete, with all the books and goodies having gone out last week. It was a learning experience for me, but I enjoyed the challenge and plan on doing it again with another project down the road. And because you all get the good stuff, here’s a peek behind the curtain on how it went.
What I learned
It’s not that different from running a normal book launch. I had to put together a project page explaining the Badlands series and what set it apart from the field. It was a lot like writing a book’s product description on Amazon, and in some ways easier because I have more space to work with and can add in additional images and videos.
Other requirements like getting a cover, drafting, editing, and uploading to BookFunnel and the printer was old hat, no surprises, except this time I knew exactly how many copies to order, which cut out the worry of ordering too many or too few copies.
Shipping books out was new but fun. I turned the office into a shipping center for a few days and had quite the mini-assembly line going. Sign the books, check the packing slip, pack the books, print the label, double-check the packing slip, seal the mailer, and apply the label. Kick the cat out of the box holding completed orders. Repeat. It reminded me of factory work, and while I wouldn’t want to do it every day, filling boxes that gave me a real sense of accomplishment.
Designing and putting the Badlands-themed merchandise together was fun, too. There’s something about creating tangible objects related to the story world that made it feel a little more real, and it’s also a great feeling to know there are people out there who want to collect them. I wonder if this is how George Lucas felt when he saw Star Wars action figures in the stores. I don’t think we’ll ever see Cora and Skye in the Funko Pops! store, but who knows?
But it Wasn’t All Rainbows
Unlike traditional book selling models, where I’ve uploaded a title and let Amazon handle distribution in exchange for a royalty check every month, the Kickstarter needed more attention. I became my own supply chain manager, having to do real office-job stuff like keep on top of vendors, order office supplies (and not the fun stuff like pens and fancy paper), and manage lead-times on the physical stuff while also being my own IT manager and figuring out how to do digital distribution. This all takes extra time and my time-management rule of thumb is “would I be better off doing this thing or should I be writing?” In this case, it balanced out, but I definitely heard the doubting voice in my head saying “You should be writing…”
I’m feeling that lack of focus this month, getting back into the rhythm of writing each morning has felt like going back to the gym after the holidays. The writing muscles get flabby and it takes time to get them back into shape. 500-word sprints take longer and running them leaves my brain all wrung-out and spongy. Next time I run a Kickstarter, I’ll have to make sure it doesn’t eat up all my deep focus time in the mornings because playing catch-up on my deadlines is annoying.
What’s Next?
I’m still plugging away at my science fiction project, which will be at least three books with room to grow if people dig it. I’ve also started taking lessons on Blender software. Blender is a 3D modeling package that will let me expand my art skills further while also giving me the freedom to create more interesting artifacts in the Badlands Born universe and beyond. Working with visual art is a way I can stay in a creative mode when my language brain has given up for the day. Plus, tinkering with lines and vertices scratches that perfectionist itch in me.
Is anyone out there good with Blender? Any tips for a noob like me?
