| |
Well, the world didn't end on December 21st, so I guess I don't have a good excuse for not writing a column this month. You have to admit, though, that the Apocalypse would have been a pretty impressive reason for missing a deadline. Too bad we didn't think of that way back when I was in school. Instead of telling the teacher that the dog ate my homework, I could have said that I had all my homework in my brain, and therefore zombies ate my homework.
Anyway, since we're not beset by hordes of shambling undead (unless we count Congress), I plan to make this the Year of the Great Sequel Experiment. Cardan's Pod will soon have been in published form for five years, and many of my readers have been asking when the sequel is coming. Truth be told, the first sequel, Marta's Pod, was written immediately after I finished the first draft of Cardan's Pod. I actually have five sequels written, and if I live to be one hundred, I don't think I'll run out of story potential for the Pod.
The hold-up for getting the first sequel into the hands of readers has always been the pre-production costs. At around twice the length of the first book, professional editing is going to be a rather sizable investment. While I know many writers who look at that expense and decide to find a cheaper method, I've seen too many times what happens when we cut corners on that vital step. I have more respect for my readers and my characters than to willfully lower the quality of the final product.
My son has been suggesting for about a year now that I run a Kickstarter Project for Marta's Pod, and after having several other family members and friends encourage me likewise, I've decided I'm going to try it.
Kickstarter, for those unfamiliar with the concept, is a type of "crowdsourcing" for artists and entrepreneurs, to get the funding for their projects. It's a relatively simple idea, and offers some excellent provisions for both artists and contributors. It starts with the artist coming up with the funding goal. When done correctly, this goal should include the material costs, reward costs, shipping, and fees associated with the project, minus whatever amount the artist plans on investing of their own funds. The goal is published on the Kickstarter page, with a deadline for when the fundraising will be ended. Contribution tiers are established, with various rewards for each tier, and contributors make their pledges at whatever tier they choose.
Now, here's the great part for the contributors: They only get charged for their contribution if the minimum fundraising goal is reached. Therefore, if it is going to cost the artist $1000 to do their project, but they only raise $750, the contributors aren't left wondering what is going to happen to their investment, since the minimum amount needed wasn't reached. If you pledge $50 to the project, no funds leave your possession until the deadline is reached, and the minimum has been achieved. Both criteria must happen for any money to leave your hands.
Additionally, because there are rewards for each tier, what you're giving isn't strictly a donation. You're getting something in return for your participation. In the case of book Kickstarters (and I've contributed to three or four of these), you typically get at the lowest tier an electronic copy of the finished book. Once you get a bit above the lowest tier, you get a print copy of the book. If it's part of a series, you might get copies of earlier volumes in the series as you move up the tiers, and so on. The rewards are commensurate with the level of contribution, and in most Kickstarters, there are "stretch goals," which provide additional rewards for given amounts above and beyond the minimum.
Where am I currently in getting this into place? I have the estimate for the editing costs, and a "proof copy" of the current draft on order from a publishing source. This proof copy provides me with a few factors to look at - the quality of the finished product, the "worst case scenario" cost of the finished product (one copy is typically the most expensive per unit in a print run estimate) and the weight of the finished product for estimating shipping costs.
I am making yet another revision pass on Marta's Pod, to give it a bit more polish on my own before I send it to my editor, and this is a two-step process. The first time through on this revision pass is a basic read-through and "quick revise." If I notice something that I think needs improved, I do so on the spot. The second step is a slower, more thorough revision pass where I take a little more critical eye and weigh each scene with the questions, "Does this help develop the characters? Does it help advance the plot?" If not, that scene will most likely end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak.
All that said, I go back to the statement that this is an experiment. I've seen a fair number of Kickstarters that have done exceptionally well, with the fundraising goals met quickly, and stretch goals reached before the deadline. I've also seen Kickstarters fall flat, and the deadline reached without getting close to the minimum. What will happen with mine? Well, I certainly hope it will at least reach the minimum, and it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all to be able to reach a stretch goal that would enable me to get the third book in the series, The Daedalus Child, likewise edited and published.
We'll see. I hope by February's CT to have an announcement of the actual Kickstarter. It's a little exciting and scary all at the same time, but then again, doesn't that describe any adventure worth undertaking?
Have a happy and wonderful New Year, and I hope 2013 holds some exciting and scary adventures in store for you as well. Life is much too short to let adventures pass us by.
|