Amobvious.

I like that Kickstarter gets hammered for providing TOO MUCH freedom. So, basically it's not ENOUGH of a gatekeeper. Maybe a 20 or 30 percent project approval rate or mandatory biometric data samples from all project creators should be mandatory. Criminal database registration, maybe. Perhaps this would keep the public "safe" from scammers. Maybe funded projects should all be manufactured and overseen and fulfilled by kickstarter itself. I'm sure that bureaucratic nightmare would delay projects well past what most projects are being delayed at this point.

Not everyone is gifted with the ability to write. draw, ink, scan, letter, color, pre-press, print, and market by a comic by themselves, with their own money.
Occasionally, someone has to be paid. You can't even walk out of Kinkos without paying the tab anymore. So in some sense someones lifestyle is being funded. Maybe some are content with circle jerking in the basement
over their pencils and paper, creating their dream project for themselves only.
No rule you cant be the next Henry Darger. But even getting a 24 page color comic lettered, colored and printed and distributed can run into the low thousands.


Evan
Studio Hades
www.studio-hades.com

Making a comic with pencil & paper regardless of polish and professionalism is fine if you want nobody to ever read your comic.

You say Freedom, I say lack of support. You must be a Republican.


If you lack the ability to do any part of the simple task of creating comics, either learn how or go do something else.

I'm trying to understand your position, other than, "I hate Kickstarter." We all know that...

When you say 'lack of support' are you referring to oversight?

I'm saying, what mechanisms does Kickstarter have to keep scammers from taking the money and running? The only one I can discern is some arbitrary and ill-defined submission reviewing process.

Amon, I'm making a Kickstarter to raise $72,000 to fund my Sponge Collector Society zine in September.
Hope to see you pledge. Could be a shirt in it for you.


Evan
Studio-Hades
www.studio-hades.com



unless I vanish to live like James Bond in the south of France.

New Topic:

Even though we're not planning to launch our Kickstarter until September, I've been working on the reward tiers.

Would appreciate any and all comments:


$1 Thank You on Facebook
$5 PDF Copy
$10 Your Name in the Thank You Section of the Book (TY) & PDF Copy
$10 Print Copy & PDF Copy
$15 Behind the Scenes PDF (BtS), TY & PDF Copy
$15 Print Copy, TY & PDF Copy
$20 Signed Copy, TY & PDF Copy
$25 Advanced View (AV), BtS, TY & PDF Copy
$25 BtS, Signed Print (SP), TY & PDF Copy
$30 8 1/2 x 11 Print (Print), AV, BtS, TY & PDF Copy
$35 AV, BtS, SP, TY & PDF Copy
$40 Print, AV, BtS, SP, TY & PDF Copy
$100 Cameo Appearance, plus all previous
$150 Original Art, plus previous (but not cameo)
$300 Cameo & The Original Art Page You Appear On, plus ...
$1000 Executive Producer Credit

How many pages is your book?

23 pages (plus the Thank You page). Full color.

Hey Russ! :D Okay before I give a rundown, I need to know

A. What is "Behind the Scenes" and "Advanced View"?

B. How much does each print issue cost you (INCLUDING shipping/packaging/printing)

C. How big is the print and what does it cost you to make?

D. What did you decide to go for in terms of funding goal (also remind me what your creative costs are to complete the issue/or any other costs you need reimbursed)?

Even without knowing what Behind the Scenes or Advance View is, I'd say that your rewards way overpriced.

My name being printed in your book is not worth 5 bucks. Likewise, I wouldn't pay 10 bucks for a 24 page book (and I don't even get a thank you for that one!)

Are you going to charge 10 bucks for the book at a con? You can get away with asking for 10 bucks for the book for the kickstarter, but you gotta throw in some other trinkets to make it look like I'm getting more than I would if I just bought the book from you at a convention. This is what prints, stickers, buttons, etc. are all for. Prints cost next to nothing.

Everybody above the $5 pledge should have a thank you in the book. The thank you is valueless. If you're going to put them in the book, then you should thank everyone, and it should be a freebee with whatever pledge I choose.

Also, you're signature is not worth 5 bucks either.

I agree with Aaron.
Give me a bigger book worthy of the $10 I'm giving you.
I'm working a KS for a 150 page art book and it's a $25 book. That's 6 times as many page for 2.5 times the cost. I hope my signature, limited edition numbering, and a sketch is worth $10 buck... and I'm hoping to raise $1500 via selling art and books.

Here's my suggestion for your rewards (pending answers to my last questions, which could change things).

Overall there's too many tiers and too many duplicate amount tiers. Keep it as sweet and simple as possible, and try not to put any rewards for the same amount.

Aaron & Jamal certainly have a valid opinion concerning some people who will be look at Kickstarter pricing. However, overall I've found Kickstarter backers don't mind paying a little extra to help a project happen (most realize costs are higher for KS runners), and my opinion on the $10 extras is to not bulk down that particular tier (beyond digital fare) because it makes your product unable to "shine" on it's own, and can send a message that you lack confidence in your product. Make it easy and simple to find the printed issue. (I.E.: "Physical copy of Sidekicks plus all the above" LOOKS better than "Physical copy of sidekicks, plus ______ plus ______, and all the above")

With that in mind, here is my suggested list for you (again, depending on your answers in the other post)

$1 Thank you (theme it to your project)

$5 PDF of issue (plus the thank you)

$10 Printed Issue (PLUS all the above)

$15 Printed Issue, plus PDF of "Behind the Scenes" (plus all the above) [You could also possibly include digital pin up artwork]

$25 Signed and numbered printed copies of the Comic, as well as a printed copy of "Behind the Scenes" (I'm assuming this is something you could print easily?)

$50 Same as $25, and two (maybe three, depending on costs) signed 8 1/2 X 11 prints (I couldn't tell if you had one or two prints available from your list?) Plus all of the above

[For the $50 tier you can get more creative in terms of "extras" to offer. If prints don't work, THIS is where you can include stickers, or anything else that's cost effective you wish to offer. People paying this much to back your project love it enough to want all the extras]

$100 Cameo (good, but could charge more)

$150 Art (Good!)

$300 Cameo AND Art (Good!)

$1000 (I am not sure producer credits will be exciting enough for this tier, you may need to offer something else. Like a fully drawn pinup featuring friends/family members? Kind of like a beefed up cameo? Any other ideas for this?)

As you see I got rid of the "advanced view" because I didn't know what it was and it felt like one too many printed/digital things to offer (but that's totally your choice).

You might also consider if you can offer a reward to have a backer help write a scene, or design a character, etc. People LOVE that stuff.

Hope that helps a little :) What did you decide to do with your video?

That's awesome, Jamal!! :D When is this happening? Can't wait for it!