- Introduction (and details on the master plan)
- Notification: Livestream tomorrow at 1pm PDT - watch setting concept art get colored live while discussing books with me!
See below for the details!
First of all, an introduction. This is Morgan Bauman; on June 1, my KickStarter successfully funded. Amazon hasn't yet released the funds, but I've been hard at work setting up for when I do get the money!
So I'm here to write about the grand, master plan for giving all of my backers their rewards, as well as to keep them informed about what I'm doing, what's going on with the book, and post snippets with example edits. I'm also here to let those who missed out on the KickStarter get involved if they're interested. Everyone is welcome to include feedback or opinions.
I would be updating on KickStarter, but I sent out a survey to see how frequently backers wanted me to update. The responses ran the gamut from, "NO UPDATES! STOP EMAILING ME!" to, "Daily, please~ :D"--which makes me think that updating frequently about the project is a good idea, as long as I do it somewhere where updates won't flood someone's inbox. All important or backer-exclusive updates will still be posted on KickStarter, however.
On to the master plan!
I'm in the process of editing book one. I have two or three friends who are/were professional editors, and they (among others) will be willing to help me as I go over the book again. I'm planning to share at least some of the process on this blog as I work.
With regards to artwork, I've already commissioned 6 character bios (with two full body drawings of the character in question), 6 pieces of scenery concept art, 4 scenes of characters interacting, 2 maps (1 city map and 1 world map), 1 action scene, and 1 3D digital model of a monster from the book. I'm incredibly excited about the preliminary sketches that I've seen thus far, and I'm confident that they'll look excellent in print.
I'm also looking into printing these pictures as posters, but that hinges on getting full color versions of sufficient quality. As of this moment, only the scenery concept art will be in full color. In fact, the artist doing the setting concept art has been generous enough to host a livestream while she colors in one of the first locations encountered in the book. The first such livestream will take place tomorrow, June 12, 2012, at 1pm PDT (GMT-7). I'll also be present to answer questions and talk to those who drop by.
So, the illustration part of the plan is well under way.
I'm attempting to get the audiobooks under way, as well, but they have yet to write back to me. It's very costly to produce an audiobook of any quality, and it may just be out of my reach for now. If I can manage it, of course, I certainly will. I want my books to be accessible to as many people as possible.
And, last but not least, on to the publishing aspect of the books!
I had budgeted in my KickStarter for 10 ISBNs. Unfortunately, I realized that I had underestimated how many I would need for the series as a whole. One for an ePub, one for Kindle, one for PDF, one for an audiobook, one for a paperback, possibly one for a hardcover--that's six ISBNs for one book, and there are at least eight books in the series! However, this was my mistake, so I am going to pay for the difference out of my own savings. My current plan is to purchase a block of 100; then, even if I produce 6 or more versions of all eight books and the book of short stories, I'll still have plenty left to use.
I know that many of my backers were curious about paperback copies of the book. They'll be released at around the same time that the ebooks are, although backers will of course get the first ebook copies. I'm also offering a special deal to backers, who'll get a discount on paperbacks and get them signed, along with some exclusive goods. If you missed out on your chance to back the KickStarter, don't worry--you'll still be able to buy ebooks and paperbacks (and, fingers crossed, audiobooks) come December.
Have any questions? Just comment below or email me at mbauman@qolpress.com.
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