Fate of the Union

[drivingblind]

Time again for me to sit down and contemplate where we're at, and where we're going. This is at least part venting and whinging, so if you've got a small tolerance for such things, skip it. Also, if you're someone watching this LJ in order to get excited about developments, it may not be for you; understand, though, that I can build up a lot of

Comments

[evilmagnus]

Two things spring to mind. Well, 3.

1. Online (shoestring) advertising: Webcomics. There's plenty out there in the target demo with thousands / tens of thousands of daily eyeballs.

2. If you want a west-coast playtesting group who can come at this stuff 'cold', I'd be more than willing to help out - between merlinofchaos and co and my West coast Brown friends it shouldn't be hard at all to wrangle up a group. I know the setting pretty well but nothing of your rules. :)

3. I remain exceedingly impressed that you're doing this. Necessary whining aside, it sounds like things are shaping up in Accordance with Prophecy.

[merlinofchaos]

2. If you want a west-coast playtesting group who can come at this stuff 'cold', I'd be more than willing to help out - between [info]merlinofchaos and co and my West coast Brown friends it shouldn't be hard at all to wrangle up a group. I know the setting pretty well but nothing of your rules. :)

Indeed, I have already offered, and I assume that when they get to the point of wanting external playtesting, we'll know. From the schedule above I'm guessing that means in about half a year.

3. I remain exceedingly impressed that you're doing this. Necessary whining aside, it sounds like things are shaping up in Accordance with Prophecy.And I as well. Of course, I've got my own selfish reasons for paying very close attention, being as how I've got a labor of love that I want to do something with, and I'm watching this process very closely to see what happens with it. It's been amazing being able to observe this kind of process from relatively up close, and getting to listen to Fred talk about the system and the process when he visited was

[drivingblind]

Minimum two months, with "set your expectations on more like half a year" :)

[chadu]

Wow, dude. That's a lot more than I budgeted for T&J.

My "money-out" on that project is between $500 (already paid) and $800 (yet to be paid).

Then again, I'm going with PoD for the printing, ignoring the traditional distributor system, have no licensing fees, and looking for onnovative and inexpensive ways to gain advertising.

CU

[drivingblind]

Right. Mine meanwhile is a licensed product based on a series of novels, with a set of fans who will likely be disappointed if the art isn't up to snuff. Plus: hardcover, printed in advance instead of on demand, yadda.

If it was anything other than the licensed property it is, we'd probably be going for numbers more in the space you're talking about (hell: we'd probably just start out exclusively electronic).

[drivingblind]

Outta curiosity, how does the $500-800 budget break down in terms of what sorts of things you're going for non-zero cash on?

[chadu]

650 art, 150 ads.

I plan on spending some undetermined amount of money on advertising for the first year, but haven't yet figured that out yet.

CU

[rfrancis]

You know that I, like the other 500 people who will post and say this, would be glad to participate in accordance with my own skills, free time and energy.

-R

[drivingblind]

Roger, Houston, we copy