Want to support the work of our Creators Workshop members? Roddy McCance and Will Allred both have Kickstarter projects up for you to support!
Roddy’s Tales of Fractured Worlds features the work of ten different artists, including Una Dunphy (pictured), Munro te whata, Kristen Lehua, and other talent. As with his previous Kickstarter, Tales of the Fractured Mind, this project focuses on major contemporary issues in an anthology. Despite the science fiction settings, Roddy grounds all of his stories in fully-realized human experiences to provoke thought and action.
Will is joined by artist Gene Gonzalez and letterer Rus Wooton for Diary of Night, Vol. 1. It collects all four issues of the sold out miniseries about a woman caught between her vampire and human heritages. She protects both communities from the ire of the other, but winds up the prey of a mysterious hunter.
We also spoke to Will about this campaign, and how his strategy has changed since the last time he Kickstarted a project.
Comics Experience: What lessons did you learn from your previous Kickstarter campaign and how did you apply them to your current one? What crowdfunding lessons are you learning from your current campaign?
Will Allred: Kickstarter is not magic. You have to build an audience and bring that audience to Kickstarter. Kickstarter is the funding part, but you have to bring the crowd. To this end, I’ve spent the past several months building up my e-mail list. I’m also learning the importance of networking. Other creators are a wonderful source of knowledge and support. The comics community is such a wonderfully supportive group of people.
CE: What, to you, are some critical steps for comic creators to take if they hope to ensure success on a crowdfunding platform? What are some mistakes you think they need to avoid?
WA: I do really think the biggest mistake is not building your audience and preparing them before you launch, so taking time to build that e-mail list maybe 6 months before your launch and getting them ready and excited for what you want to create is critical. Honestly, the biggest mistake, and I’m guilty of this myself, is thinking that you have to do it all by yourself. There are some great communities for comics creators like Comics Experience and ComixLaunch, so know that you’re not alone. Also, a Kickstarter is a massive undertaking. Don’t kid yourself. It is a lot of work. Be prepared to put in the time, work, blood, sweat, and tears.
CE: How has your time in the Creator’s Workshop helped grow your skills and your work in comics, and how did it contribute to your respective campaigns?
WA: The Creator’s Workshop really has helped me grow as a creator, but it has also greatly expanded my knowledge of the business side of the medium. I know, I know. “We’re creators, not business executives.” However, we, as creators, want to reach as many readers and fans as possible, so we need to learn the ways of the marketer. Honestly, the biggest mindset shift I had to make was from the idea of being a “salesman” to instead being a creator sharing something that I love and put a lot of work into with people who are interested in it.
You can support Tales of Fractured Worlds here and Diary of Night here!
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If you want to make comics, write, draw, letter, and color comics, or improve as a comics creator, you’ll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!
Posted by Meredith Nudo