Tarot Card Poll
Added 2020-01-30 03:03:20 +0000 UTC
Hey Patrons! Thanks for checking out this post. I have a very important question to ask, and I wanted to start with you. Not social media. As you know, I'm marching toward the eventual release of an actual Tarot Card deck. Based on my research, it seems this is the only Tarot Deck in existence where every card is a body painting.
It would be the World's first, so I want to make a splash with this. I'm tossing around using Kickstarter for the first time to spread awareness and to build a proper campaign. I could do a video even! Or I could have it on my website like I do my books, and people can pre-order it like usual. Creating a few different packages and including different bonuses.
They are both fine, and have their pros and cons. Kickstarter would allow multiple participation levels and drive more visibility, but at a cost. They dip into your earnings.
Doing it direct limits people to finding it on my website, and only learning about it through social media or word of mouth. I keep a bigger piece of the pie, but I speculate it would be harder to discover it. At least for the casual fan. This is where you come in.... What would you like to see?
(body painting features Alexis King)
Comments
Thank you for the advice <3 Lots of different thoughts on it, so I have some things to contemplate
Brandon McGill
2020-02-02 02:40:24 +0000 UTCThank you for the advice <3
Brandon McGill
2020-02-02 02:40:03 +0000 UTCThank you for the advice <3
Brandon McGill
2020-02-02 02:39:51 +0000 UTCI actually enjoyed your answer the most because of the insight and for validating a couple of my thoughts.
Brandon McGill
2020-02-02 02:39:43 +0000 UTCThis is a lot of food for thought
Brandon McGill
2020-02-02 02:39:19 +0000 UTCYou could do a pure Kickstarter, and still promote it on your website. (And if the Kickstarter fails, you can still do it again on your site.)
Jason Tamez
2020-01-31 09:55:02 +0000 UTCI'm going to provide a contrarian opinion here: I recommend you consider doing a Kickstarter only. With Kickstarter, a big part of the game is leveraging interest and excitement in the project. By doing Kickstarter only, all of us would need to go there to make our purchase, adding to both your total number of backers and dollars committed. That gives you a greater chance of reaching your goal as well as setting up the possibility of having a hugely successful run! From what I've heard* (keeping in mind I haven't run a Kickstarter myself) one of the biggest things that helps a campaign is quickly reaching the funding goal. There seems to be a bit of herd mentality when it comes to this, so people like getting on board with something that is already funded. Some companies will set an absurdly low goal, but that has its own risks (apparently, people look at low goals as being a bit of a farce). So the best bet is to leverage existing supporters to launch the project right off the bat, especially in the first day as that is apparently the most crucial time (the first day and the last day usually seeing the most activity). I would be concerned, then, that having an alternative way for your core supporters to get the deck would undercut your early growth and threaten the Kickstarter overall. I have absolutely no doubt that this Tarot deck will be hugely popular regardless (there have been a couple of other Tarot decks on Kickstarter that have done really well and yours has such an incredible and unique style!). But my recommendation would be to leverage your existing supports to ensure its success. *I attended a panel at Phoenix Comic Con a couple of years ago about running a successful Kickstarter, and while I've lost those notes to time and disorganization, this is what I recall from the panel.
2020-01-31 00:27:09 +0000 UTCLike other comments I think you're smart to start with your base, build support and buzz there; and move to Kickstarter to build awareness and support of your art in a larger market. I had a horrible experience with Kickstarter...came within a few pledges of publishing my book. It was an enormous effort but a few dollars short and consequently no book. Start with the sure thing here. I think folks here would also be willing to spread the word to friends who might be not be able to Patreons but would be interested in a Kickstarter effort.
Michael Kilgore
2020-01-30 15:43:30 +0000 UTCRight? Also hi! How are you? <3 Miss you Cousin! I might do a promotion for just Patrons and close fans before launching it on Kickstarter for everyone else. Just trying to find a way to please all camps, but also make it a big success!
Brandon McGill
2020-01-30 08:04:23 +0000 UTCI think you can have your cake and eat it too. Market to your core via your website/socials, and use Kickstarter to get the word out. May also be a good idea to get some press. ;)
Kyle Limb
2020-01-30 08:04:22 +0000 UTCDo both but try to promote your own website as much as possible to save the fees. Might as well have multiple streams. I dont think it will be confusing especially if you can just promote your website on the kickstarter and then they realize they can just donate direct there instead. It will depend on how you can get them to exit kickstarter to your site without getting in trouble
2020-01-30 07:53:57 +0000 UTCIt seems like people are in favor of both so far!
Brandon McGill
2020-01-30 07:47:09 +0000 UTCWhy not do both? Offer some on your site for people who know about you, and then use the Kickstart to draw in more people. You might have to have more printed up, but it would cover both. Also advertising in gay media is also a possibility. Altho that could be quite expensive at first.
Richard Basen
2020-01-30 05:18:11 +0000 UTCThanks for the advice! <3
Brandon McGill
2020-01-30 03:25:41 +0000 UTCThat's a great idea! Danny will be debuting in a few days
Brandon McGill
2020-01-30 03:25:23 +0000 UTCComments are welcomed!
Brandon McGill
2020-01-30 03:24:55 +0000 UTC
