How Jeff Messer Beat the Kickstarter Dead Zone and Learned to Bet on Himself
by Clay Adams
Jeff Messer felt worried.
His campaign for ROBIN HOOD: The Legend of Sherwood had hit the dreaded “Dead Zone”, and now, not only was his project not seeing any new pledges, but backers were cancelling, sending his funding total backwards.
With his Facebook ads not doing much to bring in new backers, he had to wonder:
Would his campaign make it?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch spotlight you’ll learn:
- The importance of setting milestone goals
- A simple way to expand your audience
- Plus: why working on someone else’s dream project can help yours
How To Expand Your Audience On Kickstarter
As with anything, the seeds for Jeff’s ultimate success were planted well before he hit launch. When it came time to prepare for his latest campaign, Jeff made an important decision:
“This project was not aimed exclusively at kids, like my first one, even though they share the same...
How Convention Warrior Bill Coulombe Embraced Kickstarter and Funded Two Campaigns for His Superhero Comic KINETIC
by Clay Adams
Bill Coulombe was a battle-hardened convention warrior.
In a typical year, Bill might attend 35 - 40 shows a year. The schedule has been grueling, but it allowed him to build an audience for his superhero comic KINETIC.
But with the world changing and online purchases becoming the norm, Bill knew he needed to try his hand at crowdfunding. The only question was...
Would his audience follow him?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:
- How selling on Kickstarter is different from selling at a comic convention
- Why it's important to break your Kickstarter goal into several smaller goals
- What NOT to do for your first Kickstarter campaign
How Bill Built His Fanbase Ahead of His Kickstarter Launch
Bill's approach to building his audience through cons had been successful so far. The only problem? He had no way of reaching them outside the convention hall.
“At my first conventions, I didn’t even...
How Melissa J. Massey Bounced Back From a Failed Kickstarter Campaign And Grew Her Audience Ahead of a Successful Launch
by Clay Adams
Melissa J. Massey was determined.
After her first Kickstarter campaign for THE ALCHEMIST OF AURILLIA failed, she knew she had a lot of work to do to get the relaunch funded.
With a community at her back and a plan for success, it was time to roll up her sleeves and make it happen.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:
- How to expand your audience and re-engage backers
- What to do when your audience isn’t who you think it should be
- Plus: How to balance your day job with running a comics Kickstarter
How to Expand Your Audience Between Kickstarter Launches
One takeaway from Melissa’s failed campaign was that her audience wasn’t big enough to support her goals. So she immediately set out to remedy that using Facebook ads.
“Paid ads are very tricky—you really have to know what you’re doing. Thankfully we have Ad Launch as a resource, and I’ve done a lot of...
How Ryan Kroboth Built a Kickstarter Team and Overfunded His Dream Project During a Crisis
by Clay Adams
For Ryan Kroboth, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
A few days after he hit launch on the campaign for his art book, BRIGHT IDEAS, DARK MIND, the COVID19 crisis escalated. One week later, the forced shutdowns and work closures began, affecting his wife's employment.
With his immediate financial future uncertain, Ryan nearly doubled the hours at his day job, leaving significantly less time for running the Kickstarter campaign.
And as the world fell apart around him, he wondered:
Does this campaign even have a chance?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:
- The importance of collaborators and the secret to networking
- Why you should plan your Kickstarter campaign—but be flexible
- The surprisingly simple way to market your art book or comic
The Seeds of Kickstarter Success are Planted Long Before You Launch
Putting together an art book had long been a dream of Ryan’s, and now that...
How Dan Ekis Built His Audience And Invested In Himself On The Way To A Five Figure Comics Kickstarter Launch
by Clay Adams
Dan Ekis was freaking out.
It was only a day before his Kickstarter launch, and he was having a serious case of the jitters.
Like many creators, Dan had doubts and fears about his upcoming campaign.
But unlike most of them, he knew exactly where to go for help.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight you’ll learn:
- How to set yourself up for Kickstarter success
- Why you don’t have to multitask
- Plus: the best investment you can make
How Posting Your Comic for Free Can Help Build Your Audience
We’ll get back to that pre-launch freakout in a minute. But first, let’s take a look at Dan’s journey.
His comic ODYSSEY, INC started life on Webtoon, where’s he’s been posting for a year and a half, giving his readers value with the free episodes. Dan used that goodwill in a smart way:
“I post weekly on WEBTOON…. At the end of each episode I post a plug for my...
How Wes Hartman Overcame The "Sophomore Slump" And Funded His Second Kickstarter Campaign
By Clay Adams
Wes Hartman crunched the numbers, and what he saw worried him.
His first campaign for SAVAGE SASQUANAUT garnered a lot support from friends and family, some he hadn’t anticipated.
People he’d known for years—people who had no interest in comics—showed up to support in a big way. And for that, he was incredibly grateful.
As he launched his campaign for issue two, though, Wes expected that most of those backers would not return.
But without their support, Wes wondered…
Would he fund?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn...
- The key to organic reach on social media
- How creatives can better manage their time
- Why cross promotion isn’t just for the “dead zone”
The Key to Organic Reach On Social Media
Wes reviewed his numbers, reexamined the goal, and determined that even without the financial support of his wider network, he could close the gap.
But it...
How Comics Creator Jason McNamara Consistently Raises $9,000 for Each Kickstarter Campaign
by Clay Adams
Jason McNamara is a man with a plan.
Three of his four Kickstarter campaigns have raised roughly $9,000 with an average of 300 backers. The one outlier?
His first campaign, which raised over $16,000 with almost 400 backers.
How does he achieve such consistently great results?
It's all in the planning.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:
- How to choose the right artist for your comics Kickstarter project
- The advantage of finishing your book before launch
- Why Kickstarter is superior to other online stores
How to Choose the Right Artist for Your Comics Kickstarter Project
Jason begins each project with an eye on quality control.
“There is a limit to how much time and energy I have as a person and as a creator. I tend to be very selective in who I collaborate with and what I work on. I look for artists who have a distinct style and whose work will elevate my...
How Nathan Lueth Built His Audience On The Way To A $9,000 Comics Kickstarter Launch
by Clay Adams
Nathan Lueth was at a crossroads.
His webcomic Impure Blood was a finalist in DC Comics’ Zuda contest, but didn’t get the ultimate prize: a publishing contract.
Now he and his collaborators had a choice to make:
Keep making the comic anyway or move on to something else?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight you’ll learn:
- The Value of Finishing
- When it’s OK to take your foot off the gas
- The difference between persistence and being stubborn
Is Comics Kickstarter Success Just a Popularity Contest?
Nathan began his long journey to Kickstarter way back in 2009, when he entered his comic Impure Blood into an online competition run by DC Comics. Readers voted on their favorite series, and winners were posted to DC’s webcomics imprint, Zuda.
“I look back and laugh at the mindset we had when we did Zuda. We were all like, 'It's all just a popularity contest! The best written/drawn comics aren't...
How John Schlim Jr Launched Two Comics Kickstarters Back-to-Back--And Had His Best Campaign Ever
by Clay Adams
John Schlim Jr felt nervous.
He’d just wrapped up a Kickstarter campaign the month before, and now he was about to hit “launch” on another project, the third issue in his long-running GOTH GHOST GIRL series.
With his previous campaign just finished—and still unfulfilled—John couldn't help but wonder:
Was his audience ready to back a new project?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch spotlight, you’ll learn:
- Why showing "range" is important
- The key to comics Kickstarter success
- Plus: How to keep control of your Kickstarter budget
Should Kickstarter Comics Creators Stick to One Genre?
Before we look at John’s second launch in two months, it’s a good question to ask why he would Kickstart multiple properties at the same time. His long-running GOTH GHOST GIRL series was a success. Shouldn't John just stick to that one title? Or, at the very least, something...
How Comic Writer Rob Multari Turned a Crowdfunding Failure into Kickstarter Success
by Clay Adams
Rob Multari didn’t have an audience.
His first crack at Kickstarter had just failed, and the realization was beginning to sink in: setting a $20,000 goal without a built-in fanbase might have been a little naive.
But Rob is a finisher. He picked himself up from that failed launch more determined than ever to get his work out into the world.
The question now was: how?
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:
- Why the right mindset can turn failure into success
- How to grow your audience ahead of a Kickstarter campaign
- Plus: Rob's tips for keeping up the momentum after launch
How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into Comic Convention Success
In the aftermath of the campaign, Rob made the tough call to keep paying his artists out of his own pocket. Once Night Wolf #1 was complete, he once again dug deep and funded a print run himself. This felt like a big victory… except for one glaring problem:
...