by Clay Adams

Lisa Moore and Brant Fowler were nervous.

They’d just hired a new art team to help relaunch their flagship series, THE LAST EMBER, and the costs were mounting. This time, the husband and wife publishing team would need to raise far more than they ever had before.

As they set out to hit their highest goal to date, they couldn’t help but wonder…

Would they make it?

In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:

• Why stacking launches leads to growth on Kickstarter
• How to find collaborators and “launch buddies”
• Plus: the pros and cons of working with your spouse

HOW STACKING LAUNCHES LEADS TO GROWTH ON KICKSTARTER

Like many indie creators, Lisa and Brant took on far too many projects in their early days as publishers of Last Ember Press. And while they are still struggling with some of the choices they made when the company was young, one benefit is that it allowed them to grow their audience over the course of ten Kickstarter campaigns. 

Lisa ...

by Clay Adams

Shaun Keenan needed a bigger reach.

He’d launched multiple campaigns on Kickstarter, slowly but surely growing his audience. Cross promotions with other creators helped him reach people who are already active on Kickstarter, and he was adept at scheduling podcasts to promote his projects. 

But Shaun couldn’t shake the feeling that he could be reaching more people. He didn’t feel comfortable with Facebook ads just yet, so he knew he was going to have to try something different in order to expand his reach.

That’s when he decided to go live.

In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:

• How to use a “Live Launch” to propel a bigger first day
• Tips for making your series profitable
• Plus: how to run five campaigns a year without going crazy

How To Use A “Live Launch” To Propel A Big First Day on Kickstarter

Shaun decided to test a “live launch” strategy as part of his Talos of Sparta campaign. When his campaign launched, he planned to be on a li...

 by Clay Adams

Andrew Clemson was in a panic.

He’d added an “I’ll Write Your Comic” tier to his Kickstarter, and it was immediately picked up by a stranger. Now Andrew was worried about where his words would end up, and what kind of market it might be pushed to. He hadn’t anticipated the stress the tier would cause—or how much a hotly-contested presidential election in the U.S. would suck the oxygen out of his campaign. 

As his Kickstarter for DAMSEL FROM D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. entered its final 48 hours, he wondered:

“Did I make a huge mistake?”

In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you’ll learn:

• Best practices for arranging creator cross-promo
• A great option for UK creators shipping books to the U.S.
• Plus: why Kickstarter trolls can be a huge headache

Best Practices for Arranging Creator Cross-Promo on Kickstarter

Despite his concerns, Andrew had set himself up to do well with his latest campaign. In the lead-up to his launch, he conducted several podcast and webs...

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 universe. I felt this one had broader appeal.”

Opening up his work to a wider aud...

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 have a newsletter sign up! And then, after I d...

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 Facebook ads in my day job as a digital strategist.”

Melissa created a com...

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 dream was being threatened. Fortunately this wa...

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 newsletter, so I've been getting readers onto my mailing list.”

By promoting his newsletter eac...

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 would mean making some clear asks.

“It wasn’t their lack of financial support...

 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 own.” 

One advantage to this approach? It exposes Jason's w...