Fun With Fulfillment
We look at Stay Cool in print, I announce the next project and I stand on my soapbox about shipping rates
Before We Get Started
I wanted to share some news — the prelaunch page for the next project is live!
Coming early 2024: Crazy Latte Thing Called Love
If you recognize the art-style, it’s for good reason. I’m reteaming with Mattia Monaco (AfterShock Chicken Devils, Knock ‘em Dead) - variant cover artist on Stay Cool - for a 32-page one-shot romantic-thriller.
But first, let’s talk about getting Stay Cool in your hands…
They Have Arrived
This is just the first set of boxes to arrive.
(The others arrived shortly after and I neglected to take a picture.)
There’s nothing like seeing the comic completed in front of you. It almost doesn’t feel real when it’s only digital. Not until you open the box and see it there.
I’ve used Mixam to print these and the print quality is almost too good. A lot better than what you’d get with the regular floppies at your LCS (in my biased opinion, of course).
I bag and board all the full-sized comics. I get a good deal from a local supplier, Comics Pro Line, getting these in bulk. The only downside is they don’t have them for the smaller variants.
Speaking of…
Experimenting With The Format
The bigger swing I took this time out was the “digest tankobon” format.
It’s significantly smaller - and therefore significantly cheaper. This allows me to get the book out to folks at a lower price-point - and lets me print a whole whack of them.
The trade-off is the lettering. In order to make it readable, I have to cover some of the art. More that I would in the regular version, at least. You probably wouldn’t know if you weren’t looking for it though.
The text-size is actually the same, but it looks a lot bigger in the smaller format. That said — I think it looks great!
So much so that I will definitely be doing this from now on with future campaigns. It’s a great alternative option (and a neat collectable).
If I get to the point that I’m printing a lot more, it’ll drive the cost down so much that I could practically give these away. I’d have to 10x this to be a reality, but the fact that it’s a possibility makes me want to keep trying it.
Track Your Books
I use two different tools to track my comics: leagueofcomicbookgeeks.com and collectorz.com
One has proven the better of the two for tracking my indie comics:
And now…
My Biggest Kickstarter Pet Peeve
Shipping.
Hands down, this is my least favourite thing about creating - and supporting - indie comics.
It’s a necessary evil - but I can’t help but feel like some leave money on the table because of it. I want this to be a strong industry, so if I need to get on the soapbox to maybe help a campaign or two, I will.
Here we go:
There’s something to be said for making sure you don’t get saddled with a bill because you under-charged for shipping, but that doesn’t mean you should over-charge to avoid the risk.
I’m in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Shipping from Canada to the US is actually cheaper than shipping for Toronto to Toronto. So, believe me when I say that I totally get it.
That just means we need to get creative about how to get comics in everyone’s hands. I understand if doing a tankobon-sized variant might be a lot to ask (at least, if you want to do it right by adjusting the lettering appropriately), but there are other ways to save that cost for your backers.
There are services in the US and Canada that bring shipping down for anyone doing bulk shipments - like us crowdfunders might.
Chit Chats and Stallion Express are great options for Canadians, like myself.
I used Chit Chats for Unlimited Udo and I’m using Stallion Express for Stay Cool.
I’ve heard great things about Pirate Ship in the US.
Not sure what those across the Atlantic have to their disposal, but I’m sure there’s something.
Keeping things flat and light is also key. As much as all the stretch goals might help your end-goal, if you’re factoring that into your shipping ahead of time (which, you should) - don’t like it drive the cost up for those just looking to get the book.
The main point I’m trying to make here is:
Don’t leave money on the table just because you haven’t researched the best way to get product to your backers. There have been more than a few campaigns I would have loved to support, but when shipping triples the price of the comic - it makes it an unfortunate skip.
Or, at least, have a really good digital option. That means mobile and hi-res versions for those of us with fancy monitors and tablets. If you have time, and content, a digital deluxe edition makes it even better.
Keep these extra cheap. They cost nothing to replicate. You’re saving on printing, so there’s no reason to keep the markup in the cost of your digital version (unless you’re looking to build a bad rep.)
Alright, you get the point. I’ll get off the soapbox to say…
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
This was a great campaign for Stay Cool.
To talk shipping one last time - in the campaign post-mortem that I left some money on the table by not charging more for shipping, but I stand by that decision as we got a lot more backers onboard. (And we did!)
Backers like you, maybe? Let me know in the comments if you’re cool:
If you didn’t back this time, it’s okay. There’s going to be a lot more coming in the very near future.
You already know about Crazy Latte Thing Called Love with Mattia Monaco, coming early 2024.
I’ve also got another project lined up with Rafael Chrestani! Way too early to say anything about that one - but it’s unlike anything you’ve seen from either of us. It’ll be a ton of fun. Expect that in the Spring 2024 at the earliest.
Thanks again for coming along for the ride.
Coming much sooner than any of that…
What’s Next?
November 15
Two Whole Decades
Why support structures are important
December 1
Irish Adventure Time
My first time on the Emerald Isle and why rest is critical
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Thank you so much for sharing all of these valuable details... I'm in Italy, and I fulfill my Kickstarter campaigns through Ka-Blam, which I believe is my only option, but it's interesting to see how expert creators work... :)