Project Solicitation Station/Kickstarter HQ - You can ask for Invites, too!

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Project Solicitation Station/Kickstarter HQ - You can ask for Invites, too!

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Phineas posted:

Got 3 left!

I would sincerely appreciate an invite

daniel.r.haight at gmail dot com

Cheers!

# ¿ Jan 13, 2010 19:05

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 13:59

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Throwing my Kickstarter out:

Flotilla - Pretty Fly for a Sci-Fi - Disaster YA Novel!
Flotilla is a crossover sci-fi/disaster novel about a recovering teen alcoholic who has to grow up fast when the world comes to an end.

My previous KS crashed and burned - I didn't think out my pitch or my rewards that well. Cancelled, researched and launched a new one which I hope will let me get this novel out into the universe where it belongs.

I don't want you to donate money, necessarily but what I've been asking everyone to do is "just share it" with your friends and your network and ask them to do the same.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 18:05

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

TraderStav posted:

I'm having a real hard time reading the back cover synopsis.

Seriously though, where does the Flotilla come in? What is the cause for the end of the world?

Back cover is Latin since it's still being updated by my new book cover artist. The cause of the end of the world, in the case of Flotilla, is a multi-pronged terrorist attack all over North America. Nukes, biological threat and general anarchy - it's delicious!

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 19:20

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

TraderStav posted:

Cool, I may be dropping some bucks on it, sounds interesting!

By the way, it's not really latin, I was joking around with you : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum

It isn't? I always thought it was. Learn something new every day.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 19:46

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

pipes! posted:

Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't, it really depends on the source. You should also probably rethink the contrast on the back cover and the title font, they're both in need of some TLC.

Thanks for that - I'm meeting with the graphic artist and will pass that on. Would you help me by giving the KS the Pipes seal of approval with your network? I'd be very grateful.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 20:08

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

I updated my Kickstarter with some new videos and more are coming - would you mind giving me some feedback?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1743646288/flotilla-a-post-apocolyptic-coming-of-age-tale

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 15:51

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Jalumibnkrayal posted:

Why did you choose that setting and attire for your video? Your book isn't about hiking or sleeping on park benches, so it's kind of an odd choice. Even if all you have nearby is a small lake, your book is called Flotilla: pitch your KS in a boat!

But more seriously, something is definitely wrong with your campaign if you have 8,000 likes on FB, 700 followers on Twitter, and you only have $35 after a week. The fact that your fans don't want to give you any money at all is very troubling.

You say that the book is already written, edited, and published. Your business expenses after that point are really mundane: no one feels like a hero because they donated money for you to buy Google ads.

I also think it's shady that you're implying that your novel could transcend fiction and actually save our oceans. Plus your two tongue-in-cheek updates about free food might rub people the wrong way if they don't know you're joking.

I know, it's making me crazy too. I can kill the updates - I was experimenting to see what people would respond to.

So the videos look weird and I should re-shoot?

Scrap the project entirely or what?

I was all for shooting the video in a boat but I don't have one and the dock I was going to shoot on was taken over by fisherman so this was a last-second alternative.

OppositeOfLove fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jul 17, 2012

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 16:53

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Jalumibnkrayal posted:

In your campaign I believe you ask for the money to let you pay these expenses while writing your next novel. Why not just do a KS campaign to write the novel? That's a much easier sell for everyone involved. But I'm just one person so I don't know.

Got it. I'm re-shooting the video this afternoon and I should have it up by morning. As far as doing the KS to just write the novel, I've had people tell me that going that route makes you look like you 'want to be paid to create' and that rubs people the wrong way.

I appreciate your feedback though, thanks!

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 20:07

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Took your advice, reshot the video and posted it - see what you think:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1743646288/flotilla-a-post-apocolyptic-coming-of-age-tale

or the video itself - now in HD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmRkYkGGLOg

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 18:47

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

het posted:

For what it's worth, I clicked through to the regular website for Flotilla and found the book trailer there a lot more appealing in terms of the pitch of the story than the videos for the Kickstarter. Just starting out with "Well Jim is 15 and just coming out of rehab and lives with his dad and they scam people" is not particularly appealing. The book trailer's more sympathetic approach seems a lot more interesting and relatable, and I think it establishes the concept a lot more clearly.

Also at points the author kind of sounds like a jerk; if you find yourself seriously selling your story with "If you're not a fan of great stories then you won't enjoy it as much" you should probably rethink your approach.

I think the book trailer, the other videos and now this one - they're doing different things to different people. I'm glad I shot more than one now. I took elements from both of the previous videos that people dug, plus some advice from other people (Like Robert Scoble - he was like "Don't be afraid to tell people who the product is wrong for. Create exclusion.") and reshot it. I think at this point, the thing I'm understanding is that each video says something different to different people so I'm going to set up and do the Twitter broadcast with each piece of video.

Case in point - showed the Intro video from the other day to a guy who writes for dailydot.com and he was like "Boy - you handle the camera great." That was it - didn't care about the b/g, didn't care about what I wore. But that's what the goons cared about and so that's why I reshot it. Point is that I'm willing to work for people's support - I think the videos I shot, plus the one I'm shooting Monday - are proof of that.

I'm glad you dug the trailer.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 20:39

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

TraderStav posted:

I think his point is that 'people who like great stories' isn't a true niche that you are trying to cater to. Who likes crappy stories? If you had said 'people who like post-apocalyptic thrillers' that would niche it down properly and exclude those who need excluding to hit the point Scoble is making.

Ahem ... A lot of people like crappy stories.

I did the 'people who like this will like Flotilla' in the previous vid and Scobe zeroed in on it. I followed the advice.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 20:45

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

TraderStav posted:

Touché.

LOL - I'm sorry - I really did laugh out loud.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 21:08

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Noah posted:

Maybe it's just me, but the filler lorem ispum stuff on the book jacket design is really bugging me. It's the very first image I see when I open your kickstarter, and it really stands out and says "not finished" to me.

Good point - the proofs are back from the book cover artist and I've changed the main picture:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1743646288/flotilla-a-post-apocolyptic-coming-of-age-tale

Maybe you noticed the typos - that's his way of making sure I don't run off with the proof before the last payment.

Robert Scoble just got back to me on the vids:

Robert Scoble posted:

Cool, thanks!
Nice job!

This is me right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thW5cXC3pJ4&t=8s

Edit: Just talked to Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee ... told me that he liked the idea but I need to talk about why I wrote the story and what the money will be used for. Guess I'm re-shooting again.

OppositeOfLove fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Jul 19, 2012

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 22:05

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

I know I've posted my Kickstarter before but I'm continuing to iterate the videos and message until the Kickstarter is done. I've created two new videos this weekend and I wanted to pass them along

Video #1 - a Bollywood Actress Likes My Project - You Should, Too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUDerWON9GQ

Video #2 - My personal Kickstarter message - now with Motion Graphics!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmPNtORE8ww

This is after a bunch of effort, re-shoots, editing, negotiation and learning After Effects overnight to bring in the graphics. Dying to know what you think. And, for comparison, here's my original video that made people hate me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAMxVawKNvY

# ¿ Jul 30, 2012 04:40

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 13:59

OppositeOfLove: Feb 11, 2009; If I put a in my post - that means I'm right no matter what.

Jalumibnkrayal posted:

Your campaign is a disaster.

The videos are better shot. I don't think the fake static or after effects really add anything, but that might just be me griping. The video you made with that lady is kinda compelling: she is selling it very well. But her connection to the material isn't clear, so it feels like an odd paid spokesperson gig. Referencing the kickstarter campaign at all is an odd choice, at it makes it hard for you to include that video in further fundraising (without editing). In the video she also proclaims that you have fans all over the world, and that your next novel will be a smash hit. These claims fly directly in the face of the fact you can't raise a few hundred dollars on KS.

Your message is still a mess. The first paragraph of your KS campaign is:

"The hottest indie teen sci-fi novel of 2012 will be the hottest indie sci-fi teen series of 2013! Work isn't boring if you're naked!"

It just screams that you're not taking the project seriously. Further down in your description you have the big header "FLOTILLA IS FOR YOU!" followed by a bullet list of negative characteristics ("If you think it's okay to be pretty and dumb", etc). When people normally encounter a large bold header followed by a bullet list, they associate the header with what follows.

You're at 1% of your goal with 10 days left. I think your effort and clout would be better spent thinking about your post-KS plan. Hence why it was an odd decision to get a spokesperson to pimp a stillborn crowdfunding campaign instead of the IP itself.

Probably. I still think of the KS as an experiment that was successful in that it got me more attention than I would have otherwise.

het posted:

BTW, the guy who posted the Kickstarter isn't actually the author, I guess the author is paying for his services?

I'm sure I would be paying him if I could afford to.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2012 17:45

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Project Solicitation Station/Kickstarter HQ - You can ask for Invites, too!