Kickstarter Friday
Some Fun Campaigns I Think Work…
It is Kickstarter season again, with lots of new and fun campaigns.
I’ve been doing this every Friday now for a long time. And it certainly has been fun studying Kickstarters.
Here us a summary of what I look for in a campaign to list here…
— I look for fiction campaigns that are not just about “pretty books” but actually want readers.
— I look for clarity in the campaign, meaning can I figure out what the hell is offered.
— I look for a good story that flows and good art. I do not bother with anyone who is so flipping lazy as to us AI in any part of their campaign.
— And I look to see if the campaign will fund or if the writer behind the campaign asked for far too much.
You know, sometimes a campaign just catches my attention and I think it is worth mentioning.
NEW THIS WEEK!
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Twisted Presents by Michael W. Lucas
Some folks love Christmas. These tales are for the rest of us. Ghosts and guns! Santa’s coal mine! Final exams! Shopping! Plus an orc!
I love Michael’s fiction writing (I don’t understand his nonfiction writing). His fiction is always fun, twisted, and downright powerful, so jump on board with this one. Really great fun from a fantastic writer. And study the voice in his campaign and what he did.
And you want to see one of his stories from the campaign, he posted one on his blog. Take a look https://mwl.io/archives/24991
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mwlucas/twisted-presents
Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil & Other Stories by Steve Niles
TEN Brand New tales of horror, crime, and the supernatural by 30 DAYS OF NIGHT creator Steve Niles. Cover by Joe Jusko!
I flat love Joe Jusko’s artwork and I have read some Steve Niles fiction and comics and they are great. This collection is fun and wow does he have a bunch of fun stuff with it, plus some other great artists. This campaign seems to be one of the few I can find these days focusing mostly on the fiction and not special editions. This one will be a great read and fun to back.
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STILL GOING
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JUST A GIRL: A Sweet Romance Where Love Meets Magic by Kathryn Kaleigh
What if the voice you talked to every day suddenly appeared in your apartment? Some questions have impossible answers.
Kathy might be the best romance writer I have read in years and her campaigns are always well done and worth studying. This doing great and she is already hitting stretch goals. If you have not read one of Kathy’s books, this is a great place to start. And study what she has done with the campaign. Stunning. Only a few hours left, so don’t miss this one.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kathrynkaleigh/just-a-girl
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A Cut Beyond: Twilight Zone inspired stories in two books by Rob Vagle
The barbershop that wasn’t there yesterday. File under M for Magic. Weird and fantastic stories from the wondrous land of imagination.
I have known Rob and been reading and buying his stories as an editor for forty years. He is one of the best and most original writers I know and these two collections are going to be something really special. Back this now. He is doing great and this one also would be one worth backing and studying. Trust me, you will be very happy you did.
And take a look at the nifty header and the nifty Story header. The best.
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A Pocketful of Dragons: A Cozy No-Spice Romantasy by E. R. Paskey
A shy baker saves two dragons, upending her life as she knows it and leading to love & belonging in this no-spice cozy fantasy romance.
E.R. is a great fantasy writer and has done a number of really fun Kickstarters. This one is worth backing. And worth studying. Always fun.
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GLEN MUST DIE: 22 AUTHORS. 22 GENRES. ONE VERY UNLUCKY GLEN edited by Esther Jones
A wildly unpredictable speculative fiction anthology where every story changes – but Glen’s fate never does.
Oh, my, one of the more creative ideas I have seen for an anthology. Great fun and they kept the campaign fun as well. Stunning and fun art by Paul Jenkins just makes this. I don’t really know more than a few of the writers in the volume, but I think the topic is worth grabbing and reading and watching how they do. They had the great art and they used it perfectly all the way through the campaign to keep it lively and on theme. Study and back this one, folks.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/estherjones/glen-must-die?
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LAUNCHING SOON!
Ghost Telling Their Own Stories by Robert J. McCarter
Celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of Shuffled Off with 29 new stories told by ghosts!
I love Robert’s ghost stories and bought a bunch of them for Pulphouse. He’s a great writer and this is a great campaign that will launch in October, but you want to be on the watch list on this one. Great stories.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robertjmccarter/ghost-telling-their-own-stories?ref=ch2rtm
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Festive Fantasy Holiday Tales: 10 Tales of Holiday Magic by Rebecca M Senese
Reindeer and elves, Krampus and Yule creatures, even a magical, runaway turkey, delight in these 10 fantasy tales of magic and heart.
Wow, does this one look great. Rebecca has done a bunch of great campaign and they are always wonderful and I have read some of her holiday stories and trust me, they are wonderful. So get on the watch list of this one and back it when it comes out. Great stuff.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rfarpublishing/festive-fantasy-holiday-tales
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Voices Through Time: A Ghostly Appalachian Novella Trio by Kari Kilgore
Special edition omnibus full of romantic suspense, ornery ghosts, and the antique postcards and images that inspired the tales.
Oh, my, is this going to be a great book when it comes out. I have read a lot of Kari’s stories and loved them and Kris has bought many of her Appalachian stories. Trust me, you are going to love these, so take a look at the promotions page and get on the Inform Me list. Going to be a treat.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/karikilgore/voices-through-time?ref=ctw09d