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!
STRANGE SIGHTS by Dean Wesley Smith
A Brand New Dark Fantasy Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch plus two Dark Fantasy Collections
When I finished reading this brand new novel by Kris, I went “Wow!” When Kris lets go, as she said she did in her introduction, there is no better fiction writer working today. The brand new novel STRANGE SIGHTS is stunning. And this Kickstarter edition will be ahead of the regular release of the book by nine months or so. So don’t miss this chance to get it way early.
This launched on Wednesday and funded in one hour and made the first stretch goal in about 15 hours. And the two collections with the new book are really special dark fantasy short fiction. Some great workshops as well. Both Special and in the stretch rewards.
And you may want to study this one as well. We got a Project We Love from Kickstarter. Notice the bright colors, lots of art and covers, and very clear story. That’s what I look for and what Kickstarter looks for as well.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/a26/strange-sights?ref=ey942h
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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. This is one of those wonderful campaigns where it has so much cool stuff, you might do a lot of add-ons. Fiction inspired by antique postcards and then having a bunch of the old postcards in the campaign,
This is a campaign worth studying and also backing. Some great fiction here.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/karikilgore/voices-through-time?ref=ctw09d
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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. And even though this is for only one collection, it has funded and doing great. Really attractive campaign and the fiction will be worth reading.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rfarpublishing/festive-fantasy-holiday-tales
STILL GOING
Strange Tales by John Betancourt
The premier in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
This is a new magazine firing up by John Betancourt of Wildside Press. John already publishes four other magazines in this same genre including WEIRD TALES MAGAZINE. I have known John for 40 years and when he was an assistant editor at Asimov’s way back he gave me some great rejections. Wildside Press has been going now since back when Kris and I owned Pulphouse Publishing in the early 1990s. On top of that, John is a bestselling fiction writer.
This campaign is really done right all the way and it got a Project We Love from Kickstarter. Clearly, the art is amazing in the story. Very clear to a theme and he sticks with it. Studying this one is worth your time and also if you love great fiction on the dark side, backing this campaign is a great idea.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wildsidepress/strange-tales
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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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LAUNCHING SOON
The Dark Ship: Science Fiction Stories from the Boundary by Ron Collins
Ghost ships, mad scientists, impossible machines, time travel, strange worlds, alien monsters, and the people caught in the middle.
One of the best science fiction writers working in modern fiction is doing this amazing collection. And to be honest, that Kickstarter header might be the best header I have seen. Take a look at it. Just amazing.
And get on the list to be informed when this comes out. Maybe some of the best science fiction reading you will find.
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SOMEWHERE IN SILENCE; a warm, wry novella on starting again by Alexandria Blaelock
A grounded, reflective and dryly humourus story about starting again and coming into yourself.
Alex is a great writer and this looks like its going to be a great campaign and a good read. Check it out and get on the notification list.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexandriablaelock/somewhere-in-silence
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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