Progress Report #3

I haven’t posted one of these since the end of March, and for that… I apologize. If you’re just following up on these now, the progress reports are to check in and show you what’s up in Monica-land. I’m happy to report that all plates are spinning and balanced appropriately. I may even have a bit of a tan. SHOCKING, I KNOW!

I’m back from CONvergence which is, in my opinion, the best-run convention in the country. There is always something to do whether you’re by yourself or not and folks are very, very friendly. I stayed across the way and that turned out to be the best, possible decision. No standing in long lines for the elevators; very easy to go back and chill if I need to.

The panels went great and I’m very grateful for the fine conversation and company of so many wonderful people. This was a fantastic convention and sorely needed. I’d been averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of four-to-five thousand words per day for almost two months straight, and the break totally recharged my batteries. Thanks, all! ๐Ÿ™‚

I am still recovering post-con, so e-mail communication is a little sparser than normal as I slog through and get projects done.

Since a lot has happened since the end March, I’m going to give a bullet point recap of what I’ve done. Note to self: provide these updates monthly… Second note to self: no wonder my office is a disaster area.

Games

  • Scion: Extras – The annual White Wolf April Fool’s joke was an absolute blast to write. I had a ton of fun with this one. After the fact, we provided a Scion style Irusan write-up.
  • Gaming in the ‘Verse: GenCon 2013 Exclusive – What’s 268 pages and full of Firefly? This limited edition game book is a preview of both the Firefly RPG corebook and Echoes of War, our line of digital adventures that will launch soon. The official release date will be the first day of GenCon. You can order a copy through www.margaretweis.com — you don’t have to go GenCon to get a copy.

I have a number of games and supplements that are in development. The ones listed here are either on my immediate “you must do this now” horizon or the first draft has been handed in.

  • Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn RPG – Thanks to the fine folks at Crafty Games, I’m able to announce that I worked on the Skaa supplement and handed in my first draft.
  • Echoes of War: Old Friends In Low Places – I am writing an adventure for the Firefly RPG that takes place on Hera. My first draft is due shortly.
  • Firefly RPG – Working on the revisions to the outline now and then assignments will be handed out. The writing continues! This will be released in stores February 2014.
  • Vampire the Masquerade: Red List – I’m partnering with Matt M McElroy and diving into this with bloody abandon. Bloody.


Fiction

I cut back on my short story work in order to focus on long form, which has mightily decreased the size of my list here. Next month, I’ll put little word count bars in so you can see what progress I’ve made.

  • The Women Who Called Down The Train – This is a Lovecraftian Orient Express story that’ll appear in an anthology. I read the editor’s draft for the first time at CONvergence and the story went over really well. I also received some feedback for the historical and pacing elements of this terrifying tale.
  • My Compliments To The Tailor – I promised to donate this story to charity, but I’m not quite happy with it yet. I’d prefer to expand it some and I’ve gotten some historical fact-checking back on the Victorian-era voice. It’s just not long enough in my book, and I’d rather provide some value even if it is free.
  • The Red Door – The novella is 40% done and I hate every damn word of it. I went back and storyboarded it last night. Due to the nature of this story, I have some word lists to build ahead of time.
  • Traitor’s Masque – Alternately titled “Argentum.” I’m also going back into this and storyboarding certain sections, because I want to make the story tighter and more exciting. Pacing is crucial for this one.


Comics

  • Last Man Zombie Standing – This stand-alone comic will be available in an anthology called Unfashioned Creatures, A Frankenstein Anthology late this Summer. Want to see a preview? Check out the inks for Page 5.
  • The Adventures of Lord Lardbottom and Captain Whinypants – I have a few options available to me for comics, and I’m exploring those. My current plan is to get a year’s worth of scripts done for this satirical comic before moving further or finding artists.


Consulting

  • ROFL! – John Kovalic’s new party game debuts from Cryptozoic Entertainment later this month. I had both hands in this project and it was fun to see it through to completion. Watch for it at a games store nearest you!
  • Exalted Third Edition Kickstarter – I worked behind-the-scenes as the invisible ninja for this Kickstarter. We ended up just shy of $700,000, which set the current record for the most-funded RPG.


On Business Models for Creatives

darkwing duck avatar

Before I get started on this pile o’ mumblings: a few memorandums and factoids to share… Feedburner has decided to stop being a crab-ass and is now working again. I could say my lack of blogging on the fact that it completely ceased to update for three months or so, but no — I only have myself to blame. In my defense, I’ve been a *touch* embroiled in the Firefly RPG line for Margaret Weis Productions and was helping Rich put together the background work on the Exalted 3rd Edition Kickstarter. It’s Spring here, which means I’m getting outside more (ergo, I’m avoiding Spring cleaning by getting outside and waiting for the weather to warm up so I can re-plant my dead things.)

Definition-wise: I use the word “creative” here to represent “creative professionals” along the lines of sculptors, beaders, painters, musicians, writers, etc. It’s not a left versus right brain sort of a thing. It’s a “this is what I do for a living” thing — either part-time or full-time.

So on that note… Putting on my consultant hat today…

There’s a lot of talking about the publishing/music/etc. industry and “helpful” solutions/advice for creatives to navigate the changes. There’s also chatter about piracy and a lot in defense of it, because who wants to turn down FREE?

Now, I believe that fans don’t necessarily need to know the underpinnings of what a creative does in order to enjoy their work. Some care; some don’t. They tend to care when they love a property or creator and they’re not getting what they want/need in a timely fashion or if their expectations aren’t met. That’s when you’ll start seeing helpful suggestions and whatnot — most of which are not based on business, but perspectives from personal experiences on the consumption end of things. This is natural. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s going to happen regardless, but that’s not the point of this post.

What’s more interesting to me are the opinions being broadcast from other creatives. Industry commentary is always going on behind-the-scenes. It’s part of being in the business. So, let me get this out of the way by saying I’m not “coming down” on anyone for providing their opinions. That’s not what this is about. What I’m fascinated with is the substance of these discussions and how that might influence my consulting sphere.

Tailoring Thine Model

Most consultants (like myself when I wear that particular hat) don’t make demands on what people should/shouldn’t do. That’s not why we’re hired. My technique to handle consulting is to ask questions, to enable folks to get some perspectives and make decisions applicable to themselves. Usually, making a decision isn’t the hard part, it’s understanding the scope in terms of time (e.g. short-term or long-term). Some people do know their business inside and out, but they may not know how to express what it is they do. Others are primarily focused on a steady income stream — and financial needs vary widely. It’s unique to everyone.

This is part of the reason why proposed solutions fascinate me, because they’re often indicative of that person’s perspective. There’s a *huge* difference in business models between someone who writes-for-hire 100% of the time and those who pen creative works. (As a writer, I have a hybrid model myself, which won’t kick in totally until later this year.) But, it’s not just money… It’s process, rights, and contracts, too. Ages-old turf wars ensue. To agent up or not. Writers-for-hire pen “fan” fiction, so it’s not real work. Original writers aren’t in touch with reality. Etc. Etc. Etc. All of which is total bullshit, IMHO. I never understood the turf wars. You get paid? WRITER. Who cares what you write? When? Happy doing what you’re doing? Good for you! (Personally, I think it does fans a disservice when writers attack one another. I’m sorry, but that’s the way I feel about it. It doesn’t happen very often, but pissing matches have nothing to do with “the work” and more about “ego.” Let’s get excited about reading and enjoying books!)

Now, most of this is pretty typical and the internet is making this more apparent. But, the internet is for public consumption and the way people think about business in general is changing as a result of creatives opening up — sometimes their facts are right, and sometimes they’re really not. Most people are aware that the publishing industry works on volume. Publishers make decisions based on the number of copies sold. Some are dipping into fan communities and online retailers to assess the number of copies read. Even the perception of volume can influence decisions, just like perceived success does. Whether or not that’s based on reality will eventually sort itself out or, as they say: “The truth will out.”

Writers who work within this industry have a thousand different ways they can make money, but when their income stream dries up, because their volume decreases due to market factors, then adjustments have to be made that are uncomfortable and, at times, impossible to manage. I’m not saying it “can’t” be done, but writers have not typically been hired for their business prowess — that’s what agents are for. So the writer can go off and do what they need to: write.

But that’s just one business model. There are others and, arguably, KS is one of them. What you’ll likely see more of, is creatives taking the Amanda Palmer or Matt Forbeck route, and doing a hybrid or “octopus” model. (e.g. It’s dumb to put all your eggs in one basket.) That’s part of what this change is doing, it’s fracturing businesses on a personal level, and because of that, emotions and tensions are running very high right now. This is different from a John Kovalic model, where he has some hybridization right now, but he also has steady work from Munchkin that hasn’t changed from year-to-year for some time.

What’s your model? Do you know where the holes are?

A Sample Assessment

Now, I want to talk about Amanda briefly, as an example of how I normally do these sorts of business-related assessments. Unlike many writers, I’ve never met her yet I did back the KS, I do own her music, and have followed what she’s been doing to varying degrees. (e.g. Totally safer for me to shoot my mouth off ’cause she’s a total stranger and probably will be forever and ever. Heh.) People like Amanda, who incur opinions no matter what they do, are harder to deal with from a business perspective. There’s a few reasons for that and it’s situational. It’s not “All managers are bad” or “All artists are bad.” (Not in a Michael Jackson kind of a way, mind you.)

Ego aside, if you’ve dealt with your fair share of haters, those tend to stand out more than those who adore you. Oscillating between the two is the only way you can survive depending upon your personality. When someone uses strong words, even *if* they have a grain of truth, that message gets lost because of the tone. Same goes for overly positive: “You’re great! Now give me ‘x'” Or a simple: “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

If anything, though, the stormy sea is what sticks in people’s heads, so that’s where I usually start as I balance out the positivity/fandom.

There’s been a lot of criticism aimed at Amanda, most recently due to her poem about the Boston bombing. I am *not* talking about the specifics, but rather something I see as the composite whole. Some artists have a hard time with the business aspects because they’ve a) had a bad experience with a business manager and b) all business is “corporate” ergo evil and counter-intuitive to the creative experience. But, more than that, what I see is someone who either doesn’t want to be a celebrity or doesn’t realize what her recent, meteroic rise has done — Amanda may (or may not) be aware of the fact that she has less freedom than she had before, but this is part of what’s obscuring her message. Her celebrity, coupled with (What I think is ridiculously stupid) the association of “her” in the context of her marriage with Neil Gaiman, has taken on a life of its own.

Do I believe Amanda has something she’s trying to express? A message? Yes, I do. But, I feel, from a business perspective, that her Art is now getting marginalized and shoved aside because of her celebrity and financial success instead of the other way ’round. It’s not the music folks are commenting on, it always seems to come down to the money she raised in the KS or the money she has because of the way people assess her marriage. When she tries to do something for herself, like you or I would, folks come down on her hard. This is a consequence as a result of her celebrity status. Or, what I feel a portion of her audience is trying to say, is that she’s “out of touch.”

If she is/isn’t? Well, I wouldn’t know that without actually talking to her, because her messaging is very erratic. There’s a huge, huge difference between online and off, and though we (e.g. on the consumer side) can only see what that highly visible person is posting — there’s a human being there. I do my best not to make assumptions based on online personas. The reality is often very different from the “image.”

So what would I suggest for her? Find people she’s comfortable with to help her manage her image/message, so she can focus on her Art and to better get her goals across. That’d be where I’d start based on my limited view. They (these people) don’t have to be visible. They don’t have to be corporate. But, having an outsider to bounce ideas off of wouldn’t be a bad thing, because it may help her get more out of her Art and reach the right people. Sure, doing things haphazard is likely part of her overall experience, but I feel she’s getting to the point where that will start backfiring. When it does, a portion of her audience will stop listening. Depending upon how vocal they get, she could have other issues based on the perception that feedback (and how she deals with it) creates.

Now, the aforementioned insight may not mean much long-term in Amanda’s case. Maybe she’ll always have enough fans no matter what she does. Maybe she doesn’t care. Maybe she’s got enough money she doesn’t need to worry about it. Or, maybe she’s perfectly fine with whatever happens. That’s okay. Good business relationships allow for failure because it’s not the consultant’s job to say: “DO THIS OR ELSE.” But, to state: “Here’s something to consider.” However, I do feel there’s a lot of value that can be had through outside perspectives. (There’s a Machiavellian story I could toss at you, but I’ll spare you the details on that, given how long and rambling this post is getting already.)

For the consulting portion of my business, this is an example of the line of thought I’d use to get an outline together for an initial meeting. My thoughts here are based on anecdotes; I’m not looking for right versus wrong. I’m seeking, even for myself, different types of perspectives — and this is a small glimpse into that process. Then, I’d tailor my advice/plan to what that person’s situation is and provide them with options for choices.

Hopefully… HOPEFULLY… This long post will also spark your own ideas about your business model. The stars only know that as my own creative efforts grow, I’ll definitely be seeking out a manager myself!

.

Progress Report #2

When I’m online or have chat open, I’m working. I can’t play games or socialize too much; if you see me on Twitter or Facebook it’s usually when I’m taking a quick break or have it on my phone. I wish I didn’t have to be on either network, but this is how I get my news and stay on top of what people are doing. Sometimes, though, I wish I could filter out the news, rants, and ridiculous negativity. It’s hard some days, because I’m a writer, and words resonate with me musically and literally. I suspect there’ll be a purge coming at some point, but regardless I have to use these networks wisely so I can keep creating. I guess that’s why I love my Tumblr account so much! It’s pure, unadulterated joy. Love, love, love logging in and seeing new art filter through every day. Yay!

Does this mean I work too hard? I do put in more than fifty hours a week when you factor in reading and research, but I also have a life and I would not be doing this much if I did not enjoy it immensely. I don’t mean to say that in a snarky way; I’m very intense (as others often point out) but that’s only because I try to make the best out of every possible moment. I don’t always succeed or I go into a mood, but the point is that I’m living. Doing. Writing. And very, very happy I can do this. It may not always be realistic, so I have to take advantage of the time I have now. Many pro writers aren’t making what you might on a salaried position. (GalleyCat has a great collection of three testimonials if you want to see some reports.)

Even when I’m not on a gig, though, I’m always working on something. I have to have a pen and paper and art materials close by or I’ll go crazy. I can tell when I haven’t been doing much of one thing or the other, because that’s when my mood really suffers. I guess you can call me the pragmatic writer? Holistic? Not sure… ๐Ÿ™‚ Either way, if you’re going to chase the rainbow, put your tennis shoes on first.

Without further adieu, here’s the updates!

Games

Vampire The Masquerade 20th EditionI announced that I’m the Brand Manager and one of the writers for the Firefly RPG line, which will be published via Margaret Weis Productions. I’m knee deep in outlines and scripts at the moment. More than that, I dare not say…

I’m wrapping up my work for the Mage 20th Anniversary Edition contribution and also working on a Vampire: the Masquerade supplement. Plus, there’s a few other things in the works that I’m not ready to announce just yet. My goal is to wind down work on other games so I can focus on the Firefly corebook and GenCon for this portion of my business over the summer.

Fiction…And COMICS!

The Queen of Crows e-Book | Alternate CoverI’m excited to say that my first comic will be published via Red Stylo Media! *throws confetti* “Last Man Zombie Standing” will be available in an anthology called Unfashioned Creatures, A Frankenstein Anthology late this Summer. If you want to check out some of this publisher’s comics, they do have some available at DriveThruComics.com.

I have also honed my new, original fiction projects down to two: a science fiction novella titled The Red Door and a massive project for the Violet War, which is the setting for The Queen of Crows. Remember, you can now get multiple versions of the original, full color edition from DriveThruFiction.com.

Consulting

John “The Muskrat” Kovalic went to the GAMA Trade Show this year and some new business initiatives that we’d been working on will spring from that. Ninth Level Games launched a Kobolds Ate My Baby Kickstarter that I’ve been behind-the-scenes on; that’ll end on April 3rd. The 50K mark combines Munchkin with Kobolds Ate My Baby!

Onyx Path is moving along; there’s a lot of questions right now, and Rich is taking the time to really think about what the company is doing and what he wants.

We’re focused on GenCon and a few, other foolish surprises…

When Cyber-Dreams Don’t Become You

Spike and Giles... Together at Last

It’s been a long week. In addition to work, we had another blizzard. The near-constant grey skies have infected me, dragging me down, pulling the clouds over me like a wet blanket. So I’m taking the weekend off. Some project planning, but mostly? Housework — which can be very therapeutic after deadlines — and art. I have a painting I want to start, and a contest entry I have to finish. Mostly though, I need to dump my hands in paint or soil or beads or something — and surround myself with color as evident by my hot pink nails. I knew I was getting stressed out, because I played lots of instrumental frou-frou music and watched animated movies as much as possible. Now, there’s been some studies on cartoons and how they’re bad for you, just like there has been studies about television and cigarettes, and too much of anything is obviously harmful. But, as someone who doesn’t watch TV, on occasion having happy, bouncy characters dance across the screen in the background is quite relaxing when your insides are churning.

Anyway… That’s been my week. Everything’s been delivered. Lots of wheels in motion. And I’m *thrilled* I can relax a bit, because business is healthy for me. Also on my mind has been my interaction with other writers and editors lately. Many people are heavily focused on promoting books (which is different from selling, mind you) so they tap into the latest and greatest marketing-related idea. This is a natural occurrence and something I tend to ignore until it gets in my face. Remember, I’ve spent many years learning everything I can about aspects of the business, working in many corners with volumes of data, primarily so I wouldn’t do that and make better decisions for myself about which publishers I want to work with.

This is why I’m not keen on taking up the call whenever somebody says YOU MUST DO THIS OR ELSE. As a consultant, my job isn’t to demand my clients to do anything, but to present options and ask questions. This is what I do for myself as well. A lot of it has to do with a very simple fact: in order to publicize, you need an audience to promote to, and you get audience through content, and connecting to the readers who are vested in what you create. I know where many of my readers are and how they connect with me. But (and this is the most important concept here) what works for Stephen King isn’t going to work for me. So, if King said: “Every author should…” because he did something amazing that worked for him either now or a decade ago? Sure, I’ll take a peek at what he said, but I’m not going to drop everything to go do that.

I’m seeing how the need to promote constantly is affecting people. Besides ruffling feathers, it comes across as desperation if all you do is say: “HEY I HAVE THIS CRAP OVER HERE YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO.” Now, this doesn’t happen all the time, because often this depends upon the strength of your existing audience and, sadly, how much time you spend online. The more you’re on the internet, the more stressed you’ll be — if you aren’t grounded in the real world. Somebody famous… Say… Like King… Can get away with that sort of PR thing. But, chances are you won’t if your readership is a fraction of his, because there’s less forgiveness among readers and, more importantly, peers. The flip side to that, of course, is temporary fame. And hey, if that works for you? Brilliant!

There’s a lot of people who I adore for who they are, but I can’t stand them online or wouldn’t work with them. I take a pragmatic approach for the simple reason that I won’t ever focus solely on heavy amounts of promotion. It’s not a good long-term solution and a huge time sink. I care about working with great publishers, developing readership, and creating high-quality content that people will want to consume. That means I need to have a good relationship with a publisher (or retailer) who has a better reach than I might just through selling on my website, and I have to plan a release schedule either for myself or with someone else. It’s not the reach I have via traffic, it’s whether or not people will take action after responding to my work — like many did with The Queen of Crows, which is just a small taste of what’s to come.

All of this heavy attention to online marketing via social media is really sad to me, because it’s happening ad hoc and is not the only way to promote or sell books. Publicity is secondary to the work — especially if you don’t know who your audience is. PR feeds on itself and word will spread if you have people who care and don’t feel obligated to help. Believe me, I’ve seen the referrals that happen secondarily to when someone famous Tweets — it’s not as powerful as you might think. You still need people to care about your work, not just you. I know everybody’s talking about platform, but this is just one way to generate interest. It’s not the only way. What are you creating? Don’t you want readers who care about your art?

Word of mouth, because of the time and uncertainty involved, has traditionally been the last PR stand, not the go-to method. Worse, when it doesn’t work? Or you’re broke? Well, you resort to desperation because you think that over-sharing is how you get readers — because if Stephen King can do it, then you can, too. This will pass. It’s happening now because of the saturation of content, but it’ll become less effective the more changes we encounter online and, more importantly, the more people rely on this tactic, too.

For myself, I’m going to keep writing, keep making art, keep building relationships, keep doing my thing.

    Mood: 80s synthesizer nostalgia
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Um… I need to get some. More. LOTS MORE.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Blargh
    In My Ears: Livin’ On A Prayer
    Game Last Played: Castle Panic with the Wizard’s Tower Expansion
    Movie Last Viewed: Atlantis
    Latest Artistic Project: Contest design (In progress)
    Latest Release: “The Button” We Are Dust anthology

An Update on Working with Dork Storm Press

For the past couple of months, I’ve been working as a freelance consultant with John Kovalic, the cartoonist, illustrator, game designer and writer behind Dork Tower, Dr. Blink, Apples to Apples, and Munchkin. In July, I announced that I was working behind-the-scenes with Dork Storm Press, but wasn’t ready to share with you what that role entails. Well, today I am.

Since John is a high profile individual within geek and gaming circles, I felt that it was in both of our best interests to take things slow. Fortunately, we both share the same business philosophy which has really helped our discussions. Those conversations began with a series of questions designed to make John think about what he wanted out of his career. After the first couple of meetings, it was clear to both of us that he had outgrown his modus operandi and he needed someone to help him shape both his short-term and his long-term goals.

As John’s consultant, I’m not telling him what to do or cracking a ruler over his knuckles, I’m providing him with choices. At first, these options were to help him create a loose infrastructure for his business that fit both his original and contracted works. Now? I’m happy to report we’ve gotten the bare bones of processes and roles down that will accommodate the growth of his business along with developing a new web presence.

My role may adapt to fit the business as it grows, but right now I continue to fill the shoes of freelance consultant as his partner on the business-facing side. E Sophia will be managing the Army of Dorkness (which is what we call the fans of John’s artwork) where she’ll employ her endless enthusiasm to have fun with fans, run contests, etc. We are also exploring a mentoring opportunity for her, too, that John and I both hopes will be the first of many such opportunities.

There is a lot of Dork Storm Press-related news in the works and a lot more planned — but we’re tackling the new website first. I can’t wait to share with you what that will look like when it’s all said and done.

Until next time… Or better yet? Go read Dork Tower.

๐Ÿ™‚




Monica Valentinelli >

Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

Archives

Back to Top