March 2022 - Newsletter
Hello! And welcome to The Dragon Story’s first ever newsletter. There is a lot going on this year and thought it would be wise to help keep everyone up to speed on the progress of this project as well as keep people informed of important dates that are coming up.
Key decision
The biggest update for me was deciding to go all in on this next Kickstarter, and make it about the book AND the app at the same time. If you have been following along with my progress, I tried to run a Kickstarter just to raise money for an app version of my art book, but it didn’t fund. It forced me to step back and really look at what I can improve on, what worked and what didn’t, and what I really want to accomplish with my time. Then based on some feedback, and much thought, I knew I needed to pursue my FULL vision of what I think books could be.
Focus on the Core storyline
Welcome to Hallador was a test run, it helped me see how Kickstarter works, how to plan for it, and how to use it efficiently. It was designed to help me dip my feet in the publishing waters. I learned a lot. So naturally I thought I should do the same for the app, which is why I tried the second Kickstarter, but apps are a bit of a different beast. But more importantly, I realized I was spending a lot of time on the “Prologue”, and I realized what you all really want is the story, my main characters, the conflict the adventure. That is what I’m excited about! This project is more than just dragons and fantasy worlds, this project is about character, challenges, conflicts disappointments, success, discoveries, failure… hope.
Upcoming Kickstarter
I decided, this next Kickstarter, “Journey into the Valley of Myrr”, Volume 1 of The Dragon Story, must be the coolest book you have ever seen, and part of that coolness comes with the companion app that is designed to let readers explore the fantasy world. I knew I had to go for the gold with Volume 1 and include the App as part of the project plan.
Planning phase
So I stepped back, and started planning the first 3 – 5 chapters, with the goal in mind to release a free app of those sample chapters to help show the world what my vision for adventure and reading can be. Then I planned some more, then some more, and thought wow, this concept of immersive media publishing is sooooo much work. But it will be soooo worth it. You’ll see. I’m really close to jumping into production, and I’ll send out more updates when production begins.
Upcoming dates
My target launch date for the next Kickstarter is August, but there is still a lot I need to figure out, so stay tuned for more updates.
Thank you all!
Onward and Upward!