Yup I am almost ready to launch the kickstarter to the next part of the story. Right now I am building up all the rewards (which if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them) as well as the graphics and the video. I am really excited about this book in the series and I am already scripting out book 5.

Thanks again for being part of this incredible tale.

Keep creating

trav

Now what’s this about Pre-ordering the book

We will be mailing these books right after the kickstarter reward go out. This means you should also get these books before christmas. Also books with the maps are going fast- I have a very limited amount.

Your support for this project has been amazing and very humbling. I am very touched by everyone’s willingness to be a part of my worlds.

Please take a moment and share this adventure. Every bit of sharing helps make this project shine and introduces others into the wonderful world of one’s imagination.

Thank you again and remember to keep creating, keep dreaming and keep believing

trav-

hi all – just back from wondercon- it was a good show- more on that later… once i get settled in- Right now its the last day (meaning monday and part of tuesday  if you want to be a part of my new book- Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone.  Just click the picture to check it out.

Hello my young adventurers. As many of you know I am working on a new book. Don’t worry I am still working on the bean as well and it will update as it needs to. I just have other stories that are waiting to be told and now is the time to tell it as well.  This adventure is for all the young of heart. Those that dream and are not afraid of the powerful gift that is our imagination.  It is a project that started out as a print many many years ago and I am finally ready to tell it’s story.

It’s about a boy named Tanner Jones and his adventure to find the Monkey Stone. Something he just cant do alone so he enlist the help of the greatest treasure hunters around. The pirate bears of the Scrawny Duck. It’s a journey to an uncharted isle, full of mystery danger, but most of all just pure fun and the importance of following one’s dreams.

 My vision is a 60 page full color book and I printing 2000 books to start.  It’s been a wild journey almost ten years in the making. Thanks to kickstarter this dream is becoming a reality. One that is happening in a way I never thought possible. To make it even more exciting I’m adding some pretty awesome rewards and stretch goals.

So come join the crew and the adventure. I would love to have you and lets see where this adventure takes us. Remember to keep creating and always playing in your imagination.

trav

]]> https://www.beanleafpress.com/shop-talk-the-power-of-webcomics-for-indys/ Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:01:41 +0000 http://www.beanleafpress.com/?p=3867

Shop Talk: The power of Webcomics and why stores, publishing companies, hobbyist and the old indy publishing model doesn’t get it yet.

This last year has been quite an eye opener for me. These last two years have really been a break out for indy/webcomics. Many of these creators have found how to make their stories a good income source and some cases a permanent income source. Being one of them I have found how vital it is for the print and web industries to work together. They need each other.

Creators of outstanding stories need to be paid for their efforts. Yet the distribution for independents is facing some uphill battles. Diamond is no longer friendly to them and most comic stores stock the top 4 or 5 publishers in this order Marvel/DC, Image, Dark horse, Archaia Entertainment (which i love), and then well known independents, minor independents (only about 3 to 5% on the list if that) and then well you get it. Indy’s are not high the list. Plus all the indy distributors are drying up. Does this mean that your books won’t get into a store- not always- but it is the biggest uphill battle you have to face. Plus the return on your work is low… So really what is the motivation for an indy publisher these days. Well it might surprise you.

Several indy creators have found a way to carve out a nitch in the industry. We have found a way to bring in income as well and we all for the most part have the same mind frame on how to make it work. Yet it goes against the grain and very slowly an industry that refuses to change in way of doing business is starting to take notice. Yet, I am not writing this for the industry, I am writing this for the indy’s, with hopes that you to can make your dreams of being a story creator become a reality.

So let’s talk shop.

As an artist, I need to make a living. It is what I do. There are peaks and valleys in my career. I have to constantly promote and many times listen to the negative feedback that seems to stalk artist about our goals being unrealistic. Yet it all boils down to 2 things.

First- Dont tell me how bad you want it, show me.

Second- This is a career not a hobby. For the most part webcomic-hobbyist disappear after a few years. Those that treat it like a job – stick around.

With that being said how do I make my comic into a webcomic that generates income, builds my artistic career, and fulfills the needs of my fans.

1. Give it away for free online. What? Give it a way for free are you nuts? How does one make money when you are giving it away for free online so everyone can read it? Simple…. You are building an audience. Most indy’s don’t have audiences, except their friends and families. Honest fact.  So if no one knows your story exists, how can they buy it when it comes out in print?

The power of giving your story away for free helps you on many fronts. The first is audience growth. You jump from being just a small local story teller to an international story teller. If the work is clean, the story good, and updates consistent people keep coming back. They become attached to your world and many want you to succeed that when you do print books and create digital books they support them.

Next it gives people a reason to remember you, especially in-between issues. The longer the wait in between books the quicker people forget you exist, no matter how good the story is. Regular updates help keep people invested in what you are creating and motivates you to keep producing-

The big companies are starting to offer online- but a lot of them charge. That’s fine. I will still offer my tale for free, because I want more and more people to become familiar with my story and my art.

2. The power of community. For the most part the webcomic community is pretty open. In fact several of the successful creators are always willing to give advice. Jason Brubaker of remind has created and entire site dedicated to making webcomics and comics. The web comic is also very supportive of one another. We plug each others comics, yet this is usually by taste. DONT BE PUSHY- if someone doesn’t plug you it might be because we are also picky. I plug webcomics I read, yet I am a stickler for story and good illustrations.

Be willing to plug others as well, without expecting anything in return. It’s get’s noticed. Those that expect things find out that people avoid them.

We also all are trying to tell our own stories. Each different and unique. This creates a common bond, as we all try to be successful in our story telling. Be respectful of this the web can be rather harsh at times as people push their own agendas.

There is also many creators who have created tutorials or blogs and how to make it work. You just have to find them and read them. I already linked to a great set of resources with Jason.

Stay away from comparing. Everyone is at their own spot in the game and sometimes the biggest killer of a webcomic is the creator itself. You got to focus on your own game not someone else. Let other creators inspire you to improve yourself and then apply what you learn, but keep it your own style and creation.

3. Patience- Your audience will show up. You just have to put the time in to make it happen. Like planting a garden, the fruit of the labor does not happen overnight. It takes time. Audiences start small. Yet there are many ways to plug your work. You need to be consistent with your updates and art. Don’t disappear or be unreliable, that kills the audience quick. Sometimes it can take several years before your audience grows and you start generating income. Stick it out.

4. Print still sells- Print books will never go away. In fact the web and print work very well together. Yet you can just throw in out on a whim – you need to build up your audience. Once your audience has grown, it might be time to print. The cool thing is many indy’s no longer use stores and distributors. We build our own stores and sell from there, we are cutting out distributors and sales are direct. It gives me a chance to offer a store a bigger cut, if they want to carry it, but as the web audience grows, you find that you dont have to be in a small comic shop. Plus there are other ways to get into bigger stores.

Just be careful about jumping the gun. Establish your comic and your audience first. Build up the page count and pull from there and add tidbits here and there.

Yet you still have to print the books. Hence the power of kickstarter. The key to success with kickstarter is the importance of building an audience and having a good looking product. (ok there is more but you have to read about it in my kickstarter topic here).

5. You still have to push your comic- Once you have to comics- you head to cons. Start small. Once again we see the importance of building up an audience. People find you though, especially fans. It is quite cool when people you have never met in a city come up to you and say they have been following you for year and want to support you. Just make sure when you come back the next year you have something new for them. The killer of most small press is they are a one book press… This is solved if you are doing a web comic and can keep producing books.

Is it fool proof…. no. It’s constantly evolving and changing. We need to adapt and honestly it is those creators that can adapt that survive. Patience, and the drive to figure things out. Yet that’s what makes webcomics a possible realistic source of income. You just got to put the effort into your own work.

Is it easy… no. Will you get frustrated… yes. Will you almost quit…possibly. Yet in the end, if you are willing to put the effort in and are willing to show people that you want it bad enough – you will make it happen. Things only look better for webcomics, especially with more and more support options out there to help with getting the word out. You will might be pleasantly surprised.

There is so much more to this. I plan to go into it as well because I want to see others succeed. I believe in the webcomic/kickstarter model. I am product of it working. I think now is the time for more great stories to get out there, just be true to work and your updating schedule. Treat it like a job and in time (no destination given cause we are all different) and it will eventually become one.

Are webcomics good for the industry- you bet they are… in fact they are breathing new life to a broken model already in place. They bring in new readers to comics and help reach audiences that normally would never know that your work exist.

So there is life for the indy’s. You can survive the comic industry and still make a dent as indy. You can still get your story out there and sell your books. You just get creative , go against the grain and not be afraid to offer your comic for free.

Keep creating-

trav

Understanding Kickstarter and why small press thrives off it (especially webcomics)

I want to talk about Kickstarter. Why I am for it and how people can make it work for them… I realize that a lot of you might not know me or my comic. You probably wondering where I get off talking about Kickstarter and why I think it is fantastic for the industry or how to make it work.

My name is Travis Hanson. I am a fantasy illustrator. I write and illustrate a webcomic called Bean, which was nominated for an Eisner in 2011, it is a black and white epic fantasy tale of a dishwasher. I also do fantasy illustrations that focus on the power of imagination. I have been at it  for 15 years. Now, what does that have to do with Kickstarter? Well, in the last two years I have put together three successful Kickstarter campaigns for the bean and now I have finished successfully my 4th campaign, which reached it’s target goal in 4 days of 11k.

Since then I have been asked how it works and have people suggest that they need to do a kickstarter. I am excited for them- but at the same time I caution them. Kickstarter is a rough exciting road. So be prepared for the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. Also it can be a successful way to get projects off the ground and if you use it the right way it creates many opportunities for creators that were not always there.

So how does a small press, unknown, indy creator, like myself be able to make Kickstarter work? Why do we thrive off of it?

Well that is because I understand what Kickstarter really is. It is a funding platform for creators who want control over their work. Anyone, who has a creative project dealing with the arts, can use it and it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you follow their guidelines. They encourage you to do as many projects as you want… yet you can only do one at a time…. which is cool. So with the understanding of what Kickstarter really is, it’s hard for me to get upset at the movies, big games or big names that want to use it as well to fund their ideas. Kickstarter  allows creators to connect with their fans in a way that was not present before, produce work they want full control over and hold creator responsible to finish his plan if the project funds.  This is understanding is crucial to making this platform work. It is important to note, Kickstarter is not a publishing house, distribution center or marketing firm. That is the sole responsibility of the creator. It’s your idea so you need to take ownership of it.

A fan, or pledge, chooses for themselves if they will back a project or not. There is no force and if you don’t like a certain project, for whatever reason, than you don’t have to back it. That means if people want to support indy guys, like me, and small press, or maybe their favorite artist they can find us and back us. Honestly I can’t blame the million dollar campaigns because they have an established fan base… all I can do is find a way to make Kickstarter work best for me.

As a funding platform Kickstarter has  made it possible for creative people to get their works out there and give their dreams a start. Not all projects will fund and most reasons for this  deal with rushing the project out there without preparing on how you the creator will market it to your fan base. Especially if you don’t have one from the beginning.  Some projects catch fire and shoot the moon and some, like mine and many others just make our goals and allows us to continue to follow our dreams. There are people uncomfortable with this work model. Established artists and designers that are afraid that the market will be flooded with subpar work, maybe the true fear is they are afraid their own fan base will diminish. I doubt it. In fact I have found that some incredible work is being produced and that I am finding a lot of hidden talent that needs to be noticed, that would have otherwise not been,  through the world of Kickstarter. The world is changing on how ideas are be found, be willing to change with it. This is not print on demand, this is about funding a project, which takes a huge burden off creators.

So in reality I am writing this for the indy creator, the one that has a dream and wants to see that dream become a reality. I hope that you take to heart what I say. It could probably save you some time and money and a little heartache. I hope you realize that all Kickstarter is is a way to crowd fund your books, music or other art projects, effectively taking off the burden of having to have funds to do something.  The catch is that you still have to do all the rest of the work involved in seeing it to completion, which can be a lot of hard work, but in the end so worth it…  Now if your planning one, here are some guidelines that have worked for me. Mind you there’s a lot more to talk about and we can chat all day long.

1. READ and LEARN all about Kickstarter. A lot of people talk about this crowd funding platform and have no idea how it works. Kickstarter has a very easy question and answer system.  They lay it all out there and remind you it’s an all or nothing platform. You either make the goal or not.

2. Plan it out. Don’t just jump into it thinking your idea is so fantastic, that people are going to leap at the chance to fund you. This is why people fail. They jump in without preparing. They have no fan base, or trust that social media will do the job. It helps, but you can’t rely on it. FB alone will only allow about 7% of your following to see your posts. When I did my first Kickstarter the book was nearly finished, and it had been online as a webcomic for almost two years before I even considered crowd funding. I planed it out from the beginning and made sure that I could deliver what I promised.

Creating the fan base was crucial. The webcomic allowed for that, as well as going to cons, and constantly posting art. People knew it was coming and were on the look out. At the end in my questionnaire I asked if they would be willing to support another one and 98% said yes. So in 8 months when we did 2nd one and I prepared it just like the first one. If you want to have a successful Kickstarter make sure you are prepared, I cannot stress this enough.

Webcomic creators get this. We know the audience builds over time and if you look a lot of very successful Kickstarters were webcomics. We also know that our audience can be fiercely loyal, when we are loyal to them. Something small press needs to get through their heads and that our audience is world wide. We would love to be in stores, but at the same time are figuring out our fans do not mind buying direct. The game is rapidly changing.

Understand your audience… some audiences have a very narrow appeal, while others have mass appeal. Zombie eating cheerleaders work well for some but probably don’t work for people wanting a book for their 4 year old. NSFW material narrows the field a bit and some stuff is so far out there that people just cant connect to it. So, figure your audience out and market to them.

3. Make it look presentable. Take time in the design. Be upfront and make the updates worth it. Look at other successful Kickstarters and see what they did to make the goal. Look at their layout on their pages. They took the time to make it visually appealing. I back projects that take the effort to make it look nice, interesting and clean.  Make it clear on your dates and make sure you are upfront about everything that involves this project. Your fans and pledges are supporting this and want to feel that they are apart of it as well. Be open about struggles and timetable. For an indy the more info you give, the more people are likely to support you.

4. Make a realistic goal. If you can get your book printed for 5k and shipped for another 1.5 k than ask for 8k (covers the Fees you pay as well) and not for 30k. This is to fund your project not a lifestyle. If you make your goal that is awesome, if you blow it out of the water that is fantastic. Only look at stretch goals once you achieved your initial goal. Seriously, don’t get greedy when you plan it out. If it goes viral that is an added bonus… but look at funding your project first.

5. Honesty- It’s all about honesty…. Your pledges come first. Not second after you get it into book stores. Your backers are the most important thing about your project. One of the reasons I have had four good projects fund, is because I am upfront and my backers know they will always be first. They also know that I personalize the rewards for them, I want them to have an incredible experience.  I understand they are taking a risk and so I make sure I honor that risk.

6. Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster and if it doesn’t fund how to get back up and try again. It’s one wild ride and not all projects fund, so be ready for it.  If it doesn’t fund reevaluate it, how do I tweak the idea to make it marketable and better, refocus the presentation or fix the reward system. Just because it does not fund, dose not mean it is a bad idea. It means it just needs to be reworked.

7. Remember – Kickstarter is a platform for crowd funding art projects. It’s not a publisher, not a warehouse, not a production house, not a marketing firm,  it is just a platform. You are all of those. You are using Kickstarter to see if there is enough support to help get an idea off the ground and take the burden of production costs.

8. You are the marketer. Blog it, Share it, Tweet it… you are the one responsible to letting people know that it is out there. You will be up against a lot of of projects trying to do the same thing. Enjoy their success and support them. Supporting others is good karma and don’t beg for successful projects to promote yours while theirs is still going. They are focuses on trying to make theirs work. Ask them after theirs is done to promote yours. You are the one at the end of the day that will push you project. If you find champions, they will help. Also if your project is appealing enough, it begins to push itself.

Kickstarter is a great program. It really does give small press, indys, creators, pros, a chance to follow their own ideas and see their own dreams and stories to completion. It opens doors and makes creates artistic freedom and ownership to those designers that feel that it has been taken away from them or that might not have ever had the opportunity to succeed before.

It’s not for everyone. It scares some people and companies, so they try to discredit it. Yet it also empowers and like I said before I have found some of the most incredible stories, incredible projects, and incredible dreams being accomplished through this platform. Not by seasoned pros but small press and indy/webcomic creators. Some great projects are out there. I would encourage you to search through them. Find ones you like, find new talent out there waiting to be discovered and most importantly support them.

Sure big name artists and companies will be there, but  if you look a little you will find what really makes Kickstarter special and will be pleasantly surprised.

Keep creating.
trav

To see my finished kickstarter project go to TRAVIS ADVENTURE KICKSTARTER PROJECT!

as we hit the goal, I found that in my heart the true stretch goal needed to be about the number of books that were to be sent out. It’s the message I want people to experience. That message that the gift of imagination is one of the most precious gifts we have. I want people to realize that, and then revisit it. That’s it ok for adults to enjoy the magic they once knew and use it for their benefit.

So my goal is to be able to draw in a 1000 books when this all over. That means a 1000 people on the list, we are at 307 adventurers.  I think if that happens well hit the coloring book goal without a problem.

All I am asking is to spread the word- to share the dream and help others either rekindle the magic or just reinforce the magic. Come find the dreamers, the lovers, and come hang out with me….

If you want to get an artbook- come pledge and secure your spot by clicking here!

here are some images from inside the book

So there has been rumblings, and they are true. I have a decided to put together a couple of artbooks. I have enough prints to do it, so it will not cut into the Bean, though Bean 4 should start this fall. Yet what kind of art book will be. Well for one, I want it to be fun. I don’t want it to be a standard sketch book, so I am going to take a different approach to it. The piece you see above is a sample page. My goal, was to a create a book that represents all my horizontal prints and at the same time use it to inspire others to dream, to create and in my opinion – just enjoy what life has to offer.

There is no way I can fund it myself, so I going to kickstart it as well. This should happen in Mar. I am looking at the book being about 68 to 72 pages. It will be full color, a very limited run, depending on the kickstarter pledge rewards,  and I will throw a bunch of sketches in the back of the book.  I am still working all the details out, especially the reward systems – though I think one of the tiers will involve custom pencil work.

Keep your eyes peeled and look for more info to come in the next few weeks. I’ll post a few pages here and there and another video or two. I can’t do it without you, your support makes all this happen and I thank you for that.

Keep creating

trav

That’s right only 10 days left to back the Bean Vol 3.  If you back this project you get all sorts of cool benefits — like your name in the back of the book and a free sketch in the front of every printed book. There are also other perks to backing the bean. 8 pages of new story, plus the higher the pledge the more goodies you get, including maps, artwork and even you as a character in book 4. Once again thanks to everyone that supports the bean and other great independent art projects.

Today’s comic update and other Bean news:

One of the questions I have, is how does a little dragon get a castle? I am working  pretty hard on finishing book 3 I have about 12 pages left to draw and ink and I am now drawing one of my favorite characters of the story. I’ve waited a long time to draw her, so I can’t wait to introduce her to you all.

well keep creating

travis

So where are the spot arts? I am sorry. I have so much on the plate right now that I am working on them but i have to finish several projects first.

My main goal is now working on the additional 8 pages to the book and the cover art. I will be posting the cover art very soon. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have the b/w artwork done.

I also have 16 pages left to draw- and several spots for the book. Once the cover art is competed I will start working on the maps. I am really excited about the maps and look forward to finishing those as well.

Thanks again for all the incredible support that has been given to us, in helping us get the books out. You have become actually part of the project and your support drives me to push harder. On a side note- I am also starting the script to vol 4 this week.

So remember time is running out , if you want to be part of this-

It’s a good day for the Bean

keep creating

trav-

Well I now have 8 pages to add to book 3.  I am looking forward to it. I am really excited. Our next stretch goal will be a new book- though i am thinking of adding one at the 15,000 mark.

Thanks again for helping get the word out and supporting this tale. The more support means the more I can do with it.

Also It’s good to see bean again. I tell you the book format is soooo much better to enjoy. Updates dont seem as long.

Time is running out on the kickstarter project!

Added a new update at our kickstarter project. Big artwork update there as well just click the graphic to go check it out. Plus we are moving towards our 10000 mark. That means 8 extra pages for everyone. Tell your friends.

Ok now that that is out of the way I am also posting new print artwork as well. I am doing several new imagination prints that 18×24. I help you enjoy them- I have had fun doing them. Just click on the trav’s imagination category to see them all.

keep creating

trav