Venting is Good for the Soul
Typically, my article for the upcoming week is floating around in my brain, slowly forming into something slightly readable. This week, I have yet to get past the title and an unformed speck of an idea. It's not writer's block. My problem is I can't stop looking at our ToolCraft Kickstarter numbers, hoping they will move upward. Don't get me wrong. They are trending upward but at a snail's pace.
Our first Kickstarter for ToolCraft failed. It was our first ever Kickstarter, and I know most fail. But I felt so strongly about how great ToolCraft is I bullied Stephen into relaunching the campaign. This is how much I believe in it. We found some additional funding that allowed us to reduce the goal, which we were able to hit in the first 48 hours. Since then, we've seen a (very) slow increase daily, but we won't make even our first stretch goal. Yes, I know pledges dramatically slow down after the first few days. So, while I'm happy we hit our goal, I still find our overall numbers demoralizing.
After the 1st Kickstarter ended, we sent out a questionnaire asking what the backers liked or didn't like and asked for any constructive feedback they could give. We talked to people on our Discord and asked for people on all our social media sites. We received great feedback and put some of it into action. Has it helped? We're still determining. Based on the numbers we've been looking at, we gained ground in certain areas but lost in others, so we are right where we were with the first Kickstarter.
I understand that getting people interested in a product is a herculean task. The market for TTRPGs is flooded with all sorts of stuff. Everyone thinks their creations are incredible. Some are unique products by big and small creators alike. Others are garbage, with some people capitalizing on their name recognition or others making a money grab. Either way, everyone is doing it. That's one of the reasons we stopped putting our stuff on DMs Guild. Unless you're a big name, your product will get buried amongst the mountains of other items. (That and I don't want to give them half the proceeds from our work).
I want to scream from the mountaintops about our ToolCraft. Deep in my heart (yes, Stephen, I have one), I genuinely believe ToolCraft is a fantastic product everyone should own. It's that good. There are other systems for using Tools and Kits out there. In my opinion, none are as good as the one Stephen has made.
The next best system I've encountered was the Kibbles' Crafting System, and its Kickstarter raised $195,000. Kibbles Tasty puts out great products and has been doing so for years. I've read through the free PDFs and am willing to bet that his Compendium of Craft and Creation will be excellent. You get the Crafting system and two new character classes, spells, and additional items, more than ToolCraft is offering, but we are providing over 350+ recipes. However, when you look at the two crafting systems, the mechanics are very similar in many ways.
But here's the thing. Kibbles Tasty released his crafting system 3 years ago, sharing Alchemy, Blacksmithing, and Enchanting on Reddit.
Stephen put out the first tool crafting system 5 years ago, and every tool is accessible on our website.
Before you get all bent out of shape, I don't think he 'stole' his work, nor do I have any ill will towards him. I doubt he even knows we exist, but if he saw the Tools & Kits series, I hope he was inspired by Stephen's work. Like I said before, his products are great, and I respect his work. His system goes into more detail in some aspects, and who knows what the other tools will look like. Kibbles was wise to start his Kickstarter when he did, based on the response he got.
Did we miss the boat? Sure feels like it.
Was it a mistake for us to provide every tool for free? Nope.
Finally, remember the additional funding I mentioned earlier? It's my money, and I'm happy to use it for ToolCraft. That's how much I believe in this product. I've been putting aside money for years, waiting to find the right thing to spend it on. This is that thing. It's not enough to fund the book outright, and maybe we should have started with a lower goal for the 1st Kickstarter. Hindsight is always 20/20, but we thought the original goal would be met. No matter what, I keep reminding myself we are getting ToolCraft printed and out into the world so people can enjoy all it offers.
And that makes me smile.
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