Calling for Year-End Reports and New Year's Resolutions

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm working on notes for my year-end reports as well as for my 2012 plans and goals.  I'd like to invite other folks to share theirs too.

Creators:  Did you host a crowdfunding project during 2011?  If so, please consider posting a year-end report about what you did and how well it worked for you, along with any major news in project development.

Do you have plans for a new project in 2012, or expansions and refinements in a current project?  Share your creative goals here too.

Patrons and fans:  What crowdfunding project(s) did you support during 2011?  Are you looking for anything new in 2012?  Maybe someone else is thinking along similar lines.

Everyone:  What do you think about this community?  How well is it meeting your needs?  Are there things you'd like to see more or less of here?  Let us know what the crowdfunding community does for you.

Comments

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

*goes back and re-reads your last post*

Maybe it would help if you included more of the creative side, rather than talking about nothing but money and materials. I can't even tell if the cards you're planning would use photos, or paintings, or vector art, or consist only of a typed quote, or what else. It'd be easier to get interested in a project of yours if there were samples of your work available. Also, would there be anything like prompts, polls, or other input from people regarding what motives (or whatever) you create?

I'm more interested in postcards, personally.

[swirvel42.livejournal.com]

I had not even thought about that.

The images would be mostly pen and ink, with a range of subject matter. Some might be vector or photoshop art.

I was considering doing polls to determine which image would be the next crowdfunded project. I would also be open to other input. Maybe a poll to pick a theme, and then another poll to pick which would be the final piece?

It's all still a sort of rough idea, as this is my first project. I honestly didn't mean for it to come off entirely as talking about money, I just wasn't sure what to say.

I guess I'll put together a more comprehensive post once I've thought about it some more.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>The images would be mostly pen and ink, with a range of subject matter. Some might be vector or photoshop art.<<

That sounds interesting. I like pen and ink.

>> I was considering doing polls to determine which image would be the next crowdfunded project. I would also be open to other input. Maybe a poll to pick a theme, and then another poll to pick which would be the final piece? <<

Theme and then final piece would be a good approach to try. Maybe let everyone vote on the theme, but limit the final poll to people who already participated or donated?

>> It's all still a sort of rough idea, as this is my first project. I honestly didn't mean for it to come off entirely as talking about money, I just wasn't sure what to say. <<

It can be hard to figure out where to start, especially for a first project. Sometimes it helps to think out loud, jot down what ideas you have so far, and ask what could be added or what people are unclear about. That may fill in gaps as you go along.

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

Might be a matter of contrast, as ysabet said. The projects I think of as prominent here - fishbowls and icon days and sketch days - rely on the audience to ask for what they want. :)

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

There are other models, and I've seen a lot of variation in the amount of audience interaction. I think some of our most vocal members are given to high levels of interaction.

Re: Thoughts

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

True. I've seen projects that were stuff like "this comic is done, but we need people to chip in for printing".

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>> Maybe it would help if you included more of the creative side, rather than talking about nothing but money and materials. I can't even tell if the cards you're planning would use photos, or paintings, or vector art, or consist only of a typed quote, or what else. <<

Yes, that's a good point. The more people know about a project, the easier it is to get a grasp of it, give feedback, and think about whether they'd like to follow it.

>> It'd be easier to get interested in a project of yours if there were samples of your work available. <<

Samples are often helpful -- even if they aren't directly connected to the new project, they can introduce the creator's ideas and style.