Dev Log #19: StoryGuider and Mystery Snacks status
Check out the latest on the TTRPGkids works in progress to stay up to date on upcoming releases! This Dev Log will cover status for the ongoing StoryGuider and Mystery Snacks projects by TTRPGkids!
Check out the previous update, Dev Log #18, here!
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StoryGuider: Surveys, Heroes, and Friends!
StoryGuider is still moving along since the last update, and the artist for the Dragons series, Soren Leigh, completed the illustrations for Sandy early! One of my favorites is for a new stories that I’m writing (not in proto release like the others) that gets a bit meta:
I’m really excited to see how Soren’s been interpreting Sandy and friends, and it’s been nice getting to work on some of the new stories as well. I’ve learned quite a bit since writing the original series, and I was able to bring that to these new adventures to help round out the final few tales that our dragon friends will go on.
I’ve also gotten the surveys going!
Smoke test surveys should be going out to a few backers today or tomorrow (pending a final approval from Backerkit) with the rest probably going out Friday once I have enough data from the smoke test not showing major problems. Please make sure to fill it out, as it will help me to fulfill your order ASAP as chunks of the project are completed!
And there’s been progress on the Friends series!
Layout for the Heroes (12 books) and Friends (12 books) is complete and in the queue/process for proof printing. I’ll keep you updated on when the proofs arrive and the condition they’re in; if they ALL come in OK, we should be good to get codes for physical copies out to you in about a month!
If the proofs have any errors, I’ll need to correct them and order another round, but I will let you know if that happens AND you will be getting the digital versions in the meantime (est by end of next month).
To give you the whole scope for the project, here’s the timeline!
COMPLETED:
- Oct – campaign funds released from Backerkit
- Oct – send contracts for funded art to artists
- Oct – draft the Tome Traveller Trilogy (part of the Heroes series)
- Oct → Nov – collect first round of art from early artist kick-offs (from itchio and ko-fi prefunds)
- Nov – artists working on Heroes series
- Nov/Dec – finish writing the new Dragon series adventures
- Nov → Jan – reformat the Heroes series
- Jan – Heroes series art due
- Jan – order Heroes series proofs (round 1)
- Jan – artists working on Friends series
- Feb – Friends series art due
- Feb – Heroes series proofs arrive, review, update (round 1)
- Jan – Mar – reformat the Friends series
- Jan – Apr – artists working on Dragon series
- Apr – Dragon series art due (finished early!)
NEXT STEPS:
- Mar – order Friends series proofs (round 1)
- Mar – order Heroes series proofs (round 1.5)
- Mar – send backer surveys
- Apr – set up digial pages for Friends and Heroes series
- Apr – fulfill digital print-and-play for Friends and Heroes series
- Apr – May – reformat the Dragon series
- Apr – May – Friends series proofs arrive, review, update (round 1)
- Apr – May – Heroes series proofs arrive, review, update (round 1.5)
- May – if no issues, distribute POD keys for Friends and Heroes series
- May – start weekly releases of a la carte trilogies for public on DTRPG
- May – Jun – order Dragons series and coloring book proofs (round 1)
- Jun – fulfill digital print-and-play for Dragon series
- Jul – Dragon series proofs arrive, review, update (round 1)
- Jul – if no issues, distribute POD keys for Dragon series and coloring book
Mystery Snacks: Project Kick Off and Pre-Order Store
Mystery Snacks work has been kicked off and is on track!
I’ve set up the pre-order store and sent style guides/adventure requirements to all of the stretch goal writers while also confirming that they were still able to meet the 1st draft deadline in May.
Style guides and other resources are an important part of bringing other folks onto a project, and not every project that I’ve been on has provided this, so I did want to take a moment to just mention for anyone that’s reading this to learn how to run a project. PLEASE make style guides and templates for your writers! It saves SO MUCH time for everyone involved due to not having to revise things a billion times, and it ends up with a better product since you have clear communication and alignment between different pieces.
When I hire folks to work on my projects, I also give them a clear timeline with a clause in the contract that gives writers an extension if I’m late on my feedback. I also state the maximum number of revisions with a cut off date so the project doesn’t end up in editing limbo.
This all goes out and needs to be signed by both of us (writer + me) BEFORE I announce someone as part of the project. It sets clear expectations for everyone and holds me accountable to the writing team too. Then, after the project funds, I check in again to make sure we’re still on the same page, just in case someone has had a life event that would take priority so we can talk about it and see how to move forward.
For Mystery Snacks, everyone was still good on the timeline, so there’s no delays anticipated, but I wanted to walk through this process because some folks do read these dev logs to learn how to run their own projects. Having contracts up front with clear deadlines and limits on edits, then checking in like this protects and respects writers AND gives you a much better handle on your project timelines so it’s less likely to delay.
For timelines for you too… I’ll be updating the project steps for Mystery Snacks just like I am for StoryGuider!
COMPLETED:
- Feb – fund project
- Mar – kick off guest writers (send guidelines, formatting + style guide)
- Mar – set up pre-order store
NEXT STEPS:
- Apr – guest writer check in
- May – guest writer 1st drafts due
- May – review 1st drafts
- June – kick off layout artist
- June – kick off guest writer 2nd drafts
- June – guest writer 2nd draft due
- July – final layout due
- July – order proof (round 1)
- Aug – proofs arrive, check, review update (round 1)
- Aug – order proof (round 2)
- Sep – proofs arrive, check, review update (round 2)
- Sep – order bulk
- Oct – bulk order arrives
- Oct – ship to fulfill project
Thank you for checking out this update and just kind of being interested in what TTRPGkids is doing! I hope it helps with seeing some of the self-pub, crowdfunding, and blog writing process for anyone who is thinking of getting into that themselves, and…
Until next time, happy gaming!
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