Next HUGE Project & What It's Like to Run a Kickstarter
I'm having trouble containing my excitement about my next big project. This will be my second Kickstarter campaign, and hopefully, my second successful Kickstarter campaign! The Mercorgi Plush Kickstarter is coming soon, and I seriously cannot wait!!I know from putting together the Merpug KS that the road ahead of me is a long one. It's not just a matter of launching the project and sitting back. I started promoting the Merpug Kickstarter months in advance of the project being launched. Things get lost so quickly in this giant online universe, so I really wanted people to be aware of my Kickstarter's existence and launch date. When you're a small-fry, this is honestly a difficult task. I relied so much on friends, family, and my fellow artists to help get the word out. I am still so overwhelmed and thankful for everyone's help! I also posted about the project everywhere I could. I created a page on this website where people could sign up for an email notification right when the KS launched. That actually did very well; for the launch I created an "Early Bird Special" price for Merpug that sold out INSTANTLY. So, the project is launched and you just sit back and let things happen, right? NO. I worked at promoting that project at least four hours every single day for the entire 30-something days of that project. I've had so many people ask how my Kickstarter was successful, because unfortunately many of these projects fail. The honest truth is I just worked really hard and forced myself to stay optimistic. I contacted blogs, newspapers and magazines, and I was mostly ignored. But that didn't stop me! You just never know- even if they ignore you, there's always the possibility that someone at their company saw it and talked about it with a colleague or friend and that could lead to a pledge. I viewed every action as planting seeds. Running a Kickstarter also takes a different kind of strength- it is an emotional rollercoaster. You gain pledges, you lose pledges, people adjust their pledges- every new or lost pledge goes straight to your heart.Even though I know a lot of difficulties lay ahead of me, I am still so excited to move forward with this new plush project! I'm right at the starting line, and at this point feel like nothing can hold me back! :)
Mercorgi Timeline
Right now, I'm just starting out with getting a Mercorgi prototype made. The day after Tidewater Comicon, I sketched out this spec sheet:
As a plush artist, I know there are some really difficult elements to this design. The prototype sketch is just a starting point, because once seams come into play it becomes more about what's even possible to do. The details I'm interested in for Mercorgi are a 10 inch tall design, made of soft Minky fabric, embroidered eyes and tail, and a fabric nose. I'm very interested to see how the white details will translate in plush form. I imagine a lot of simplification will have to take place. I'm also interested in how they will stabilize the ears, since corgi ears are pretty big. It's funny, because most people think Merpug is a simple design. I know it's not, but that's only because I make plush toys. Mercorgi is even more intricate than Merpug. I can't wait to see how it goes!So for now, I'm working on Mercorgi Kickstarter artwork and putting the page together. So exciting!!! I also need to put together an email form for my website so anyone can sign up for Early Bird pricing. You can currently sign up here: Mercorgi Kickstarter Email Sign-up You'll receive an email about the Kickstarter launch before I publicly announce it, so you get first dibs on special pricing for the Mercorgi plush :)And that's where I'm at! And today is Friday! I hope everyone has a great weekend :)