Notes from the desk of the editor are offered in the interests of personal posterity and transparency for writers and other potential editors who wish to learn from my experience.
the editor
The News, in brief:
I put some hours into designing a kickstarter campaign page last weekend, and today (Sept. 8th 2024), I completed the page’s design and sent it to the KS team for approval.
I’ll post a link to the pre-launch page just as soon as I get it.
Stuff I needed to figure out to make this happen
- set the budget
- design the campaign page itself, selecting rewards and tiers that people would be interested in selecting in support of the project
- write the copy that we hope will convince people it’s worth their money to support this artistic endeavor
- determine the timing of the campaign amid other efforts
What is my budget?
I want the goal to be reasonable, but I also want to cover basic costs. Here’s what I calculated:
- Authors paid $25 apiece ($875)
- Interior design program (Vellum) I bought for my last Kickstarter publishing effort (Max in the Capital of Spies, funded early 2024) used for this project ($250); I’m not adding this cost into the goal.
- $165 paid out for a designer to modify a pre-designed cover to fit our needs
- Some 200 hours of editorial effort poured into the project; no cost added to goal since I worked without expectation of being paid.
- Printing and shipping costs costs are notoriously subject to fluctuation, but as of September 2024, I expect to pay $175 per case of 28 books shipped to my home office in Utah.
- I’ll need two cases for promotional purposes, so I’m adding this cost into the goal. ($350)
So I’m asking for $1390. This feels like… a lot. I hope we get a good response and buildup with followers of the pre-launch page prior to the campaign’s start in late January.
Page Design, Reward Tiers
The tiers are important. You want something at a very-low buy-in… around $5. You want every additional tier to include all the tiers below, more or less (unless the tier is special and different in an obvious way). You want people to be able to add on. Everything should be contributing to the value the backers get without adding massive costs for the campaigner (this means no t-shirts, no extra stuff other than books or digital rewards like video calls or in-person visits/lectures). I don’t want to promise anything that raises the cost I’m committing to paying in producing this book on its own.
Here are the names of the tiers and number of items included:
I figure I can also add value with copies of Dread Mondays long in advance of their pub date, since at this point, Costs of Living is already in test-printing phases and basically done and I know I’m developing that second collection in the next year as well. I’ll have it, so why not offer it as a value-add?
Sales Copy
Sales copy is what we’re talking about here. I have to make a value proposition. I want to appeal to people’s sense of interest in supporting the arts, but that can’t be all. I want them to know that we have put together what I believe is an award-worthy collection, and that they’ll emotionally connect with our stories of the suburbs, other people, and ourselves.
Did I do it right? At the very bottom of this post you’ll find all the text that I put into the initial draft I’ve completed. If you have suggestions, hit me with them in the comments or email me! Thanks in advance.
Determining the Timing of the Project
I aim to start the campaign in late January. It’ll last 21 days, a number I’ve read is a decent amount of time to avoid a serious lag in the middle of the campaign and for campaigner and supporters to be able to maintain a sense of urgency throughout.
I figure: this January/February window should give me a bit of time to gather input, send some arcs in hopes of blurbs we can put on the campaign page, and generally get my feet under me before we launch; it will give us sufficient time afterward to put the funds to use to get a few dozen ARC copies to send out prior to the publication date and to provide rewards to backers. So there you go. January. Probably January 31st (toward the end of Sundance, at which I hope to see every horror movie released).
THE SALES COPY in full
Book Blurb and Contributors
Unnerving, hilarious, grotesque, and emotionally gripping, this collection of social, psychological, and suburban horror expresses what disturbs us most about our experiences internally and interactions with the world around us—including with the HOA, our landlords, live-ins (human or otherwise), neighbors, or, in the end, our eternity with the undying ones. Costs of Living is an inclusive collection with stories from brand-new writers as well as old-hand award winners, including…
Summer Alexis, Beth Kette Anderson, Abby Andresen, Robert Bagnall, J.M. Bask, Melissa Bobe, Tiffany Michelle Brown, John Bukowski, Rob Francis, G. Gormley, Christina Griffith, Kay Hanifen, Tyler John Kasishke, Jordan King-Lacroix, Spencer Koelle, Andrew Kozma, C.R. Langille, Jon Lasser, Daniel Lumpkin, John Mahoney, Lena Ng, Gevera Bert Piedmont, Stephen S. Power, Nigel Quinlan, Jonathan Reddoch, Vanessa Reid, Michael Allen Rose, Jesse Rowell, J.D. Simpson, Katlina Sommerberg, Michael Subjack, Elizabeth Suggs, William Wandless, Sam Weller, Angela E. Zolner
Want to hear from the authors themselves? We are (and have been) publishing interviews with them throughout the pre-publishing period that began last September and will end this coming September 1st. Check out our youtube channel at @WhisperHousePress! Lend a follow, if you’re so inclined and want to help us keep making more spooky stuff.
A Horrifying Idea.
The suburbs are creepy. Other people can be creepy. Often, we are creepy enough on our own to give ourselves a deep sense of discomfort (or make us laugh at the absurdity of our own existence). The mundane aspects of our lives are weird and uncomfortable. Once I had the title, Costs of Living, I knew I had an idea other writers would feel in their bones, so to speak. Turns out I was right. I’m betting readers will feel it just the same.
Into Action.
I put out the call. I received some 300 submissions. I paid out the authors after sorting out their contracts. I edited the selections, designed the interior, and hired a cover design team. I involved the authors at every step of the way. I documented the progress. (Want to know more? Visit www.whisperhousepress.com for the “behind the scenes” posts detailing in open detail how I approached each phase of the project).
The outcome.
Not only was I onto something thinking that we could all come together about our feelings about the suburbs, other people, and ourselves, I’ve grown confident our work is of a high enough quality to garner the respect and recognition of any truly excellent collection. My contributing authors have (I am somewhat sheepish about saying this, but here it is) praised my communication, skill, and unwavering efforts over the last six months of project management and development. This is the work I have been built to do.
The Ask.
I’m small time, and I’m asking for your help.
I launched Whisper House Press in April of 2024, and this is our first anthology. Here’s a tally of some of the costs my family have borne since that time:
- Authors paid $25 apiece ($875)
- Interior design program (Vellum) I bought for my last Kickstarter publishing effort (Max in the Capital of Spies, funded early 2024) used for this project ($250); I’m not adding this cost into the goal.
- $165 paid out for a designer to modify a pre-designed cover to fit our needs
- Some 200 hours of editorial effort poured into the project; no cost added to goal since I worked without expectation of being paid.
- Printing and shipping costs costs are notoriously subject to fluctuation, but as of September 2024, I expect to pay $175 per case of 28 books shipped to my home office in Utah.
- I’ll need two cases for promotional purposes, so I’m adding this cost into the goal. ($350)
By pledging to this publishing project, you’ll not only receive a gift in gratitude, you’ll be helping us (me and thirty-five contributing authors) realize this dream—er, nightmare.
Whisper House Press 
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