Tell us a bit about yourself and your last game, Herbaceous.

Heh, that’s a big question. Simply put, I’ve been making games and building companies of one sort or another my entire life. I love making games, working with teams, and hopefully bringing a little fun into the lives of others. Pencil First Games is my indie game label and Herbaceous was our latest Kickstarter. I worked with Steve Finn, Beth Sobel, Benjamin Shulman, and our backers to bring that delightful game to life.

What did you do to build up a following before you launched?

A month or two before my first Kickstarter: Lift Off – Get me off this Planet I realized that I had absolutely no following anywhere. I kicked it into high gear and started building awareness on Facebook, Twitter, and G+. It wasn’t much, but it was a start and it grew through the Kickstarter campaign. After the campaign, I decided that I never wanted to be in that situation again, so I’ve continued to focus and build my audience with Kickstarter campaigns, Kickstarter support videos, Conventions, and Edo’s Game Reviews.

Did you do something else on this one compared to your previous campaign, Heroes and tricks?

The biggest difference was that Herbaceous had a clear audience and vibe to the product. Through the campaign, materials, even my mother doing the How to Play video – I wanted to give it an accessible, wide vibe. Heroes and Tricks had a unique, indie, and somewhat gamer vibe.

What is your best marketing tip?

Know who you are making your product for and then channel your message to them.

What is the most common mistake you see creators do on KS?

Rushing before you are ready.

If there was one thing you wish you knew before you launched, what would it be?

That Herbaceous was going to do as well as it did 🙂 We blew through our stretch goals.

When did you launch and why did you choose that exact moment?

I let development and readiness define when we launch as opposed to a specific outside reason. Generally though, I always launch on Tuesdays.

The beginning and the end of the campaign are when most of the backers pledge. Whats your main tactic to handle the mid-campaign drop?

Dropped to a 3 week campaign and I don’t worry too much about slump anymore. I just keep a steady plan of outreach, reviews, and general awareness events.

How often do you send out updates and what do they include?

No less than once a week during the campaign and no less than once a month afterwards. Otherwise, I’ll do updated when something significant has occurred / changed / come up.

Whats you tactic regarding stretch goals?

Focus on only doing planned stretch goals. I broke this a little on Herbaceous, but generally speaking I’m against coming up with changes on the fly during the campaign.

What kind of response did you get after putting a video of your mum on the page?

Tons of positive feedback. People loved it. It spoke to the game and the type of audience we were trying to appeal to.

Do you have any role models in the board gaming industry?

I wouldn’t say I have role models, but I love the industry and the people in it. So much eagerness to share and help each other.

Anything else you want to add?

Go for it – Make your game!

Check out Ed´s video blog of Kickstarter tips and tricks. It is very helpful!

http://www.baraf.com/league-of-gamemakers-videos/