Carpe Blogiem: Author, Patreon, and Blog Highlights – April and May 2020

Authorial Highlights

• GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: ??? aka Marl Ankh-3 remains in the hands of SJ Games.
• GURPS Realm Management aka SNO-51 is in the hands of SJGames.
• Nordland Nibelung (a DFRPG book) – the query I sent Doug in April – is 54% of the way complete for its first draft and I continue to work on it steadily.
• GURPS Knight-3’s production PDF was shiny. Can’t wait to see it in action.
• GURPS Uptight Calamari has been revealed to be something Ritual Path Magic related. I’ve seen this production PDF as well and added some more words to it as Kromm did a masterful job editing.
• GURPS Horseman (my work with J. Edward Tremlett) PDF was SUPER shiny. It was given some more art (that I’ve yet to see). The PDF is great though and we got in everything we wanted (which we weren’t sure of since some of it was a bit . . . bold even for a Horror title).
• The Kickstarter for the Calypso-4 The Fantasy Trip adventures funded a couple days back and we should be seeing
• I currently have seven outstanding contracts: GURPS Realm Management, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: ???, Calypso-4 (Roc of Sages, The Catacombs of Living Death, and The Sunken Library), Horseman, Knight-3, Nibelung, and Uptight Calamari.

Blog Highlights

• Blog entries have been around 1-2 per week.
• Mumble mumble designer specs for headers mumble mumble.

Patreon Highlights

• Patreon remained on track for April and May. Still releasing them to schedule.
• I lost five patrons. Given COVID-19’s effects on the world this was not unexpected – and I hold no grudges with anyone.
• Still using a voting mechanic for Patreon Specials – still not getting more than 30% to 45% of patrons to vote. Still no idea how to increase that.
• No fiction was released during April or May. 🙁
• Patreon started charging sales tax on most everyone’s works. It’s abotu 6% for Virginia (where I live). So $0.06 to the dollar – but it’s still money my patrons lose. Still considering how to (legally) lower that via classfication of my work on the site.

Miscellaneous Related News

• I started a new campaign at the beginning of April. Trying wuxia again, this time going full high fantasy instead of fantasy and modern. It’s working out so far, but I’ve a lot left to still write to more fully define it. I plan on using Martial Arts, Social Engineering, and Realm Management pretty heavily.
• COVID-19 has caused a few changes for me – having the mask has been difficult since it’s harder to breath with it on and that makes everything harder (I have two respiratory related or adjcent medical conditions). Even my 2-3 times a month outings for food, medical care, etc. is more difficult than it should be. I remain supplied up and have been ok as far as medicine, comestibles, etc. goes.
• I got the PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) from the CARES act and it has helped GREATLY in paying bills (both past due and present).