Far West: Patronage?

A thought has been tickling at the back of my mind, so I figured I’d air it, and get a general gauge of interest — to determine if the thought is worth pursuing.

Yes, the Far West novel is still underway. This doesn’t change that. It’s more related to my previous thought about it as a possible 4E setting release.

What if I don’t do it as a full commercial release, but instead — taking a page from Wolfgang Baur’s Diana Jones Award-winning project — which is starting to be imitated by others in the industry — what if I do it as a patronage project?

Offer it exclusively to patrons. That’s it. No eventual PDF release, no “limited edition” vs “general release” — it only goes to the patrons, and nobody else. Offer several levels of patronage, each with its own perks, ranging from eventual format of product (softcover, hardcover), access to design commentary, access to private discussion, access to initial art designs, patronage credit in the book, book signed by author & artists, special additional exclusive content, etc.

I have to admit that I like this idea. A private pressing. A “members-only” game world. Still allowing me to explore the gaming potential of the property, without heavily entangling it in an ongoing commercial concern — yet still allowing me to demonstrate an existing fan demand for the concept, once I get around to pitching the novel.

The question is, of course, whether there *is* demand. Hence this post. Thoughts?

(Anonymous comments have been enabled — but please ID yourself)

One Week To Go

A week until Election Day.

Expect that the desperation on the right will make the next seven days…. interesting. More screeching that Obama is a socialist, more extreme nutjobbery from McCain/Palin supporters, the White House doing their dead-solid best to give McCain his October Surprise by starting a war with Syria or “suddenly” getting Bin Laden, etc.

Seven more days.

Seven more days before, hopefully, the American electorate delivers such a widespread, scathing rebuttal to the Republican policies and philosophies of the past three decades that the party is shattered — split into damaged factions (Patrician Wall Street Money vs American Taliban, mostly) whose appeal is far too small to threaten electoral dominance for at least a decade.

I’m no longer holding my breath for *any* win. I’m now hoping for a *shattering* win. Filibuster-proof Senate, and clear majority in the House. The ability to actually get things done, and repair the damage done to this country.

Expect, of course, that the right-wing noise machine of commentators, Fox News and radio talk shows will end up getting far more exposure than their actual demographic merits, over the next four years. When Democrats lose, the Right pontificates that the Dems should shift to the right because America is a “center-right” nation. When Democrats win, the Right pontificates that the Dems should govern to the right because America is a “center-right” nation. Same message, either way. Convenient, no?

I want to see what they say when the electoral results are so overwhelming that the whole “center-right” thing is called into question as a valid premise in the first place.