Dear Reader,

I hope you're doing well! Me, I'm better. Still coughing a bit, but feeling miles better. However, I have less visual to show you this time, but that's just in preparation to what's coming :) Let's go over all of that, shall we!

Susie's getting a website!

If you remember from last time, the book is practically done:
I'm now just waiting for the ISBN, that little bar code at the back; and there are still 2 weeks to wait! Argh, it feels so long; I really can't wait to finally release this big project and be able to hold it in my hand.

Speaking of which, my goal for the week was to order a test print to judge the quality of the book; but the printing company I use, and other popular ones I checked, still require the infamous code, even for a proof copy or one specifically not for sale. Argh again!

So, as I hinted last week, I instead started working on the website that will be the hub where you'll be able to purchase the book: because instead of being tied to one platform (Amazon for example), I'll be distributing my book on multiple stores at once, and hopefully the one you are used to will be on there!

It will also be possible to get a copy from me directly, of course, but I want to let the choice up to you.

Here is a quick video showing the website in action!

(I have no idea if the video will work in an email, please let me know if it doesn't)

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The other big advantage of having my website is that I have way more space to talk about the book, show the art, and invite people into this world.

I'm not going too overboard with it (Susie is quite a modest book!), but on future projects I could have character profiles, snippets, bonus content...

But for now I'm trying to focus on the art, the main appeal of the book.

However, the text is still giving me some headaches: I tried many ways to summarize the story over the last few months, make it appealing while still being honest; and it's a hard balance to find! Talking about personal projects is always complicated, but I hope the message will come out right in the end :)

My big bet for this book

I’ve had a lot of ideas about the fate of Susie and her silly adventure, but I was a bit shy to share them too directly; but you’ve often shown appreciation when I was being honest and transparent, so today I decided to finally talk about a touchy subject: how is the book gonna be promoted?

If you read about marketing for creatives (and God knows how much I did over the years), the way everybody seems to agree on is to go all-in on social media: post almost every day, follow trends, new formats, get the algorithm’s attention… and after months, years of effort you’ll have a following that will be hooked to whatever you do next.

And there is no denial that a lot of great success stories came from that model! When it works, this strategy is super effective.

But here is why I choose not to do any of that:

Lot of effort to make something ephemeral: I have a very limited amount of creative time each week, and I would rather spend it making a piece of art I can be proud of for months (my most popular and favorite piece is a year old already), rather than a post that will disappear, literally or algorithmically, in less than 24 hours.

Long term payoff that can be taken away: It’s no news for you I’m sure, but building on big platforms, when it’s rewarded, has no guarantee to continue as it is. Trends and algorithms change, platforms get obsolete or start attracting the wrong audience… The general trend of all social media is to slowly devalue the subscriber, in favor of recommendation. In other words: the attention you’re getting isn’t guaranteed in the future. After years of grind to get on top of all of this, I would expect a more solid foundation as a result.

If you’re interested in that particular point, this talk is quite pleasant to watch:

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Low amount of control on your success: I’m an artist, but I’m also half a programmer; and I enjoy predictable results. As platforms mature, people find predictors of success that newcomers can learn from; but success on social media is ultimately chances outside of your control. And while it’s not impossible, it’s statistically unlikely to bring you results.

Some of you might know that I have a semi-active Mastodon account; it’s a great alternative to classic social media, and I have a lot of fun posting there. But it’s unreasonable to base any promotion plan on such a niche network. And I want to keep having fun!

So, what is my solution to all of these issues?

It’s not gonna be popular, but I believe the answer is paid advertising.

This is at least my bet, and I have no idea yet if that could realistically work.

First of all, I need to clarify what I mean, since I’ve seen a lot of people confused about the subject: when advertising, you spend money in order to get more in return. Many get focused on the first part only. Paying for promotion doesn’t mean you’ll make less profit, but more.

At least that’s how it is when you know what you’re doing, which I’m not there yet.

However, I think this is an avenue that is unfairly overlooked by creatives as it solves a lot of issues I have raised earlier:

• You don’t have to appeal to trends or an algorithm. You just need to find interested people, which is made easier with the fact that:
• The platforms don’t work against you, but for you. All social media algorithms suppress posts with links, if they allow them at all; that’s because they want people to engage with you, but on their terms. Once you advertise, the incentive flips dramatically.
• It’s way more predictable. While they need to evolve and test new things, corporations love ads so much because they are reliable. The average return on Google Ads is 200%, which means that for every euro put in, 2€ come out on average; this is something that has been studied extensively, and reduces the chance factor to a minimum.

Okay okay, that was a lot.

While I’m no expert in any way, those are part of the reasons why I think it is at least worth a try. All I want is to find a way for creatives to be empowered and not have to just hope that things will turn out okay.

But does the math add up? I need to find out myself.

As I mentioned before, I have a full time job and I’m in no hurry to do my art full time. I want to make art I love, explore what’s possible, and share the journey with you!

The cool things I’m planning in the future!

Alright, enough of that passionate rant! Now I want to share a glimpse of what I’m working on next: As Susie’s project is wrapping itself up, I’ve been thinking a lot about what will be my next project, and specifically what other books I want to make. To the point where this weekend I’ve spent an entire day working on an outline for a novel.

Finishing my small little children’s book was a big challenge, but now that I have made it through I feel way more confident in my abilities, and I think I can handle something bigger now.

I will share more with you once the idea has had time to settle down, but I want this time to work on a more complex story, for an older audience, and develop more my characters and my little universe, while still keeping my unique sensibility.

To give you a hint, the project as it is is centered around the Witch, who she is, and how she became who she is :)

And that's all for this week! Thank you for being part of this journey with me as I navigate the final steps of publishing Susie and begin plotting new adventures. I can't wait to share more about the book website, future events, and maybe even some early insights into the Witch's story.

Take care,
- Nighten