Free Content Isn't Free

The Cost of Not Monetizing

I began paying for Ennead: The Rule of Nine in June of 2020.

But I’d been putting in 10-12 hour days writing the first and most of the second volumes of The Rule of Nine long before then. I had been in contact with numerous artists, discussing the story, scheduling, page rates, and the like. Countless revisions and re-drafts, rounds of beta reads, taking and using feedback, hours of work.

None of it paid.

Since June of 2020, I’ve spent roughly $30,000 to get this book off the ground. No. That’s not a typo. $30,000.

Luckily, I’ve been able to run five successful crowdfunding campaigns in that time frame to make it happen. What’s my point? Comics are expensive. Quality comics, of which I like to think Ennead is of the highest, even more so. Especially when you pay your team upfront.

When it came time to launch my current Kickstarter, I knew that the funds I would raise, no matter how much, weren’t going to be enough to keep The Rule of Nine afloat indefinitely.

I’m a father now. And my priorities have shifted, so when Ennead’s coffers run dry it isn’t as easy to charge it to the personal account as it had been. So I had a decision to make.

Beg. Borrow. Or steal.

Actually, there was a 4th option: monetize.

It was an easy choice for me. Ennead and the world it takes place in, Amashik, are massive. I have so many ideas that would take a decade or 2 to include in an indie comic series. Short stories, magic systems, political and religious organizations, and an entire new world that I can share.

If the process of crowdfunding has taught me anything, it’s that if you believe in your creations, other folks will get curious. So I decided to believe in the work I put in on those aforementioned 10-12 hour days and to share it with you all here.

You see, there are few places where independent creators like myself (and my team for that matter) can go to get consistent paid work. We’ve got to keep our heads on a swivel in order to find the next opportunity to maximize our earning potential. I know, a dirty phrase.

But listen, if this project is going to continue, I’ll need your support. Not as a handout. But in exchange for more of a story that has captivated you in some way.

The content here is how I will enrich the setting The Rule of Nine exists in.

This is more than just a collection of random tidbits of information. It is an extension of the story that is. A place to create new avenues into Amashik. And tomorrow is the day it all truly begins.

At 9:15am ET, you’ll receive two emails: the next scene with author commentary and the subsequent short story. Two more posts will publish at the same time, though you won’t get emails for those. Free subscribers, you’ll get previews. Paid subscribers, you’ll get the entire thing. The same exact thing will happen 12:15pm.

I will continue to share a newsletter, like this one, for both free and paid subscribers on (most) Wednesdays. The paid content is going to release like clockwork on Thursdays (barring holidays, special occasions, and random acts of God and/or nature).

One thing that I am excited to announce is that the PDF colored versions of Books 1-7 will be made available to Founding Members as they are completed. This is something that I didn’t anticipate offering when I launched this Substack but is a good example of the types of things Founding Members can expect as time passes. Remember, you’ll get first dibs on all things Ennead as a “Founder” for 1 calendar year after your subscription. This year is as good as any to take advantage of that offer!

Remember to check those inboxes tomorrow. And as always, thanks for being here.

JL