Why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free

So someone asked on our Deviantart page why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free when the original webcomics were (and still are). There’s a few reasons why so we made a video to cover this and thought we’d cover it in the blog here as well!

https://youtu.be/zkvrE-OksdY

Featured sponsor

Before we start a big thank you to our featured sponsor Edward Couzens-Lake and Couzens-Lake Media. A long time supporter, Edward Couzens-Lake has written extensively on Norwich City football club, local Norfolk places and history as well as being an accomplished copywriter. You can find out more on his website here

If you would like to become a featured sponsor find out more here

Reasons why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free #1: Content

On a simple level, you get more when you get a copy of Reynard City Chronicles. Whereas the webcomics typically had 22 pages of content, the Reynard City Chronicles graphic novels have 40 pages of content.

However, it’s not just about quantity- by switching to producing one 40 page volume a year as opposed to 22 pages over a shorter timeframe, it has allowed for us to simplify the process and make it easier for the artists working on the project.

Reasons why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free #2: Cost

The production of these issues involves more people than you think- we have the artists that work on the comic, who need to be able to get the pencils, pens and other equipment necessary while still having to live in between working on the project.

In recent times, people have asked us for print copies of the comic, something we’ve been happy to provide. Minuteman Press work closely with us, preparing issues for print so that we can then sell them in local shops, at cons and through our Ko-Fi shop. It is worth remembering that there are costs involved here as well in terms of travel, postage etc.

You can learn more about the process in the video below.

Reasons why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free #3 : Promotion

In order to get the comic out there, we have to promote it. It can be difficult as you need sales to get promotion and you need promotion to get sales, so this is something we have to work on all the time. Yes, it is true that social media and videos are platforms where you can do this without spending money but this also takes time.

A big part of this is going to events. This year we were able to get out to the first OLL gaming con and Norcon 2022 at the Royal Norfolk Showground. Andrew James Deane and Helen Fullerton were both wonderfully supportive, helping us to spread the word and give me some much needed breaks. As you might expect, these events require travel, accommodation, food etc. It’s great but can soon add up, which is why selling the comics is so important and not just during these events.

Also we have been lucky to work with a terrific cast of voice actors on our trailers, Q and A videos etc. This is a commission in the same way that artists get commissioned, so we need to budget for this as well (though it is all worth it!)

Reasons why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free #4: It’s not as simple as “Why don’t you get a job?”

I sometimes see this argument that people shouldn’t use platforms such as Patreon for creative projects, the idea that your job should cover everything. First of all, for a lot of people it’s not as simple as getting a job or getting a better job.

Secondly, I do other work- my bill paying job involves freelance writing, social media work and commissions. With the rest of the team, there is a wide range of people including graphic designers, musicians, IT technicians and people with a wide variety of day jobs, part-time jobs and that’s on top of people who are parents, students and/or carers.

Doing a job covers rent and keeps you going from day to day. But with this project, it needs more. If we want this project to grow and to cover all the things people ask for then it needs more support. We are incredibly grateful for the support we get (more on that later) but the more we get, the more we can do.

Other ways you can support Reynard City Chronicles

Before you rush to say “But I can’t afford…” the prices for our content start at just $1 from our Ko-Fi shop. Each time you buy something from us, the people who made that issue possible get a cut from it. You can also support us via Ko-Fi donations, Patreon, Paypal and sponsorship.

There is also still time to get one of two cameo slots in issue 6 (more info here) though this will be closing at the end of the month!

In addition to that, this allows us to commission artists, support local and independent businesses and do more to spread the word on what we do.

There are other ways you can support us too- you can join in with our monthly Fanart Friday art contests, follow us on platforms such as Youtube update and comic channels, Deviantart and Twitter. It’s not just about us as well- it’s also about sharing other creative projects by team members as well. By supporting us, we can do more to let people work on their own projects as well.

Special thanks

We can’t stress this enough and this is perhaps the biggest reason why Reynard City Chronicles isn’t free- this isn’t one person’s project. Like one person pointed out to me “this is like a cottage industry”. A big thank you to everyone who makes this project possible, from Visualise for creating and running this website, to all the artists, voice actors and everyone who has supported us. You all rock!

Want to know more? Get in touch!