Considering a Kickstarter to fund Quick and Dirty Map Tutorials Book!

[Gamerprinter]

Some of you may have noticed the 8 posted Quick and Dirty Map Tutorials in the Tutorials Forum, I've done lately. I created the first one for somebody at the Maps for Sharing Google+ community using Xara Xtreme Pro 4, my preferred graphics application for creating maps. Then the many +'s, comments and requests for more, I've been doing about 2 per week.

Now based on fan requests, I've been asked if I could create a book of 25 or more Quick and Dirty Map Tutorials as a full color PDF book. Many have suggested I run a Kickstarter to fund it and they want to sign up.

If I wanted to do this right, I'd clean up the tutorials, placing 3 maps in progress per page (rather then the 9 per page as they currently are), which would mean 3 pages for each tutorial (more for longer ones). I'd compliment each tutorial with 3 sample full page maps using that tutorial technique, thus 6 pages (at least) per tutorial, with better presentation. 25 tutorials = 150 pages. If I included chapters on "About Author/Cartographer", Intro: who needs this book?, Definitions & Examples book (apply chiseled bevel in Xara, would be described for Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape) with images showing shapes with given effects, a Resources chapter: to photo texture sites, map object sites, font sites, and even a page dedicated to the Cartographers' Guild and it's resources. I see roughly a 250 page full color PDF and possible short run printed or POD printed full color, soft cover, perfect bound printed book targeting amateur cartographers, game masters, RPG and board game publishers - the same kind of people that are members here.

I've sent short run and POD order requests to Lightening Source and a couple other book printers to see what it's going to cost to me, and price per book. Once I have that information, I'll seriously consider getting a Kickstarter up and running soon.

One possible stretch goal (if the funds for the basic book are acquired) is a second book with 25 Advanced Quick and Dirty Tutorials (for twice the initial goal), with other stretch goals in mind if that too is exceeded. Goal amounts are yet to be determined.

Thoughts?

GP