Welcome back for part three of our chat with Madeleine Holly-Rosing, author of Boston Metaphysical Society.
Read Part One here.
Read Part Two here.
Airship Ambassador: What was the publishing schedule like for you?
Madeleine Holly-Rosing: All of this has stretched out over quite a bit of time. The outline for the entire six issue series was written quite a while ago, then I wrote each issue based on when my artist was available and when I had the budget for it. As I began to use Kickstarter, launch dates became my hard deadlines. However, I do several drafts then send the script to beta readers, do another round of rewrites then send it to the artist. As art comes in, I continue to hone the dialogue until everything is ready to go to the letterer.
AA: That sounds a bit like the process for animation – record the dialog first then create the artwork to match. Although in your situation, you are able to more finely tune the union of both. This is more than just a text story, it’s a graphic novel. Who is on your team for art, color, and lettering? How did you meet and choose them for this ongoing project?
MHR: For the original series: Art by Emily Hu. Coloring by Gloria Caeli and Fahriza Kamaputra. Lettering by Shawn Aldridge and Troy Peteri. For The Scourge of the Mechanical Men, the art, inking, and coloring was done by Gwynn Tavares. Lettering by Troy Peteri.
I met all of them through mutual friends.
AA: It’s interesting how our network of friends and associates can lead us to the right people. You have launched a Kickstarter for the next chapter. You’ve done this before, successfully, too.
In fact, you’ve done a number of successful Kickstarters that now you teach other people how to be successful in crowd funding campaigns.
MHR: Yes, the Kickstarter for the new book will launch on Jan. 31 and run until the end of Feb. I also teach and do crowdfunding consulting as well as written the only Kickstarter book for independent creators. It’s aptly titled, Kickstarter for the Independent Creator. I started teaching at Pulp Fiction Books and Comics three years ago and used that to develop the book which is now in its second edition. I’m honored that it’s gotten so many good reviews and helped a lot of people navigate the process.
AA: Definitely a resource anyone planning on doing a crowdfunding campaign should read. On such a campaign, on any platform, what is one thing that should be done, or avoided?
MHR: Have a fan base and a mailing list to them before you launch. Don’t think just because you have launched the world will come. Running a crowdfunding campaign is a second full time job. When you launch, don’t tag everyone you know repeatedly on every Facebook post. It’s really annoying.
AA: Spam is not a good thing. If someone likes “X”, then they’ll like Boston Metaphysical Society. What is “X”?
MHR: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
AA: I loved the graphic novels and the movie, too. What do you think puts this story on someone’s must read/have list?
MHR: It’s different. There are no superheroes, just a world of flawed people who reach beyond themselves to make a difference and sometimes fail.
AA: These days, that seems to be a good formula for success. Heroes and villains aren’t the two dimensional characterizations of yesteryear. If Boston Metaphysical Society were made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?
MHR: This is a total fantasy but, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Don Cheadle.
AA: Good choices! You have written some other stories, too. What are some of them that readers can add to their reading list?
MHR: Boston Metaphysical Society: Prelude is an anthology which has seven short stories and novellas based in the BMS universe, including Steampunk Rat which is the fan favorite. I also have a BMS short story called Here Abide Monsters in the Some Time Later anthology from Thinking Ink Press. And I have five sequential art short stories (Non-BMS) coming out this year in various anthologies. They are:
- The Airship Pirate. A cute short story that will be part of the Rum Row (Think 1920’s Speakeasies on airships.) On Kickstarter in 2018.
- The Marriage Counselor. A story about two Lovecraftian old gods trying to save their marriage. Part of the Cthuhlu is Hard to Spell, Ain’t It Look for it on Kickstarter in Sept. 2018.
- The Masque of the Red Death. A story inspired by the Poe classic. Part of The Edgar Allen Poe Project Look for it on Kickstarter in March 2018.
- Saturday Night Fever. A story set in The Enyes Anthology about a family who has a long history with monsters. On Kickstarter in 2018.
- The Scout. A story that deals with bees and pesticides. Part of The 4th Monkey To be published in 2018.
Last but not least, Kasai: The Homecoming. I was hired by Evoluzione Publishing to write a four issue mini-series about a half-human half-fire demon pro-wrestler who returns home to Kyoto on a forced vacation only to face a greater challenge then she ever did in the ring – her family.
It’s my first superhero comic and I love writing it. The first issue will be available on Kickstarter starting Jan. 17 and running until Feb. 15. As of writing this, it is over 40% funded and climbing!
AA: Someone’s reading list just got longer. What has your overall publishing experience been like?
MHR: Exhausting. And I’ve made lots of mistakes, but that’s how you learn. I’m primarily self-published though I have short stories that were traditionally published. The traditional publishing is easier on some levels though getting in is the hard part. Self-publishing is quite the endeavor as you have to handle every aspect of the business plus produce material.
Good lessons in every endeavor. Including persistence, which means waiting while we break here in our chat with Madeleine.
Join us for the conclusion when she talks about more lessons, writing, and other interests.
Until then, keep up to date with news on the Boston Metaphysical website, and get your copy to read here.
Airship Ambassador 
[…] Read Part Three here. […]