Read on Twitter
Hey, folks.
I’m gonna keep up the #RPGCashLab train and talk about:
HOW TO GET BIG IN INDIE RPGS
As in: How Ajey Pandey went from a lurker to a Kickstarter runner within a year.
My advice may not apply to you. I can’t say, I don’t know you.
I’m gonna keep up the #RPGCashLab train and talk about:
HOW TO GET BIG IN INDIE RPGS
As in: How Ajey Pandey went from a lurker to a Kickstarter runner within a year.
My advice may not apply to you. I can’t say, I don’t know you.
1. CONSIDER STAYING A LURKER.
Seriously. Getting serious in indie game dev is a second (or third) job.
Tweeting constantly is work. Building your rep is work. You won’t play RPGs for fun again.
And at my scale? If I’m reckless with my tweets, folks get hurt.
Seriously. Getting serious in indie game dev is a second (or third) job.
Tweeting constantly is work. Building your rep is work. You won’t play RPGs for fun again.
And at my scale? If I’m reckless with my tweets, folks get hurt.
There’s no shame in being a lurker.
I’m a lurker in competitive Splatoon. I thought I could git gud, but I realized I didn’t have the time to invest.
And in trying to climb out of A rank, the game became less fun.
So I’m staying a lurker, and I’m happier for it.
I’m a lurker in competitive Splatoon. I thought I could git gud, but I realized I didn’t have the time to invest.
And in trying to climb out of A rank, the game became less fun.
So I’m staying a lurker, and I’m happier for it.
2. TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE
Read people’s games. Play them, if you have the time.
Ditto for art, podcasts, streams.
And then TALK ABOUT IT. Say what you like about it. Demonstrate that you put in the work.
Trust me, I can tell if you *actually* read my stuff.
Read people’s games. Play them, if you have the time.
Ditto for art, podcasts, streams.
And then TALK ABOUT IT. Say what you like about it. Demonstrate that you put in the work.
Trust me, I can tell if you *actually* read my stuff.
Why?
Because gaming the algorithm likely won’t get you valuable reach.
Twitter followers aren’t gonna get your Kickstarter funded.
What will give you stature is RESPECT.
Respect from respected people.
Because gaming the algorithm likely won’t get you valuable reach.
Twitter followers aren’t gonna get your Kickstarter funded.
What will give you stature is RESPECT.
Respect from respected people.
2A. START IN A SPACE
But! I wouldn’t start with The Big Names.
Personally? I’ve locked down my notifications. If we’re not mutuals, I LITERALLY won’t see you @ me.
So start in a space.
Pick a space, any space, but get REALLY involved in a single space.
But! I wouldn’t start with The Big Names.
Personally? I’ve locked down my notifications. If we’re not mutuals, I LITERALLY won’t see you @ me.
So start in a space.
Pick a space, any space, but get REALLY involved in a single space.
I started in the Welcome to the Party Discord, then I got really involved in the Asians Represent Discord.
I **became part of that community.**
That’s how I started out.
I wasn’t big on Twitter. Prominent people took me under their wings because I earned their respect.
I **became part of that community.**
That’s how I started out.
I wasn’t big on Twitter. Prominent people took me under their wings because I earned their respect.
This sounds like a lot of work—because it IS a lot of work.
Again, consider remaining a lurker.
But if you’re gonna put in the work, FOCUS it. At least to start.
And once you have a space, you get to...
Again, consider remaining a lurker.
But if you’re gonna put in the work, FOCUS it. At least to start.
And once you have a space, you get to...
3. GET IN A CREW
Get in a crew of other game designers at your same scale.
Make a mutual hype network. You hype their work, they hype your work.
Get in with people you respect, who respect you.
People who—if they gave you feedback—you’d take it to heart.
Get in a crew of other game designers at your same scale.
Make a mutual hype network. You hype their work, they hype your work.
Get in with people you respect, who respect you.
People who—if they gave you feedback—you’d take it to heart.
What’s going to happen, if you keep that mutual hype network going, is that a rising tide will lift all boats.
As your game gets on a podcast, you’ll get your crew’s stuff on the same show.
As your buddy runs a Kickstarter, you’ll get in as a stretch goal.
As your game gets on a podcast, you’ll get your crew’s stuff on the same show.
As your buddy runs a Kickstarter, you’ll get in as a stretch goal.
It feels very tit-for-tat when I say it like that, but it’s not in practice.
Being in a crew is less a transactional relationship and more “the whole team rolling up with Tommy guns.”
You’re all watching each other’s backs, and putting your heads together.
Being in a crew is less a transactional relationship and more “the whole team rolling up with Tommy guns.”
You’re all watching each other’s backs, and putting your heads together.
As some examples, see how #RPGSEA people roll as a crew and back each other up. #RPGLATAM is coalescing in a similar way.
Hell, I’ll gas myself up and say the Bolt hacker community is great about sharing notes and hyping each other up!
Hell, I’ll gas myself up and say the Bolt hacker community is great about sharing notes and hyping each other up!
From there, just...
4. KEEP POSTING
Keep posting. All the time. Post good stuff in particular.
How do I get strong engagement? By putting effort into threads like this.
I built a BRAND of “I show up to discourse with something constructive to say.”
4. KEEP POSTING
Keep posting. All the time. Post good stuff in particular.
How do I get strong engagement? By putting effort into threads like this.
I built a BRAND of “I show up to discourse with something constructive to say.”
That’s what all the hashtags I use are for.
#/AjeyReads for deep-dives into games—like close-reading mechanics deep.
#/TabletopChopShop for deep-dives into game design.
#/RPGCashLab about...well, I got tired of pricing discourse.
All specific, thought-out, proofread threads.
#/AjeyReads for deep-dives into games—like close-reading mechanics deep.
#/TabletopChopShop for deep-dives into game design.
#/RPGCashLab about...well, I got tired of pricing discourse.
All specific, thought-out, proofread threads.
Hell, my first viral thread was about orc discourse, from the perspective of
“Let me introduce you to an endearing character, and show you how D&D rules as read don’t make him possible.”
That thread took work. I re-read it a bajillion times.
That’s how you build a brand.
“Let me introduce you to an endearing character, and show you how D&D rules as read don’t make him possible.”
That thread took work. I re-read it a bajillion times.
That’s how you build a brand.
And once you’re in a crew, your brand, your network, becomes your crew’s brand and network.
And you all grow together.
Because let’s be real, this is a collaborative space. You’re not getting big in indie RPGs on your own.
And you all grow together.
Because let’s be real, this is a collaborative space. You’re not getting big in indie RPGs on your own.
So I’ll turn it to the whole space.
What was YOUR path to prominence in the space?
Who helped YOU get a Kickstarter funded, get on prominent projects, get your game sold?
#RPGCashLab
What was YOUR path to prominence in the space?
Who helped YOU get a Kickstarter funded, get on prominent projects, get your game sold?
#RPGCashLab
