If you’ve thought about Zine Month, you should read about Crowdfundr

What is Zine Month?

Zine Month began life as Zine Quest, a Kickstarter initiative that invited indie creators to publish their TTRPG Zines on the platform within the month of February. There were specific rules regarding the length that the Zine had to be, and the manner in which it was assembled and printed, but these served to remove the barrier to entry for many first time creators, and launched hundreds of games over the years. 

After some Zine Quest related silence and a postponement from Kickstarter one year, that prompted this statement, disputes over decisions around blockchain and others, creators began to look elsewhere, mobilised by Feral Indie Studios to create Zine Month instead, utilising the same passion and time of year, but without necessitating a Kickstarter 

How do I get involved in Zine Month?

Involvement is straightforward – you’ll need to write, or at least have an idea for, a TTRPG that you then launch on a crowdfunding platform. The Zine Month website offers the opportunity to share what it is, and where you’ve launched it, and it’s just up to you from that point to set your funding goals, encourage backers and create the zine itself.

Generally, your project would need to be a TTRPG zine in order to qualify, but over the years TTRPG adjacent content has become perfectly normal, from dice to round trackers to journals, making it somewhat of a TTRPG celebration over a specific creation one. 

What is Crowdfundr?

Whilst there are a number of different crowdfunding options available, Kickstarter is perhaps the best known. However, with experience comes alternatives, and Crowdfundr is one such offering. It offers different models for fees, where these might be opted in for by the purchaser rather than the creator, which means creators are less likely to have a surprise drop in their funds as a result of payment and hosting fees. It also doesn’t require the project to be fully funded in order to let it happen, which Kickstarter of course does, and it appears to be amongst the first to recognise Zine Month directly. 

What is Tabletop Nonstop 2024 Spotlight on Crowdfundr?

Letting people know about your project can be the hardest part of crowdfunding, and so Crowdfundr has launched Tabletop Nonstop 2024 Spotlight – which in short, offers the opportunity for your campaign to be bolstered through its own featuring on Crowdfunder, but also through paid advertising and partner collaborations. There’s also a team available to offer coaching and set-up help, so you’re not clicking through the process alone. Enrollment takes place from now until January 31st, and you’ll need to launch your project between 15th January, and 29th February 2024.

I want to find out more – where should I go?

You can read more about what Crowdfundr are offering over on their website, or even read Jamey Stegmaier's thoughts – of Stonemaier Games, who brought us the likes of Wingspan and Scythe – over on his blog. 

If you're launching your TTRPG Zine for ZIne Month 2024, we want to hear from you! Email the Editor of Tabletop Gaming here with information about it, for a chance to be featured in a future magazine and online.