Dearest Readers. . . (I feel like we are suddenly in a Bridgerton book!)
Apologies for the delay in the monthly newsletter. The plan was to write it last week, and then I (Jon) was hit by the bleh. October was a busy month for the CLGS! As I suggested in September’s letter, a number of exciting projects have been launched, and a few more are in the works!
Press Highlights:
- We finished our current crowdfunding campaign! During the inaugural Art & System series crowdfunding campaign, we more than doubled our goal and enjoyed almost an hour of overtime. Thank you, supporters!
- Two weeks ago, we launched our Eyeball to Eyeball Instructor’s Manual “Glow Up” to gauge people’s interest in a blinged-up Instructor’s manual. We partnered with the amazing Bold Pocket Press (the team behind the Liber Generis Sui Keepsake Journal) to create these hand-made gems!
- Last week, we launched our two-player modification of Five Hundred Year Old Vampire, The Cracked Mirror. It is gorgeous, with new art from Jabari Weathers and Jason Cox. The game is a new endeavor for us as a two-player mode game and a version of FYOV that can work in game stores to help teach the game. If you are a game store owner who is interested (or knows an owner), let us know, and we will send you a demo copy to use in your shop!
- On Halloween, we held interviews for our student-focused, immersive learning program “Pages of the Press,” wherein we will bring six students into the press to teach them the tabletop game business. The “Pages” will also help us with outreach events and attending game conventions to sell our games. We are so excited to welcome them soon!
Outreach Highlights:
- We have a collaboration with Fiction Central, CMU’s creative fiction writing RSO, to film an actual play of Five Hundred Year Old Vampire! The event was moved to Nov. 6th. (Yes, it is past Halloween…but the cold nights are still perfect for vampires.) We cannot wait to share the results with you!
- On Friday, Nov. 7th, from 3-7 PM, in honor of International Games Month, we hosted an open game night at the Park Library on campus, featuring games from the CMU Libraries’ collection and Hydrologic Cycle and Keep the Faith from CMich Press. International Games Month is an initiative through the American Library Association, and we hosted this event in partnership with CMU Libraries! Earlier in October, the CLGS also sent out 20 copies of Hydrologic Cycle to libraries across the country. Check with your local library for events in your area this month!
- We have also collaborated with Professor Kurt Baringer’s E-Commerce and Marketing Strategy course through the College of Business Administration this semester for our mutual benefit. CMich Press has served as a “lab business” scenario for students to practice their marketing skills, and we have been able to benefit from their advice to hone our website and social media skills for maximum impact! The CBA is one of our biggest champions, and we are so grateful for this chance for students and our marketing staff to grow their skillsets!
- In October, we also had some pretty big sales meetings that we hope will turn into something down the road!
All of those updates bring us to the current month. November promises to be full of twists and turns, too! For instance, Wendy Robertson will be taking a team to Girls Day Out, an initiative run by Delta College to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM, to teach her game Hydrologic Cycle. Later this month, we’ll join BackerKit’s first ever Holiday Market and offer Gifts for Gothic Gatherings for your holiday shopping lists (more on that soon). Another Break Our Games night is on the calendar for November 14th from 3-5 at the Park Library, bringing more opportunities to playtest upcoming games at the Press. And who knows what else will come up?
With upcoming time off for Thanksgiving, we are all also looking forward to more gaming at home!