Kickstarter

FAQ

• You've done 3 issues of Letter to Jane, why use Kickstarter now?

  The first 3 issues were personal experiments, testing what works and what doesn't on the iPad. After I finished Moral Tales I started working on this issue through the summer, coming up with a new design and system that I think will take editorial design on the iPad to the next level. I am very confident in this next step, and believe it will be of great value to everyone interested. This is why I felt Letter to Jane was finally worthy to ask for funding, and that I'm offering the source to help people. While I think this is a good step for Letter to Jane, I also believe it can be a great step for the community overall by giving people a helping hand into getting into the next big area of publishing. 

  The first 3 issues were all made out of pocket with my own money. I've devoted the last 2 years to working in this field, mostly for no pay at all, and now there is no money left. I need your help to make Letter to Jane or else there will be no issue, it's just not possible. 

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 5:18am EST
• Why $5,000?

  Letter to Jane is no longer an experiment, I've done the research and now it's time to do things the best they can be. I want to make content that people will treasure and to do that costs money. A $1,000 is reserved to pay fees and cover the costs to make the rewards. The rest all goes into equipment rentals, comping people's time, materials, studio rentals, etc. Everything that is needed to make content needs to be covered. I still am blessed to have so many great people donating their time and talent, but we need physical goods to make things and that is what the money is being used for. A lot of people think making an iPad magazine is easier because it is digital, but actually it's harder because it's double the work. You have to make the magazine and then you have to design how people interact with it. If I didn't have so many great people in my life helping me out this project would cost twice what I'm asking for, easily. 

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 5:18am EST
• So if I donate $200, what exactly am I getting?

  If you donate at the $200 dollar level you will be getting the Xcode project files. There will be some documents where I'll explain every section, (What's going on in the code and what it does). I will also have comments in the code that will point out what everything does. I will try to make it all as visual and easily laid out as possible. It is still code, you will need a basic understanding of what to do with it. You will need to know how to use Xcode, submit an app, have some understanding of the environment you're getting into, (do a "hello world" app a couple times). What I'm trying to do is to help people who want to learn a new skill get a lot closer to achieving their goals. You won't be able to just drag and drop images into Xcode and have your own magazine. You're going to have to do some work, but you'll have all the hard stuff already done for you. If you don't want to code then Adobe or Woodwing is your best bet, but they will cost you a great deal more and you'll have a lot less control over your product. When you code your own native app you can really dial in the experience you want. The beauty of tablets is finding new ways for people to interact with your work, and that ability is greatly limited with other options at the moment.

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 5:18am EST
• What do I get at the $450 level?

  Essentially you get everything. You get all the goodies, production credit, the source code, and a full page ad in issue 04. What the ad will be, can really be up to you. I would like to work with you to make it something special so it's something that everyone can enjoy. It can be a mini-feature, a video, something more interactive, etc. 

  Between the production credit and the ad, you will be getting great exposure for a very small price. And since you get the source code, you can also look at it as an investment in your brand's future. If you are interested in this level and have questions, please email me at lettertojanemag@gmail.com

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 5:24am EST
• Can you tell me more about the theme for this issue?

  I usually pick two film directors and use their filmography to inspire each issue. One director inspires the heart and soul of the project, the other the look and feel of it. Last issue it was Eric Rohmer and Chantal Akerman, this issue it's not really nailed down yet. There's never been a rule about this, it just sort of happens. A lot of my work has been inspired by Wim Wenders. The short film is largely influenced by his early work. There is a simple yet highly stylized look that I think works perfectly on a tablet. There is also a realism in that work and others that inspire me a lot like Jim Jarmusch and John Cassavetes that I want in the content for this issue. When most culture magazines make something like a photo feature or a short film they always feel so empty to me. They're always about the fashion, what you can buy, just style and flash. I want everything in this issue to have a real heart to it and come from a real place. I want to have great design and narrative that comes from real emotion. 

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 5:18am EST
• Can we see photos of this app?

  No because there isn't an app yet. I have designs and know the tech, but I can't afford to put it together yet. I could make mockups, but I feel that they would be nothing without showing how you interact with it. As I've written in the description above, my previous works has been well received and raved about. You can also see my most recent work in the third issue of Letter to Jane and the third issue of Port Magazine. I'm very proud of those apps and I'm quite confident that this next app will be even better. 

  Last updated: Monday Nov 7, 1:16am EST