The Undercroft: Month One

I hope you like statistics and graphs! Inspired by +Tim Shorts's openness with sales figures I thought I'd join in. I know his posts helped me when I was starting, maybe this will help others.
Orcs nest is a FLG, INT is International, +PDF means Print & PDF

Total sold: 48
Net Income: -£58.61 

Expenses £115.40
Tools £75.00
Commisions (articles and images) £14.60
Additional Postage Charges £5.00
Undercroft 1 Obligatory Copies £3.80

Advertising (OSRToday) £17

Orcs nest is a FLGs, INT is International, +PDF means Print & PDF

I'm two short of my target with two hours to go. Two (twice)! However it's still 38 more than my initial "I'll be happy if it sells this number" target. A good opening month considering I turned up out of nowhere, zine in hand, and shoved it under your noses.

I was surprised by how slow the uptake in the UK was. I was banking on domestic sales being the core of this chart. But no, Americans and Australians all wanted to pay those nasty postage fees (welcome to my world!). I would have expected them to focus more on the PDF, considering how much cheaper it is.

As for that odd net income up top, I decided early on that I'm going to force this zine to walk on its own two feet. I tallied up every cost I've accrued in the process of making it. Every tool, every page, every staple. As you can see sales have put a nice dent in it and I'm hopeful that the next issue will kill it completely. Possibly somewhat optimistic considering how much more I'll be forking out in commissions (it's a lot), but I'm confident it'll be a solid issue.

So, next month's somewhat unreasonable targets are:

1. Get to 100 copies sold
2. Get a review (Good or bad, I'm not picky.)

You never know, it could happen

All in all I'm thrilled with the results and indebted to everyone who's helped me out so far. This most certainly includes those who are working with me on issue #2, it's going to be a step up for sure.

The "I Missed Out on the Christmas in July Sale" Sale

So here's how it works: I've only got so much house to store books in, something's got to give. Either I buy a bigger house or I sell some books. So in pursuit of both those aims I have decided to run a morally sketchy and probably short sighted sale in which YOU GET FREE STUFF.

While stocks last, UK residents can purchase a copy of The Undercroft #1 through the new, spangly Lucky Dip button on the right. Doing this gets you a copy of our most wonderful zine, a matching PDF, and a random book from my enormous pile of things I don't want! (some of it pictured above).

I've put it as a separate button as I'm sure some of you don't want more books clogging up your shelves. Yes, you can request something specific, email me. Yes, you can just buy one of the books on its own if you want, email me. Yes, I might consider sending these abroad, email me to find out the insane postage prices that will probably need to be added on.


EDIT- Did a little bit of maths and turns out I'd lose quite a bit of money on postage with the bigger ones, so I put it up by £1. To make it up to you I'll double up on the smaller books. Everyone who's purchased already still gets their stuff, a pound or two won't kill me.

Cellar door

I went to the basement and what did I find?..

1. Puss-veined blood lapping against the rafters. Clots and less wholesome things float on its waves like icebergs.
2. The chef. The smell of cooking meat and the grinding of a turning spit. A zombie is skewered like a pig over the fire while the chef slices thin portions of meat onto a plate for his guests. It stares back in mad silence.
3. A ghoul breeding pen. Females are tightly chained by their necks to the wall while a single male has the liberty of a longer chain pinned to the centre of the room. D3 ghoul babies lay abandoned on the floor awaiting collection.
4. Bottles and jars and tubes and racks. In the middle of it all sits a wizened man in a metal chair, pipes coming from every vein and orifice. A number have come loose or been pulled out. It would be a simple matter to put them back in.
5. My heart's desire. Your childhood sweetheart, the one you left behind, the one you couldn't save. S/he stands there naked with arms wide open. Only from behind can you see what a thin veneer of humanity they hold, flimsy skin covering crooked hooks and pulsating coils of rotten flesh.
6. Nothing. Sweet, merciful nothing.