I often find myself saying “I’m getting there,” when asked how I am. Well, here’s not there yet, is it?
I am creating some different designs for my Threadless store while pulling off all my art prints. My prints haven’t sold Threadless. I’m also re-making all of the mockups. Dark backgrounds were the most unpopular mocks when I polled last year. Clean ice white backgrounds just aren’t Fears, but we can lighten the pics in other ways.
OK, so, it looks like the sale of my house falls through after four months. ShitBuggerBumFart. I wasn’t prepared for my run of bad luck to continue into 2018. No worries. I’m now plotting out where the Fears, work, finances and I go or the next six to twelve months.
On the upside for the Fears fans, a series of plans that I had been delaying will now be crashing into effect this next couple of weeks. We have a Threadless free shipping sale. Digital rewards for my Patrons. The Little Fears studio, in which I offer design work. Including logos, book covers, website banners and anything else the Fears can help with. A new shop on this site where you can purchase my canvas paper Little Fears art prints. More Skillshare classes and of course, the release of the next Little Fears presents book, Grey Moon.
Hold your horses before you dash off to Amazon. As always, with the release of a new book, I will be giving the ebook away free for five days. The free ebook is intended for Little Fears followers and subscribers, a thank you for the continued support you all give me. You ladies, gents and those in-between are fecking awesome. Grey Moon is officially released, and free on Amazon, from Friday the 9th of February. I will post links to the Grey Moon ebook on the day.
I have written and deleted this post six times. The fifth time it was 4,000 words long detailing my entire last year. An overwhelming urge to vent to the internet at large can take you sometimes, can’t it? That post had no place here.
The abridged version.
My 2017 has been pretty catastrophic. Land Registry lost the lease to my home. It’s wiped out my life savings getting a new one made. Just existing this year has cost me £70,000. $120,000 in American? I haven’t seen my missus or my dogs since July. My house sale’s on the rocks. If it falls through I may not see her for another four months or more. On account of property law issues, when my house does sell I’m going to have a three month period of limbo in rented accommodation and 3G internet in the Scottish hills. Three months is a lifetime on the internet. That’ll wipe out all the progress I have made with the Little Fears. I’ll be posting once a day, but I’ll be doing no marketing. Bandwidth will be restricted to one gig per month. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to leave comments on blogs or Twitter with that sort of restriction.
At the end of 2016, I was at the lowest point in my life. At the end of 2017, I’m worse off with no savings, and I don’t know how long it’ll be this way.
2017 doesn’t have me beat. I learned something. It’s possible to make £600 a month from the Little Fears as they are today. Currently taking four hours a day, six days a week. Once I have moved home, £600 will cover all of my bills. I can then drop my freelance work and odd jobs, which I currently can’t live without, and focus entirely on the Fears to lift £600 to a reasonable wage.
That’ll be awesome. I’ll be back with my partner and animals. Switching my flat in London for a 2-3 bedroom house in the Scottish mountains. Dedicating all my time to making people groan, cry and fear filled. You all know I have ideas for the Fears. I’ve probably had and forgotten more plans than I will ever manage to put into action.
I have dreams, hope and Fears. The future is bright.
From all the Little Fears and the illustrator, happy new year!
This weeks #Colour_Collective submission. Alice blue was the colour of the week and I love the way she turned out. She’s called Alice after the colour of course. I may use her in future tales.
Threadless Sale
A reminder once again, our Threadless store has free shipping on orders over $45. Y’all know I don’t do sales, but free shipping on $45 orders, that I can get behind. Use the promotional code CHEER7cca8e at checkout. Offer ends December 15th.
I do love how sexy my books look. Hydras story on the Little Fears is nearing an end. His search for an identity is a theme that runs throughout the new book. His last five tales will be published Monday to Friday next week. In a wonderful piece of timing, my book will be released Monday. For the whole of next week, the digital edition will be free on Amazon. Keep an eye out for it! If you fancy picking up my first three books, follow this link: http://amzn.to/2xWXILF
Free Film Promotion
I was part of a promotion this week and got a non-response on Twitter. Yeowch. I think I talk too much there so my tweets may have been lost in the tide of retweets and blether. I have 10 codes to give away for Chili Cinema. Want to nobble a £5 code to watch a movie? Reply to this tweet and a code will be yours. Linky: http://bit.ly/2A5VDNF
Patreon
Have you noticed my weekly update posts have had links to my new patrons? Well, not for the last couple weeks… Do you want a shout out at the bottom of my weekly update posts? Head on over to Patreon and pledge $10 or more a month and not only will you help with Hydra’s feed bill, but you will also get that weekly shout out with a link back to your site. Hit me up on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/littlefears
Stone the crows, been a busy week! Here are some things that appear in this update that should be three or four posts.
Moss Fear for Colour Collective
Threadless art prints & tees
Fears for hire
Moss Fear for Colour Collective
Dem green eyes though! This week’s Colour Collective shade was Vert Pre. Bright green to most of us aye? I knew I wanted to use Moss for the image. I was debating green streaks or splodges. Accidentally filled the eyes vert pre and yup, I reckon that nailed it by mistake. I need to get Moss into some of the fears stories. In my postcards from the in-between series I had him towering over Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. He was blue back then because, Scotland.
Threadless art prints & tees
The long awaited and advertised overhaul has happened! Have a gander at the Little Fears new shop front.
New product photography, a smattering of new designs, and yes the tee with Fuen bang in the middle will be returning. I need to get the imagery done for it first. Art prints are available from $12, so that works out better for our American friends who had a starting price of £12 ordering from my Etsy store. A quick preview? Sure, why not!
Fears for hire
My lease extension just came through. Ten months of cock-up, three years too late. Thanks, Land Registry and E&M! Twits… So I can get my house sold (finally), and I now have oceans of free time until a buyer is forthcoming. Do you have any work for a freelance illustrator, writer, PR gremlin, computer repair guy who’s a legend at sourcing weird and wonderful things? Drop me an email to fears@gmx.co.uk, and we can talk!
Little Fears 