John Ward
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Three insightful posts for indie creators
Here are a curated list of articles that inspired and challenged me this month. Each contains a fundamental insight that can help indie creators.
Feb 14
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John Ward
5
2
6
Growing your audience using PDSA cycles
Growth without specificity is a vanity measure and potentially destructive, yet is a ubiquitous promise on every digital platform. How and what does…
Feb 7
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John Ward
4
2
4
What motivates backers in Subscription-Based Crowdfunding?
Platforms like Substack and Patreon allow creators to receive funding directly from their supporters. But what are the primary motivations that…
Jan 31
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John Ward
6
5
How to make an effective 90-second pitch video
Pitching is an inevitability for creators, but making video pitches not only helps you become a better pitcher, they also have multiple uses from sales…
Jan 24
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John Ward
4
4
How can sci-fi make you more creative?
A dive into another paper exploring the association between sci-fi and creativity. The secret? Transportation.
Jan 10
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John Ward
10
1
5
Most Popular
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How to fail as a creator
Sep 22, 2024
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John Ward
16
1
12
Are you seeing more cancelled pledges on Kickstarter?
Feb 16, 2025
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John Ward
9
4
4
October roundup
Nov 3, 2024
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John Ward
9
4
5
Are we witnessing the enshittification of Kickstarter?
Dec 8, 2024
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John Ward
8
5
4
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Creativity
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How to make an effective 90-second pitch video
Pitching is an inevitability for creators, but making video pitches not only helps you become a better pitcher, they also have multiple uses from sales…
Jan 24
•
John Ward
4
4
How can sci-fi make you more creative?
A dive into another paper exploring the association between sci-fi and creativity. The secret? Transportation.
Jan 10
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John Ward
10
1
5
Does being a sci-fi fan make you more creative?
Diving into the creativity research to understand the association between background interests and creativity.
Nov 19, 2025
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John Ward
5
5
4
John Ward
Evidence-driven insights and practical recommendations to empower indie creators.
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Science
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Growing your audience using PDSA cycles
Growth without specificity is a vanity measure and potentially destructive, yet is a ubiquitous promise on every digital platform. How and what does…
Feb 7
•
John Ward
4
2
4
How can sci-fi make you more creative?
A dive into another paper exploring the association between sci-fi and creativity. The secret? Transportation.
Jan 10
•
John Ward
10
1
5
Does being a sci-fi fan make you more creative?
Diving into the creativity research to understand the association between background interests and creativity.
Nov 19, 2025
•
John Ward
5
5
4
Recommendations
View all 60
Man With A Hat
Tom Brevoort
Jonathan’s Substack
Jonathan Hedrick
Vintertainment: Wine and Movies
Dave Baxter
Franklin Leonard, on Substack
Franklin Leonard
StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry
Stephen Follows
horror
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It's launch day!
Are you hungry for horror? Consumed is now live on Kickstarter.
Oct 7, 2025
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John Ward
5
3
One week until launch
Early bird reward information for the Consumed anthology
Sep 30, 2025
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John Ward
5
3
Dialling up the fear
Lessons from research on how to make horror stories even scarier!
Sep 13, 2025
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John Ward
12
6
How to differentiate between horror and non-horror films
A quantitative framework to help creators trigger a fear response in their audience.
Aug 30, 2025
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John Ward
12
7
6
Crowdfunding
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What motivates backers in Subscription-Based Crowdfunding?
Platforms like Substack and Patreon allow creators to receive funding directly from their supporters. But what are the primary motivations that…
Jan 31
•
John Ward
6
5
Why I'm a hypocrite
This 2025 paper convinced me to turn on paid subscriptions on Substack.
Jan 3
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John Ward
6
2
4
It's launch day!
Are you hungry for horror? Consumed is now live on Kickstarter.
Oct 7, 2025
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John Ward
5
3
Are you looking for a new spooky season read?
Twenty-eight stories. One horrifying anthology.
Aug 27, 2025
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John Ward
6
2
5
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