As I've been rushing towards finishing Cold Steel Wardens, I've also been doing quite a bit of research on incorporation. Before I start any Kickstarters or establish any copyrights, I'm going to need to exist as a corporate entity--boy isn't that scary to think of!
And, while I have several ideas, I've decided to take the actualy decision out of my hands...and put it into yours, friends and neighbors! Below are the five names that I've been contemplating. I'll leave up a poll on the right sidebar for you to vote on your favorite--the most popular name becomes the name that I'll submit for registration for my company, and will be used on everything I ever publish!
- Stormcrown Press: This was my first idea. It very much "feels" like a gaming company name, evoking references to royalty and thunder. The 'storm' idea came from my full-time gig, as my school's mascot is the thunderbolt. Depending on how things hash out, I may be working with their DECA program for some marketing opportunities, but nothing's confirmed yet.
- Pendulum Press: Obviously, the name for this one comes from my upcoming Pendulum essay compilation, which will hopefully be one of my first products. I like the alliterative nature of it though I'm unsure about having something so closely tied to a single one of my products.
- Steel Witt Productions: Get the pun? Yeah...this may be my least favorite of the choices. But, it shows both my relationship to the Steel City and my connection to Wittenberg, while making a pseudo-funny joke. It's memorable, but do I really want my company to be memorable as a joke?
- Blackfall Press: Ah, the obscure one! Blackfall refers to a city in which I ran series of one-shots while back at Wittenberg, legendary for their lethality and their player-vs-player conniving. Really, if I can point to a part of my time at Witt that really led me towards game design as something I'm good at, it would be these. It's tied to my history, but not overtly.
- Iron Pendulum Productions: A combination of #2 and #3, with a little less emphasis on Pendulum and a little more towards Pittsburgh and the Iron Age of Comics. That said, the name is a little on the long side, which would make it harder to remember.
I think Steel Witt has the most "ring" to it, actually. It really describes your personality (a wit like biting steel, indeed) while also being an homage to your roots and your alma mater. It has a certain levity about it, and is easiest to remember. And "Productions" also allows you to do more than just books!
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest against 2 and 5 because they refer to one product and, I presume, you'll want to branch out at some point. I like the sound of Stormcrown Press and Blackfall Press which could easily be "Productions" if you want to do that instead.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you choose Steel Witt, you'll have lots of people misspelling it as "Steel Wit." Also whenever you say it aloud, you'll have to say "Steel Witt, two t's in 'witt'". I've got a last name that I always have to tell people how to spell and it gets old fast. Having a name that people can spell without you having to tell them how to spell it is a big plus!
Also, I think Pendulum might get misspelled too, since it's one of those uncommon words that might appear on "Are you smarter than a Fifth Grader?"
Good thoughts, gang. Right now, Blackfall Productions/Press is winning, but we'll see how things hash out by the end of the week!
ReplyDeleteI would suggest the following route of incorperating yourself as A.P.Klosky inc. then just running your game company and your freelancing has D.B.A.'S that way you save money.
ReplyDeleteDPT--I very specifically do not want to do that for a number of reasons. The largest of which is liability, in the event of lawsuit or some other legal action. Cold Steel Wardens deals with a lot of copyrighted material, and while I'm not plagiarizing it in any sense of the world, I do spend a lot of time discussing it. I don't want to lose my personal assets because of my writing.
ReplyDeleteFurther, I'd like to be able to approach other companies as Print/Design partners, which will likely be taken more seriously as an actual company, rather than a DBA.
Thanks, though!
PW- Your assets would be protected by your incorperation the dba's would hold no assets. but would be the ones held liable for debt. That how DC comics got out of owing all the debt for the Superman convention in 1988. Which then lead to Marva and I to sell games.
ReplyDeleteSteel Witt has my vote, it has a very personal feel to it (and it should given it's origin). Stormcrown is my 2nd pick.
ReplyDelete