I thought I’d do one main Kickstarter post, so I can link back to it as I explain things in more detail in connected posts over the next 21 days. I apologize in advance about the amount of blogging I’m about to do (if you get emails from me) but I promise it won’t stretch beyond the Kickstarter!
CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE THE KICKSTARTER
Important dates
Launch: January 10, 2023 at 7 a.m. PST
Length: 21 days
Last Day: January 31, 2023
Tenth Anniversary for Dowser 1: June 18, 2023
Kickstarter Info
Essentially Kickstarter is a funding platform. It helps a creator cover their EXPENSES (i.e. money already spent or needed to be spent to create the product). You select a tier and ‘pledge’ that amount to support the campaign. Warning: you cannot pledge multiple tiers. Though I suppose you could do so with multiple accounts. If the main funding goal is achieved, then you receive the item you pledged by the date listed (hopefully!). After the initial goal is met, there are often stretch goals (‘free’ extras/rewards) that come into play. Which people who have already baked the project (at a certain level) receive without spending any more money.
How do I pledge/back a project?
How do I change/increase my pledge?
Why run a Kickstarter for Dowser 1 in the first place?
For me, a Kickstarter functions partly as a preorder – I don’t run a store, so I can’t ‘carry’ stock. A Kickstarter lets me know what my readers are interested in so I can order the minimum amount. Yes, I will not be ordering extras. The only way to get any of the limited editions of Dowser 1 is to pledge/back the item you want via the Kickstarter campaign. The new Dowser series novella, aka tier 1, will be available on all retailers in mid2024. It will not, however, include any of the extras: the Anniversary eCard, the new recipe, etc.
A Kickstarter also functions partly as a way to help creators finance special editions or new endeavors, etc. In my case, I’ve requested the audiobook rights for Dowser 1 – 6 back from my publisher and I am in the process of recording all nine audiobooks with a new narrator: Erin Moon (she rocks!). I’m offering the audiobooks in the stretch goals section, so hopefully we reach some or all of those!
Tiers
The tiers are explained in detail on the Kickstarter page but I will provide more detail/pictures over the next 21 days. When I write the corresponding posts, I will link them back here:
- Anniversary eCard, Dowser novella, and a new recipe
- limited-edition eBook
- limited-edition paperback, bookmark, and bookplate. Autographed.
- eBook/paperback combo
- limited-edition hardcover, bookmark, and bookplate. Autographed.
- eBook/hardcover combo
- eBook/paperback/hardcover bundle
annotated hardcovers(sorry, these were gone before I managed to get this post written)(b/c my readers freaking rock!)name a background character in Dowser 9.5name a supporting character in Dowser 9.5name a main character in Dowser 9.5
Stretch goals
More to be added (hopefully!!)
- Five more character sketches by Nicole Deal – goal ACHIEVED in under two hours (again, because I have crazy cool readers).
- Dowser 1 audiobook, narrated by Erin Moon – UNLOCKED!
- Dowser 2 audiobook, narrated by Erin Moon – UNLOCKED!
- Dowser 3 audiobook, narrated by Erin Moon – UNLOCKED!
Add-Ons
I have also made the second and third Dowser series trilogies available in audiobook format as Add-Ons. What does that mean? You can purchase (at a discount) Dowser 4, 5, and 6 and/or Dowser 7, 8, and 9 in audiobook directly from me (via the Kickstarter campaign). YAY! See this blog post for more details and delivery dates, please. I also have added instructions on how to claim this deal in the blog post.
Other fun things:
Erin Moon narrating the opening pages of Dowser 1
Mark your calendar: Anniversary party/release day for Dowser 9.5 – June 18, 2023.
Quick Updates
Day 1: Main goal achieved in under an hour: because you are all amazing!
Day 1: Stretch goal 1 was achieved in under two hours. Because who doesn’t want ALL THE ART!!
End of Day 1: Stretch goal 2 now smashed through! That means tiers 2 – 11 get Dowser 1 in audiobook for free!
Day 2: campaign rewarded Kickstarter’s #ProjectWeLove status! Whoot – THANK YOU!
Day 3: stretch goal 3 unlocked! That means tiers 2 – 11 get Dowser 2 in audiobook for free!
Day 6: rolled over 500 backers!
Day 9: rolled over $40,000 pledged!
Day 13: stretch goal 4 unlocked! That means tiers 2 – 11 get Dowser 3 in audiobook for free!
CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE THE KICKSTARTER
Feel free to ask me anything in the comments. It is important that I’m as clear as possible!!
Since I have all your ebooks to date and am trying to de clutter my life so I don’t need more physical things, I would be interested in just the 3 audiobooks not yet released. Could that be a kickstarter tier also?
Cathy – I might do this as an ‘add on’ near the end of the Kickstarter.
I think I would like this too. Although, my complete set syndrome may require me to have all 9 new ones. 🤗 Either way, I’m a backer! 💜
I’m so happy for you! This kickstarter rocked! Congratulations, you totally deserve it all!
Thank you for your support!!
Wow I just got the email 12:07 CT and stuff is sold out! Great job for you, 😢for me. Hugs MCD
I’m so sorry. The annotated copies went in like 15 minutes. I had no idea they’d be popular.
Just so excited for you! I have my contribution in I’ve been horsing my money and now have my triple books set plus templates and bookmarks etc.
now to figure out train tickets and hotels for May!!
I love the cover art on your books. Have you ever thought about doing the book covers as blank (inside) greeting cards?
I haven’t! Just the occasional postcard.
This is very cool! If the nanaimo cupcake recipe doesn’t win, I will be crushed 😭 It sounds delicious. Question on the full color illustration in the limited edition books, is that only for the eBook or will the paperback and hardback have a color illustration? Love your books btw!
All the books will have full colour illustrations! Which is why they are rather expensive 🤣 so six illustrations now that the first stretch goal was smashed.
Absolutely splendid Kickstarter, the hardcover book cover looks delicious! One question though… If I added shipping i.e. country shipping, did I add tracked shipping at the same time? Never done a Kickstarter before so wasn’t too sure whether I was selecting things correctly.
Yes! I set the shipping prices to all include tracking. I found a shipping place/partner in Canada so I was able to get some lower prices (thank goodness). But they all still include tracking. I needed tracking for my own sanity!
Thanks so much for confirming! xx
Ok, I caved and jumped a couple of tiers. It didn’t ask me for my mailing address though. Will it take it from the credit card info or did I miss something along the way?
Ah! Don’t worry, I’ll contact you (via Kickstarter) and send you a ‘survey’ when I’m ready to get everything addressed and shipped. So … many months from now. 🙂
Great. Thank you! 💜
Congratulations on reaching over $40,000! I’m so happy that your Kickstarter is going well!
Thank you!!
I would love to see more Ember Pine!
This has been so much fun! And the anticipation for their arrival!!!!! I’m just as excited waiting for this as I will be to get it! Thank you for getting the rights to your audiobooks in such a fun and interactive way! I’m glad I could help. 🙂
Thank you!!!
I want to cry!! I thought I had pledged to this and just found out it didn’t go through 😭😭
Your payment didn’t go through? Because there is still time to fix that, I believe.
Do you know how to do that? When I went on Kickstarter to check I couldn’t see anything.
You should have gotten an email with instructions if your payment wasn’t accepted.
I don’t have any emails from them so I’m guessing my pledge didn’t go through 😭
Yeah, if you checked all your spam/junk folders and don’t have anything … you would have gotten a confirmation as soon as you pledged.
It’s sucky but at least you hit your target without me