A few years ago, I watched a singer named Addison Agen compete on a TV show. She introduced me to beautiful songs and I fell in love with the tender way she sang, and her humble demeanor toward life and the people she loved. I had heard of Joni Mitchell before, but this singer brought her songs to life in beauty I could not ignore. (Case of You is one of my favorites!)
When she won 2nd place and went home without the record deal, she was disappointed. But in time, she chose to host a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for an album (She raised $36,000!). People like me; a fan, were able to front the costs for her endeavor. I was excited to buy that album and support her art. We were then be first in line to get her album when it released one year later. It was incredible to be a part of her team and help bring the album to life from the very beginning.
To this day, my husband and I both still listen to her music and at night I try to sing one of the songs to my girls. It is called, “Goodnight, my love” and it will forever be a household song for my family.
From March 7th-28th, I will be running a campaign to raise funds to publish my next book. All backers who pre-order through Kickstarter will receive bonuses and perks that won't be available when the book is released wherever books are sold.
I chose Kickstarter for my book project because I wanted to be able to sit on the living floor with my husband after the kids are in bed, and personally put your book in a bubble wrap mailer and write your name on the front of the package. I want to sign your books, write you notes and enjoy connection with an actual human by sending happy mail. That’s my dream when I read books by my favorite authors, and I want to give it to you.
Crowd-funding websites (like Kickstarter) help creators fund their creative projects. With book projects, it allows the readers to pre-order the book. This gives the author the money ahead of time to fund the editing, formatting, publishing, and distribution. It also gives the author the confidence needed to finish a project because the readers are counting on it to be delivered to them once it’s ready.
Kickstarter allows me to not only communicate with you and give you updates on the book, but special prizes and bonuses you wouldn’t get if you simply order the book from Amazon. There are SO MANY fun perks I get to share with you all. It makes a book launch much more creative and entertaining for everyone.
Of course, after the backers have all received their books, I will publish it on Amazon and book outlets for everyone else to order. This will hopefully all be done by November. I also hope to publish a Spanish version in 2024.
Many people have been faithfully reading my words and stories for years. I can’t wait to bring them something special and thank them personally for encouraging me. I’ve been sharing stories and they have been commenting kind words again and again. There’s no way I can adequately thank them for their support. This project is my small “thank you” for their unwavering faithfulness to my writing.
If Kickstarter feels foreign to you; you are not alone! (I only know what it is because we watch Shark Tank where entrepeneurs use the platform to sell their prototypes).
Here are some tutorials to help you understand the website a little bit better. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at authorkimpatton@gmail.com.
Kickstarter Basics
Kickstarter FAQ’s for Backers:
How Kickstarter works by Vickie Howell
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