A while ago, I sent out a survey to my newsletter subscribers asking whether they’d be interested in supporting me if I launched a Kickstarter campaign. I’ll be honest… it was an overwhelming “no” from many of you. But you also had some good feedback as to why. So, here in this post, I’d like to clarify some things for you and hope to help alleviate any hesitations you might have in supporting the campaign.
If you are interested, head on over to the Kickstarter page and follow me! You’ll be notified when the project launches (hopefully in September) so you can be one of the first to join in on the fun.
Who are you again? And what’s your Kickstarter all about?
Christine Schulz is both my personal and author name. I write urban fantasy, but my writing tends to follow underdog characters. They’re awkward. They have weird powers. They aren’t the most stunningly beautiful underwear models with big boobs or have an impossible eight-pack of abs and they’re not super strong chosen ones destined to save the world (even if they sometimes wish they were). They’re typically just average people who get sucked into situations they never wanted to be a part of. If you’re curious about my writing, I have two freebies, Unpredictable Magic (A Black Sheep prequel) and Mixing Magic & Mayhem (A NightFly prequel).
The Black Sheep series follows Adrian, an unlucky underdog with a particular talent for making magic do anything but what it’s actually supposed to. The series is full of action and adventure with a heavy dose of humor and magical science. It also crosses over with my other series, NightFly.
What exactly is a Kickstarter campaign, and why bother running one?
The biggest deterrent for most readers when it comes to Kickstarter is simply the fact that they are unfamiliar with the platform and its intended purpose. Kickstarter is not a fundraising platform. It’s not a place for authors to beg for money. Of course, the end goal is to actually make a profit, but authors launch Kickstarter campaigns to give readers an opportunity to collect gorgeous special, limited edition, and collectible books and swag. It’s also a way for authors to reach new readers and connect with existing ones, and for readers to discover upcoming authors as they release new books.
My main objective for launching the Black Sheep Special Edition Omnibus is to connect with and find new readers, and to give my dedicated fans a collectible version of a story they already know and love. This was my first series written and completed, and it holds a special place in my heart that I hope others will come to appreciate as well.
Let’s discuss some Kickstarter terminology:
- Campaign: This is what the project you are backing is called.
- Backer: That’s you! The person supporting the campaign.
- Rewards: Each campaign includes rewards, items you receive in exchange for supporting the campaign.
- Pledge: The cost to support each reward.
- Stretch Goals: When certain funding goals are reached, stretch goals are unlocked and offered to backers. These are new items which can include extra freebies like stickers and bookmarks, or upgrades to the book like foil covers and artwork.
- Add-Ons: These are items that can be purchased in addition to your original reward pledge. This will vary based on campaign, but can be things like extra books, digital downloads, and art prints.
- Survey: At the end of the campaign, you’ll receive a backer survey to confirm your purchase and address before rewards are fulfilled.
Can I get a sneak peek of what will be available during the Kickstarter?
This special edition hardcover will include:
- 3 bonus chapters, written from other character POVs. For those of you familiar with my work, that’s Lizzy, Penny, and Eli, and there’s a stretch goal for three more chapters from Raven, Rezith, and Daphne!
- 6 black and white full page spread illustrations
- A new cover for the dust jacket, and an illustrated cover for underneath
- Several free and paid upgrades will be available when specific funding goals are reached. Those will be a foil dust jacket, chapter headers, custom end pages, and sprayed edges.
This series will temporarily be pulled from Kindle Unlimited so that ebook versions can be offered. This special edition will only be available during the Kickstarter campaign. That means if you’re interested in snagging a copy, you’ll have to do it while the Kickstarter is live. Check out what will be included in the video below!
Ugh. Who pays $65 for a book? And the shipping costs? That’s ridiculous!
Yes, some of these collectible books can be quite expensive, and shipping outside the US (where I’m located) can be more than the actual item itself. But keep in mind this isn’t your standard hardcover book, and the average book price for a special edition on Kickstarter, from what I’ve seen, seems to be about $85 + shipping. Let’s break down the costs.
- This omnibus is three books in one. On Amazon, you can purchase each single book for $13. That’s about $40 for an unsigned paperback set.
- In fact, most hardcover books cost about $20. For about the same price as you’d purchase a set of three standard hardcover books, you’re getting a signed hardcover book with, at minimum, an extended manuscript with six new chapters, new cover designs, and custom interior artwork with stretch goals offering the possibility of even more like foil dust jacket and sprayed edges.
- The cost to print this book is about $20, and don’t forget Kickstarter takes about 10% of my total profits (including shipping!). Then there was the costs of editing the new content and finding designers to do the covers, so I don’t make as much as you probably think off each sale. I’ve also put countless hours of my own time into drawing the illustrations and adding new content.
- Keep in mind this is a special collectible edition book as well, meaning I’ll be printing a limited number of copies and it won’t be widely available.
When it’s broken down like that, the price makes more sense and hopefully becomes more understandable.
I can’t afford the large ticket items. Do you have any low cost rewards?
I recognize that not everyone has that kind of income to splurge on fancy books. That’s why, for this Kickstarter campaign, I’m offering a $10 no-strings-attached signed foil bookmark with free shipping… EVERYWHERE! That’s right. Whether you’re in the US, UK, or across the globe in Australia, it’s a flat $10 (or whatever that converts to in your currency). I will also be pulling this series from Kindle Unlimited for the duration of this campaign so that I can offer the special edition ebook to those who don’t want physical copies or aren’t interested in dealing with the hassle of shipping expenses.
I’ve backed Kickstarter campaigns before and never received my items. Never again!
I totally understand your hesitation. I backed a project over a year ago, and the creator has pretty much ghosted everyone with no updates on what, if anything, will happen with the project. Even worse, Kickstarter doesn’t do much to hold the creator responsible for their actions. However, from my experience, projects tend to fall through because they failed to receive enough funding through their campaign or they ran into unforeseen roadblocks during the production process. This is especially true for campaigns that are tech related or require very special production needs. Thankfully, I’m offering a book. This book is already completed, edited, and ready to be sent to the printer. I have all the artwork, all the swag ready to go. All I need is a final number of units to order before I push that button. That said, after I submit the order, I have no control over what happens next. If the printer suddenly decides it’s going to be six months until I receive my order, there isn’t much I can do. If my entire order arrives damaged, goes missing, or is misprinted, I’ll have to go through the whole process again to order more books. But… even if I do run into setbacks, I will clearly communicate this with backers and I promise you WILL receive your items. Plus, if you’ve signed up for my newsletter, you already have my email address and you can always call me out on social if you need to get in touch with me.Are you offering anything else other than the book?
When I polled my readers, the most requested thing people asked for in addition to the book was swag! So yes, I’ll be offering book boxes with swag, but also swag only packages. Some of those will include:- A stationary set with a foil notebook, notepad, and Porky the pug snack clip.
- A signed foil bookmark with free shipping to anyone, anywhere. This is for readers who want to support, but may not want to spend the money to buy and ship a physical book.
- Digital book bundles, including PDF coloring book pages, printable bookmarks, desktop wallpaper, and the ebook.
- Hardcover book boxes, which include vellum overlays, magnetic bookmark, and stickers in addition to the physical book.
- As funding increases, new artwork will be unlocked for both physical and digital backers, so if you pledge, go ahead and share the campaign with others. The more you share, the more opportunities you have to get something more out of your purchase!
Do you use AI when creating your artwork?
I’m not going to get into the discussion about whether or not I support AI, but I can tell you that I do not use AI in my artwork or writing, and neither do any of the artists I’ve hired.
I don’t want to make a purchase of any kind. Is there any other way I can help?
Of course! The best way you can help is to share the campaign with likeminded bookworms such as yourself. I’m not allowed to self promote in many Facebook groups, and my reach on my own social channels only goes so far, so your call out will do wonders to spread the word and I will forever be grateful for your generosity.
