The Kickstarter of it All

Leading up to the Kickstarter, several things needed to be done. The illustrations were all complete and ready at this point, but the work was not slowing - if anything it was just getting started. While Andrew was busy working on sourcing extra products, like the tees and stickers, and setting up the bones of the kickstarter, I was trying to find someone to make the crochet dolls.

Again - that large and talented circle of friends came in clutch. Lisa Hickey did a wonderful job with her “test” Chirp, the little cutie you’ve been seeing in promo pics and in #ChirpOnTheTown if you’re following my socials.

Along with that, we needed promo videos, which meant I had to record myself. On a camera. Talking. Ugh.
Bannerman Brewing Co. let me use their upstairs so I could have a space to record that wasn’t my house. My pal Crystal came along for moral support and on camera tips (she might be behind the scenes in the theatre industry, but she sure knew how to direct me!). Andrew had sent a list of general questions about the project, and I awkwardly answered each one. Clips will eventually make their way onto the Videos tab up top, they might even already be depending on how quickly you read this after I publish it, but for now it’s all coming out in this blog only.

Campaign laid out, videos done and edited, mailing list collected, book mostly completed besides finishing touches… We were ready to launch!

We were able to make it onto the Project We Love list within 72 hours (my first personal goal), and hit our $5000 goal in exactly one week (my second personal goal). Through the continued “Chirp On The Town” social media campaign and friends sharing the bejesus out of my posts and kickstart link, we zoomed to the goal, and keep on going to surpass it.

The goal we set wasn’t where we broke even. It was the place at which I could swing paying the difference between it and printing costs out of my own pocket. Out of the total $6308 raised, kickstarter fees were removed, then credit card processing fees, then cost to produce the other materials in the rewards… and then we had just over half of the printing costs. I think if I do another Kickstarter for the next book, I’ll look at pricing the higher reward levels more realistically for how they’ll factor into the overall costs and/or make the goal higher than 5K. A lesson learned for sure.

One of the most innovative things I came up with for the kickstarter campaign was the Philanthropist Package. When I say “came up with” I surely mean “saw on another kid book Kickstarter and ran with”. Three businesses bought the package, and that means 60 books are being split among 11 different organizations. (PLUG ALERT: This is still an option. If you or your business want to help get more kid’s books, check out the product on the store - all the details are there!)

A special thanks to the Avalon Jr Capitals, Hive Group Benefits, and Physio & Co. for being the first purchasers.

I’ll admit, the love and support I felt throughout the Kickstarter campaign was often overwhelming. A great reason to be overwhelmed by emotion, but still hard to reconcile.

The other feeling that was really challenging to reconcile, but I think I’ve finally got a grip on, is the idea that this thing I’ve spent 2 years working on quietly by myself or with a small group of people is now very public, and about to be in other people’s homes and lives. Again, a great feeling… but weird. Very, very weird.

I had to imagine it was how my favourite bands and musicians felt after years of working on an album and then releasing it. I love music, I love reading liner notes, and I love appreciating the process that goes into an album. My first listen of any new album is a track by track, in the order the artist designed it to be heard. So, seemed logical to ask musician pals about the feeling I was experiencing.

The affable Matt Layzell from the band The Matinee warned me that it doesn’t get any easier as you produce more. He also reminded me to only look at other’s do to learn from, but not to waste energy comparing or dwelling on it. And his biggest reminder: So many people say, “I’m gonna write a book”… and don’t. But I did.

And I remembered an interview from Ed Sheeran. He was asked about the song Thinking Out Loud and how if it was still special since he had written it for is wife. The response was something along the lines of “It was special for she and I until it was released. And now it’s special for thousands of other people and special to me in a very different way than originally.”

And I just think that’s a beautiful sentiment and try to remember it. Chirp will always be special, but the reason why his first book is special to me will change. It has already allowed me to connect with so many people, and I cannot wait until I can start doing author visits at schools and libraries!

This post is kind of getting away from me with feelings, but that suits the fact that this project has allowed me to embrace all the cheesiest, corniest parts of my personality. If you’re someone who supported the Kickstarter campaign, in any way, shape, or form, THANK YOU.

Your kindness meant a lot. More than I could ever describe. And that is a feeling that will never be lost on me or forgotten.

xo RG