The Better World Book Kickstarter (May 2019)

I just checked. 8 people have raised their pledge in the last hour! Thank you!

Click here to go to the kickstarter!!!

Shawn Klassen-Koop wrote:I just checked. 8 people have raised their pledge in the last hour! Thank you!

Yay, Permie People are so awesome!!!

A bump would be Europeans and other non-Americans i guess.
Isn't there a way to let people choose to lower the amount of physical books and so lower the shipping cost?
Cause now people only have 2 choices; either have lots of physical books or no physical books at all?

Also maybe write down once more what people will get right now at this time.

An update on the pie chart of expenses will help as well so new people don't think your are doing it for the money.

My two cents

The pie chart, as is, took shawn and I about four or five hours to nail down the official budget.   And then it took me an additional three hours to make the pie chart (I wanted to make sure that each piece of pie was sized to exactly the correct size;  and it is hard to write with a mouse!).

So while I very much like the idea of updating the pie chart, I suspect we won't be able to get it done (when mixed in with all the other things) before the kickstarter is over.

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Isn't there a way to let people choose to lower the amount of physical books and so lower the shipping cost?

Nope.  Sorry.  

The good news is that the prices for everything now are far better than they will be after the kickstarter.  

Also maybe write down once more what people will get right now at this time.

That's a good idea!

I think that's a real good one for the next update!

Hi Pfaffke, thanks for your input.

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Isn't there a way to let people choose to lower the amount of physical books and so lower the shipping cost?
Cause now people only have 2 choices; either have lots of physical books or no physical books at all?

We will send out a survey after the kickstarter. On that survey it will say (for $80 and up levels), something like "Up to 12, how many physical books do you want? The rest will be converted 3-1 to ebook gift codes." So you can choose how many physical copies. But unfortunately kickstarter does not allow us to alter the shipping total based on how many you choose. So you have to either pay 0 for shipping and get 0 physical copies, or pay for shipping all physical books... even if you are not getting all physical books. We are already stretching kickstarter's system about as much as we can and they do not provide us the ability to do this in a more detailed manner. I know, it sucks. But we had to make sure that we covered our costs. Because the #1 source of post-kickstarter failures is an inability to correctly estimate shipping expenses.

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Also maybe write down once more what people will get right now at this time.

We've tried that on a number of our emails. I think it has worked really well for us. But today it feels like it's time to try something a bit different. A bit more brevity and a bit more story-focussed.

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:An update on the pie chart of expenses will help as well so new people don't think your are doing it for the money.

A couple of people have recommended this. And I see that Paul just answered above as I was writing this. The number of variables involved... so many... and I'm an engineer... I like variables... but yeah I think it would take days to get an updated pie chart that is reasonably accurate. And even then there are still a lot of unknowns. In order to address this question in a different way, we included this in our email for today:

As part of doing this project, we have learned that audiobooks have a far larger audience than we ever thought!  But we have also learned that making audiobooks is expensive. So we are trying to get to the point where we can create an audiobook and we are coming up short. And we only have 3 days left.

paul wheaton wrote:The pie chart, as is, took shawn and I about four or five hours to nail down the official budget.   And then it took me an additional three hours to make the pie chart (I wanted to make sure that each piece of pie was sized to exactly the correct size;  and it is hard to write with a mouse!).

So while I very much like the idea of updating the pie chart, I suspect we won't be able to get it done (when mixed in with all the other things) before the kickstarter is over.

Next time then. Maybe while making the next kickstarter make two pie charts while you have time to spare - one for the initial funding and one for a super stretch amount

I just got a message from a guy I support on Patreon.
Can you cut and paste your last message to your patreon supporters?

Wahoo....8, 7, 6, 5, just 4 more supporters to go to hit the 2000 supporter milestone (and then push past 2022!).....we're counting on one hand now.  I should leave for the store more often :)

If you put in 4 donations under different names you can be sure to be #2000!

Rudy Valvano wrote:I just got a message from a guy I support on Patreon.
Can you cut and paste your last message to your patreon supporters?

Good one!  Done!

Here's an update to my thought of contacting my local library to let them know about the free book offer, as a possible way to also promote the kickstarter.  I did pass along Shawn's link for the libraries to my branch manager:  https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fpermies.com%2ft%2f110166%2fFree-copies-Building-World-Backyard%3ffbclid%3dIwAR3GjLg-v7IPoELeP5kM3VIHzrLCrW7VeFE1faAUykul36HALVVF84QznVs&c=E,1,FW2Cg5S7l2lQ4Tfn9DEfyDuEVSykAvYkRtxwcdtNvgCUQQM7SPZb4ilIOVnCQ23jZ2g-BdHnP2NAU3_Goz1qpbEk24y5oFD2Vtfw-b-w6MNl2Q,,&typo=1

She just told me she passed this on to the collections development team with a recommendation that they put their name in the hat for some free books, AND she suggested they purchase a couple copies when it comes out regardless.  I had given her the link to the kickstarter campaign too so hopefully the collections folks will "pre order" some books from the campaign to provide more support now.

Side note to Shawn and Paul, if you get a request for free books from KDL or the Kent District Library they'd be a good one to choose.  ;)  Actually I think they'd perfectly meet the criteria you are looking for, as in one place to send a box that would then get out to many libraries.  I think there are 13 or more branches in the system.  Of course it is all up to you guys who you want to give them too.

Anyway, telling librarians about the free offer may well work as a way to actually support the kickstarter now and help us get to the audio book level!

2000 backers!

I've received a few emails from librarians. It's pretty cool that this is actually happening! Thanks to everyone who has told their librarians!

Just in case someone's wondering, I won't make decisions on which libraries will receive books until after the dust settles here.

paul wheaton wrote:

2000 backers!

I almost feel bad for Greg that Paul beat him to the post about 2000 backers...

$83,063!

Shawn Klassen-Koop wrote:I almost feel bad for Greg that Paul beat him to the post about 2000 backers...

It's ok....I'll be fine....sniff....hehehe.  Seeing how well it did when I left, I left again to get my cart wheels fixed up and running nice.  I was hoping that we'd hit since I left again.  Having said that I came back just a minute too late!!!  (But didn't you love the fireworks!  Paul....beat that!)

My librarian heard back from the collections department.  They are going to pass on trying for the freebies because they want to leave them for others since they actually have a very nice budget for purchasing books.  Instead they plan to purchase copies when they are available.  :)  I just passed on the suggestion that they could provide the best support by getting them right now through the kickstarter to possibly help get us to the audio book stretch goal.  Either way, "Building a Better World in your Backyard" should end up in my regional library system to infect more brains!

For anyone wondering if this might work with your library system, my personal experience with recommending books has been that they almost always purchase what is recommended.  That might be because my system is well funded, but from what I hear they really do rely on patron suggestions to know what people want in the collections.  Recommending that your library get certain books really has impact!

2001 backers!!! (just not the same...is it?)  

Still pretty great though....Congrats Paul and Shawn.  I think you'll beat the 2022 mark!

Just a quick thought;
Isn't there something like an organization for the blind in the USA/UK.
They might be really into an audio book... And they probably have loads of members?

Shawn Klassen-Koop wrote:... ...

We will send out a survey after the kickstarter. On that survey it will say (for $80 and up levels), something like "Up to 12, how many physical books do you want? The rest will be converted 3-1 to ebook gift codes." So you can choose how many physical copies. But unfortunately kickstarter does not allow us to alter the shipping total based on how many you choose. So you have to either pay 0 for shipping and get 0 physical copies, or pay for shipping all physical books... even if you are not getting all physical books. We are already stretching kickstarter's system about as much as we can and they do not provide us the ability to do this in a more detailed manner. I know, it sucks. But we had to make sure that we covered our costs. Because the #1 source of post-kickstarter failures is an inability to correctly estimate shipping expenses.

... ...

I thought that it was possible to have multiple same price pledges in one kickstarter having different rewards. So for example you have a 100 usd pledge with 1 physical and 10 eBooks OR 2 physicals and 7 eBooks    and so on...   the stretch-goals can still be edited no? If so you could add some parallel pledges of 100usd? Then kickstarter should change shipping cost accordingly?

What you suggest might (emphasis on might) be possible. But it would mean adding almost 2 dozen reward levels to the kickstarter. And I think it makes things far too confusing. Plus at this point we have gone in a direction. And changing that direction would cause significant complications with sorting out the 2000 people who have already backed the kickstarter.

Maybe it's something to consider for a future kickstarter. And maybe by then kickstarter will have made things far more flexible such that we can customize campaigns better.

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Just a quick thought;
Isn't there something like an organization for the blind in the USA/UK.
They might be really into an audio book... And they probably have loads of members?

I guess that's one of the really great things about audiobooks, isn't it? Blind people get to experience the awesomeness of books!

I have no connections in this space. Maybe someone else on permies does?

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Just a quick thought;
Isn't there something like an organization for the blind in the USA/UK.
They might be really into an audio book... And they probably have loads of members?

Around 20 years ago I worked at the Clovernook Center for the Blind. They have a Braille printing house and audiobook service that converts a variety of printed materials. Sfoulkes@clovernook.org or 513-728-6243 is their contact info for a quote. I’d be willing to help out with the audiobook as well, I’ve done probably a dozen voiceovers and narrations for work. But I think Paul would be the best choice for that, knowing exactly where the emphasis belongs in each thought within the book.

I got the email about the audiobooks, which I thought was a cool idea. But when I clicked through the link to the Kickstarter, there was no indication of how much money you still needed to raise in order to make an audiobook, or if you had or were likely to reach that goal. I am on mobile, so there may be things I can’t see. But I suspect that people would be more likely to contribute to stretch goals that interest them if they can see a concrete $ goal to help achieve.

$84,315!

Jennifer Richardson wrote:I got the email about the audiobooks, which I thought was a cool idea. But when I clicked through the link to the Kickstarter, there was no indication of how much money you still needed to raise in order to make an audiobook, or if you had or were likely to reach that goal. I am on mobile, so there may be things I can’t see. But I suspect that people would be more likely to contribute to stretch goals that interest them if they can see a concrete $ goal to help achieve.

The audiobook stretch goal is stretch goal #11: $100,000

I think we blew past 84k quickly because the monthly-ish is going out right now.  And I sent updates to three of my past kickstarters.   And I emailed everybody that bought stuff from me before.   And, I see that steven harris just emailed all his peeps about the kickstarter.

Shawn,

I found it—by clicking on the Campaign tab and scrolling to the bottom, I was able to see the stretch goals.

I think it would be good to show the stretch goal(s) and their amounts more prominently either on the Kickstarter landing page or in the emails if possible.

As it is, when I click through to the Kickstarter I just see that it is way overfunded and nothing about stretch goals or at what level they will be funded.

The first thing in the campaign tab is the thing that says "funded in 3 hours. check out the stretch goals below." I figure that's pretty prominent.

Is kickstarter sending you somewhere other than the campaign tab?

Your point about the stretch goals in the update is a good one. I think we will probably move to showing a bunch of stretch goals from now until the end of the kickstarter.

2,031 backers!




racing past my previous record of 2022 backers!

Next up:

Shawn, yeah, the email link sent me to the rewards page, and I was surprised not to see anything about the audiobooks or stretch goals there, since that’s what the email was about, it just said everything was fully funded. I did not think to click over to the campaign tab at first because I thought it was about like an advertising campaign to promote the book or something—didn’t realize that’s what Kickstarter calls the fundraising effort.

Interesting! That explains it! Thanks for pointing it out!

$86,002!

Pfaffke van Oilsjt wrote:Just a quick thought;
Isn't there something like an organization for the blind in the USA/UK.
They might be really into an audio book... And they probably have loads of members?

Readers for the Blind, I believe.  The US branch is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I've been there, and it's in a terrible neighborhood called 'Over The Rhine'.

Shawn Klassen-Koop wrote:


Next up:

Okay, now I need to finally ask this question.  What is a gapper anyway?  I suspect that it's some kind of working apprenticeship at Wheaton Labs, but I don't know the details, and the details might matter to my adult children.  I'm never going to be any kind of gapper myself...

WOW WOW WOW
I go do stuff for a few hours and come back and check and it blew past 85,000
now
$87,423
and
50
more people
2062
What a day!!!

Well........

I have upped my pledge to $100.00 !!!

Wahoo !!

Pardon me for waiting almost to the last minute....

; )

2069 Backers