New book, Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide Kickstarter

We have done some interesting stuff in this world of shippable Cores with the manifold.

And the 700th backer just put it over $35,000

Here is the link to their Kickstarter


http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

Blendi Kraja wrote:@klemen urbanija

My sister is coming in person this summer, so I will redirect the book to her and she'll bring it to me. If you want, you can do the same and I'll let you know the shipping charges AL-SL.

I can't promise anything, but I'm planning a "beach-going" spree with my family this summer (if The Boss agrees , the kids are already on board) in both Adriatic and Ionian see rivieras. If so, I'll bring it to you in person for free in Slovenia.

@Erica or somebody familiar with kickstarter

I want to select the $35 reward, should I buy it under my name and select shipping to the US, and then provide the address of my sister living in Las Vegas? Never done kickstarter, so I would need advice.

Blendi

I imagine that would work fine.
You can enter a different name or address up until we ship the books.
However, I imagine it would cause problems if you tried to change the reward level after your payment is already collected.

If there is any problem,
- support@Kickstarter.com can tell you more about pledging and location constraints
- There's a place on the shipping survey to enter a special note if needed, to remind me of special handling.
- you can always send me a message through Kickstarter, or PM me here.

Yours,
Erica

Glenn Herbert wrote:And the 700th backer just put it over $35,000

Nice round numbers, lining up.

paul wheaton wrote:We have done some interesting stuff in this world of shippable Cores with the manifold.

The "manifold in a box," and the "no manifold options," are related to the shippable core work.
Any others that I didn't list?
I could describe what happened with one-piece and multi-piece refractory castings, too.

@ Erica

Hi Erica

I just pledged $35 (+4), but my eye catched July 2016 as delivery date. Now, I don't know exactly when will my sister depart the US for Albania, I will ask her today, but there would be no point if her departure is earlier than the arrival of the book. Now, do you have an exact date for when the book would eventually arrive in Las Vegas (you know the details of the printing process, I guess, and would be able to have an estimate)?

I will not renege on my pledge, but if the above is the case, though I hate having an e-book because I love normal books, I will have to change it and receive a digital copy.

Please let me know as soon as possible. I have about 60 hours to decide.

Blendi

Blendi Kraja wrote:@klemen urbanija

My sister is coming in person this summer, so I will redirect the book to her and she'll bring it to me. If you want, you can do the same and I'll let you know the shipping charges AL-SL.

I can't promise anything, but I'm planning a "beach-going" spree with my family this summer (if The Boss agrees , the kids are already on board) in both Adriatic and Ionian see rivieras. If so, I'll bring it to you in person for free in Slovenia.

¸

Shipping from AL to SL will again be subject to VAT so this is not an option... Darn. I have been to AL 6 years ago but i don't plan of going there any time soon... . Don't bother, Blendi i am very happi with my current pledge for the book from UK!

Have a nice day,
Klemen

OK, I just got all excited and added triple the stretch goals at once.
Go check out update #12 for details.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rmhbuildersguide/the-rocket-mass-heater-builders-guide/posts/1543187

It says, "Crunch Time. Let's break up the stretch into delicious, tempting bites."

$40,000 Milestone Bonus - The Shrimp cooker + double the Teeny Tiny Mass Heater plans.

#5) Mysterious Manifolds for $42,000 (as before)

#6) Rocket Kitchen Secrets for $45,000

Beautiful rocket kitchens, in-depth interviews with their makers and owners. At $45,000, we offer our top 5 examples as an eBook for all backers, delivered in in time for Christmas.
Candidates include
- Hendrik's Soapstone Batch Box
- Brazilian Double Rocket Kitchen Range (builder?)
- Satamax's rocket retrofit range/mass heater

#7) Rockets Go Mainstream for $50,000

Rocket Wood Cook Stoves and Heaters: The Cleanest, Greenest, Leanest, Most Elegant Wood Burning Stoves in the World.

A dozen of the most beautiful and multi-functional projects we can discover, with exclusive new pictures, builder and owner interviews, and the inside scoop on what's behind those pretty faces.

If we make $50,000, all our "serious backers" ($50 and up) will receive this with a dozen featured heaters, in time for Christmas 2016.
A slim, glossy printed copy will go out to higher-level backers at the Patron and Sponsor levels, contributors of the winning dozen examples, and all Boosters who brought in $500 or more.

Builders and owners are welcome to submit your own projects for inclusion.

Many thanks,

Ernie and Erica

OK, we have 36 hours left.

Anyone you haven't told yet, that might help us nail our stretch goals?
(see Update #12.)

The pledges from Permies.com, and this thread specifically, are our #1 source on Kickstarter (even ahead of Kickstarter itself).
Here's the link again: http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

I would like to offer another Permies special deal:

I will offer three things if the pledges from Permies.com and Paul Wheaton's booster link, combined, rise to $20K.

1) Eye Candy / Givaway Prizes:
Make Permies.com the "official contest sponsor" of the contest(s) for the Rocket Wood Cook Stoves and/or Most Elegant Wood Burning Stoves in the World stretch goals.
Even if we don't make our highest stretch goals, and I don't have to write up a formal project report, I would donate some books and eBooks as prizes for participants.
There's some frank self-interest here, for us to collect some of the most gorgeous recent project examples into juicy, media-rich contest threads that I can mine for future publishing inspiration.

2) Recognition:
I will name Permies.Com as a sponsor, complete with most recent logo, on the document produced for the highest stretch goal we reach.
If we hit $50K, that's a glossy printed booklet for Paul, and for all our Patron and Sponsor-level backers.

3) Perennial Gift:
The PIE program (Permies Insider Elite, I think it stands for) is a special deal for people who support the forums, either financially, or through excellent posts and contributions (apples, etc).
PIE members get access to restricted forums, discount coupons, etc.

If the Permies.com community meets this $20K challenge, then I will make the most popular eBook from our stretch goals permanently available as a low-cost digital download, with a coupon for PIE members.*
Even if it gets picked up by a big-time publisher, they will have to make an exemption in the contract, so that the 2016 version will always be available to the PIE members.
*Permanent as in perennial: the PIE program or my online store could get wiped out by some dramatic incident, but as long as they both exist, this offer will not be uprooted.


Voting for the Perennial Donation:
There are currently 4 extra eBook projects "Already Happening," from stretch goals we've met, and another 4 stretch goals officially "on the table," if we meet more stretch goals.
https://permies.com/t/55192/crowdfunding/Stretch-goals-RMH-Builder-Guide#459489

Right now the most popular item is the "Mysterious Manifolds" eBook, with 9 votes, which will be written if we make our $42K stretch goal.
If somehow you bring in $20K but we don't make the $42K goal, then the Perennial Donation would be the Heat Riser Cookbook, as it's currently the most popular of the Already Happening goals (with 4 votes).

Vote by clicking the "thumbs up" on the relevant post.
You are welcome to vote more than once, if you have more than one favorite.
I would suggest voting for at least one that's already happening, and for your top favorite that's on the table (if different). But you can vote for all the ones you like.
I'll tally the votes April 12, after the Kickstarter ends.

It's kinda confusing, sorry, but there are no wrong answers here.
Permies.com PIE members will get perrennial access to one of the custom items created for our Kickstarter campaign.

And if you want ALL the goodies, well, go support the Kickstarter!

http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

Yours,
Erica W

I want to post this again, because it's just so darn important.

paul wheaton wrote:Here is the link to their Kickstarter


http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

Thanks:) E&E are going to be so busy, getting all the extra goodies together for the backers between now and Christmas.

Last day. 300% funded and climbing.
Don't miss it:
http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

Thanks for all the support and creative inspiration.

(That is a pretty good work load to deliver all those goodies! Feels like my labor of love is growing up into a Real Job, of the best kind.)

-Erica

Byron Campbell wrote:Thanks:) E&E are going to be so busy, getting all the extra goodies together for the backers between now and Christmas.

I had all the stuff on the reward levels pre-loaded and ready to go. (I felt so prepared.) Kickstarter campaign: http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/
I even went down and got some graphic design support to make the files super-easy to download.

And then we got creative on those Stretch goals.
And I got excited about the AT course, and made some promises that combine the two.

So I will not run out of things to do for a good long while!
I figure if I get you all the pre-loaded stuff promptly, then one DIY plan and one stretch eBook per month, I will be on schedule for Christmas.
That's the plan, anyway.

Byron, thanks for being the first to post this, and following it all the way through.

-Erica

I made a visual for all the Fire Starter rewards:
(these all come with any pledge greater than $10)

We hit $40,000!

That means I'll be giving all backers
- 2 Teeny Tiny Mass Heater plans,
- an inside look at 2 of Peter's compact rocket space-heaters (mass optional)
- a full report on my Shrimp compact oven/range prototype

I just posted a backers' update showing a sneak preview the Shrimp notes
(scale drawings of the untested design).

If you're not a backer, you won't be able to see them. So sad!

You can go vote for this plan to become accessible through the Perennial Gift of PIE, if you like.

Or you can recruit some more backers, and push for us to make that $45,000 stretch with 5 more rocket wood cook stoves.

(Yes, if we make it, I will pull together 5 additional designs from willing builders, rather than counting the Shrimp twice.)

Satamax has already offered to give me an update on his French wood cook stove retrofit (there are a few things he'd do differently next time, but the range works great).
I'm talking to Lasse about whether he has a cookstove he'd stand behind as a well-proven model, or if he wants to stick with just giving innovator/prototype notes for now.

And I'm still looking for the skinny on this beautiful kitchen:

It's probably the L-tube/Lorena cross (one of Aprovecho's cooking experiments post- Ianto's involvement, so I'm not as familiar with the workings.)

Well, I backed it days ago, upped my level, and just now found this page. Last time I checked we were just a few dollars short of the 42,000. I'm really hoping for the next stretch goal, though I can't remember what it is, oh yeah, kitchen plans. Yay!

I'm headed to bed and excited to see where things are in the morning. If it looks close, I'll up my backing level again.

I'm still promoting the project to friends who, silly people, think they'll just buy the book next month. They don't know how kickstart campaigns work, and how much more you get for backing than for waiting for the whatever it is to be available.


Congratulations, Erica, on your resounding success.

Thekla

We hit $42,000! That means Mysterious Manifolds REVEALED becomes REAL.
I've been sorting my photo collection from dozens of past projects and workshop practice sessions to find the clearest images for that in-depth write-up.
I'll be drawing cutaway views soon, too.

-Erica

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Well, I backed it days ago, upped my level, and just now found this page. Last time I checked we were just a few dollars short of the 42,000. I'm really hoping for the next stretch goal, though I can't remember what it is, oh yeah, kitchen plans. Yay!

I'm headed to bed and excited to see where things are in the morning. If it looks close, I'll up my backing level again.
...

Kitchen plans comes in at $45,000, but it's looking quite possible we might get there.
We close at a weird hour mid-afternoon Monday, so I don't know how that will work.

Get your pledges in by lunch hour, on the west coast/Hawaii, to be safe. Or just check the hour count early, and do some conservative math.

...I'm still promoting the project to friends who, silly people, think they'll just buy the book next month. They don't know how kickstart campaigns work, and how much more you get for backing than for waiting for the whatever it is to be available.

My own cousin went and pre-ordered on Amazon instead of the Kickstarter. I wasn't sure what to say... given the rough month she's having, I just said "thanks" and did not try to escort her onto another learning curve.
Kickstarter is a new thing.

One of my favorite parts is the "popular demand" aspect. Paul's up-vote straw polls are extremely helpful.
I think we are going to have a variety of really useful eBooks and resources come out of those stretch goals, maybe one of them will even become our next "big book."

As a person who loves creative collaboration, the daily feedback from so many people really gets my full attention.
Especially with backers like you, where I have a face and fond memories to go with the name.

Congratulations, Erica, on your resounding success.

Thekla

Thanks. It's a weird rite of passage as a self-employed creative person.

It feels like I've done a month-long job interview with an 800-person company, and in the process I got to write my own job description for the next 6 months.

Life is like that no? Especially for those of us who opt for self employment in one form or another.

It really does look like we're going to get to 45000. WOW.

And if we do, and the ebook comes out, is it ok if I download the ebook and have the local printer make me a paper copy? will it lend itself to that and is that within ebook etiquette, or is ebook to remain ebook?


Thanks Erica,

Thekla

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Life is like that no? Especially for those of us who opt for self employment in one form or another.

It really does look like we're going to get to 45000. WOW.

And if we do, and the ebook comes out, is it ok if I download the ebook and have the local printer make me a paper copy? will it lend itself to that and is that within ebook etiquette, or is ebook to remain ebook?


Thanks Erica,

Thekla

I tend to format my self-published eBooks for standard paper sizes, for just that purpose. One copy for personal use is absolutely fine with me - as is keeping a backup of the eFile, or recycling and re-printing if you manage to turn your printed copy into a really muddy coaster by mistake.

If you want to start selling, or make a pile for a conference/promotion, let me know.
I make some glossy eye-candy for promotional or conversation-starters, but I like to make a little money on the buildable files since we do get odd project question from the folks who get them.
(I'm supposed to charge for consulting.... I am a consultant .... I am a consultant.... nope, I still have "junior receptionist" or "teacher" reflexes, where I want to be helpful to everyone that reaches my desk.)

The publishers of the main book may see it differently - but I don't think you're talking about printing off the 300+ page Builder's Guide anyway.

4 hours left! Get 'em quick! http://kck.st/229WnXq

Honor system works for me, and I'll make it work for you as applies to me. I just want to look at it NOT online. The glowing screen exacerbates my failing eyesight.

Thank you, just 311 dollars to go, and three hours to do it in!

Erica Wisner wrote:
(I'm supposed to charge for consulting.... I am a consultant .... I am a consultant.... nope, I still have "junior receptionist" or "teacher" reflexes, where I want to be helpful to everyone that reaches my desk.)

You are a consultant, Erica. You are a professional fire consultant!

I think you should get some business cards to that effect.

go, Kickstarter, go! I shared it on Facebook, which would mean something if I had more than a few dozen friends on there. . .

paul wheaton wrote:Here is the link to their Kickstarter

http://2kkafpy5.kckb.st/

Less than 2 hours to go... I would very much like to see an ebook on wood cook stoves done rocket Style. One was built here at the last innovators event... And Matt has shown me pictures of his... If the kickstarter gets just a few more dollars then a full book on the topic will happen.

Julia Winter wrote:

Erica Wisner wrote:
(I'm supposed to charge for consulting.... I am a consultant .... I am a consultant.... nope, I still have "junior receptionist" or "teacher" reflexes, where I want to be helpful to everyone that reaches my desk.)

You are a consultant, Erica. You are a professional fire consultant!

I think you should get some business cards to that effect.

go, Kickstarter, go! I shared it on Facebook, which would mean something if I had more than a few dozen friends on there. . .

I second that notion - "Professional Rocket Stove Consultant"!

It's been shared on the Facebook pages as well - it's like watching the Kentucky Derby with this Kickstarter

It is now past $45,000!

Wow you guys! $46,219!

We hit almost every single stretch goal, and then some!

Permies.com total participation came out to $18770.01.

While it's not quite $20K, it's darn close.
I think I am going to make the most popular stretch item available with a PIE coupon anyway, once it's available.
Continue to vote here for your favorite "actually happening" stretch goals for the next day or so, and let me know what that gift should be.

Maybe we can water it again with another campaign sometime, who knows.

Some statistics:
901 individual backers

553+ first-edition author copies of the Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide

393+ eBook copies of the same

22+ copies of the late-breaking UK / EU edition.
(multiples not yet tallied)

If you were to total all the other rewards at their face value, I think its .... well, I have no idea. But it's a lot.
Maybe over $100,000 in rewards? Once the new eBooks are done, and I set face values for those that may sell separately, that would be a fun number to calculate.

$46,219 total pledges
$13,877 of that was raised by our Kickbooster referral program (over $10K was Paul's link from this thread alone)

Our minimum funding goal of $12,500 was reached about 1 week into the campaign.

Yours,
Erica W

There's a big block of income that comes in that Kickstarter cannot track. That's because people use browsers that block that sort of thing. I'm going to pretend that permies.com took a big chunk of that. So I'm going to take a guess that the Empire brought in about $25,000. Maybe even more.

I'm working the numbers in a feeble attempt to express that I think that the permies.com community cares about the two of you more than all of the other communities combined.

I think that's beyond doubt, but do you always measure love with numbers?

I mostly watch for symptoms like consideration for another person's well-being, or delight in their success, and both are evident here in abundance.

I know that a lot of permies.com members were also posting links on Facebook and elsewhere, emailing friends, etc. I only heard about this if there was a problem, a question, or someone tagged me on Facebook, but it was more than I could keep up with even so.

When we do find someone who loves our rocket stove work, and wants to swap stories, well, sooner or later they seem to end up on permies.com too.
If we keep putting our favorite people in one basket, and treating them right, it becomes a pretty heavy basket of love.

I think I am going to maintain the split, just for variety, and put "Paul Wheaton" on one side of the lab door and "Permies.com" on the other.

love,
-Erica

Straw Poll:
If you missed the Kickstarter, and want to get a first-edition author copy directly from us, especially if you will be attending one of our tour events, it would be helpful to know roughly how many extras to bring.

If you want us to purchase an extra book for you to buy from us in June, please up-vote this post by clicking the "thumbs up" icon.

To just pre-order a book for regular delivery in June, you can do that through our publisher.

Erica Wisner wrote:Straw Poll:
If you missed the Kickstarter, or want to order more books, you can do that through our publisher.

But if you want to get a first-edition author copy directly from us, especially if you will be attending one of our tour events, it would be helpful to know roughly how many extras to bring.

If you want us to purchase an extra book for you to buy from us in June, please up-vote this post by clicking the "thumbs up" icon.

If you want to purchase two extra books from us in June, but can't up-vote more than once, now you can. Up-vote this post also, to indicate your second book.

BIG LOTS:
If you want to get a LOT of books on our tour (like colleagues who might be attending the same Mother Earth News Fairs), an up-vote on this post indicates you would buy 5 books to get a discount.

None of the above will be eligible for the Kickstarter rewards, nor are they guarantees on either end (you might no-show, we might sell out of books partway through our tour).
Just a straw poll, while people are still thinking about books.

thanks,
Erica

Congratulations.

It can be easily seen that you are passionate to this work. This is the best warranty for quality of work!
Beeing paid for this things is really great. In this way you don't have to bother about getting enough money in other way so that you can do the work that you are passionate about

I whish you that it stays that way even beyond the end of this project(s)!

Cheers!

Oh, the link http://www.fornyetenrgi.dk/ on Kickstarter thank you message does not work. It may be a typo?!

After Campaign Purchases:

Unlike many Kickstarter campaigns, our product will be released to the general public in just a few months.

The Builder's Guide comes out in June from New Society, and they offer wholesale/trades discounts to booksellers.
Permanent Publications will list their UK edition for release September 1, but it may be available earlier. I don't have a direct link yet, but here's their main website: http://permanentpublications.co.uk/


If you would love to pick up additional copies of our books directly from us, during our book tour in June, it would be helpful to get your thumbs-up on the straw poll just above.

Our standard rewards are based on items listed at our online store (www.Scubbly.com/store/ErnieAndErica).
There will be named bundles to match some of the Kickstarter rewards through April, May, and June.
They won't be included with book purchases (that only works out in big promotions like the Kickstarter), but you can still buy items separately or bundles of items.

Our stretch goal bonus rewards don't exist yet.
We can't answer questions about selling them until we have created them.
However, we did commit to making the most popular one (according to a Permies vote April 12) perennially available as a gift to the Permies community.
You can vote for which one you'd most like to see on the Stretch Goals straw poll.

Thanks,
Erica