Kickstarter Launch July 2

What Is Kickstarter (and Why I’m Using It to Launch My Book)

I’m self-publishing my very first children’s book, ‘Hockey Is My Favourite Season‘, and I’m using Kickstarter to help bring it to life. If you’ve never used Kickstarter before, here’s a quick breakdown of how it works and why it’s such a big part of this journey.

So, what’s Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform, which basically means people can “pledge” money to help creators fund a project, like this book. In return, you get something back. In this case, it’s a first edition, signed copy of the book, and the satisfaction of knowing you helped make it happen.

One important thing to know: Kickstarter is all or nothing. If I don’t reach my funding goal of $1,500, no money is collected, and the project doesn’t move forward. That’s why every single pledge makes a huge difference.

Why I’m using it

Self-publishing isn’t cheap. I’ve already invested in an amazing illustrator, and there are a lot of other costs like editing, copyrighting, printing, shipping, and more. Using Kickstarter helps me recoup some of those costs and gives people a way to support the book before it’s officially released (almost like a pre-order).

Why the book costs a little more

You might notice the price per book is a bit higher than usual. That’s because this isn’t just a regular book purchase, it’s a way to support the creation of something incredibly special.

These are first edition, signed copies sent out to early supporters, a little keepsake from the very first print run. But more than anything, this is about helping this dream (and future books!) become a reality and supporting me along the way.

How you can help

The Kickstarter launches July 2, but you can already visit the pre-launch page and click “Notify Me” to stay in the loop. Once it’s live, you’ll be able to choose a reward level, and your card won’t be charged unless we hit the goal at the end of my 21-day campaign.

Why I’m doing a 21-day campaign

You might notice my campaign is a little shorter than most. That’s on purpose, and honestly, it’s a bit personal too. I’m 34 weeks pregnant and due with our second baby girl in August. My goal is to hit my Kickstarter goal and ship these first edition books before she arrives and just in time for hockey season.

I chose a shorter, 21-day campaign because it keeps momentum high. Kickstarter says the best chance of success is reaching 50% of your goal in the first 48 hours. That early push helps get noticed on the platform.

So if you’re planning to support the book, doing it early really makes a huge difference!

I’m so excited (and nervous!) to launch this, and I can’t thank you enough for following along.

Let’s bring Hockey Is My Favourite Season to life – together 💛