BackerKit FAQ
How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to bring ideas and projects to life. Project creators post their idea for a project, and backers pledge money to make the project possible. Backers get behind the scenes access and backer-only rewards, which can include exclusive products, special pricing, creative input, content, and more.
To become a backer, select a pledge level that features the reward(s) you would like to receive when the project is successfully completed and make your contribution.
All-or-nothing crowdfunding model: The creator sets a funding goal and a deadline to raise funds. If the project does not meet the goal by the deadline, backers credit cards are not charged and no money changes hands.
Crowdfunding projects can happen at various stages of the creative process. Make sure to check the estimated timeline of when rewards will be delivered. Project creators will keep you updated on the progress toward completion and delivery of your rewards.
Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as purchasing an item from a store. When you back a campaign you are supporting the creation of something new. Rewards are almost always delivered, but are not guaranteed.
When will I be charged for my pledge?
Your payment method will not be charged right away. You will be charged for the amount of your pledge when the campaign ends and the project reaches its funding goal. You will not be charged if the campaign does not reach its funding goal.
What happens after the campaign is over?
The Creator will send out a survey that will ask you for more information about your pledge, your shipping information, additional items you may want to add to your pledge, and collect shipping fees if applicable.
The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge.
Any additional payment will be charged when you complete your survey and confirm your order.
Project FAQ
Do you have other books?
This is Rayleigh's first book as an author and as an illustrator. But more books are being planned to create a collection!
When will I receive my book?
It's hard to say, for sure, but our goal is for the book to be available in early December. The printer turn around time is 3 months after we send them the completed book files. So once we finish the book artwork, we'll have a better idea for when the book can be shipped out. We will communicate well throughout the process so you don't have to wonder what's going on.
How do you have photos of your book if it's not printed, yet?
Ah, the beauty of computers. I used some free "mock up" images from freepik.com and added my cover image to them. Do not accidently type that URL with an x instead of a k. I made that mistake and I wish I could unsee the pix they have on that site.
What kind of quality can I expect for the physical book?
The reason our cost for printing is so high is because we plan to use a high quality offset printer, which requires ordering books in large quantities all up front. Digital printing is an option for self published authors, and in that case, we would only need to order the number of books we need that day. However, the cost per book would make profit almost unattainable and the quality of digitally printed books is lower and unreliable. Thank you for supporting our Backerkit campaign. With a successful campaign, we will be able to print our books with a level of quality that we can be proud of and also earn a profit from the books that will help support our family.
If you reach your goal, will you make a profit?
The funding goal goes to pay for printing and other supplies needed to create and sell our book. Once we receive the funding from a successful campaign, the money will be completely put in to bringing the book to life. Once we have our printed books in hand, THEN we can start selling them to people who weren't part of our Backerkit campaign to earn a profit.
How has the real Ellowyn contributed to the project?
7 year old, Ellowyn, was the inspiration for the story. When she was 5 years old, she made an endearing recipe book as a gift for family and friends. Some of those recipes will be bonus content in our book. Along with her illustrations for those. As far as the main part of the book, Ellowyn has contributed ideas to make the story fun and silly. She is also adding little details to the illustrations. For example, she added a heart to a mug on one of the pages. We may share some of those later, just for fun. As this is a family project, she will also help sell the book at markets and will be gaining valuable entrepreneur skills.
I have a question. How can I contact you?
I'm happy to answer questions! You can either reply to an email I've sent to you via Backerkit, or you can reach out to me here: https://whimsyandwaffles.square.site/contact-us