Crowdfunding

Or...Third Time's a Charm?

For some reason that's not entirely clear to me, even after it's been suggested multiple times, I've been avoiding the idea of using a crowdfunding site to help fund this project.

I've attempted to use sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo twice before, in order to purchase a tour van for the sideshow, and both attempts failed. This may have soured my attitude towards using them, or perhaps I'm just stubborn and wanted to raise the money myself.

And it mostly just seems to be crowdfunding in particular that I'm opposed to. So far I've thrown two Hail Mary passes, far more outrageous, to get the money myself. I attempted to get a loan from the bank, which I knew would fail thanks to my abysmal history with money. No surprise at all that I was declined. I've also started playing scratch-off lottery tickets in hopes of winning the money, which I'll admit even while scratching one, is astronomically stupid (but quite fun, regardless). I'm currently $70 down there.

So, with some hesitation, I've decided to give crowdfunding another shot. I say down today and worked out an Indiegogo campaign that I'll be launching just before this post goes up, so that after reading this, you will hopefully find your way over there and, hoping further, you'll make a small donation.

It was interesting, thinking through the WHY of a project like this, rather than just the HOW. I had to ignore the biggest reasoning (because I want to) and push deeper into my motivation to get my desire across. I may write more in depth on that some other time. It was also a lot of fun coming up with different donation rewards. I truly hope that I get to do a lot of them.

To assuage my discomfort in using such a method to get money, I moved away from the typical reward system of these campaigns, of designating specific rewards for specific price points. I'm asking for donations, not selling goods, though I may go back and add one time offer type rewards later on. Instead, I'm taking the stand point of, "I don't care how much you donate, just donate, everyone gets something. Donate more and you're more likely to get more stuff". The highest donations get the best stuff. If that means that the best rewards go to $5 or $10 donations, so be it. I'm rewarding your help more than how much you were able to help.

Now, thanks to the wonderful time travel capabilities of the Internet, I'm going to sign off here, finish this campaign up so that by the time you read this, it will be live and you can head on over that way, which it isn't right now, and you can't, but by the time you've read this, it will be, and you can.

And thank you, for reading these (sometimes painfully poorly written) ramblings, and being supportive of this mad idea.

The Indiegogo Campaign is here.

-Z

P.S. I'm planning on doing a Q&A blog at some point, so if you have questions, please, ask in the comments or send me an email. Or ask me in person, that works too.

P.P.S. The campaign is now live, so please, check that out, donate, or share it with your friends, or do both. You can find it to the right, above my About Me panel.