Dark Mode achieved!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Oct 18, 2022 at 12:31:26 AM

Early this morning, we crossed the 5,000 deck threshold to unlock the Dark Mode edition of Writer Emergency Pack XL.

Thank you to all our amazing backers! Now we can make this:

Some details and reminders:

➔ The Dark Mode deck is exclusively for Kickstarter backers. This includes our International Rescue tier backers, who will be able to order it at some point in the future, details TBD.

➔ You'll tell us your picks between regular and Dark Mode decks after the campaign, when we send out our backer survey. There's nothing you need to do now.

That said —

If you'd like one regular and one Dark Mode deck, consider bumping your pledge up to the Tandem (2 + 2) tier, as many backers already have. It's the same shipping for one or two decks.

As always, thanks for being awesome!

Let's make Dark Mode happen
over 2 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2022 at 12:07:32 AM

In the last update, I asked what you thought about a potential Dark Mode deck, and the response was overwhelmingly hell yeah!

That's what we were hoping, because honestly this version looks great and we want it for ourselves, too.

How We Get There

In Kickstarter-ese, the Dark Mode edition is a stretch goal. It's not the main objective, but rather a cool bonus thing that could happen if certain conditions are met. 

Classically, stretch goals are stated like, "If we reach X number of backers/comments/shares then we'll add this new feature to the item for all backers." 

For Writer Emergency Pack XL, the "X" in our stretch goal should be the total number of decks, because that's by far the most salient figure.

Let's talk numbers

Printing anything comes down to volume. The more of one specific thing you can produce, the cheaper each one becomes. 

For Writer Emergency Pack XL, for each deck we send to backers, we'll be sending one deck to classrooms. So when we think about printing costs, we're always talking about TWO decks.

One for you, one for the kids.

As of yesterday, here's where we're at in terms of numbers of decks:

In order to justify printing the Dark Mode decks, we'll need to get those numbers up. Specifically, total decks printed needs to be at least 5,000 for Dark Mode to make sense as an option.

In chart form, our stretch goal looks like this:

 Dark Mode and You

If you'd like to see Dark Mode added as an option, we'll need to go from 2,044 decks to 5,000 decks. 

That's ambitious, but also easier than it may appear at first. Here are three things you can do:

Bring a friend. Each new backer at the Explorer tier adds two decks. Sell your friends on the vision, the educational mission, the coolness of Dark Mode — whatever clicks for them.

Hype this in your crowd. From online forums to the cafeteria, you're probably interacting with other writers. Mention it to folks you follow on YouTube and Instagram, especially ones who post about writing —we can send them samples ASAP.

Move up a tier. Switching from Explorer to Tandem gets you two decks, and adds two to the overall tally. (Plus, you may want one of each anyway.)

And we'll of course be working on growing the Total Decks Printed as well. You'll likely see ads for us on all the usual places. That said, if Dark Mode happens, it'll largely be because of you.

Thanks, and keep being awesome!

What do you think of Dark Mode?
over 2 years ago – Wed, Sep 28, 2022 at 12:13:41 AM

We've been getting lots of great questions from backers. Keep 'em coming!

Many of our returning backers want to know one thing in particular:

For the original Writer Emergency Pack, we offered backers the chance to order a Kickstarter-exclusive dark edition of the deck. It was a hit. We printed and shipped 1,320 of them, and never made them again. Our friend Nima kept his in its original plastic.

I asked Dustin Bocks to mock up what dark mode would look like for Writer Emergency Pack XL.

We like it! 

Dark Mode shouldn't be the default version — it's not appropriate for classrooms, for example. Most folks are going to be better served by black type on a white background.

But for savvy, sophisticated aesthetes like you? Maybe!

So we're considering offering a special dark mode edition as a bonus. If we do, it will be:

➔ Only one time

➔ Only for backers, and

➔ Only if it helps us get as many decks into classrooms as possible.

Yes, that sounds like a stretch goal, which wasn't part of our original plan. But as every writer knows, sometimes you have to divert from your outline to follow where the story takes you.

Nothing's decided yet. Let us know what you think about Dark Mode in the comments!

And please keep bringing your friends. The more backers we have, the cooler things we can do.

Thanks, and keep being awesome!

Funded!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 10:35:08 PM

KA-BOOM!

In just the first three hours, we blew past our funding goal. THANK YOU!

Because of you, Writer Emergency Pack XL will be arriving this spring to both backers and classrooms.

Because of you, we'll be working hard to make a deck you're proud to own.

In coming days, we'll be sharing a lot more with you, including: 

➔ Future plans and cool additions

➔ Behind the scenes on the new artwork 

➔ A visit to where we're printing (and shipping!) these decks

But for now, just a big THANK YOU for getting us here.

Let's get the word out

Each new backer means another deck for classrooms. It really is the more, the merrier.

One thing we learned from our original Kickstarter is that word of mouth is everything. Personal recommendations are vital for reaching new communities, especially folks who've never backed a Kickstarter.

Here are the two most helpful things you can do for this project grow:

•  Text or email the link to two friends. You likely know other writers, teachers, parents or creative folks who would enjoy Writer Emergency Pack XL. Show off how cool you are that you backed it first.

•  Post a personal recommendation to your followers on social media. These carry much more weight  than a retweet or “I’m the 243rd person to back…”. Include an image in your post or story (there are two below you can use) so people can see what you're talking about.

Feel free to mention @johnaugust or @writeremergency. There's a very good chance we'll amplify it!

Here's the link so it's handy: 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnaugust/writer-emergency-pack-xl

And again, thank you!

 Keep being awesome,

Full-size images for social media