A series of books that will help you find your purpose in life and the courage to pursue it, written by author James A. Owen
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Hey everyone -
Just letting you know, we're going to be locking down the BackerKit in two days – so, Wednesday – and I just wanted to do some final housekeeping:
We had a few concerns about the amount of information BackerKit needed (home address and phone numbers) to complete the surveys for digital-only rewards – so we fixed that. The physical address requirement is gone – and if any backers don't want to include a phone number, just put in the fake 000-0000 and it should work. We don't have many unconfirmed surveys left to account for, so hopefully the last couple of dozen of you will get the update and/or reminder note and get them in.
Also, Wednesday will be the last chance you have to add any extras like additional copies of the books, or coloring books, or signed stuff to your rewards. We'll still be taking orders later via our website, but orders placed via BackerKit get first priority (backers items ship first, then new pre-orders) and some things won't be available at all after that point. Go here to add any extras: https://the-meditations-trilogy.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
And finally, I think we've resolved the computer problems that kept crashing my InDesign, so I'm hoping to get the PDFs out imminently. I'll post when we do so no one misses them!
More soon – and thank you for backing us. This wouldn't be happening without you.
James & Team Dragon
All right, we've gotten approval from BackerKit – who helps us with our Kickstarter fulfillment – to send out the surveys. Basically, you'll be getting an email from us that you need to fill out so we have all the information we need to send you your rewards.
Those of you who know what reward you chose can simply select it, send back your survey, and you're done!
Those of you who have credit from the Kickstarter (to be able to get multiple packages and/or extras, like signed books) will be able to select those items from the BackerKit list.
And those of you who couldn't order everything you wanted at the time, or who wanted to add books, can do it via the BackerKit pre-order system. And no matter what, we'll be keeping an eye on things and will help and answer whatever questions you may have.
We're working on the pre-press for the books now, and finishing some minor cleanup on the PDFs. And soon as we're done with that, we'll be emailing those to all the backers who have those as part of your rewards.
Thank you again for all of your support!
James & Team Dragon
All right everyone – break's over!
Kickstarter takes about two weeks to verify all the pledges, which I'm good with because I needed a week or so to recover from the campaign! But now we can get everything rolling on production and fulfillment.
We're putting together our lists in BackerKit, which is the fulfillment system we use for all of our KS projects. When we have all the information uploaded – including a lot of the extras that many of you have credit for – we'll send out the surveys for you to confirm your rewards, order extras, and confirm your shipping address. Those should be going out next week.
Also happening next week is that we'll be emailing all the PDF files of the books to everyone who is supposed to be getting them (just about ALL of you!) I'll post another update as we're doing that so if anyone slips through the cracks you can let us know, and we'll make sure you get the files.
Those of you who also pledged for the mentoring packages will be getting emails sometime in the next week or two so we can get my schedule and yours in sync, and plan the sessions.
If any of you got a notice that there was any kind of problem with the payment method and you weren't able to resolve it via KS or during the two week window, please send us a message, and we'll see if we can help. At minimum, you would be able to order your books via the BackerKit link, to be received after all the KS backer rewards go out.
The next step on the books themselves is going to be the proofs. We're sending the files to our printer next week, and when we get press proofs we'll share photos.
We have our awesome fulfillment team – otherwise known as Sara, Helen, and Jitterbug – coming back again to do all the packing and shipping, and they have it DOWN. So once we have the books in-house, we'll be getting the rewards packaged and sent as quickly as we can.
Again, let me say how grateful I am for all of your support. This is the kind of project Kickstarter was created for, and I'm really, really glad you all showed up.
Have a great weekend!
James & Team Dragon
Every Kickstarter campaign has challenges. Even some of my earlier projects, like the coloring books, which seemed on the surface to be instant wins, had obstacles to overcome. But this one felt different.
A little more than four days ago, late Saturday evening, the Kickstarter for the Meditations Trilogy was barely halfway funded, with just 186 backers, and it had been a difficult climb to reach that point.
Friends were expressing concern about the prospects this project might fail to reach the goal – the first time in five projects that would have happened. They were worried that I would become disillusioned or worse, discouraged. One had prepared a very well-thought-out plan that would allow me to cancel the Kickstarter to produce the hardcover set, then rework the books to be published as paperbacks via Createspace at a much lower upfront cost. It was a sensible, practical proposal, especially if it seemed like there would be no way to muster the support to make this Kickstarter work.
So it seemed like there was only one question: let it run its course to inevitable failure, having never given an inch of ground, or cancel it early, to keep some dignity intact, and go with the sensible Plan B that NO ONE would blame me for choosing.
The problem with that choice is that I'm basically constitutionally incapable of actually considering, much less putting into play, a Plan B. My closest friends know this to be true: every disastrous situation I've ever gotten myself into has been the result of my unwillingness to acknowledge limitations. But they also know this to be as equally true: that attitude is the same source of every great success I have ever had. They go hand in hand. It's only my greater experience and ability to learn that has allowed the successes to outweigh the mistakes. That, and having a world-class group of friends and readers around me who have listened to the things I've learned. Listened, and believe that the things I teach can apply to us all.
Walking in the darkness last Saturday night, I decided to consult one of my mentors, to ask what I should do. I laid out my options; I told him of the concern of my friends; I told him of the obstacles before me; then, almost jokingly, I mentioned a scene I refer to a lot from the movie A KNIGHT'S TALE, where William has been told he'll be arrested if he tries to even compete, and even his closest friends tell him he should run.
He says that he cannot run. He is a KNIGHT, by God, and he is going to see it through, no matter what. And his friends nod in understanding, then tell him they have his back to the end, no matter what.
"Why did you just think of that story?" my mentor asked. I said I wasn't sure.
"I think you already know what you want," he replied. "You just needed to talk it through to make your choice. So what are you going to do?"
"I'm not going to stop," I said. "I'm not going to cancel it. I just can't do it."
"There's your answer then," he said. "You have replaced all the things you might do or should do with what you must do. So go do that."
The next morning, the total had jumped several hundred dollars. And a few minutes later, I found out why. One of my newest students, Stephen Wendell, had attended the Superstars Writing Seminar this year, where he saw me give DRAWING OUT THE DRAGONS. And he believed utterly in what I taught, especially the key message: "I believe in you, and I WILL NOT let you fall." Stephen started a rallying cry, and stated unequivocally that he was not going to let me fall – and people listened. Many of our Superstars colleagues joined him, some with increased pledges, some with promotion, and some with GREATLY increased pledges. Other friends, particularly Heidi Berthiaume and Helen Rasho, who were already backing me in huge ways, added their considerable efforts to his, and that began a groundswell of support that soon turned into an actual miracle of will and effort. Joshua Essoe, Kristin Luna, Mia Kleve, Nathan Dodge, Sara Rebennack, and the ever intrepid Stephen made sure I knew that this was going to happen, and kept me focused. More, they made sure I knew they had my back. And dozens of friends and colleagues sent messages of support as the totals continued to grow.
Then, as Christopher Reeve said, "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
This project, to publish books of stories about how to make impossible, extraordinary things happen, became itself an extraordinary happening – and it closed with 301 backers and nearly $1000 over the goal of $25,000. From impossible to inevitable in just over four days.
So to paraphrase A KNIGHT'S TALE in the best way possible, my friends have been weighed. They have been measured. And they absolutely have NOT been found wanting. The tournament has been won – and we did it together.
Thank you ALL. And welcome to the New World.
Your friend in moxie,
James A. Owen & Team Dragon
Silvertown, Arizona April 7, 2016