Exceeding Expectations

Please Be Seated – Danny Allen – Watercolor, 1972. Collection of WTW.

Well it seems that my KickStarter page has reached it’s set goal with 18 more days left as I write this. I quite literally jumped out of my chair when I got the news, I was however, wearing pants at the time. I’m now curious to see if the site will exceed the initial goal, as any additional money can be applied to further development and distribution costs.

I was bowled over to learn that the only way you can get a book into a major bookstore like Barnes and Noble, is to sign with a distributor. Book distributors have the market sewn-up and blocked from further competition. A book distributor takes 65% of your profit for licking a self-adhesive stamp and addressing a package. They claim to have slick salesmen who “pitch your book” but really it’s just another parasitical middleman industry. However, I will eventually have to submit to signing with one of them.

I’ll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I’m primarily concerned with getting the book completed, printed and shelf-ready. It’s going to be a beautiful book. It will only be available in paperback, as hardcover is not realistic or affordable.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to KickStarter, and to everyone who may still contribute in the next 18 days. My humble gratitude goes out to all of you. – Bill Whiting