After being up on the site for 72 days I'm finally at 100%. I don't have millions of Twitter followers and I'm not comfortable being friends on Facebook with people who are not actually my friends so I don't have thousands of followers there either. I focussed on email. Always individually addressed and never in a round robin. This took me a while, I did 5 a day but the conversion was worth it. I got higher value pledges from people than I expected as a result. It also led to catching up with people I haven't seen in a while, which was great.
I'm incredibly happy to have had pledge levels from some remarkable people including; Mr Charde, the first English teacher who inspired me to write in the first place, David Hieatt, one of my all time heroes, and Stuart Heritage hilarious author, podcaster and Guardian columnist. Along with quite a few Unbound friends and authors who have been kind enough to pledge and say nice things to help me get to 100%.
Progress was slow though. It's hard work this crowdfunding business but I grafted my way to 30%. After taking the advice of Georgia and Jimmy (Unbound's superhero marketing duo) who told me to 'just keep on bloody going' and to focus on the high value levels where my efforts would be most efficient, I managed to convert some big levels this week. It's worth saying that approaching people who might be interested in high value pledges they can define themselves is what got me over the line. Now I'm hoping people who haven't pledged but said they would will take the plunge because my book is definitely happening!
In other news last week I met all round good chap and one of the co-founders of the Good Life festival Charlie Gladstone, who interviewed me for his 'Mavericks' podcast. That will be up soon I think. Unbound will have a tent at the GLF this year and, as chance would have it, James Otter is going as well so he and I will be discussing my week building the board and a few other general craft and business related things I imagine. Not sure exactly when it will happen during the weekend but it should be good. The festival itself sounds incredible.
https://www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk/news/new-speakers-dan-kieran-james-otter-on-the-surboard-unbound/
We're still taking pledges so spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in getting their names in the back too.
You did a great thing. I feel amazing.
THANK YOU!
Dan