Merry Christmas Eve and God Bless us, everyone.

So many things to report, but I’ll keep it punchy because it's 24th December and you’re drunk already, aren’t you? You probably won’t even remember this update tomorrow.

 

The total per cent is past a hundred

Which means the book is fully funded!

 

Firstly, I’d like to say thank you. It’s a unique gift, helping to make someone’s dream come true, but that’s what you’ve done and it’s made Christmas 2017 quite unforgettable so thank you, again. Very much.

You’ll have received an email from Unbound telling you the final manuscript was delivered. That’s true! I delivered it on Thursday! I mean, it was almost written anyway but during the crowdfunding process I sought feedback, had some new weird ideas, played around with the story a bit and now the book is longer, better and more colourful (because Jess created even more beautiful illustrations).

 

I’ve submitted the almost-published text

…you want to know what happens next?

 

Next, the book goes through final copy editing, and then design, and then more proofing, and then printing and all that boring jazz that needs to happen for a book to become a real professional thing. This takes months, so The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks will be with you in the second half of next year.

 

And until then, to keep you sweet

We’ll be releasing other little treats!

 

Because there’s some time between now and you receiving a hardback deluxe-as-fuck copy on the doorstep, Jess and I have been working on some very exciting additional things to maintain momentum.

The good thing about Unbound is that I get to ‘unlock’ different rewards when we hit new targets. Allow me to explain: when you buy a copy of the book from now on it’s not a ‘pledge’, it’s a bloody PRE-ORDER. And pre-orders impress shops who decide how many books they want to sell, so I’ll be trying to get pre-orders aplenty. You’ll see.

 

For all those who’ve bought my gobbledygook

You can download an original colouring book!

 

So, to begin with, when we hit 125% funded every single pledger will get a free download of a brand new just-finished colouring book which I LOVE, because it looks IMMENSE. It prints in high res A4 or A3, has a few original poems, illustrations from the book and you can check out the front cover below. If you want to help us get there you can upgrade or just share the book and link with your friends so they can pre-order, too!

FUN FACT: if every pledger gets one of their friends to buy the book I'll dance to Gangnam Style naked in Trafalgar Square on New Year's Eve as the clock strikes twelve. 

The colouring books will be also able to buy printed in A5 landscape with crayons from our shop next year.

Wait… A WHAT? A SHOP?!?

 

In our quest for a feminist paradise

We’re selling zero fucks merchandise!

 

Yeah, that’s right. Because I had to make some things for pledgers anyway, such as badges and tote bags, I’ve been tinkering about with ecommerce and getting some designs ready to sell MERCH in the New Year, including iPhone cases with personalised poems on (pictured below) or ‘born to be brave’ hoodies. There's a bundle of badge designs, too, and the tote bags come in ‘explicit’ and ‘clean’, depending upon your attitude towards letters and words.

And for anyone who ordered an illustration, tote bag, badges, print or poem as part of the pledging process you’ll be getting it soon because we’ll be arranging it all after Christmas! I’ll be sharing pictures in future updates, and if anyone who didn't pledge for goodies gets jealous you can always upgrade on the Unbound site and that MERCH can be yours, too.

The agency or school pledges remain available if you want a few copies, plus a talk on feminism and social media, now that The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks is a funded book. I know New Year Learning & Development budgets are a'coming... 

Oh, and a last reminder: everyone who pledged gets their name in the back of the book in every final published copy. Cuuuuuuute!

 

Finally, a guarantee that 2018 brings

A basketful of more exciting things!

 

Over the next six months oh my gosh we’ll be getting so much more goodness out there: Valentine’s cards (YES!), a #zerofucks zine which we’ll be printing and looking for poetry, fiction and opinion contributions, and even an event lined up for mid-year. Loads of people reached out to me during crowdfunding to get involved, so all this stuff won’t just be about The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks, but generally about desperately trying to be a brilliant, kind, brave, curious, badass girl or boy of any age in a world that sometimes makes it difficult to be those things. 

Keep ‘em peeled cos it all starts now!

Season’s greetings. 

Amy Kean and Jess Milton 

 

P.S. There was some nice press around the book, if you fancy reading it. 

The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks: when lighht relief isn't enough - Campaign Magazine 

New Book Encourages Women to Give Zero Fucks - Shots 

Five minutes with Amy Kean, Author of The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks The Story of Books 

Why I Wrote a Kids' Book Called The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks The M Word 

Book Review: The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks, Bad Mum Magazine 

Why I'm Crowdfunding the Fruits of my Frustrations IABUK