Kickstart Hail To The Victors
Hi. You may be aware that for the past four years I've edited a Michigan preview magazine called Hail To The Victors (usually, anyway). It's 120-some pages of photos, previews, analysis, and history that we've been proud of.
Unfortunately, if we're going to make it to year five we're going to need some help. Our publisher went under sometime around January. We have access virtually all of the things we need to continue—the writers, photos, publishing expertise—and plan on taking HTTV independent this summer. The main problem: the up-front costs are daunting.
This is where Kickstarter comes in. If you haven't heard of it, Kickstarter is a crowdfunding site that operates under two simple rules:
- anything on it must be a defined creative project
- you either make it and get all the money or don't and get none of it.
The latter is in place to prevent people from getting half of the money they need to execute a project and finding themselves with a bunch of expectations and not enough capital to meet them.
We have launched a Hail To The Victors kickstarter that can be found here. We are aiming for 20k, which is about 2/3rds of our projected costs and is the level we feel comfortable will not result in massive losses. We have 30 days to raise this money. It is here. Go here.
Alter ego asks questions below.
Is this a donation?
It's more of a preorder. The lowest level gets you a magazine shipped to you for 15 bucks, which is a little less than we project the thing will cost shipped in June. We are not looking for charity here except insofar as me signing something is not worth the extra 15 bucks we've placed on that.
But I just hit up Beveled Guilt on Tuesday!
If you have donated any amount of money since June 1st of last year and would like to turn that into magazines, email me:
- The email address/paypal username of the donation
- Your address
- How many magazines you would like to turn that into (max one per 15 dollars donated)
While this won't help us breach our 20k minimum, assuming we do hit it we will turn your donation from pure charity into purchase.
What do the higher levels get me?
Details are on the Kickstarter site. There are three main attractions past the pure preorder: various levels of autographing, a sponsor page in the finished product, and an exclusive Brian photobomb t-shirt. We are still working on a final product but this is the idea:
You have no idea the personal sacrifice this t-shirt represents. There's a sentence above in which I refer to myself in the third person, fergodsakes. (Also if you hate it you can just get another mgoshirt.)
Also for 10,000 dollars I will show up at a child's birthday party in a Terrelle Pryor jersey. That costs five figures easy. Please no one get this.
Okay, so I signed up for whatever level of support I wanted to. What now?
Since the thing doesn't fund unless it funds fully, this would be a situation in which it would behoove you to gently notify your friends that they can help make this thing exist.
UPDATE: what happens if the project does not fund?
Nobody is charged until the 30 days elapses; if by that point the kickstarter has not made it no one gets charged.
How much to buy my way to say, 100 mgopoints?
paypal ?
Gets an additional 1,000 MGoPoints. So you might have that going for you, which will definitely be nice! (Unless Brian says this is inappropriate, in which case it won't be nice for you at all.)
what do we get if it goes over 20k? or is it capped?
If not capped, you should add bonuses for additional targets (30k, etc) such as exclusive youtube videos starring Brian? Bonus content?
100k gets a Brian Cook sex tape. Stephen R. Kass will be be super pissed.
"Stephen R. Kass will be be super pissed."
As will, I'd venture to guess:
- Brian;
- Mrs. Brian (esp. if she's not in it);
- The $100k donor.
You'd be surprised. It's tough out there for a wealthy man with a hairy sports blogger fetish.
And Mrs. Brian would totally be in it, as would her cheesy garlic monkey bread.
so nasti.
How much to be in the sex tape with Brian Cook?
2008: A New Era
It's funny 'cause it's true
Hey Brian, When the time comes, how are you going to handle shipping out the copies of HTTV? Or the t-shirt for that matter. Did I miss something on the Kickstarter website? Are you just going to mass spam everyone asking for their address? Oh and at first I thought that one month was not enough time to raise 20k...I was so wrong. We are at 10k already!
March 21st, 2012 at 10:55 PM ^
other projects i've funded send out a survey or some other communciation asking for address, size, etc one the project is successful.
Keep it going!
BOOM $100'D.
I already forget what I get, but I hope the photobomb t is part of it. Who the fuck would not want that one? In exchange for what? Lloyd Brady is My Co-Pilot or whatever?
Please.
Yay - Now eagerly waiting my street-cred-establishing-T-Shirt and my intellectually-stimulative-handsigned-HTTV. Awesome!
Done!
In for $50. Two questions: is the $20,000 overhead one time, or will there need to be funds raised next year as well. And also, have you considered doing a pdf version to cut costs if you need to?
It seems like a great business model, actually. Let pre-orders (sweetened with t-shirts and other such swag) fund the production, and then the rest?
Profit!
Not gonna betray the whole biz plan but the goal is to make enough to bank next year's overhead. $20k is the short goal--enough to pay the contributors and the downpayment for printing. We're gonna need to sell way way more than this to make it successful.
Not looking at digital editions of any sort right now; it's kind of a different business.
Moral of the story is buy buy buy. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your neighbors' dogs.
Doesn't look like there will be any problem getting this funded. More than halfway there in a matter of hours!
On a somewhat related note, have you considered having a kickstarter to raise funds for a new server/higher tiered hosting? I can imagine A LOT of people would be willing to do that to avoid the 503 errors anytime we play a game. :)
I'll pony up a hundred for (2) personalized copies with the (1) sponsor mention and either a fergodsakes or space, bitches T. Deal?
EDIT: Done! Hope you're good to go, Brian.
I'm in for $50. I'll be in for $100 if we can get that photobomb face put on Hagerup's body while missing the snap in the OSU game.
OMG, Che Guevarra is running the site!!!
OMG, Che Guevarra is running the site!!!
Have you considered allowing beveled guilt this way?
Proud to be in.
On the hook for some money to support the site/product. Am looking forward to my autographed copy, photobomb shirt, and tiny piece of Brian's beard (that's what "sponsor page" means, right? The possibility to clone my own Brian from a bit of hair and a fresh ovum?).
Already! Calling all MGoBloggers, alumni and friends: let's get this done tonight so Brian and crew can get to work.
Fergodsakes!
I now need to know who comprises your surly entourage should the $10k donation occur. Will they also be decked out in Ohio gear?
You had me at the shirt.
You had me (and my $50) at the shirt.
(You're over 15K at this point. You guys will have this locked down by morning.)
but can someone in authoritah assure me that the T-shirts will be available in extratripledouble stout?
I'm a fattie.
Is Johnny going to have something in this edition? Its been a while since I've read his writing.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
March 21st, 2012 at 10:24 PM ^
So, um $20K in under eight hours.
I be like dang.
(Though I admit I haven't contributed myself yet.)
March 21st, 2012 at 10:26 PM ^
March 21st, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^
never done any beveled guilt, never had a copy of HTTV, but this seemed like a good chance to make a tiny contribution. thanks for keeping it free and loaded with content you just can't get anywhere else.
way to go, MGoBloggers. much like brian et al, you never cease to impress.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:35 PM ^
over $20k since i posted a minute ago.
just participated in my first "modbang." (banging the moderate button, not banging the moderators, although i like them too).
March 21st, 2012 at 10:29 PM ^
Over the limit! Nice job everyone!
March 21st, 2012 at 10:39 PM ^
The Ohio fans aren't getting a kickass prevue mag, let alone Brian Cook's signature forcrissakes.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:58 PM ^
And when you compare blogs...well it's just like usual Michigan/TSIO. The Michigan one is bigger and better
March 21st, 2012 at 10:37 PM ^
Wifey donated as a gift for me...pretty cool. Although she did it so I would have another distraction when the mag arrives and I would continue to leave her alone. Love.
I feel like we contributed to an unstoppable political machine.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:45 PM ^
It's Yours. Now get the Woodblock and Movable Type presses ready to go (June is just around the corner); or is more money needing funded for a Printpress/Digital Press ?!?
March 21st, 2012 at 10:49 PM ^
and i want that Tshirt! Brian any chance for 3x t shirts? also, is there a way to get the old versions of the mag as well? maybe add a new reward level!?
i've used kickstarter numerous times, it's legit folks!
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