Kickstarter as Marketing Tools! with Lindsay Kellar-Madsen

Join Laurie and Lindsay as they talk about finding illustrators, funding kickstarters, and getting it all done at nap time!

Lindsay is  a mother of four (including identical twin girls who just turned 1 year old!) and an aspiring children's book author. Her maternity leave with the twins inspired her to find creative ways to support overwhelmed mothers of babies, and her debut picture book took form, The Lovely Haze of Baby Days. She is currently on extended maternity leave from her full-time job as a Business Developer, focused on Health innovation, at the University of Southern Denmark.

So far Lindsay is enjoying watching the dream & vision take shape. It's a thrill every time she opens that 'new illustration' email. She also loves fantasizing about all the ways her book might have a positive impact... she hopes when you ask her about the BEST part of publishing a book in a year, that it will be HEARING about the positive impact (and not just dreaming about it).

w: www.lindsaykmadsen.com
IG: @the.madsen.littles
FB: Life & Love as Mama

Support her Kickstarter here!

Transcript

Lindsay

Laurie: [00:00:00] Hello writers. Welcome back to the Writer's Way podcast. I'm here with author Lindsay Keller. That's it. I had a minute. Sorry, Lindsay. Keller Madsen. Welcome. 

[00:00:13] Lindsay: [00:00:13] Yes, thank you for having me here. Oh, you're welcome. Uh, apologies in advance for everybody. I'm getting over a cold and I'm a little stuffy and I'm a little smoker-coughy but I will do my best not to do that. Um, and have it recorded anyway. So Lindsey I asked you on the podcast because you're running this Kickstarter campaign, your book isn't actually even published yet, but this is how you're launching it to the world. Like this is your, your marketing. So I really wanted to talk about Kickstarters as marketing, but let's start with, you know, who you are and your journey and why you want to, to write a book and all that good stuff.

[00:00:47] Yeah. So, um, as I mentioned, my name's Lindsey and I am a mom who's living abroad at the moment. Um, I feel like something important to highlight about my journey is that it feels a little, like it's been on rocket fuel from the beginning in my. Um, I guess it's also important to mention that I had twins last summer.

[00:01:07] So I've got four kids that were born within five years. Um, it is important to the book, to the book I promise. And, um, so 

[00:01:15] Laurie: [00:01:15] some are 20 sets or one set of twins? 

[00:01:18] Lindsay: [00:01:18] No, just one set, but the, just all, so close. Yeah. Nice and tightly spaced together. 

[00:01:26] Laurie: [00:01:26] That'd be great in 20 years. 

[00:01:27] Lindsay: [00:01:27] Yeah. Yeah. No, and it is great now.

[00:01:29] I mean, I can see how it's going to roll into them. Just all being really close. Um, but of course the natural thing, I'm sure. Listeners will understand is that there was quite a lot of pressure on us as parents last summer. Um, I'm far away, I'm Canadian and I'm living in Denmark. So I am, I mean, an ocean away from my community and support and people, you know, that can save you when you're really sick.

[00:01:53] For example, um, So, you know, we, we do live in Denmark name, right. Husband's family, but we still operate, you know, quite on our own compared to a lot of my friends who have kids. Um, and so then when we had twins, which is the challenge all on its own, um, without the other two that were two and four at the time, um, we had quite a lot going on and, um, I think.

[00:02:20] It took quite a lot of mental shift for me. I went into that pregnancy and into those babies thinking, you know, I've got this, I've done it twice before, like, I'm going to know what I'm doing. And I think. Twins just made me feel like a new mom all over again. Um, just so many things I had to re learn how to do the logistics of the day and handling two of them and, um, nursing them the whole the works.

[00:02:44] Yeah. So I think as you see things, um, yeah, I think that's okay. Actually, when some people have asked where the book came from, I can often point to this one moment, a couple of months in with them. And my standards, you know, from the first baby where you say, Oh, please just, we just sleep five hours in a row and let me.

[00:03:04] Get a good rest. And then the next one comes and it's okay, well, I'll take like four, three or four would be super, you know, the bar is just dropping and I can remember clearly at 1:30 AM. I've been wrestling the twins all evening after getting the big ones. And I was like, please, two hours, give me, give me two hours.

[00:03:24] That's all I'm asking. And I collapsed asleep and woke up 20 minutes later from one of them. And like, I just collapsed on the floor and was crying. And I thought like, I'm at the end, you know, like I have found the bottom of my barrel. Um, I have no, I woke my husband. He took over. It's fine. Everyone's well, Yeah, exactly.

[00:03:49] And they're great. And it's wonderful. Um, but you know, this moment I I've never had postpartum depression diagnosed or anything like that, but this was a moment I understood it. This is like a moment where I thought if this is a place that some women are living and I have a lot of close friends actually, who have had this, um, and not admitted it until years later.

[00:04:12] And I just. I remember thinking like, if this is that, like, if this moment represents anything in proximity to what that is, I, I poof my, my heart, you know, I think it took me a little while thinking about that moment and about what I was living and surviving and, you know, finding strategies to get through and not wanting to open him.

[00:04:34] Up and be honest with the women in my life about how hard it was, because it's magical. And that's kind of the first thing people say like, Oh, twins. I always wanted twins and isn't it amazing and all the best years. And it is absolutely. But that the other piece of it are the challenges and how hard it pushes you.

[00:04:55] Um, and I think it's something that we. It's it's coming to light. Now. I think more women are being open and honest about what motherhood looks like, that the mess and the magic. Um, and I think this book just kind of fell out of me when I was, I mean, I, I spent a lot of time creative writing when I was younger.

[00:05:15] And then, um, Just a professional side note here is that I'm a business developer. So I, I spend a lot of time focused on healthcare and tech innovation and developing new businesses. So out of university research and, um, and that, which, you know, is, gets me really excited in a different way. But yeah, but I think being home and living this very personal life, it just, I, the only way I could work through it was writing.

[00:05:41] And, um, this book really came out of that. So. I started writing, you know, my default. Mode, I guess, to work through my, uh, challenging moments is to kind of make light of situations. Like this is just so hard. It's ridiculous. And, and so, um, I mean, anybody who reads my book is going to see that, like these moments aren't, I mean, they are mine, but there are also other women's, you know, when, when I did open up and talk to other people, these are the things that came, um, That came to the surface as like their biggest heartaches and biggest struggles, what they didn't want to admit, um, that they struggled with feeling the pressures of, you know, what motherhood looks like on Instagram or what motherhood is supposed to be when you get into it.

[00:06:28] So, um, I think I had a lot of, yeah, and we put it on ourselves because if you think of. I mean, I said this once to a friend of mine who was struggling and she said, I just don't want to ask for help. I don't want to feel like I'm the mom who couldn't do it. And I said, but think for a second, if a woman came to you on the street with the child, please stranger and said, I'm a mother and I'm struggling.

[00:06:51] Can you help me? I don't know a woman who would say no in a minute. Yeah. And not, and not think down about it. They would think this is a woman reaching out because she needs. Yeah. And then we've all been there. Well, if we have children, if you have children you've been there and you know, those moments, even if you didn't have clinical postpartum, we've all had those moments of.

[00:07:13] Putting the baby down and walking away and screaming or crying or whatever. Yeah. And yeah, so I think this, this, this book is really a way that I worked through some of my feelings and also I hope on behalf of other women, I mean, to encourage them to be more open and honest and, and to, you know, look past the, the, the Rose colored glasses of what the view looks like and say, like, I'm okay with it.

[00:07:38] It is. Beautiful, but it's also chaotic and, and it's okay. It's okay. Yeah. Yeah. So the, um, the, the book has sort of evolved from the text I had. Um, if I can continue on with that. Yep. Great. I'm into. I started thinking, what would my husband actually gave me the prompt he has been saying for ages, they should just, you know, some of the stuff you're writing, you should turn it into a book and it starts with the go to fiber.

[00:08:08] Laurie: [00:08:08] Like find somebody who you can throw a couple bucks at. Yeah. $5 you do can have a children's book. 

[00:08:14] Lindsay: [00:08:14] Exactly. Um, which I think you learn pretty quickly in new journey. If you, if you want something that's going to stand, I don't know, in front of a crowd and be interesting or, um, Or when I think the end of the day, it was also really personal for me.

[00:08:29] And I thought I'm not willing to do this, um, part partway or in a way that's less like, I don't wanna put images that I feel are less than the heart I put into the words. So, um, so we had that talk. Is this a fun for me project? I'll keep it as text. Like that's fine. Um, but if I'm paying for pictures, then I want them to be coming from somebody.

[00:08:53] Um, Who is going to put their heart into them as well. Oh yeah. 

[00:08:59] Laurie: [00:08:59] So how did you find your illustrator?

[00:09:01]Lindsay: [00:09:01] Yeah. Yeah, so I found, I mean, I started on, on Upwork and I started on or, and I looked and I browsed and I wasn't clicking with any of it. There were lots of talented people for sure, um, who might've been able to do it, but I thought, I think for me to feel good about this, it needs to be someone I feel as passionate about motherhood and is maybe.

[00:09:19] Recently experienced some of what I have been going through. And so I, you know, looked on Instagram a little bit, you know, the hashtag motherhood, hashtag mama illustrator, like these kinds of things. Um, browse around a little contacted. I want to say four or five, maybe only four, three of them. Three of them got back when with an enthusiastic.

[00:09:41] Yes. I want in tell me more. So that was great. And it was also a nice, having, never done this before to get a reference point of what different people charge for that kind of services. Um, and then part of that, uh, search had me looking in Denmark's I thought. Wouldn't it be great if it was just somebody local that I could meet and really see if we jelled and it turned out actually one of the illustrator whose vision I loved most was the one here.

[00:10:12] So I thought, Oh, but there's no way it's, I don't know what you know about time or currencies, but things are quite expensive here. I thought there's just no way. She's like a real artist. There's no way I can afford this. Um, So I did. I mean, I still reached out. I thought, well, let's just try. And, uh, she actually was just coming off from maternity leave.

[00:10:31] Uh, I think her daughter is born a month after mine or my girls. Yeah. So we, I, and she was having her first art exhibition since my husband started his paternity leave in June. It's yeah, it's now end of September. So he started the second week of June, I believe. And his first day of maternity leave, I said, I'm leaving.

[00:10:52] I'm going to go drive and meet this illustrator. Good luck schedules on the fridge. I love it. He survived. Let's just tell everybody. Yeah,

[00:11:10] so exactly. So I met her and I mean, it all just clicked and I was like, Oh, I have all these other people on the line, but like, I love the feel of this. And I think also when it's your first. Book. I mean, some, maybe you could comment on that, but it just felt like I want to be close to the process. I want to feel like my hands are on this thing.

[00:11:30] I'm also for learning. And not that you can always avoid mistakes, but maybe you will be. Faster to fix that maybe. Yeah. So we, um, we, we made our arrangements. Um, and I, I mean, I remember the day we met, I, she, she said, well, what's your timeline? Like? And I said, well, like I pulled up my day planner and was like, it's this?

[00:11:51] I mean, I'm, I would love if I could get this thing done before my husband goes back to work in three months. Yeah. And she was like, okay, I'm game. My clean slate is clean. And I was like, this doesn't really sound real. But like, if you're game I'm game, So we got the book done by the 8th of September. Um, And I launched my Kickstarter on the fifth.

[00:12:14] Wow. So, I mean, I'm following the plan that I had, um, written on in my notes. 

[00:12:21] Laurie: [00:12:21] And so how did you come up with the plan? Did you do lots of research or is this your business background or, um, just what felt right. 

[00:12:28] Lindsay: [00:12:28] Yeah, it's, it's kinda hard to separate, I guess. Um, but I, I mean, I'd done some researching through Facebook groups, so I mean, business background absolutely influenced how I thought about the steps in the supply and this sort of thing.

[00:12:41] But I mean, publishing was a whole new world to me in terms of what the steps are to self-published. So, you know, author illustrator contracts, isn't something I had seen. Um, But I mean, licensed terms and royalties did make sense to me. So I was able to merge some of my, like that made that process a lot faster than more comfortable for me.

[00:13:01] Um, but yeah, I think I just thought what would be ideal. And I know I knew that because I'm full time with my girls now, now I said my time, you know, work hours in a day are going to dramatically drop in September. So I thought if I can get as much done before then. Yep. Then I'll just jump right into that easy Kickstarter thing.

[00:13:22] No problem. So what you're saying, it's maybe he thought, no, no, well, not that I never thought it was easy. I just I'm a planner. So I thought maybe I can just plan my weight. Right. And then it will just, it will just execute itself. So, yeah, so again, lots of learning here, but, but I mean, I'm holding my time, which for me as a planner feels good.

[00:13:54] Um, I would say it has taken more out of me to keep that plan. Um, Perhaps just because, I mean, you sort of always imagined, okay, well, I'll work really hard for some of the hours of a day, and then I'll just go to bed at normal time. But, um, Once the Kickstarter got planned. And I started thinking about my market being in North America and here in Europe.

[00:14:17] So it's sort of split right between our friends and family and, and then also even our outreach. So, I mean, we've been in Europe more lately, so maybe our more, our network is mostly here, but our, you know, the English speaking market is more in North America. So to be available and serve. But both of markets during a Kickstarter, it means working longer hours.

[00:14:40] And it's not like I'm in a situation where I can sleep in, in the morning. Right. 

[00:14:47] Laurie: [00:14:47] How is this sleep or the baby sleeping? 

[00:14:50] Lindsay: [00:14:50] Oh, they're angels. They, yeah, like seven, seven. Oh, really? Seven to seven. Yeah. Oh, wow. So that's your other two? How are they? Well, I mean, yeah, so the odds are, somebody is awake by five and then it's like a, Hey, we're going to stay in bed right now and you can rest and heal after the book.

[00:15:10] So we try and hold the like, after six is fine, but before six, we're going to try and rest a little longer. Oh, I remember those days up at five. Yes. Crying on the sofa. Why me? But. Yeah, which I actually don't mind. I like mornings, but not if like, in these days where some days I'm up til like one or two in the morning to try and keep going and connecting with people, then you're like three or four hours of sleep.

[00:15:39] Just doesn't cut. It really does it ever, ever, ever, ever. So tell me about connecting with people at the Kickstarter. So like, what is the Kickstarter plan? What is the point of it? What is. What is your plan? So, two days, my understanding is that for the most part, Kickstarter's conserved two things like one to either like start the funding so that you have an idea for a book you want to publish it.

[00:16:03] Maybe you've got a couple illustrations, but you don't, you haven't put a lot of money into the project and it will help, like, get it. To reality. Right? And then the other time point that might make sense is to do it once the book is nearly complete or complete. So that you say the funding from the kickstart is really to put into the first print run.

[00:16:24] And I fall into the second category. So I have personally invested in getting the book complete, um, And structured, you know, structured it that way. And then the money that I earned through my Kickstarter will be to make a large scale print run of the book. 

[00:16:42] Laurie: [00:16:42] Okay. So I'm curious about where you're printing and warehousing and doing all that because I know people always want to know where the printers are.

[00:16:57] Lindsay: [00:16:57] So, I don't know, again, I don't know how unique this is, but I looked locally. I looked in Canada and I looked here in Europe. Um, I just thought it might be easier logistically. And also from a legal contract perspective, I'd be more familiar with it. Um, but I found out also pretty early that actually the cheaper.

[00:17:16] And higher quality option might be overseas in China. So I kind of looked at everywhere and thought what can make the most sense? So I've got quotes in North America and also here in Europe. But yeah, I don't know if I've mentioned that I'm printing as a board book, which is, yeah, I know, again, the. Good choice could be to go hardcover just because that's what I know from a price point perspective has like a bigger range, uh, for you to work with.

[00:17:45] Right? If I'm, printing a book that's, inspired by motherhood and life with babies, I know where the hardcover books in my house live. They're on the top shelf like they're a very controlled or controlled substance  

[00:18:03] Laurie: [00:18:03] Oh, I love that. Okay.  

[00:18:05] Lindsay: [00:18:05] But I mean the board books, they're the ones that live in the toys.

[00:18:08] They're the ones we open all the time. They're the ones that my kids want to look at and talk to and manhandle, and I just thought. If I want my message to get into their hands and to be seen, then it needs to be a board book 

[00:18:20] Laurie: [00:18:20] Oh, I love that. So many people want to do board books.

[00:18:23]Lindsay: [00:18:23] So I'm excited. Well, I mean, I'm happy to share my like outcome when I get there.

[00:18:32] I'm feeling good about that? I feel like the quotes I'm getting the per unit costs is competitive with hard covers. I know they in generally they cost more. I'm glad I went high in volume. So at the moment I'm planning 3000. Okay. So I, again, I it's my first time, I don't know whether I've seen compared to other than a lot, start with one or 2000, but I thought, and just, I have a business mind, that's saying that's the right choice.

[00:19:00] I know it's a bigger commitment, 

[00:19:02] Laurie: [00:19:02] but are they going to your garage? Are they going to a warehouse in the U S 

[00:19:08] Lindsay: [00:19:08] they're going to, uh, Amazon for fulfillment by Amazon and all of them. All 3000. No, some will come here, so I'll be distributing them. Um, because I want to fulfill from on my own here in Denmark.

[00:19:22] Okay. We have some important taxes, challenges in general. So I need to be careful on how many I bring here, but I'm thinking because of the languages in Europe that it won't, I won't be selling it. How many here? Anyways, if I lived in North America, I'd be selling it for Mmm. But since I'm not, then I, unfortunately the best, one of the best options for somebody starting, I think is fulfillment by Amazon with the disclaimer of set costs, loving it, it costs money.

[00:19:53] Yeah. They charge you storage and handling and shipping, but like you said, they take care of everything. And so it's much easier. They will send it out as the orders come in. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And I think for me getting my. Yeah. Getting my, see, what, what is it that good? Yeah. Yeah. Your whole body in this way, but yeah, you get your feet wet.

[00:20:15] Yeah. As, as I'm doing that, I think it's not a bad way to start. And, and, you know, you, it gives me space to, to scale or grow or change. If something, you know, that'll give me time to investigate other warehousing options or other, you know, we can see what happens next, but at least for this first print run, I think it makes the most sense for me.

[00:20:34] Yeah. Cool. Thanks for sharing that. Yeah. How are you getting the word of your Kickstarter out there? Has that been easy, hard or. Um, so I know you've had Lisa Ferland on here before, um, and I have binged a lot of her, uh, crowdsourcing for authors, um, on YouTube. I just been playing it in the back from while I'm playing with blocks on the floor.

[00:21:02] Yeah, exactly. She, so that has been a really amazing resource for me and like kind of mapping out some of the basic principles. Um, and then I sort of. Supplement it, some of that, just learning through author groups online, what other people were doing. And I looked at Kickstarter campaigns too. And I mean, even just going through Instagram and seeing like what have other people been posting?

[00:21:25] Um, so I think my, you know, my getting the word out or marketing strategy has been. It's rather classical saying the like build website, get an email list, started this. Everybody says it. And I'll say it one more time for them. That, that, that is a very good resource for you to have on hand launching a Kickstarter.

[00:21:46] Um, you have a base of lots of people who have voiced some interest in you or your book. Um, I want to support you in sharing the word. So that was one of my cornerstones, I would say, was the. The email list. Did you have that, like growing before you launched the Kickstarter? Yes. Yes. Yeah. So, I mean, not that long, as I said, I've only really started this whole thing a couple months ago, so absolutely not at all in the scale of, of other people.

[00:22:14] I mean, that might have lots of thousands of people. I'm nowhere near that, but I mean,

[00:22:22] yeah, just under 200, like I thought that's, that's a pretty decent place to start for sure. For me and I used, I mean, I created a website, you do the friends and family thing. And then I created my first couple free freebies or downloadable things, um, that were geared for my market. So like baby sleep schedulers and that kind of thing.

[00:22:46] Yes. I'd probably any twin resource would be really hot. Right. Yeah. So I haven't, I have not even honestly pursued that. Um, I just thought, let me just get the ball rolling a little bit and test some things out. Yeah. Get a few names on there. Yeah. I would say the other thing that I didn't hear as much about, but I feel has been really valuable for me.

[00:23:08] Um, I haven't really given it a name yet, but I want to say like book advocates, because they they're people who like, probably like you as a person, or maybe they don't know you anymore than online, but they're really passionate about the subject. So whatever it is that you are writing about in my case, honest motherhood, and like supporting maternal mental health, like these are topics.

[00:23:31] Some people like me are also very. Passionate about. So when I share about my book or when I put content up that resonates, these are people who share and they help grow my community or grow my audience in sort of an organic way. So I have found that a very valuable resources kind of getting cheerleaders for your concept.

[00:23:53] That's a great way to put it. So did you reach out to them first or did you just do the, you know, like follow comment on their stuff? So they. Were aware of you or did they find you sort of naturally a little bit of both. I mean, I think the more times you put yourself and your content out there, then you'll kind of gravitate towards these people.

[00:24:13] I mean, I didn't really find a shortcut to this because I think if people are going to be committed to your purpose, you need to show them enough. About what you're doing and also about who you are as a person for them to say, I really liked that. Right. Um, and I'm sure there are a whole bunch of social media principles that I'm oversimplifying here, but for, but for a normal person, this was really.

[00:24:38] Good. I really helpful thing for me to get encouragement as I worked along and also to have people that, you know, I didn't have to tell them to share about my book. They were just really excited. I think that's a great word is the cheerleaders. And you know, when you put stuff out online or anywhere and you don't get any kind of feedback or response, it can be really, you know, A mind.

[00:25:01] Yeah. You know what, um, but, but, you know, like, was it worth it? Why am I doing this? So to have anybody support you, like you said, especially people that you're not related to and you don't have to ask or bribe or whatever, they just, yeah. That must be really encouraging. And I don't, it's not, I don't have hordes of these people.

[00:25:18] I just think that they're going to, like, at least a few that didn't motivate me to like go the extra mile with my content or, um, what's yeah, I guess what's, what's interesting for me is how much I'm learning about social media. And I know that that this is such a, like, I was, what I should say is that a few months ago I had been in like missing in action for like 10 years on Facebook and Instagram.

[00:25:44] Wait, you were living real life like it? Well, he was like, not engaging. Just, I've got too much going on in my life to spend in front of the computer or on my phone. And I've like, I've done like a one 80 on that for book purposes, which I hope is in the short term, I hope to get like a better balance. But I think one thing I would like to learn more about is the timing of things.

[00:26:08] So I've been. Looking a little bit at, you know, your Instagram insights and analytics and saying like, what time of day are the people who like your stuff, looking at stuff. This is something I would like to get a little better at. And what are you learning like that? Well, like, I mean, some things are obvious.

[00:26:25] You know, most people in my audience are between 25 and 38 years old. They're over 85% female they're. I mean, they're fitting this very motherhood profile because that's what I write about. So that's what. Those are people who want to read that. Yeah. Um, so somebody at the time of day, sorry, I, this, I don't know if this is real or I've made it up, but I think nap times, so like, I think like mid day, most kids are babies are having a nap around lunchtime.

[00:26:58] That could also be lunch if people are working. But like, I naturally think of like posting around lunchtime and then just after 7:00 PM. Super smart. Yeah. When the babies are finally down and relaxed. Yeah. So you just want to, the other time was for earlier, moms is yeah. The middle of the night. Two, 3:00 AM.

[00:27:21] Yeah. Which outfit nursing and like board. Yes. Yeah. I've had lots of great conversations at that time. My morning, I was sitting with a cup of coffee, right. Because of where you are. So, so do you schedule your posts? Um, yes. More so now that I'm with the girls full time. So before it was more flexible, I could kind of, because.

[00:27:47] It's a, it's a bit of double edge scheduling is really helpful when you want to get it out consistently. But when you are like moved to write something, Like on a weekend, if something's happening. And I see a moment that I'm like, Oh, this, this is motherhood, but I'm like, I need 10 minutes. And I'm like, and you can schedule that.

[00:28:08] For example, that's one thing I haven't maybe quite got to is where we'll have the moment post the thing, but then schedule it for the time when it'll fit best. Right. How did your husband learning? How did your husband enjoy the paternity lead? Uh, I think he liked it. He's, I mean, he's an all in dad, so he, he likes it.

[00:28:29] I think he, I think he likes it better if I'm actually not over his shoulder. He likes kind of finding his own rhythm with them and that makes sense. And is he sad to be back at work or is it okay or how's that? I think it was time brand new for everybody also him. I think, I think he started like, it's such a healthy thing.

[00:28:51] I think for dads to do, to get a real. Like a reality check about the domains, about the tiredness at the end of the day. It's not like I've been sitting here. I think I could see in his eyes sometimes he came home and thought you've been home all day. Yeah. Why is it so messy? Yeah. Yeah. And I'm like, now he knows.

[00:29:08] And I don't see that look anymore. Yes. And the, a thing in Denmark that like, do all men have paternity or they all have the option of it. Yes. So he scheduled a little more time. So I think. I want to say most take between maybe one to two months. And he actually, we had some leftover vacation that he had used up.

[00:29:29] We had a bunch of bank, cause we didn't know what the twins, what would happen, like how much you would need to be there. Um, I know better than. It could have, so he had time. So we had three months off in the summer, which is also really nice. That is nice. Yeah. Oh, I'm just curious because, uh, I feel like not that many, many I've in Canada, I feel like not that many men take paternity.

[00:29:51] I think there is the option here, depending on your employer, maybe, but I don't think that many do. And I know for my husband, when he started working last year, I got a lot less of the eyeball. Like you, like you pointed out and even just last week, he's like, this place was all cleaned on Monday. I said, yeah, when they were in school and then they all got sore throat.

[00:30:10] So it's definitely not. Yeah. You know, because of COVID they had to be home. So Presto, when they're home, nothing stays clean for five minutes. And they're older. They don't even little like yours. They're all. I think like whenever I take a video or a picture, I'm like, just don't show the floor.

[00:30:31] happy, smiling face. None of that reading above waist level, that is not reachable. Do you have a dog for eating? No. Oh, you don't have capacity? No enough small animals that I created myself. Oh, my goodness. That's funny Thursday. Um, I, so we actually just sidebar is that we have a cleaner coming once a week just to like, just to do the basics.

[00:30:57] Yeah. Like just come and clean my floors and see my bathrooms because I, for my sanity need that to happen. And I mean, my kids eat food off the floor, so at least if I know what, like when I'm cleaning the one and the other's eating food off the floor that I'm like, I know it was cleaned two days ago.

[00:31:14] That's fine with me. It's not on purpose. I don't put it there, but yeah, I don't feel like I understand completely. Yeah. I've been really sad because we've been sick and like waiting for Cova test results, waiting to go for the test that the cleaners don't come when you potentially infectious or whatever, anybody with symptoms in the house, they don't come clean my own floor.

[00:31:44] I didn't make my job. Goodness gracious. Yeah. I appreciate so much more now. Yes. Yes, I hear you. So how much time do you have left on your Kickstarter? Yeah, I'm one weekend. Um, so I have 15 teen days left. I I'm, I think most people do 30 days. If I had to gamble, I did 23. Um, Do some of these decisions are just because I personally can't have imagined having this stamina to go 30 days.

[00:32:14] So I thought let's just come I, from what I understand and I'm not done yet, there's the rush at the beginning when it's new and exciting, and there should be another rush right at the end when it's Oh, the time was on last chance. Okay. So I just compress the middle. Slow zone fingers crossed. So your weekend and how funded are you?

[00:32:36] Is that how you say I am 69% funded? Um, which I think is pretty good. So that's very exciting for me. Okay. Um, and then, I mean, it's one thing I heard not too long ago too. I have nearly 150 backers and. One thing. I think that's interesting is how I did my early birds is how you doubled up on the river. So I didn't reduce the price.

[00:33:03] Of things. I gave more books because logistically for me in Denmark, it's going to be pretty expensive to fulfill rewards with like extra stuff. So I thought dropping the price is actually more expensive for me on the margin then if I just gave more stuff. Right. So that is interesting that I've sold.

[00:33:25] Like, I don't even know probably closer to 200 books now, which I think is. Exciting. Yeah. Super exciting. Like when somebody was telling me the other day about like, readers. So that means you have this many readers of your first book, and I thought that's a really nice way to think about that. Yeah. The impact that you're going to have.

[00:33:44] I hope so. I mean, I hope it's like a, keep one for yourself. Give one to a mom. You think needs it or you hope we'll remember to reach out. Yeah. So are you starting to. Freak out a little bit, or for sure, for sure. No, I did really, my first 48 hours, I was over 50% funded. So that was really exciting. And then it's now the next five days to get the next one.

[00:34:13] So you just see, like I went down, it was like so many presents in the first day. And then it was like, then it was down to five and then it was done to two and I've think I've hovered around 2% a day, which is I'm completely grateful for. Um, that I've been able to keep any momentum up at all, but it's just, then you start like crunching numbers and be like, okay, so what, when, wait a minute, when do I need to like, make sure I hit really close, you know, you start trying to map out the numbers and yeah.

[00:34:37] I would like somebody to tell me whether that's real. I sure do the plan for the next two weeks too. I have content lined up, so, okay. So yeah, there's the initial launch preparing for that, doing that. And then I have lined up, I mean, podcast appearances and blog posts and book reviews. And I've just been like trying to have a steady stream of that coming out.

[00:35:03] I'm lined up beside I'm. I am planning my content, trying to, and it was about a week at a time so that I can do like grassroots we'll call it that grassroots, reaching out, like messaging, people, getting in groups, like following up with people that I know we're excited about the campaign way before I kind of took names.

[00:35:23] That's also a great resource actually to actually write them down somewhere. Yes, like in an Excel, just like copy paste. This was Facebook person who said, love this project. Want to hear more or whatever their comment was. And then now going back to like, go, Hey, by the way, we're in this group together, you mentioned this was really exciting.

[00:35:42] I just wanted to let you know, the early word deal is on or whatever thing you wanted to tell them about. Um, and I think that's really nice, cause those are, those are like warm leads they wanted to hear from you about you. It's not like rustling up interest, which you all I've also had to do. Yeah. And you don't want to have to it and your memory or go scrolling for group after group or post after post to try to find them.

[00:36:05] So I liked that.

[00:36:09] You're doing amazing. That's so good. Yeah. It's there's a lot. I mean, I haven't even noticed he spent that much time. Researching, like, I know there's lots of strategies out there. Um, yeah. Of doing the like $1 lead. Hey, Hey, just come and give $1. And I hadn't done that, but I've thought about it in terms of like, if I just want to get my backer number up, I think it's good personally.

[00:36:33] Like maybe on the last week it'll be something that you can try. Yeah. Just try everything at the I'm. Sure. By the end, I'm going to be just like throwing strategies, the computer what's the plan. If it doesn't get funded. It is, it is okay. That's fine. No, I mean, I don't know. I'm sure it will, but I'm just curious if they've planned.

[00:36:58] B probably figure that out when I get there. I guess I'm, I guess I'm the kind of person who's just like, I'm just going to manifest the real yeah. It's going to happen. Yeah. I'm just gonna make it happen. Well, and you sound like very well planned and you have the content plan and you've got all these publicity type things.

[00:37:21] I say the thing I'm missing or I don't know how to do, actually, this was a very big gap. Is that like the press stuff? Like press releases media. Yeah. I mean, I tried to the, you know, but that's an area I would say that I do lack a little bit is I'm not in communication. So I ran it past. I work in an innovation center.

[00:37:41] So research and innovation center, and I ran it past our communication, and this is my press release. How does it look? What would you do with it? Yeah, he gave me some local leads, but they said it is pretty hard to breakthrough. Right. It has to be a real story, right? Like a real interesting story for people to.

[00:37:58] Yeah. So, I mean, I don't know if I did like blown my Kickstarter out of the water on the first day, if that would have been interesting, but yeah. Did you, do you follow like Instagram too? Like a parenting magazine type things? I have, I do have some opportunities. Don't. Like organically fit in the Kickstarter frame.

[00:38:17] So like they fit the Kickstarter fits me in my schedule and my plan and holidays, but I have, um, a great opportunity with a magazine in Canada called flourished and it's, um, a motherhood magazine. Um, so I'm getting, I have ad space and, uh, in that, uh, like half, half page. Oh, wow. But that won't come out until late October.

[00:38:41] So I need to like, that's more in the planning of, okay, well what comes after the Kickstarter? There's a window between when I will get my books, hopefully in December and like mid October, like I should continue selling books. I pre-selling books. Will that be through Indiegogo? Right. Right. And so you just don't know it yet.

[00:39:04] No again, these are like moving wheels. I just need to get these things. Howard is I see that as time comes. Yes. Well, I sure hope that you get funded and also that you'll come and talk to us about all the board book they'll filament and printing and all that, because I, I always see every week questions about board books.

[00:39:23] The people messaging me actually like even out of things I posted months ago, they're like, Oh, did you, are you still doing a board book? Like I talked to you. Yeah. But you haven't finalized that yet. Right. So you don't the pictures today. And my printer sending me my sample. Oh, how exciting. Yeah, so my, yeah, that was my timeline is at the, my book was finished September 10th, actually, I think.

[00:39:49] But we sent the samples to them. It took a few days to prepare and then there was like a quick one and back, and then they, so now they've done the first print that they're mailing. I'll have it by Friday. That's so exciting. Wow. Content opportunity.

[00:40:11] it? Didn't dissolve. Oh, congratulations. That's really exciting. Yeah. I'm, I'm very excited. I think it's also going to be nice. I think I I'm, I think most people aren't probably that far in their book being like in their hands. Cause I think a lot of people leave them money. To fund the illustrator and to fund the print run well, and I, I don't, I think most people's illustration timeline is longer than mine was.

[00:40:37] Well, yeah, it was longer than three months or two months really. Yep. Yeah. She's also the one thing that sped that up also is I picked somebody who could do my graphic design as well, so that I thought would make my process simpler as a first time author. And I thought, I don't, again, I don't know if this is real or something I made up in my head, but I thought somebody whose vision I liked for the illustrations I thought is going to naturally translate into.

[00:41:05] Having a, uh, an aligned vision for the graphic design. So there'll be one less step in between, like from one artist to the next and rehabbing conversations about what I want out of the book. It's somebody that let's make it more streamlined and I thought. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Better. Yeah. So, and they checked for that.

[00:41:23] Yes. But you would pay somebody a third party, you know, like, so it doesn't matter. The only person that mattered to was my husband. He was like, why are we paying this person way more than everything I said, but wait, wait, wait. She's not just the illustrator. She's also the graphic designer. Like she's our contract.

[00:41:40] So she delivers like, Oh, completed. Like book printable day, like a file to go to the printer. I was like, if yes, people can do that themselves. I don't know how to do that myself. And it's not a skill I want to develop in this three month timeframe. So, so let's see a lot of do it, honey. Yeah. And all your extra time.

[00:42:03] No, I am I'm with you on that. I think it's so much easier. You can have one person and they can just do it all. Not everybody is able to, but no can, but if it can. Yeah, for sure. So I, yeah, I'm really happy. And I think that also there were things, decisions I made that allowed me to keep the timeline that I wanted.

[00:42:24] And this was something that certainly helped with that. Yeah. Um, So, yes, I will. It is pretty final. I mean, we haven't signed a contract with the printer, but it, I mean, assuming that the copy of the sample comes the way we hope it will, then we do have that plus a backup, I would say, Oh, well, good. Well, congratulations on all of it.

[00:42:46] So I don't even know that we shared your, the book title. Probably not, we should copy paste this earlier. It's called the lovely haze of baby days, which I love because I mean that captures it so perfectly. It is. I, I just, I think I just wrote too many times, like this book came as I emerged from the fog.

[00:43:08] I'm like, Okay, well that's, this is what it is. And I think because the book is rhyming, I really love that that's right upfront. And that it's like nodded in the title. You, Oh, this must be, I mean, it'll all just click. Yeah. Yeah. Congratulations. I'm so happy that I've gotten to know you and. When this goes out, I hope people go and check out your kitchen starter or share it with their friends who are maybe still in the haze, but all I'll share all the information and the links and that people can easily find you.

[00:43:38] And your website is Lindsay with an a K mattson.com Mattson with E but, um, yeah. We just go to the show notes and all that, everybody, and you can check her out and see it because the book illustrations are fantastic and lovely. And just the few that I've seen do really capture, you know, those early years, so well, so you picked really well with your illustrator.

[00:44:00] I'm just so excited for you. Yeah, she's really, really great. I think that's a good, like. Take away from me. I will only work with illustrators. I think who, I feel it connect with the story that I want to tell if there are any books in the future, depending on how all this goes. Talk to me in a few months.

[00:44:20] I see. Yeah. When the twins start the, I think I saw a video of them climbing, but. Yes. Yeah, this is the best part of my social media content. Actually. It's just, people are so interesting. I think what I mean by babies and seeing what they know is right happening in their house. But in like a, I had, I think I told you this, that I had one of my Instagram reels almost hit a hundred thousand views.

[00:44:45] Oh, my goodness. That's probably the one that I saw with it was like, no, no, this is one. I've put it to I'm Dell rolling in the deep. And she's like rolling the toilet paper. Oh like, and like looks over her shoulder at me and add the tag upon her. She's like, I see you. I just don't care. Cause she looks over her shoulder at me, like makes eye contact turns back and forth.

[00:45:07] I just, this is it. This is why there you got to laugh or. Yeah. And take the video. That video is then clean up. I love it. There's so many people commenting like lady. This is a precious resource, not this year.

[00:45:29] Anything else? Not the toilet paper.

[00:45:35] Thank you. See, I've really enjoyed this and I hope people do go check out your campaign. Thank you so much for talking to me today. Thank you so much for having me. You are welcome. Talk to you later. Bye bye.