Author: Steve Weigold

Want to help by sending an email?

… but don’t want to put the effort into finding all the links and writing one?   Never fear!   Here’s some text you can cut and paste into your email, sign and send.  No muss, no fuss, and you’d be helping the project out a lot!  This is very similar to the email we sent out to all of our contacts at project launch.

Subject:  Please Consider the Underwater Sombrero Project!

Hi Friends,

I know your time is valuable so I’ll make this short.  I’ve found a wonderful project I’m trying to help support and I thought you might also be willing to help.   I’ll give you the basic details and some links where you can read more about our project and hopefully pledge your support.

Here’s the key link if you aren’t motivated to read on:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/567353018/underwater-sombrero

In short, they are trying to develop and publish a book of photography on the spur and groove reef formations off of Sombrero Key, FL.   This is not much more than a shoal located just south of Marathon, but it contains some of the most beautiful reef systems in the keys.  If completed, the project will result in a hardcover, dust jacketed, 150-200 page coffee table book which will be ISBN registered and eventually available for purchase.

To do this, they’re using the crowd funding platform Kickstarter, and they’re trying to raise $8000 in thirty days.

They are NOT asking for donations.    If you pledge to support the project, you are agreeing to purchase a tangible item produced by the project.   These items start at recognition in the book, then  certificates of appreciation for your support, and go up through different sizes of prints and then copies of the book and other incentives depending on the level of your support.   Support levels begin at $1 (yes, one dollar).

If you pledge to support the project, you’ll specify an amount and provide your billing information.  YOU ARE NOT CHARGED AT THE TIME OF THE PLEDGE.

On October 5, 2012, IF they have enough pledges to reach at least the goal, then everyone’s card is charged and the money is made available to the project team.  IF THEY DO NOT REACH THE GOAL, THE PROJECT IS CANCELLED and there are no charges.   Kickstarter funding is ALL OR NOTHING.

If you would please, check out the project proposal on Kickstarter.com.  Read the pledge incentives and watch the video.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/567353018/underwater-sombrero

Afterwards, if you are motivated to help support the project, please click the “Back this Project” button and follow the instructions.   Thank you.

If you’d like more information on the project, how the Kickstarter funding mechanism works,  or you’re inclined to follow along:
Like them on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/UnderwaterSombrero    or:
Visit the project website:  http://www.underwatersombrero.com

If you’d like to help some other way than financially, please forward this email to contacts you feel may be interested, like the page on Facebook and perhaps share the link to that page or our website.  Our efforts to spread the word and word of mouth is the only advertising they get!

I promise not to abuse your email by sending you more messages about the project unless you want to stay in the loop.   If you do, please either support the project on Kickstarter (which they’ll get notification of) or send an email to info@underwatersombrero.com and let them know to keep sending you project updates.

Thanks so much for your time.

Your Name Here!

PS – if you’ve supported the project financially, you might want to make note of that in your email!  Thanks for your help!

Size Does Matter!

In case you’re wondering about the size of the finished book the Underwater Sombrero project is hoping to put together, here’s a visual reference.   This book is the same size and about the same number of pages as the book we’re proposing.   We don’t know yet if we’ll use a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation (like in this image).  That decision will come later after we’ve had a chance to capture more images and start working on the layout.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, we’d sure appreciate it if you’d visit the project proposal on Kickstarter and perhaps pledge your support!

WE HAVE LAUNCHED!

It is official!  Just in time to celebrate Steve’s birthday, the Kickstarter project is LIVE!   The clock is ticking folks!  We have 30 days to get enough pledges to reach our $8000 goal.  We need your help!  Any pledge of $1 or more is welcome.   If you can’t support financially, you can still help by sharing the link to the Kickstarter project!

How does Kickstarter work?

Are you considering supporting our Underwater Sombrero project, but want more information on how supporting it works before you decide?

The process is very simple.  Project owners put together a proposal for their project and submit it to Kickstarter for approval.  Among other things, that proposal includes a funding goal and a funding timeline.   The goal is the amount of money the project needs to succeed, and the timeline is the amount of time the project planners want to have to try to recruit enough project supporters to meet the funding goal.

In our case, we’ve determined we need at least $8000 to make our project succeed and we’ve decided that we’re going to try to meet that goal in 30 days.  After Kickstarter reviews our project and determines it meets their guidelines, the project is launched.  Once the project is launched, our job is to recruit supporters and get their pledge to support the project.   When a supporter makes a pledge, they provide their billing information, pledge amount and credit card number.   There is NO CHARGE at the time of the pledge.   Pledge amounts start at one dollar ($1) and we’ll happily accept all the support we can get.

Once the deadline is reached, IF there are enough supporters to meet at least the $8000 goal, then the project is funded, supporters credit cards are billed, the resulting money is transferred and the project work begins.     In return for the pledge, the supporter will receive an incentive item.  This item is based on the amount of support and at any level is a product of the project.  Supporters receive their pledge incentives when the project has been completed and the incentives are produced.

With respect to the Underwater Sombrero project the timeline is this:

  • We launch September 5, 2012 (in celebration of the project lead’s birthday 🙂 )
  • We recruit project supporters pledges for 30 days.
  • If you pledge to support the project, you agree to an amount and provide your billing info at the time of the pledge, BUT ARE NOT CHARGED
  • On October 5, 2012, if we reach our $8000 goal, your card will be charged for the amount you pledge.  If the goal is not met, there is no charge.  Kickstarter projects are ALL OR NOTHING.
  • If funded, we’ll receive access to the funds mid October and will start project work
  • If there are extra funds, they will be applied to improving the project with video and possibly a larger book product.
  • Project related travel and SCUBA diving will be conducted late December
  • Book and incentive preparation is expected to be done by March 2013 and supporters will receive the prints, books and other materials based on their level of support.

Please keep in mind that your support of our project IS NOT A DONATION.   With your support of our project, you are purchasing a tangible item and with this purchase, making our project a reality.

We appreciate that you’re considering supporting the Underwater Sombrero project.  Thank you for your time.  If you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at info@underwatersombrero.com

 

Kickstarter Project Submitted for Review!

Friends,

We are excited to announce that we’ve completed the project video, uploaded it to Kickstarter and submitted the project for review!  After they’ve approved it, we’ll have a last chance to make edits, and then we’ll launch!  That will give us 30 days to try to recruit enough supporters to make the project happen!   Until launch, you can preview the project and watch our new video.  If you do, we’d sure appreciate some feedback.  After all, those pledge incentives are “what’s in it for you”, so we want to be sure they are worth your support.  If you have questions or comments, you’re welcome to email us at info@underwatersombrero.com.

Steve

Just Getting Started!

Thanks so much for visiting our site for our new photography book project called Underwater Sombrero.   As you can probably see, we’re just getting started setting everything up!  Be sure to check back soon and follow along as we start on our adventure.

Steve