A “No” That’s Turned Into a $50K+ Kickstarter Campaign

If you are an industry person, you know that just because a creator has an agent, does not mean they will automatically get a book deal. I wish I had that kind of power, but alas, I do not.

I represent Eric Stevenson and Elizabeth Jancewicz — the creative duo behind the touring band Pocket Vinyl — and we recently pitched to publishers their graphic novel Pilgrim, the story of how they tried very hard NOT to adopt a skittish stray cat who showed up on their doorstep.

Unfortunately we did not get any offers. But one of the reasons why I believe so strongly in Elizabeth and Eric is that they always keep going.

They turned to Kickstarter. As of this writing, their campaign has raised over $56,000 from more than 1,000 backers… on a $5,000 goal… with more than a week still to go.

I recently interviewed Eric and Elizabeth for Kids Comics Unite about the campaign: how Pilgrim came together, how they’ve built such a dedicated audience over time, and what it actually looks like to run a successful crowdfunding campaign as working artists. As always, they are completely honest and transparent (and they have a great sense of humor).

You should also click here to check out their Kickstarter. The deadline for supporting them is May 8th!

I’m incredibly proud of the way Eric and Elizabeth have approached this. Not just the campaign itself, but the years of steady audience-building behind it.

And for any publishers who might be reading this: the project is still great. The creators are amazing. Their fans love them. Food for thought. 🙂