Dead Of The Union: A Historical Zombie Novel: a Kickstarter Project

Dead of the Union began as a short story, just one chapter of the finished book. I wrote it during one of the saddest times in my life and stowed it away in a drawer.

Who would buy a story about the dead rising during the Civil War? I thought.

Flash forward to three years later. My life had changed. I had met an amazing woman. The first person, in fact, I thought could appreciate the story.

I showed it to her. She read. I stepped out onto the porch to smoke until she was done.

She was afraid too. Afraid she had fallen in love with a hack.

After five cigarettes and a fair amount of pacing, I heard her call from within.

"Darling! This needs to be a book."

I could never say no to a beautiful woman.

Dead of the Union, a harrowing tale that sweeps the reader into the heart of the American Civil War, tells the story of three very different people trying to survive not only the horrors of battle and the terror of the living dead, but also themselves.

A soldier, a widow, and a spy, are tangled in a hideous knot that threatens not just North or South, but the entire country.

The dead are walking, and they don't care what side you are on.

Here is a sample of the book.

Where Will My Money Go?

The book is done! I have pictures to prove it. It has been fully edited, typeset, and illustrated. I have worked with a number of amazing and talented people to make my manuscript into a beautiful 6x9 trade paperback with over ten awesome illustrations and a breathtaking cover. I farmed out the editing to team of wicked (and sometimes snarky) editors. After all of this I was able to bring my personal skills as a graphic designer in to play and painstakingly typeset the whole thing. The terrific thing is that all of these people were willing to work for free.

I want to pay them back.

There are other fees as well that I need to get out of the way.

Buying ISBN numbers and barcodes
Promotional materials: postcards, flyers, posters, stickers, buttons, t-shirts
Advance copies to send to book stores and reviewers
A 500 copy print run including shipping
Distribution fees

The list goes on. All of this has totaled well over two thousand dollars, leaving out the unpaid hours myself and my collaborators have spent on it. The last year and a half have been very hungry for me, both in time and in stomach. I work full time and don't make much money. What little I have of both of these things I have sunk into the book (just ask my poor, neglected friends and family.)

Long story short; I'm broke and could use some help.

Why Is This Awesome?

Asides from all of the terrific gifts you get for backing me, you are helping me take the next step to being a full time writer.

I've Been Grinding For Years

I've been writing stories in one way or another since I was four. I started writing real deal short stories in the seventh grade. By the time I was twenty three I had hit the long, dark teatime of the twenty something soul. I didn't see anything in my future asides from working tolerable jobs for other people, making enough money to get by, slowly getting older; destined someday to fade to obscurity.

Bummer, right?

That wasn't a choice for me. I've always loved reading and writing, so I decided that would be my goal.

What A Terrible Time To Be A Writer

This was around 2005. The publishing industry was (still is) a toilet swirl of chaos leading only downward. The few new authors I read about only complained about the inefficiency of publishing houses, the low returns, the endless editor suggestions, and most importantly, rejection and disappointment.

That Sounds Terrible! Why Didn't You Quit?

It has been said that writing is like a heroin addiction. If you can quit, you should.

I can't. Not then, not now, not ever. I kept writing. I've had a dozen short stories published, read, and loved by thousands of people, and branched out in to comic scripts and film screen plays for friends who loved my work.

Wow! You Must Be Super Successful!

No way, Jose. For all the work I have done I have earned a truckload of kudos, pats on the back, a very proud mother, twenty two dollars, and a t-shirt (This is the pending title of my Autobiography).

I work full time. I write when I can squeeze it in. Romantic, no?

How Will My Contribution Help?

There is no way it cannot help! Just reaching my goal will make me bleatingly happy, because I will be able to pay all of the beautiful people that helped me and not take yet another loss on an artistic endeavor.

Anything past the initial amount will fund my future. You will be giving me a leg up on the ravenous dog pile that is Publishing. The more money I get for this book, the less I have to work a job that eats up my time. The more time I have, the more I can devote myself to my next book. That means the next book will come faster. I've been grinding on this novel for nearly two years now. This is the first book in a trilogy. I want the next one to be out in one year.

The more books I have in stores, the larger the trickle of writing revenue becomes. Slowly, but surely, through lots of hard work and long nights, I know I will have enough money coming in from my books to do it full time.

My dream is to only have to write. You can help me achieve that dream.

And you can get some rad buttons while you do it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for reading this. I appreciate any amount you can afford to give and promise to bashfully express my gratitude the next time we run into each other. Your investment solidifies my future, and guarantees more strange, spooky, imaginative worlds will be created.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank You.

Sincerely,

Brenton Harper-Murray

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

My main risks have been money related. I've put over $1000 into all the promotional materials. If we were to factor in the hundreds of hours of unpaid labor sunk into this Kickstarter, that number would quickly soar to over $10,000.

All of that time, effort, and money would be lost if this Kickstarter doesn't succeed.

The only challenge left is to process and ship the rewards! Luckily I have a background in the shipping industry, so this will come to me as second nature.

Check out the project here!

Saturday, September 22, 2012