Kickstarter Q&A

You already made your $10,000 goal, so what are you going to do with the extra money?

We made our goal but the cost to publish is still looming out there, and we’re hoping to reach our initial internal goal of $25,000. If we have any extra money after publishing, we will use it to promote the book. You’re investing in this book’s existence and getting one of the first copies to be printed. We really hope that this will be an outstanding work both visually and informationally; a collection of stories that will make you laugh, warm your heart, and take you on the amazing journey I’ve lived through the DoubleShot over the past twenty-plus years. The book is not an end in itself; it’s the beginning of something new that we hope will launch the next phase of an even bigger career in coffee. That’s why we want you to be a part of this new venture right from the beginning.

Do I need to go through Kickstarter or can I just give you cash?

A few people have given me money outside of kickstarter, which is great because we get to use all the money instead of giving some of it to Kickstarter. The benefit to us in getting more Kickstarter pledges is seeing the community rally around the project collectively. It gives us a platform to demonstrate our success and clout online so that future projects can begin with more ease once we have a proven track record. But we will happily and gratefully accept your pledges any way you want to give.

Is Kickstarter the only way to get the book or will I be able to buy it later?

Yes, you will be able to purchase the book once it’s published, even if you don’t back the Kickstarter campaign. We launched the campaign in order to get a head start with financing, to make sure there was a general interest in the book, and to have a basic understanding of how many books we’d need to print initially. Once the Kickstarter campaign ends, we will begin “pre-selling” the book at purist.coffee. The price of the book after Kickstarter during pre-sales will be $50. The downside of waiting is that you won’t be eligible for some of the rewards we’re offering on Kickstarter, like the Contrasting Coffee Collection or the cupping course. The Collector’s Edition will be available for pre-purchase for a limited time after Kickstarter ends.

You ever think of doing a coffee table book about coffee?

Ha. Funny you should ask. This is going to be a substantial book. It’s hardcover 10x10 inches. That’s nearly a square foot. If it’s not on your coffee table, it will take up quite a bit of space on your bookshelf.

This GoFundMe thing doesn’t seem like the DoubleShot’s M.O. Why not just publish the book and then sell it?

We purposely chose to fund the book project on Kickstarter instead of a platform like GoFundMe because we’re not asking for a hand-out. We wanted to make sure this was a viable project that people wanted, and if it proved not to be, we wouldn’t take any money from backers. That’s how Kickstarter works. You either make your goal or you don’t get any money. Though we’re not allowed to say that we are “selling” anything on Kickstarter, we priced the rewards at what we would sell each book or bundle in our retail store. So you’re not “buying” anything through Kickstarter, but the amount we’re asking you to give is commensurate with the value of what you’re going to get as a reward.

What do you make of the fact that you’ve more than doubled your initial Kickstarter goal?

We were actually really surprised how fast we made our goal and how much people have given to the project, and it’s made us even more excited about getting this book out into the world. I know that this immense amount of support comes from a broad group of individuals who have, over the years, become fans of DoubleShot and what we do. People who have been rallying for us for years, championing our cause by showing up and by purchasing our products and consuming them thoughtfully. The outpouring of, not just money, but verbal affirmations from this community throughout the campaign has been touching and motivating, and I feel a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who has contributed and encouraged us over the past sixty days. 

I’ve learned so much, even over the course of writing, discussing and thinking about the book, and speaking to groups because of the book. It’s honestly taken me to another level of understanding what it means to truly live, and how I managed to get away with all the things that brought me to this point in life. I honestly think I have something important to say through this book. There’s nothing monumental in my head that you probably haven’t thought about before, but maybe I’ll show you a different way. I’ll nudge you to change, just a tiny bit. Stories are the only thing that separates a bland, generic existence from an authentic, meaningful life. If you don’t know the story behind a thing, you’re just a blind consumer. I hope to tell the story of coffee. To give you enough information that your eyes will be opened and the next cup of coffee you drink will taste different because of what you know.