The End of Days (of the Kickstarter)

The Blue Beacon's campaign is flying through its final week. This is an update on where we're at and some clips of how we got here.

Another version of the final tram scene

There are 5 days left in The Blue Beacon’s Kickstarter campaign. As we currently stand, 147 backers have pledged $8,918, leaving the book 446% funded.

All in all, I feel good about how well this campaign performed. The Blue Beacon will find plenty of new readers, and I’m told there’s often a spike of supporters toward the end of a campaign, so I’d estimate we’re on pace to unlock that Bajo sticker at $10k.

While the next five days will provide a more complete picture, I also have regrets. Like, I would’ve spent a little more time in the middle of the month marketing and I would’ve written more updates. Updates and staying connected to readers seems vital, and I think I was just pretty okay at that. The next big mission in this process—printing books and fulfilling orders—is another challenge, especially since there remain some minor late-stage edits to make.

The other thing I’m up to which you may or may not know is shooting Reels about this publishing process on Instagram. So I’m sharing those with you! (Sorry in advance about all the hashtags.

The first is about the main character in The Blue Beacon, Eola Lightstripe.

Jordan Green

Jordan Green on Instagram: “Let’s talk about Eola Lightstripe, the main character in The Blue Beacon. She’s a plucky American badger, and the brightest eyes of this novel as she makes her first trip to Bridge City. This video has three other things I love about Eola Lightstripe. One of those is that while Eola is definitely a uniquely character, she’s also based on my late wife @mindy_ellen. Today is Mindy’s birthday, who isn’t here to celebrate, but I know she’s glad for the work of this novel and she lives on both through memories & stories and in spirit, safe with God. HBD, Mins.💚🙏🏼 #cascadiachronicles #thebluebeacon #writersofinstagram #novel #fantasynovel #anthropomorphic #badger #badgers #eola #eolahills #cascadia #authorsofinstagram #kickstarter #kickstartercampaign”

June 12, 2023

This one is about how The Blue Beacon came to be made over many years and stages of development.

Jordan Green

Jordan Green on Instagram: “Last night I reflected on how The Blue Beacon could’ve finished up earlier, then remembered how the final product would be way different. Sometimes a story takes many years to gestate. Here are three stories from childhood, young adulthood, and more pandemic days about how The Blue Beacon came to be. #fiction #fantasyfiction #anthropomorphism #redwall #cascadiachronicles #thebluebeacon #pnw #oregon #oregonwriters #pdxwriter #portlandoregon #novel #adventurenovel #adventurestory #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram”

June 8, 2023

I made this one about The Blue Beacon’s primary inspirations: Redwall, classic talking animal movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Erin Hunter’s Warriors series.

Jordan Green

Jordan Green on Instagram: “There’s nothing new under the sun and every artist stands on the shoulders of giants. Here are three important inspirations for The Blue Beacon. #redwall #ratsofnimh #warriors #brianjacques #erinhunter #erinhunterwarriors #middlegradebooks #novel #fantasynovel #animals #animalstories #oregonwriters #pdxwriters #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram”

June 21, 2023

In this clip, I talk about my mission with The Blue Beacon: to entertain readers; to impart a passion for the creatures and land of the Pacific Northwest; and to build enough momentum to keep these stories going.

Jordan Green

Jordan Green on Instagram: “An artist’s mission statement can be an effective guidebook for their creative journey. The three main missions of The Cascadia Chronicles project are: 1) To entertain readers; 2) To impart a passion for the natural world and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest; 3) To keep exploring these characters and telling stories set in Cascadia. #cascadiachronicles #thebluebeacon #writersofinstagram #pnw #pnwlife #pnwwriters #portlandwriters #artistmission #missionstatement #fantasybooks #anthropomorphicart #oregon #novel”

June 16, 2023

I know, it’s a lot, but just one more! Here’s my most recent Reel, talking about three major aspects of my creative process in making this book.

Jordan Green

Jordan Green on Instagram: “It’s last week of The Blue Beacon @kickstarter campaign!!! I’m feeling great about what’s built so far and to finally get The Blue Beacon to readers. Here’s a bit about the book’s creative process, including workflow, Story Circles, essential research, and writing to an audience. Back The Blue Beacon and reserve your copy today! Link in bio. #thebluebeacon #cascadiachronicles #writersofinstagram #oregonwriters #portlandwriters #oregonbooks #fantasybooks #novel #novelist #middlegradebooks”

June 22, 2023

While there’s still a slew of work to get The Blue Beacon shipped, this campaign feels like a strong debut for the Cascadia Chronicles so far. The first book will soon be out and finding readers, new markets will open up (from local bookstores to Amazon) and the next adventure needs to be written. Meanwhile, I’ll have learned lessons and gained readers from my first Kickstarter campaign. By the time I launch the next book, I’ll be a seasoned vet.

Thank you for following along in this process. You are some very cool folks and I’m grateful for you.