High Season - My first novel.
Donation protected
What I'm doing here:
Simple. In real life, I got hit over the head, lost memories while abroad traveling early this year and wrote a semi-fictional book loosely based on it. It's now time to publish it!
My GoFundme Campaign ends Oct 15th, 2016 with aspirations to have copies in Supporter's hands by February 2017. A year after the incident in Mexico
The Novel:
After an attack off the coast of eastern Mexico, Mohammad Wang loses years worth of memories from a head injury.
Waking up with no idea who he is, he finds himself outside of a small dive shop in a bloody shirt and two leather bags. Why is he in Mexico? What are many tiny flashes in his head?
Mohammad Wang’s comedic journey transpires with the help of his new/old friends — A local scuba diver/captain, expat elementary school teacher, a sassy, pregnant therapist and many other characters embark on an adventure as he learns more about the secrets of his previous life thru understanding the environment around him. Isla Mujeres - The island of women. An island that once worshiped the Mayan goddess of fertility, Ixcel and first landing of Francisco Hernandez Cordoba, credited discoverer of Mexico.
High Season: The Learnings of Mohammad Wang is a piece of philosophical healing experience disguised as a semi-historical fiction spanning the History of Mexico and the antics of a 42-year-old man with a complicated past.
For a small fishing town on the coast of Cancun, Isla Mujeres is filled with stories of long-dead pirates, loves at first sight, memorable heartbreaks, and many tequila drunk tourists…but most of all, a fictional adventure into the missing gold of Hernan Cortes, Famed Spanish Conquistador and 1st Governor of New Spain.
With a few romantics along the way, Mohammad Wang and friends take you on a pirate adventure you’ll never forget.
I could go into great detail about the book here and my personal experience, but instead, I feel it would be more beneficial just to provide you with a sample chapter and one of my favorites, “Victoria’s Little Romantics.”. You get a taste for the novel firsthand. Please keep in mind, that it's still rough and the reason I am here for your help to polish it up :)
Victoria's Little Romantics
Who am I?
Good question..lol...I am Chazzy Patel. A 36-year-old U.S Army veteran, avid traveler, and a professional photographer that never dreamed of being a writer.
As a photographer and pain in most people’s ass, my ego always leaned towards the 1000 ‘unsaid words’ hidden in my compositions.
But I was wrong. This novel and the two drafts of separate books are the rumbling evidence of my passion for pursuing words. Combining years of international travel, my photos can't tell every story.
When I read a good book, it leaves me with this overwhelming feeling that the book will come alive! Be stronger than the glue that binds it. I walk around random street corners, entering buildings designed by the strangest eye, driving down long empty roads imagining the author's creativity unfolding in front of my eyes. This delightful condition lasts for a few weeks, and then I move on to another character from the pages of a classic.
I'd like to make you feel that way with my novel.
Why GoFundMe?
My hope is that if you like the chapter or even just like me, you will help turn this book into a reality by supporting towards the costs of self-publishing.
Simple. In real life, I got hit over the head, lost memories while abroad traveling early this year and wrote a semi-fictional book loosely based on it. It's now time to publish it!
My GoFundme Campaign ends Oct 15th, 2016 with aspirations to have copies in Supporter's hands by February 2017. A year after the incident in Mexico
The Novel:
After an attack off the coast of eastern Mexico, Mohammad Wang loses years worth of memories from a head injury.
Waking up with no idea who he is, he finds himself outside of a small dive shop in a bloody shirt and two leather bags. Why is he in Mexico? What are many tiny flashes in his head?
Mohammad Wang’s comedic journey transpires with the help of his new/old friends — A local scuba diver/captain, expat elementary school teacher, a sassy, pregnant therapist and many other characters embark on an adventure as he learns more about the secrets of his previous life thru understanding the environment around him. Isla Mujeres - The island of women. An island that once worshiped the Mayan goddess of fertility, Ixcel and first landing of Francisco Hernandez Cordoba, credited discoverer of Mexico.
High Season: The Learnings of Mohammad Wang is a piece of philosophical healing experience disguised as a semi-historical fiction spanning the History of Mexico and the antics of a 42-year-old man with a complicated past.
For a small fishing town on the coast of Cancun, Isla Mujeres is filled with stories of long-dead pirates, loves at first sight, memorable heartbreaks, and many tequila drunk tourists…but most of all, a fictional adventure into the missing gold of Hernan Cortes, Famed Spanish Conquistador and 1st Governor of New Spain.
With a few romantics along the way, Mohammad Wang and friends take you on a pirate adventure you’ll never forget.
I could go into great detail about the book here and my personal experience, but instead, I feel it would be more beneficial just to provide you with a sample chapter and one of my favorites, “Victoria’s Little Romantics.”. You get a taste for the novel firsthand. Please keep in mind, that it's still rough and the reason I am here for your help to polish it up :)
Victoria's Little Romantics
Who am I?
Good question..lol...I am Chazzy Patel. A 36-year-old U.S Army veteran, avid traveler, and a professional photographer that never dreamed of being a writer.
As a photographer and pain in most people’s ass, my ego always leaned towards the 1000 ‘unsaid words’ hidden in my compositions.
But I was wrong. This novel and the two drafts of separate books are the rumbling evidence of my passion for pursuing words. Combining years of international travel, my photos can't tell every story.
When I read a good book, it leaves me with this overwhelming feeling that the book will come alive! Be stronger than the glue that binds it. I walk around random street corners, entering buildings designed by the strangest eye, driving down long empty roads imagining the author's creativity unfolding in front of my eyes. This delightful condition lasts for a few weeks, and then I move on to another character from the pages of a classic.
I'd like to make you feel that way with my novel.
Why GoFundMe?
My hope is that if you like the chapter or even just like me, you will help turn this book into a reality by supporting towards the costs of self-publishing.
And the rewards are unique only to first-time supporters.
The book is complete!
The book is complete!
Now I'm raising money to fund polishing off the manuscript with professionals, actual printing, and shipping of my first limited print-run.
These 500 crowdfunding-only copies will be locally printed in Denver, CO by Tattered Cover Press. They are semi hand-made copies each with art from painters, doodlers, gypsies, poets, thinkers from Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
These will also include some rewards of signed and numbered images. I will destroy the proofs after the campaign is complete to ensure they stay unique and limited.
The novel will be available in digital, online formats but future hardcopy editions just won’t have that special touch. Next bunch will be paperback.
This personalized semi-handmade version of the book is a special offer for its FIRST-TIME SUPPORTERS ONLY. My long term marketing will take on a more competitive route.
I know it's not the cheapest way to create a novel. I could go the traditional route or a corporate wholesaler out of China. However, this is all intentional and my personal rebellion. I want to show my love for the first few supporters, provide them with a unique experience into my wild world.
Use of Funds/ Budget breakdown:
* Developmental/ line/ copy editing of the manuscript $2400: Caroline and Gary Smailes out of Liverpool, England are the editors of this book. Some quicker, extra developmental editing will take place involving a varied group of readers at the cost of kindness.
* Specialty printing $16.50 - $20 per book. (Varies significantly based on the number of copies in the run. Some processes we plan to use scale much better than others.) Printing and production will be by micromanaged by me :)
All Photography, International copyright, printedCover design, and typesetting; I am doing these myself so that I can reduce costs. Plus, my artistic ego cringes at the idea of outsourcing tasks I'm fully qualified to complete.
* Purchasing ISBN, registration fees (Lightning Source Print on Demand, CreateSpace) $600
* Shipping / Packing (included in US orders, N/A for $10 Perk) $3 - $5 per book. Prints will cost ~$7.
International Orders: This book is going published locally in the Denver, CO and, unfortunately, there is no way to get around the high shipping costs, but I will get them to you if need be out of cost. At the scale, I'm working, offering the print book internationally at a rate less than the expense of the actual book will break the project financially. So please for international backers, I recommend getting the Dingy Dancer reward, or the higher Limited Quantity reward.
There’s always the Pirate King option. Keep that in mind. You might kick yourself later for not having a pirate read to you :)
GoFundMe/Amazon Payments 8- 11% of total funds raised as well.
Risks and Challenges
It's my first novel, but there is no real risk, just merely challenges I haven't confronted. There are always creative and logistical speed bumps to cross, but just growth comes from it. I have much gratitude for your support and beg your patience as the weirdo in me works his fingers and imagination to produce something unique and unforgettable.
I set a goal of $7,000 to help cover that editing, publishing, and marketing for the book but honestly, any amount of financial assistance is helpful and is much appreciated.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy High Season. My first of many books:)
Chazzy Patel
These 500 crowdfunding-only copies will be locally printed in Denver, CO by Tattered Cover Press. They are semi hand-made copies each with art from painters, doodlers, gypsies, poets, thinkers from Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
These will also include some rewards of signed and numbered images. I will destroy the proofs after the campaign is complete to ensure they stay unique and limited.
The novel will be available in digital, online formats but future hardcopy editions just won’t have that special touch. Next bunch will be paperback.
This personalized semi-handmade version of the book is a special offer for its FIRST-TIME SUPPORTERS ONLY. My long term marketing will take on a more competitive route.
I know it's not the cheapest way to create a novel. I could go the traditional route or a corporate wholesaler out of China. However, this is all intentional and my personal rebellion. I want to show my love for the first few supporters, provide them with a unique experience into my wild world.
Use of Funds/ Budget breakdown:
* Developmental/ line/ copy editing of the manuscript $2400: Caroline and Gary Smailes out of Liverpool, England are the editors of this book. Some quicker, extra developmental editing will take place involving a varied group of readers at the cost of kindness.
* Specialty printing $16.50 - $20 per book. (Varies significantly based on the number of copies in the run. Some processes we plan to use scale much better than others.) Printing and production will be by micromanaged by me :)
All Photography, International copyright, printedCover design, and typesetting; I am doing these myself so that I can reduce costs. Plus, my artistic ego cringes at the idea of outsourcing tasks I'm fully qualified to complete.
* Purchasing ISBN, registration fees (Lightning Source Print on Demand, CreateSpace) $600
* Shipping / Packing (included in US orders, N/A for $10 Perk) $3 - $5 per book. Prints will cost ~$7.
International Orders: This book is going published locally in the Denver, CO and, unfortunately, there is no way to get around the high shipping costs, but I will get them to you if need be out of cost. At the scale, I'm working, offering the print book internationally at a rate less than the expense of the actual book will break the project financially. So please for international backers, I recommend getting the Dingy Dancer reward, or the higher Limited Quantity reward.
There’s always the Pirate King option. Keep that in mind. You might kick yourself later for not having a pirate read to you :)
GoFundMe/Amazon Payments 8- 11% of total funds raised as well.
Risks and Challenges
It's my first novel, but there is no real risk, just merely challenges I haven't confronted. There are always creative and logistical speed bumps to cross, but just growth comes from it. I have much gratitude for your support and beg your patience as the weirdo in me works his fingers and imagination to produce something unique and unforgettable.
I set a goal of $7,000 to help cover that editing, publishing, and marketing for the book but honestly, any amount of financial assistance is helpful and is much appreciated.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy High Season. My first of many books:)
Chazzy Patel
Organizer
Chazzy Patel
Organizer
Denver, CO
