Story of Incubating Impact
Incubating Impact: How Non-governmental Organizations Can Change the World seeks to understand how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can improve (and sometimes unintentionally hurt) the people they are trying to help. Using examples of human rights work and international aid, Incubating Impact reveals that human capital is the greatest asset of any NGO.
My name is Nicole Zehner and I am the author of Incubating Impact. I wrote this book because the world of international aid has always fascinated me. The desire to help others is one of the fundamental characteristics of humans, but the actual act of helping can be more complicated than what first meets the eye.
My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover the complex role that NGOs play in human rights and international aid. I hope to instill in you the same passion and excitement that I have for human rights. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to help you navigate the complex world of international aid.
You will love this book if you are interested in world affairs, want to learn more about helping others, and/or want to learn something new!
Incubating Impact is a nonfiction book that speaks to students and potential donors who want to look at NGOs and aid in a new way.
Contents of Incubating Impact
The book is written in three parts. Each part expands upon a different principle that is vital to understanding the successful distribution of aid.
Part 1: Public Opinion Matters
People often will go into helping others without first stopping to ask and learn what type of help is actually needed. This can lead to failed projects, frustration, and wasted money. Likewise, in the human rights field, long reports and research into the human rights conditions of a country can fall on deaf ears if the public isn’t engaged with the issue.
Part 2: Leverage Your Skills and Unique Resources
People will often engage in unskilled labor when they volunteer. While this can be tremendously helpful, it can sometimes also become inefficient, especially when people spend excessive money traveling to the locations in need of assistance. It is important for people to prioritize their unique skills, such as medical or building expertise, in order to do the most help.
Part 3: Use a Multi-Faceted Approach
There are many different ways to help people. Legal change, monetary aid, and medical support can all help the same people in different ways. While a single NGO will naturally need a specific focus, it must understand the different methods for executing its goals. Sometimes, an NGO will fail to provide sufficient aid because it does not realize that multiple approaches may be needed to achieve the goal.
What We Need & What You Get
This book will be published with New Degree Press. I set up the pre-order tiers to help cover the costs for publishing my book. Money raised will go towards the following:
The editor I will work with to revise and publish my manuscript in May, 2022.
The cover design of my book. (The mockups you see currently are a placeholder!)
The layout design for the interior of my book (physical copy, ebook formats).
The copy editing for my book to polish the grammar and spelling prior to publication.
The launch & promotion efforts for my book when I ultimately publish this winter.
I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who pre-order my book now:
You will receive a personally signed copy of my book when I publish.
Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
You will receive early access to the Introduction and other excerpts from my book, with the opportunity to review them and give me early feedback.
You will have the opportunity to be involved in selecting my cover and title.
You will be invited to join my Author Community and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the publishing process.
And much more!
About Nicole Zehner
Nicole Zehner is currently a student at Johns Hopkins University, where she is pursuing a double major in International Studies and the Writing Seminars (a creative writing program), along with a minor in Economics. She is a pre-law student who also has a strong interest in writing and journalism.
It was her curiosity surrounding work in human rights and foreign aid that led her to her newest project Incubating Impact.
She also loves poetry and the way that it allows people to expand their understanding of the world.
For more information, you can connect with Nicole Zehner at https://nrzehner.wixsite.com/website and at @zehnerthewriter.
International Preorders
For international preorders, please do the following:
Identify the perk that interests you, e.g. 1 or 2 paperbacks
Select the pink "Back it" button to "Make a contribution" for the same amount (this choice bypasses the shipping address page)
Use this form https://forms.gle/gAuD3dGTyJpbUVUAA to share your mailing address, so I can calculate the international shipping costs and invoice you for that amount via PayPal/Venmo
Risks & Challenges
The biggest challenge with publishing a book is delivering the finished book to the backer, specifically my mailing of the book to you. I have eliminated this risk by including the cost of mailing and shipping the signed copies into each pre-order tier.
The risk of delivering the pre-sale copies of my book is contingent on the publisher we use. I will be working closely with New Degree Press to make sure we ship the pre-order rewards to you as early as possible. We will keep all pre-sale backers up-to-date as to when my book will publish. You will know when the copies of my book you pre-ordered are expected to ship.
Other Ways You Can Help
Not everyone can support, but that doesn't mean you can't get something out of it!
I will reward the top 3 people who refer the most backers at the end of the campaign (30 days). Here's how:
At the top of the campaign page, you will see the "share" buttons. Click on the "chain" icon to get a custom link just for you. (Note: don't use the URL in the browser window as it won't work to track referrals and you won't get credit.)
Copy that link and paste it on your social media, email it to a friend, or text a fellow book lover.
When someone clicks on that link and backs the book, you get 1 entry!
Please use #IncubatingImpact and tag me as well as my publisher, New Degree Press, so we can help amplify your efforts!
Tag:
Instagram - @zehnerthewriter / @newdegreepress
Facebook - @Nicole Zehner / @NewDegreePress
Thank you so much for of all of your love and support!
Thanks again,
Nicole Zehner