Why Support "Not THAT Kind of Christian: Loving God Without Being an A**hole"?
This book is primarily for the:
- "Nones" (people who have never identified with religion),
- "Dones" (people who have walked away from it), and
- "Prodigal Sons" (people who are hanging in there or have come back to Church but don't feel like they really fit)
I'm in that group. Maybe you are too. If you're like me, you still think about God, What this Jesus person was about, and about big questions like why we're here, if we have purpose, and if there's something more to this universe than what we see.
But because of personal experiences, media portrayals or all of the scandals involving Christianity, you just don't see yourself as "That kind of Christian." So you figure there's no room for you at all. No place to ask questions, go deeper, connect with something bigger than yourself.
People asked to
complete the phrases, “God is ________” and “Jesus is
_________,” most commonly offered words like “all-loving,”
“compassionate” and “forgiving.” The same group, when asked
to complete the phrase, “Christians are ________,” offered words
like “judgmental,” “angry,” and “hypocrites.”
So if we Christians are
supposed to reflect God and Jesus to the world, why are so many of
us such jerks? And why do we come off as so...well, weird?
Sometimes we Christians take everything so seriously it's a real drag. So this book is done very much with tongue in cheek, but also with the intent of getting at some real truth. And sometimes the best way to move forward, change and grow is to be able to laugh at ourselves.
What's With the Subtitle?
Some people wonder why we have "profanity" in the subtitle. It's not for shock value or to seem overly edgy. It's because, over and over again, when I talk to people who don't identify as Christian what it is about Christians that bothers them, more often than not it's because we can be real a-holes. So let's name it, call it out, and really, honestly talk with each other for once?
Where did the Idea Come From?
One of the most inspiring, honest sermons was from my friend who started out by saying, "I'm a Christian because I'm an asshole." At that moment, a little light went on inside me. It's not that I need Jesus because of original sin or to save me from burning in hell. He's not a stamp on my celestial passport.
But I can be a real schmuck. And once I have the humility to admit it, I might actually have something to learn from it. One of the biggest paradoxes, though, is when people mistakenly think that becoming a Christian makes them no longer be an a-hole; in fact, Christians who think they're somehow "fixed" are some of the biggest a-holes of all. Christianity (the religion) isn't a-hole insurance; in fact, sometimes it just makes us worse to be around.
So I'm an occasional jerk and know I could use some help with it. But if I never completely get over being an jerk, what's the point of trying? What good is this Jesus guy? If I'm going to be an a-hole, why not go big and have fun doing it?
Because we're all connected. We need each other, whether we like it or not. We're in this life together, and we owe it to each other, as Bill and Ted famously said, to "be excellent to each other."
What We Need
I believe it's a book that needs to be written, that people can enjoy and use, and that might actually help us better understand each other and ourselves. So like I did with my first novel, "BLOOD DOCTRINE" (now under option to be made into a TV series), I'm publishing this under my own imprint, Square Core Media.
But just because I'm doing this without a major publisher doesn't mean it can't be as good as - or even better than - it would be if done by a big house. Fortunately I have the experience and contacts to do the book with the very same people who work for the "Big Five" publishers, but they also don't work for free. So here's a breakdown of the anticipated costs:
-
Content
Edit - $1,500
-
Copy
Edit - $1,000
-
Proofread
- $1,000
-
Cover
Design - $750
-
Typesetting/Interior Design - $1500
- Illustration - $2500
-
ISBN/PCN
- $80
-
Title
Setup - $90
-
Ebook
Conversion - $100
-
Global
Distribution - $30
-
First
Paperback Printing - $3,500
-
Marketing
- $2,500
-
P/R
- $1,700
-
Rewards
(other than books) - $1,300
-
Shipping materials and handling costs for Rewards - $1,250
- Indiegogo/Paypal/Credit Card Fees - $1,200
TOTAL
- $20,000
If we fall short, I'll have to cut back on the marketing and PR budgets. Though not essential to getting the book completed, those costs are critical to help ensure the book is found by lots of people who aren't already personally connected to me.
And if, by some chance, we raise more than we needed (like last time - thanks to you!!!) we'll need more cash for awards, shipping, printing and we can always use additional help to increase the ad budget and public relations campaign.
To be clear: none of the money in this campaign goes to me personally. All of it will be used for the book project.
What You Get
Of course no crowdfunding campaign would be complete without rewards! I don't expect you to support this project just because I asked you to, or because you agree with the message. I want to make it worth your while, and to help give you bragging rights as some of the few insiders who made the book really happen, way back at the beginning.
So depending on your donation level, you can earn all kinds of swag, from stickers and custom stone coasters to copies of the book, limited edition T-shirts or even have me come talk about the book in your town. And everyone who gives $100 or more will be listed at special patrons of the project in the book itself.
And who knows? We might come up with some other surprises along the way, shared only with backers of the project. Join us and find out!
NOTE: Be sure to select the perk you want when picking an amount to give, or else the system tells me you don't want anything. And that would just be sad.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people want to be a part of the campaign but just don't have lots of money. That's totally understandable. The good news is you can contribute as little or as much as you want. The donation levels for awards are just suggestions. If you don't care about that, you can give $1, $5 or whatever you can manage to say you're on board.
You can also spread the word by sharing the campaign with your fiends and anyone else via social media or the like who would be interested in checking it out. Oh, and if you do have some money to give and don't really care about the awards, you can help us put more money toward the project by declining any gifts.
Not that I wouldn't take them. Hell, that's probably why I'd do it in the first place!
