When the clock ticked over from Friday night to 12:01 AM Monday, my Pubslush crowd-funding campaign came to an end. If you were watching the website then you know the final numbers at Pubslush were 40 contributors, and a total of $4,820. However, if we are being completely precise an additional four people wanted to contribute off-line via physical check, which added an additional $280. So the real total, which wasn’t on Pubslush, was $5,100.

When I was first contemplating the idea of doing crowd funding I struggled to imagine ever raising $5,000, and here we are! It has been a journey of thankfulness and humbleness.

This has been a great success, but I set a goal of $13,000 which has lead some people to ask what I am going to do since I didn’t reach that amount. First, since I didn’t use the Kickstarter website (which has a policy of all or nothing funding), I keep the money I raised even thought it didn’t reach my ultimate goal. That $13,000 goal would have provided me with funds to effectively reach the most people possible, but $5,000 enables me to reach more people than if I had raised none. So $5,000 is a much more modest start than charging out the gate with $13,000 to fund my efforts, but that $5,000 will enable me to reach many more people than I otherwise would have been able so from that perspective it is a huge success. Coming short of $13,000 does put some limitations on me, but this is all anything but a failure!

Many of you reading this were contributors to the effort. I admit it was hard for me to feel like I had adequately expressed my thanks to everyone–even with the email thank you I sent, and the rewards sent and yet to be sent. So I am saying thank you again to everyone who got behind me and lent their support to this journey. Your vote of confidence means a lot.

I think the greatest tangible sign of thankfulness you could all receive would be to see the gratefulness on the faces of those who will be comforted and encouraged by my book. That will be the result of what you have all done in supporting me, and so that is what I want to give you all for joining in. Unfortunately, most of you won’t be there when people receive and read my book.

But perhaps you can imagine it.