Surveys going out soon!
almost 2 years ago – Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 02:51:27 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Thank you.'.'.'
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Mar 14, 2023 at 07:11:57 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

The last stretch goal is now in the rear-view mirror!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Mar 07, 2023 at 06:25:09 PM

We did it!

Earlier today, the campaign crossed an incredible $700,000, which means:

• Everybody who backed any book tier will receive an extra 160-page full-color third volume inside the slipcase! 
• Everybody who backed the Gorton font (as an add-on or a tier) will now receive Gorton as a variable font with support for Latin-1 character set allowing to write in a lot more scripts and languages!

Thank you all so much for your support. This book is now the №1 funded tech book of all time on Kickstarter, and not far away from 500% of its original goal. 

The first number is much lower and the second much higher than I could have ever anticipated, and the truth is I have absolutely no idea how I could make the book even better at this point – at least not without resorting to gimmickry. So, this is a perfect thing to have happened 1½ days before the campaign ends. You will be getting the absolute best version of Shift Happens I can think of.

Some new fun things to try out

•  I made a typewriter simulator! It has sounds and you can rotate the paper, set margins, change ribbons, use Wite-Out… I’m curious what you make with it! (Did you see how I foreshadowed this by using ½ above?)

•  On the book site, there is now a way to make Dvorak hands. It’s kind of a fun (and also weird) way to see how different layouts tax your fingers! And it all started with a graphic I saw in an old computer magazine… 

•  On the same site, you can test your knowledge about classic keyboard shortcuts! Just press the key or shortcut you think is correct. See if you can get all ten without cheating! You don’t even need a keyboard for this one… although it’s a lot more fun if you do. 

An end-of-campaign livestream

This coming Thursday at 8:30PT, 11:30ET, and 16:30 London Time, my editor and project manager Glenn Fleishman and I will chatting half an hour before the Kickstarter finishes, seeing it finish live on air – join us live if you are in a mood for just hanging out and celebrating the wrap of this part of the Shift Happens journey. 

The journey, of course, continues! You made it all possible. Now it’s all about finalizing the layouts and – in a few months – printing. I am really excited about that. But let’s not jump ahead, as that’s something for the next update…

Getting closer and closer to the second stretch goal
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 01, 2023 at 06:36:59 PM

Hi, everyone! A small update for this week.

The Kickstarter campaign is currently at an astonishing $635,000, and it feels very close to the stretch goal of $700,000, with 8 days still to go!

Shift Happens is also, as of now, the №2 book in the non-fiction category in the entire history of Kickstarter, and №15 on the all-time Kickstarter publishing chart. That’s pretty incredible and humbling. Thank you. (By the way, there are some really cool projects on these charts – check them out!)

What could volume 3 be

Because we met the first stretch goal, everybody who already backed the book and anyone who backs from now on will receive a 100-page black-and-white “making of” third volume in the slipcase alongside the two book volumes.

Meeting the stretch goal of $700,000 would allow us to add 60 extra pages, and also make all 160 pages full-color to make this volume really stand out.

This means more great photos of keyboards that didn’t fit in the main volumes:

A printed index for easier access! (The index otherwise will be digital/online only.) 

More artifacts of progress for those interested in the creative process:

And more stories of making the book and design explorations!

Miscellany

If you accidentally removed an early backer pledge by trying to add an add-on or increase your pledge, please send me a message on Kickstarter! I can help you not lose your early backer savings.

The designer Arun Venkatesan created a beautifully photographed preview of the one-chapter test print of the book that arrived from the printer. It’s really worth checking out! 

Also, if you’re not subscribed to the main newsletter, I just sent out an issue celebrating the work of Dana Sibera, filled with really reallystrange imaginary keyboards. It seems like it doesn’t have much to do with Shift Happens… but maybe it does?

Until next time!

Marcin

(Typed on my trusted Hexgears Gemini.)

A new stretch goal!
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Feb 18, 2023 at 05:19:46 PM

Thank you so much once more for the incredible support you have all shown for my project.

The Shift Happens campaign is currently close to 400% funding – more than twice than where it was when I sent the first update – and presently the third most funded non-fiction book project in the history of Kickstarter!

Your support already secured the first stretch goal: we reached $250,000, which let me upgrade the book to include a 100-page black-and-white volume of extras as a free addition for everyone who backed the book tiers. But I have now talked with the printer and the economy of scale means we are nearing a new threshold, and something I didn’t expect was even possible to happen!

The new stretch goal

The campaign is currently at $580,000, with 18 days still to go. 

If we reach $700,000 before its end on March 9, we could make two things happen:

•  A full-color, bigger third volume: If you backed the book, the third volume of extras would be automatically (and for free) extended from 100 pages to 160 pages, and switch from b&w to full color! This would allow me to put in more great photographs, add behind-the-scenes materials, and also include the entire index in print for easier reference. (The current plan for the index is to be online only.)

•  Improvements to the Gorton font: If you backed the font – as a tier or add-on – I could hire a type designer to extend it to cover a typical set of Latin characters for Western and Central Europe (known as “Latin-1”), and also make it a variable font with multiple widths, so you would get something more versatile, and thus even more useful.

I think the new stretch goal feels eminently achievable! 

Please spread the word if you are willing, or just keep pressing ⌘R or F5 to refresh the page to see the numbers change, as I will be doing!

 Some coverage of Shift Happens

Several people and organizations reached out to ask me to talk about the book and keyboards in general. Here are the highlights:

•  I appeared on the episode of Tech Pod, talking about the process, QWERTY, and The Shift Wars
   
• I also appeared on the episode of Design Details podcast, for those of you interested in more designy aspects of the book
   
• The Verge did a short interview with me
  

Also, if you missed it, I shared 50 interesting keyboards from my collection on Mastodon (and also on Twitter).

The printer and my crew are already slowly figuring out plans to travel to Maine during the summer to oversee the printing and binding process. It will be a fun time.

Thank you, and until the next update!

Marcin

(Typed on Apple Extended I, because why not?)