Kristine Perkins

Being the outcast has always been a name I've been given. I have never been one to ride the waves. I hope that those who do read my stories will be able to find solace within them and know they are not alone. For being different is okay.

When I was four years, I taught myself to write. At first, it was soppy one-line stories. Hey, I was four! What do you expect? It gradually grew with the years as I learned how to actually form those sentences into bigger stories. I became an addict to books by the age of six. I was the ultimate bookworm, so to say. I devoured everything I possibly could get my hands on. I was reading fifth grade level in second grade. I don’t brag though, it was just who I was as a kid.

I wasn’t much of a people person even then. I had less then a handful of friends and even they were scarce. As a child, I could always see myself as a published author.

I wasn’t good at art, I traced just to pass the mandatory class. I wasn’t good at singing and sports certainly weren’t my thing. When I tried instruments, no matter how long I kept to them, I failed. Every single time, I failed. My talent is writing. I have an art for words and how to twist them into tales that others want to read (or at least, that’s what I’ve been told and to the day, I believe it.)

My entire life, my mother has been my number one support in this journey. She has never given up on my dreams to be published. When the world was against me, she was next to my side, my own personal cheerleader. I know what it means to need support. I know what it means to have the entire world against you and falling into that pit where you think you aren’t good enough. I know what it’s like when you’re scrambling for the words that just won’t come, but you know are there.

I was young when I had my son, he is my life and joy. I lost my ability to write, I lost my self-worth when I couldn’t. I worked meaningless jobs to make ends meet, smiled when I needed to, and pushed aside the dreams and desires I so badly ached to make come true.

Until one day when I woke up and told myself that I was going to do it. If not for me, at least for my son. I will teach him that no matter how hard your dreams are to accomplish, they can be achieved with hard work and determination. This is why I am asking for your help. To make this all a reality and I do hope to make it worthwhile for you at the same time.

Right now, I have 6 stories being written and/or published. Two of them are currently being edited while the rest are being written. there are things I need though in order to complete all of this.

My budget overview is for the following:

- Marketing

- Editing

- Cover/formatting payments

- Snacks to get me in the writing zone

- the Swag products that will be presented within this project

- Signed books

- Two months of Internet bill.

The breakdown of the costs:

* Snacks (I'm just being honest here): doubt more then $50. I like hot cheetos, swedish fish, coffee, and redbull to get me going.

* Marketing: Self-marketing is a tricky-tricky thing. I don't plan to spend more then at least between $50-75 on it. This will get my work noticed in a much larger volume.

* Editing: Editing is the biggest cost spender of the entire list. The pricing can range anywhere between $125-400 a book, depending on size (word counts). $900 would be set aside for the editing services. This can range between paying for 3-5 books. Again, it would depend on the size.

* Covers/formatting: I have a few covers already paid off for. Though, there will need to be more. I will also need to pay formatting fees, which is $25 each book. I like to get full packages on covers, These includes teasers, 3D images, the cover itself, etc... I expect at least between$100-125 each cover and I might just need 2 to begin with. But I do need to format all books - which would be 4 books to start off with as I have 2 taken care of already. $100 for formatting.

- Swag products come in many different things. There are mugs/beer steins, bags, keychains, the works in making with my book labels upon them. This would be at least $200 (includes product pricing and shipping)

- Signed books are not cheap. There will be at least 5 signed books given and it will not be cheap to request them, sign them, and send them off once again. Each book will be at least $20 to get/sign/send. 5 books will cost $100.

- Two months. worth of Internet bills. I am just being transparent here. My Internet bill is $80 a month and I use it for my writing. While I write up most of my stories, there are those I strictly type up. The ones I handwrite, I also type up (have to in regards of publishing after all). It is not cheap nor is it easy. While I do have a business and my husband is working, we just had to add a monthly bill to our budget which makes things just slightly tighter then normal. I ask for the internet bill in regards that it will help me be able to keep writing and not have to stress about it being turned off.

There will be at least $165 left over after all said is done and over. The leftover will be used as the fee for pozible. Anything after that I will put towards the swag products.