The Contenders

I really wasn’t sure when I launched The Contenders illustrated novel Kickstarter that I’d reach the goal of raising $3000. I was nervous every day. But then we raised $3000…in just eight days. And over the next 13 days, the total kept climbing slowly but surely.

Last Wednesday, when the campaign closed on the 21st day, we surpassed the goal by 21%! We raised a total of $3655! As Eunice, the main character of The Contenders would say, “Hooyeah!”

If we were together right now, I’d treat you to some fish and chips from Ivar’s. We’d high-five then break fries together as we watch the boats sail by on Lake Union.

But since we’re not together, let me just say, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

The Contenders illustrated edition is going to be published this year because of 64 kind, generous humans that pledged, and many others that posted and tweeted about the campaign. I’m grateful to each and every one of you.

I’m also grateful to my illustrator, Erin Kubo, and my hubs, Marcus Donner, for all their help and support. This was a three-pronged effort and I couldn’t have done it without them.

So what now?

Erin’s creating two more illustrations for the book (yaas!) to bring the total to 20 pictures. I’m working with my editor Julie to finish the interior design. Marcus is working on finalizing the cover design. By early November, the book will be off to the printers. Everyone who pledged for the paperback will receive their book by December. I’ll announce in January how everyone else can buy a copy.

Thanks again for your support. Can’t wait to share The Contenders with you!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

Photo of Peg Cheng at Ivar’s Salmon House by Marcus Donner.

Here I am asking you to give to my Kickstarter campaign to publish the illustrated version of The Contenders, and I haven’t even told you what it’s about. Geesh.

Here’s what the story’s about. Click on the PLAY button below.

If this story resonates with you, or someone you know, you still have time to get a copy of my book.

Pledge to my Kickstarter campaign by October 23, 2019 at 9pm Pacific Time to nab an eBook or paperback or both. We’ve got pledge levels from $5 up to fit every budget.

Thank you for supporting independent authors and illustrators!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

WE DID IT!!!

The Contenders illustrated novel is fully funded! After only eight days!

HUGE THANKS to everyone who retweeted, reposted, and pledged during the first eight days of our Kickstarter campaign. Erin and I are so grateful for all of you. And a very special thanks to Lori Matsumoto whose pledge tipped us over $3000 and secured our goal.

My heart has been so full for the last week. I’m incredibly grateful and honored that so many people supported our creative project.

You still have time to reserve your very own copy of the eBook or paperback or both. You can give to our Kickstarter until Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 9:00 PM Pacific Time.

So pledge today while you still can! Thank you so much for supporting independent authors and artists!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

Photo: Me & Erin Kubo at Pike St. Press by Marcus Donner.

THE CONTENDERS illustrated novel is 92% funded! We’re almost there! Just $230 more to go!

Thank you so much to everyone who has pledged so far. Your support means the world to us.

Here’s Erin at work on one of the very last illustrations for THE CONTENDERS. This is one of my favorites from the book and I’m so glad Marcus and I were able to capture Erin’s process on video. Congratulations to generous backer S.K. who will receive this beautiful piece of original art in December.

CLICK HERE to pledge today!

If you’ve already pledged or can’t afford to pledge, please help us spread the word about THE CONTENDERS Kickstarter to your friends and colleagues who enjoy children’s literature. Every post on social media helps us!

Here’s our link for easy posting: http://kck.st/2oDNfBm and please tag us on Twitter @pegcheng and @erinkubo or on Instagram @thepegcheng and @ekuboart.

Thank you for supporting independent authors and artists!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

I’ve been working all summer on a secret project and I’m finally ready to reveal it.

It’s the second edition of THE CONTENDERS…illustrated!

THE CONTENDERS is a middle-grade novel that poses the question: can enemies become friends? I never thought when I wrote THE CONTENDERS back in 2010, and then published it in 2015, that it could look like this–like the middle-grade novels that I read growing up like Ramona the Pest, Harriet the Spy, Charlotte’s Web, and Little House on the Prairie, where the illustrations were as important as the story itself.

It’s all thanks to Erin Kubo, an amazingly talented and skilled illustrator that I found through a chance encounter on Twitter. Not only does Erin love drawing tough girls like my main character, Eunice Yang, she’s also mixed-race Asian American, understands Eunice’s point of view, and lives only fifteen minutes away from me. It was a match made in artist-writer heaven.

Erin and I worked collaboratively this summer to add 18 fun, engaging, and emotionally-truthful illustrations to THE CONTENDERS story. We’re both incredibly proud of the final product and can’t wait to get it out into the world.

But we need your help.

We’re launching a Kickstarter campaign today to help fund the illustrations, design, printing, and distribution of the new edition of THE CONTENDERS. Our goal is to raise $3000 over the next 21 days.

The way Kickstarter works is you need to raise the FULL amount in the time set or else you receive nothing. So, for example, if we raise $2999 in 21 days, we’d get zero. We only get the full amount if we raise $3000 or more by 9:00 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, October 23, 2019.

Every pledge helps.

Every dollar counts.

And, we have awesome rewards for every pledge level from $5 to $200.

Watch this video for a sneak peek of the illustrated version of THE CONTENDERS and a special message from the CFO of Plaid Frog Press, the new indie publishing company co-founded by me and my husband, Marcus Donner.

CLICK HERE to pledge today!

Thanks so much for your support!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

Art: THE CONTENDERS cover by Erin Kubo.