The Results Are In: I’m a Cyborg

Can you spot the cyborg in this photo? Hint: He's a groomsman who moonlights as a publisher.

If you’re ever wondering if you’re a human or a cyborg, a simple test is to record yourself talking directly to a camera. If you come across as relaxed and friendly, you’re human. If you’re stiff and stilted, you’re probably a cyborg.

I’m a cyborg.

The proof is in my publishing company’s first Kickstarter campaign. Check out the video. I’ve seen it a few times for editing purposes, but I can’t watch myself again. And I’m starting to believe that the camera does actually add 15 pounds. I’m thin and weak in real life, I swear!

You can read all about the campaign on our Kickstarter page, but I want to briefly discuss where I got the idea for this campaign. I think it’s safe to say that it’s a first among the 4,000 or so projects that have launched on Kickstarter so far.

On most Kickstarter campaigns, you support a project by donating a certain amount of money, and you receive a reward dependent upon the size of your donation.

Our campaign is different because all of our rewards are the same: You get a digital copy of each of our first two novels. However, the difference between the reward levels is that the more you spread the word about Blank Slate Press and the campaign, the lower your price.

For example, if you’re willing to pledge to “Like,” tweet, and/or e-mail the campaign to a friend, “Like” BSP on Facebook, and subscribe to BSP’s monthly e-newsletter, you get our first two novels for only $4. How do we know that people will follow through on their pledge? We trust them.

Despite the fun pricing, the heart of the campaign is that you’re supporting an innovative publishing startup that truly cares about its authors. We only have two authors right now, and that’s so we can give them our undivided attention when it comes to writing, revising, editing, formating, designing, and promoting them. If you believe in that type of company, I encourage you to Like this blog post and–at the very least–share our Kickstarter campaign with your book club or your avid reader friends.

Plus, you can say that you know a cyborg.

5 thoughts on “The Results Are In: I’m a Cyborg”

  1. I think I’m a cyborg too. I recently had to videotape a maid of honor speech. I thought my speech was pretty good, but I could not relax enough to make it seem heartfelt and genuine on camera. Thankfully the video idea was scrapped and the only person who saw it was my best friend. But it reinforced what I already knew… that I hate seeing video of myself.

    Reply
    • Yeah, I’m surprised at how difficult “heartfelt and genuine” can be on camera. I have new respect for actors.

      Reply
  2. I think it’s alright. There was a low humming sound in the beginning, but I think it was my ear phones. And first time watching it you did sound a little bit like a cyborg at the beginning with longer than expected pauses between words, but the rest was good! Overall, two thumbs up, fat face. LOL! Just joking, cute buns. 😉 You sounded and looked good on the video. Keep up the good work.

    Reply

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