June 11, 2020

The Burgundy Zine Merch Store Update #5: We Need You

We need you!
Source: The Burgundy Zine

With just 10 days left and a few more pledges until we reach the Kickstarter campaign goal, our community needs you.

It’s your support that’ll help us stay afloat and open our platform to new opportunities. The Burgundy Zine Merch Store isn’t just for us – it’s a place for you to sell and promote your work, too.

Pledges start at just $1 and our eternal gratitude goes out to everyone who has backed our campaign thus far. Thank you for believing in us!

Remind Me Again – What’s the Story Behind the Kickstarter?

Last December, we announced our plans to launch The Burgundy Zine Merch Store, a platform for us and other content creators to profit from their passions: be it artwork, e-books, music, or another type of content.

We want to be able to pay our contributors for their submissions to our blog and digital magazine. But we’re currently unable to do so – this is a self-funded, self-run platform by yours truly, burgundy bug.

I’m a full-time freelancer and a college student. I don’t have investors behind me. I don’t profit from The Burgundy Zine (it actually costs me quite a bit to keep the site up. Adsense doesn’t generate nearly enough to cover the costs). This truly started as a passion project but has grown into so much more over the last year and a half.

We also intend on printing our digital magazine – if not every issue, then at least on a quarterly basis. However, printing 150+ pages in full color is… Well, expensive! Now add that in with the current website expenses.

The Burgundy Zine Merch Store will allow us to pay contributors for their products sold in our e-shop (the majority of the profits will go to them, most of our small commission goes towards covering the shipping costs). It’ll help us fund our printing endeavors.

What Do I Get For Supporting The Burgundy Zine?

Our Kickstarter rewards, as seen in “The Burgundy Zine #15: Go Green”
Source: The Burgundy Zine #15: Go Green | The Burgundy Zine

We offer multiple backer rewards with the first tier beginning at just $1!

$1 – A custom e-thank you card
$5
- Five sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$10
- Two pieces of pre-made digital art
- Five sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$25
- A vector portrait commission
- Five sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$35
- A cartoon-style portrait commission
- 10 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$50
- A digital illustration commission
- 10 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$75
- An 800 to 1,500 word article commission
- 10 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$100
- A digital illustration commission
- A coupon for 75 free stickers from The Burgundy Zine Merch Store
- A free shipping coupon for The Burgundy Zine Merch Store
- 10 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$125
- A digital illustration commission
- A cartoon-style portrait
- A 20% off coupon for The Burgundy Ziner Merch Store
- A free shipping coupon for The Burgundy Zine Merch Store
- 15 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$200
- A store credit for $200 worth of free merch
- A free shipping coupon for The Burgundy Zine Merch Store
- Two pieces of pre-made digital art
- 15 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- A custom e-thank you card
$300
- A custom digital zine of your artwork, articles, photographs
- A free shipping coupon for The Burgundy Zine Merch Store
- 15 sets of pre-made digital stickers
- Two pieces of pre-made digital art
- A custom e-thank you card

Various digital stickers for our Kickstarter backers
Source: The Burgundy Zine Merch Store on Kickstarter

Pre-made v.s. Commission: Pre-made digital artwork and stickers have been made to distribute to our Kickstarter campaign backers. Whereas commissions are custom pieces specifically created for our backers.

You will be contacted in reference to commission rewards to gather details about the piece you would like us to create for you.

Digital sticker sheets: Each digital sticker sheet contains 10 unique stickers as transparent PNG images that you can place anywhere your heart desires. Put them on your photos, your selfies, your website, social media – go wild!

Coupons and store credits can be redeemed once the merch store has launched. All other rewards will be distributed during the summer of 2020, closer to August.

Why Should I Support The Burgundy Zine Kickstarter?

Your pledge means the world to us and more. It shows you truly believe in our community and want to see us continue to thrive.

Plus, who doesn’t love stickers?

What Happens if The Kickstarter Doesn’t Reach its Goal?

At that time, we’ll have to delay The Burgundy Zine Merch Store from its fall/winter 2020 launch indefinitely. Those who have pledged their support will not be charged for their pledge and we will not receive anything raised thus far.

Then, I’ll focus on self-funding the platform – in addition to everyday living expenses, going back to college this fall, and the current expenses associated with The Burgundy Zine… This might take a while.

We may also open a donations page for those who want to donate towards The Burgundy Zine Merch Store directly, as well, if the Kickstarter doesn’t reach its funding.

Why Should I Care? I Have My Own Bills to Pay

Because we love you, duh. <3

Patrick Star saying “I love you”
Source: GIPHY

In all seriousness, we completely understand if you’re not able to make a pledge at this time. The state of the world right now is unstable and unpredictable.

I personally know what it’s like to have to choose between $2 for a cup of coffee or a small container of rice for lunch. I get it.

You are in no way shape or form obligated to donate to The Burgundy Zine Merch Store Campaign.

However, your support is very, very much appreciated. Even if you simply pass the link around, it’s more helpful than you may realize.

How Else Can I Help?

Share our campaign! Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your followers – hell, tell your pet parrot, they might just start squawking the word, too.

Additionally, if there’s a reason why you haven’t donated yet (aside from personal finances), tell us why. We want to know. What could we be doing better?

Anything Else I Should Know?

Help us help others
Source: The Burgundy Zine Kickstarter Update #4: Help Us Help Others | The Burgundy Zine

In the event that we exceed our $2,000 campaign goal, the extra proceeds will be donated to The George Floyd Memorial and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

We also encourage you to show your support to the Black Lives Matter movement through the resources available here.

If you have any questions about The Burgundy Zine, our Kickstarter campaign, or anything else under the sun, please contact us. We’re all ears.

Once again, thank you for all of your support thus far. Your contributions and emotional support alone are priceless. You’re a vital part of our community and appreciate you more than we could ever accurately depict through words alone – and that’s saying a lot, coming from a full-time writer.

Thank you. We send our love and embrace you in our community with open arms.

Yours truly,
burgundy bug >:^)

Interested in having content featured in an upcoming blog post or issue of The Burgundy Zine? Head on over to the submissions page!

For all other inquiries, please fulfill a contact form.