Dad Droid – From The Creators of This is Jinsy
In recent years nothing that has appeared on my TV has made me laugh as much as “This is Jinsy“. The show is the work of Chris Bran and Justin Chubb and looks at life on the island of Jinsy; a magical place of folk tales, heroes, villains, tom-foolery and the unforgettable ballads from Melody Lane. I was therefore very pleased to hear that the Jinsy Boys have turned their attention to a book and are currently trying to raise funds to publish Dad Droid.
So What is Dad Droid About Then?
The pair’s crowdfunding campaign site offers the following outline synopsis:
“When Freddy Bird’s genius-inventor Dad goes missing, he and best friend Minnie find themselves plunged into mortal danger, pursued by dangerous thugs, deadly mechanical birds and a sinister businessman with an incredible shark-like car.
But when the children discover a secret tunnel where Freddy’s father has hidden parts of an amazing robot, they decide to outwit their enemies by putting the droid together – a droid that looks just like Freddy’s Dad…”
What’s With The Flying Cat?
Apparently it just got stuck in that contraption. No explanation has been offered yet as to why it has no fur but I can’t imagine it was anything good.
Unbound – Book Publishing For The 21st Century
Dad Droid is being funded through Unbound which is a fantastic crowdfunding platform. Unlike self-publishing, which is the usual option through other crowdfunding platforms, Unbound are a real publisher staffed by real publishing types who publish real books. Authors pitch their idea and if Unbound see it as viable then a crowdfunding campaign is launched.
At first glance you might think that Unbound are just like every other publisher except that they are getting the cash up front from readers. But we all know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (do you see what I did there?) and there is more to the Unbound model than you might think. The initial seed funding for a book is financed in typical crowdfunding style as authors attempt to raise funds and awareness in partnership with Unbound. If a book is successfully funded then it’s a good indication that it will sell through traditional channels so Unbound will publish it, selling it into bookshops via their distribution network and fulfilling orders arising from the crowdfunding campaign. But there’s more…… Traditionally authors receive a very small percentage of the profits from their work, typically around 5%, but with Unbound it’s a 50/50 split. And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why I love crowdfunding, it’s so much better for creators.
Why Should I Back This Campaign?
Because This is Jinsy is chuffing hilarious and so it’s fair to assume that this book should also raise a titter with children and adults alike. If you don’t believe me then I shall take no offence that you are calling me a liar but would encourage you to view the highlight of The Jinsy festival of Nacken where Rex Camalbeeter (played by Rob Brydon) entertains the crowd with this folk classic…….
How Do I Back This Campaign?
That’s the lemon squeezy part. To pledge money to Dad Droid, get your hands on a first edition of the book or even have a top day out in That London with Chris and Justin if you are particularly flush then you simply need to go to https://unbound.com/books/dad-droid and make a pledge.
If you do pledge the money for a day out with Chris and Justin then please tell them from me that when they’ve finished writing this book they need to get on with Jinsy series 3. If they don’t then I will be forced to send Basher, Smasher, Gnasher and Big Dave round to have a word…….