BackerKit FAQ
How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to bring ideas and projects to life. Project creators post their idea for a project, and backers pledge money to make the project possible. Backers get behind the scenes access and backer-only rewards, which can include exclusive products, special pricing, creative input, content, and more.
To become a backer, select a pledge level that features the reward(s) you would like to receive when the project is successfully completed and make your contribution.
All-or-nothing crowdfunding model: The creator sets a funding goal and a deadline to raise funds. If the project does not meet the goal by the deadline, backers credit cards are not charged and no money changes hands.
Crowdfunding projects can happen at various stages of the creative process. Make sure to check the estimated timeline of when rewards will be delivered. Project creators will keep you updated on the progress toward completion and delivery of your rewards.
Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as purchasing an item from a store. When you back a campaign you are supporting the creation of something new. Rewards are almost always delivered, but are not guaranteed.
When will I be charged for my pledge?
Your payment method will not be charged right away. You will be charged for the amount of your pledge when the campaign ends and the project reaches its funding goal. You will not be charged if the campaign does not reach its funding goal.
What happens after the campaign is over?
The Creator will send out a survey that will ask you for more information about your pledge, your shipping information, additional items you may want to add to your pledge, and collect shipping fees if applicable.
The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge.
Any additional payment will be charged when you complete your survey and confirm your order.
Project FAQ
How long will it take to produce the graphic novel?
It's already been produced and we're ready to start sending out ebook and physical copies once we're funding and funds have been collected!
Where can I read the original short story the graphic novel is based on?
For an additional $10 USD you can add an ebook copy of DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEFIANCE to your order, which is Renan Bernardo's debut short story collection. That collection contains the original short story version of "Anticipation of Hollowness."
What is solarpunk?
Solarpunk is a prefigurative, utopian literary, artistic, and social movement that envisions what the future might look like if humanity solved major modern challenges like climate change, and created more sustainable, just, and balanced societies. As a genre and cultural aesthetic, it encompasses literature, visual art, fashion, video games, architecture, and more. To various degrees, solarpunk encompasses many aspects of the punk ethos such as rebelliousness, humanitarianism, egalitarianism, animal rights, decolonization, anti-racism, anti-patriarchy, anti-authoritarianism, anti-corporatism, and anti-consumerism. Similar to the cyberpunk genre in many way, the biggest difference between the two is that in solarpunk technology and nature work in harmony with one another rather than in conflict. Not all solarpunk stories take place in idealistic utopias, in fact most aren't. Most tales are rife with compelling conflict among people and communities optimistically striving to reach that ideal while still struggling to solve some existing challenges. They take place in futures where the worst of climate change wasn't averted, but where communities nevertheless come together to adapt and build a better world in the best way they can. But all solarpunk stories do have things in common such as future or near-future settings, hopeful perspectives, and looking toward a better future with at least a growing harmony between nature, technology, and humanity. In short, while not all solarpunk stories take place in ideal utopians, all solarpunk stories are decidedly not dystopian.
Where can I learn more about solarpunk?
Solarpunk Magazine is a great place to start. You can sign up for their free blog on their website, which already has a lot of posts talking about solarpunk, reviewing books, movies, games and more that have solarpunk themes, etc. Solarpunk Magazine blog: https://solarpunkmagazine.com/blog You can also subscribe to Solarpunk Magazine's six annual issues of solarpunk fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Subscribe to Solarpunk Magazine at: https://solarpunkmagazine.com/shop/annual-subscription You can also add back issues of Solarpunk Magazine from 2022 and 2023 to your order here with us on Backerkit. Finally, another great resource to learn about solarpunk is "Solarpunk: A Reference Guide" published by Jay Springett on Medium. Springett is one of the folks who was participating in the original chat groups where solarpunk developed, and he's been one of the people at the helm of solarpunk.net pretty much since its inception about a decade ago. The reference guide collects webpages, blog posts, and other information about solarpunk put out on the internet between 2008 and 2018, the first decade of solarpunk's existence. "Solarpunk: A Refernece Guide" can be found at https://medium.com/solarpunks/solarpunk-a-reference-guide-8bcf18871965