Frequently Asked Questions
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Project FAQ
The fun part! A.K.A. when you get the goods. The answer is... it depends. I have plans for extra bonus content for stretch goals, which means if the campaign goes super well, I'll have lots of work to do with all your extra goodies! December 2025: • Post-campaign admin • Festive holidays (don't worry, we will not be risking precious book shipping over the Christmas period) January 2026: • Digital rewards ship to backers, all going well • Hardcover proofs ordered February 2026: • Hardcover proofs reviewed/corrections made March 2026 • Hardcovers ship to backers April 2026 • Contingency period – should things not go smoothly or stretch goals are wild and take more time to make, this is the buffer zone May 2026 • All rewards shipped and received! It is theoretically possible that I will get super organised and have some rewards shipped earlier, but that will depend on what gets funded with stretch goals and how long they take to produce. It is also theoretically possible that things go less well and it all takes a little longer. Should anything happen to delay rewards, I will keep you updated every step of the way. It is your responsibility to claim all rewards offered within the specified time frame (I'll provide details in backer updates). Refunds are not available for change of mind or failure to claim rewards. If your goods are lost or damaged, please contact me as soon as possible.
Shipping is collected at the end of the campaign and is in addition to your pledge. This ensures you’re charged accurate rates. Current estimates in local currencies are: ♦ US ~$4 ♦ CA ~$20 ♦ UK ~£4 ♦ EU ~€12 ♦ AU ~$10 ♦ NZ ~$20 ♦ IN ~₹1200 ♦ All shipping estimates are based on pricing and exchange rates at the time of writing and may vary at the time of pledge collection. If your locale is not listed, please reach out and I'll get you sorted. For example, not all European countries will be available when you pledge but I can arrange shipping to most of them! Please note you will be responsible for any VAT and customs charges. If a package is returned to the printer due to unpaid fees, I won't be able to recover or re-send it, so you will lose your reward. Unfortunately, I have no control over this, and it varies by country. Hardcovers will be printed and shipped locally wherever possible, so additional charges should be minimised, but please be aware. It is your responsibility to claim all rewards offered within the specified time frame (I'll provide details in backer updates). Refunds are not available for change of mind or failure to claim rewards. If your goods are lost or damaged, please contact me as soon as possible.
Firstly, thank you! Your support is amazing and appreciated. No, you don't actually die. Obviously. (That said, if you are killed in the book by, say, falling into a vat of melted chocolate while on a dodgy infiltration, and then you do actually die in real life by falling into a vat of chocolate while playing at spies, the author takes no responsibility.) You choose whether you want to name a character or have yourself be a character in a short story as part of the Operation: Chocolate Overload bonus material. Naming a character is pretty much what says on the tin. Could be your name or any other name you can come up with. Being a character is a little more complex: you give me your name as you wish for it to appear (doesn't have to be your legal name) and a few physical and behavioural traits. I'll use the name and at least two of the traits in creating a character. The character will feature in a short story featuring the Darkhaven cast and will have at least one line of dialogue or meaningful interaction. Here's the really fun part: you choose whether your character meets an untimely chocolate-related demise! The story will be published with the Operation: Chocolate Overload bonus material, which will be printed in the hardcover edition and provided in digital form as the Secret Wafer Stash collection. The story will be at least 500 words long, but let's face it, this whole series was supposed to be a short story, so who knows. Disclaimer: I reserve the right of veto for anything inappropriate (bear in mind this is YA fantasy) or which I feel will break the story world, in which case you can suggest something else. Providing suggestions that are lewd, disrespectful or obviously unsuitable will forfeit the reward.
The Operation: Chocolate Overload edition is exclusive to ebook/hardcover, but if paperback is more your style, you can grab the standard edition as an Add-on by supporting at the Choc Milk $2 tier or above. If you also want the bonus material, be sure to pledge to the Chocolate Truffle $8 tier or above to get the bonus material in digital form.
Maybe! If this campaign goes well, there may be a special Operation edition of the second book, at which point Darkhaven – Operation: Chocolate Overload will be available as an add-on through the campaign. But! Add-ons won't be numbered or personalised. And the edition won't be available for purchase anywhere else, only through crowdfunding campaigns. This is the only way you can get the annotations and arty stuff. However, because I don't like exclusivity that moves into inaccessibility, all written bonus material will eventually be available electronically via my patron membership. Visit https://kelefox.com/patrons/ for more details about that.
All my work is 100% human made! I don't use generative AI in my writing or art. I plot in Excel and on bits of paper, write in good ol' Scrivener (software for writers with night mode and no AI), draw in Affinity Photo, paint with actual brushes and paint (v. messy), and format in Affinity Designer/Publisher.
Crowdfunding is about connecting creators with audiences in a meaningful way. Stories that cross genres, like Darkhaven, don't really work in the usual publishing outlets, and I love that crowdfunding is a place where these quirky projects can thrive. Plus I get to mess around with fun stuff like 'Operation Chocolate Overload' editions! I am so looking forward to engaging with readers like you who love unusual books. The money raised here will go towards the higher costs of producing a hardcover with bonus content, and if it goes well, we'll be all set to give the second book in the series similar treatment. ;)
Well. There's the risk of running out of Tim Tams (iykyk). Getting caught in the pantry with your spoon in the Nutella jar. Opening a large block of milk chocolate with the promise 'I'll just have one row' and then the block is gone. (How does this happen?) Unfortunately, I can't do anything about any of those risks. But as for the book, we're in good stead. Darkhaven is published and well-reviewed. The remaining work consists of formatting and proofing the Chocolate Overload edition (I have formatted several books now including special editions and am very confident with this!) and making any stretch goal materials. I will be using IngramSpark to print and dropship the physical books, which means local printing and shipping in most locations. All other rewards including stretch goals will be digital only, further minimising the risk of shipping shenanigans. As for logistics, I’ve completed a successful crowdfunding campaign before, and I was a stage manager in a former life, so I'm pretty good at wrangling big creative projects with strict deadlines. The show must go on! But if anything does go awry, I will be sure to keep you well informed. And if you have any questions or concerns, I am always happy to chat.
BackerKit FAQ
BackerKit Crowdfunding is an all-or-nothing collaborative funding platform. Creators share their project ideas and set a funding goal with a deadline. Backers pledge money to help make the project possible.
If the project meets its goal by the deadline, pledges are charged and the creator moves forward. If it doesn’t, no one is charged.
Backers often receive special rewards for their support, such as:
- Exclusive products
- Bonus rewards for backing related projects
- Discount pricing
- Behind-the-scenes updates
- Creative input opportunities
Pledging in crowdfunding is a commitment to support the creation of a new product or project. Unlike a traditional purchase, you're not buying an item that already exists. Instead, your contribution helps bring a creative idea to life, and in return, you typically receive rewards (such as the product itself) as a thank you for your early support.
- Select a pledge level with the reward(s) you would like to receive
- Select any add-ons
- Confirm your pledge!
- You are charged only if the campaign meets its funding goal.
- Charges happen when the campaign ends, not when you pledge.
The creator will send you a survey to:
- Ask you for more information about your rewards (selecting options, etc)
- Collect shipping information
- Offer additional items you may want to add to your pledge
- Collect shipping fees (if applicable)
The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge. Additional payments are charged when you complete the survey.
Only the project creator and the BackerKit Support Team can see your pledge and contact information. Other backers and the public cannot see your individual pledge amount or personal details.
You can change or adjust your pledge level and add-ons before the campaign ends. After the project concludes, cancellations or changes are at the creator's discretion and may depend on what stage the project is in.
Overtime Mode extends your campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge. It will add an additional 10 minutes past the end time as long as pledges keep coming in. The campaign will end when there is a 10-minute period without any new pledges.