The Highwayman
Illustrated Alfred Noyes Poem
A personal project that challenged me to be disciplined in my own craft, to share it publicly in new mediums, to promote it and market it, to meet deadlines and expectations of a Kickstarter campaign, to work directly with a book publisher, and to design book from cover to cover.
Deliverables:
Hard Cover book with full illustrated dust jacket.
Outcome:
Project fully funded on Kickstarter, and a self published first edition of 151 copies
STRATEGY + APPROACH
I had created a "graphic novel" of The Highwayman in college as my final project for my Drawing class. Each stanza was a full page illustration and I instantly knew I wanted to turn it into a book.
I reworked the layout for more dramatic compositions, especially since I wanted to bring my mixed media approach to this new project. A few of the original page concepts were retained, but most of the pages went in a new direction.
WHAT HAPPENED?
I shared the finished illustrations on Kickstarter, created a timeline to finish the remaining illustrations for the book, and worked with a filmography to make a video about the project's creation and development to help promote the Kickstarter campaign.
The Kickstarter campaign reached two stretch goals and earned over $14K.
THE OUTCOME?
I was able to self-publish the illustrations into a beautiful linen-bound hardcover book, complete with a gold foil stamp and fully illustrated dust jacket.
90 copies were claimed by Kickstarter backers, and the remaining books have sold, the last one going to a retired librarian in Australia.
I am open to finding a publisher to pursue a second edition.
