Hello, Duluthians! I am running an unconventional sort of crowdfunding campaign and I need your help. I’m crowdfunding my maternity leave.

My due date is today, and when the baby comes, I will begin six weeks of unpaid maternity leave. I not only have to figure out how to pay the bills while I’m off, but also how to attend my best friend’s wedding in Colorado, which I am a bridesmaid in. Saving up for this hasn’t been an option, with our budget being inadequate as it is, so I am taking a leap and trying something creative.

My real desire was to raise money by selling things that I have put a lot of work into, like my handknits in my Etsy shop, Squirrel Seeds, but it was suggested to me that a centralized crowdfunding page might have more success. Still, since crowdfunding sites allow you to offer “rewards,” or “perks,” I have been able to offer some of my work in exchange for contributions.

Perks for my campaign include my short story “The Washery Mage,” my novel Dragons of Arethia Book One: Tesa’s Journey, my short story collection Fairy Stories (in settings inspired by Duluth locations), your name in the special thanks section of my second novel, naming a character, and, at the very top, the very special perk of luxuriously soft and warm handknit wool socks. The stories and novels are all ebooks. I am probably going to add a sock knitting class and “how to self-publish ebooks” type class as a perk later on, for local contributors.

More info about my campaign and my books is available on my blog, Sticks and Scribbles

Any help anyone is inclined to give is greatly appreciated, whether it be through contributions or sharing the link. Thanks for your time!