Eight days into 2008 and we're still holding at 99 pieces. The Big Mailer has stalled and I'm no longer getting any hits on the site (which means this won't be read by anyone) and no one is using the form mailer to "sign up."
I've had dozens of people over the past month tell me something is "in the mail" or "sitting on my desk" or "going to be done this weekend." I can appreciate life getting in the way of things, but I'm starting to get a bit down on the project, with only one piece to go no less.
What this doesn't also bode well for is a second run of this project. It took (is taking) 8 months to get the first one half done. The first lady took a month to draw the picture and send it to the next guy who sat on it for three weeks. The current artist was sick (which apparently limits your drawing ability) and the sketchbook hasn't moved in a month. Meanwhile it's been months since I've heard from people who've said they'd send in something, and they haven't.
I've sent out numerous emails asking for interviews and very few have been returned. Those that have been have already been put up. I think folks have just forgotten this is here.
I don't like making a stink about this, but this stinks.
I don't know what else I can do to keep this thing going other than tireless and annoying bumping of forum threads. I don't have the money to advertise and I'd hate to stick AdSense on the site as it wouldn't do any good, what with the 5 hits a day the site gets. (And that's five a day for both the main site AND this blog.)
There's been two donations to support the project, no merchandise sales. I can't get the dang thing listed on Fark or Boing Boing or any major listing sight. And other than the help getting the site designed, all offered help seems to have disappeared.
So consider the project done when and IF the 100th piece ever comes in. I'll still finish it all with the auction and make copies of the books for people to get, but that's probably all I'll do. It's obvious I was one of the few that thought this was a good idea. As for the Big Mailer sketchbook floating around out there, I might just post everyone's emails somewhere and just say, "You guys work it out. When it's done, send it to my grandkids."
I'm bummed on the whole thing, but it's a project of mine and those tend to come up to about 99% and then die.
Carry on.
January 08, 2008
Still Holding
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4 comments:
Bummer, man.
And just one piece to go...!
Don't get too down though, Ben.
How many pieces do you have promised yet that you haven't gotten? It sounds like well over a hundred.
Somebody will come through, and if they don't I'll be willing to contribute another piece to bring it up to 100. (Not optimal, I know, but whatever it takes!)
Just keep sending emails dude; if you're a big enough pain in the butt, people will give you what you want just to get rid of you! ;-)
I've got one guy saying he's sent his yesterday and even asked if I'd gotten it yet, so that should be 100.
It was truly amazing to see how many people "signed up" or said they'd love to be a part of this but ended up not doing anything. I think I got something like 400 emails or message board posts expressing interest, so not too bad considering, but still quite a bit of difference.
I guess these posts need a map to track the project path.
There's a map on the main site. I don't know why having it here would help things.
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