How we made Color Me Chincoteague

It's been a few years in the making.

Here's an abridged timeline. (For more detail, at least from July 2015 - May 2016, you can read all of our Kickstarter updates.)

August 2014

While vacationing with our extended family, we (Vic and Joanna) search in vain for a  Chincoteague coloring book for our girls. Vic says to Joanna, "Why don't you make one?"

January 2015

In the dead of winter in Baltimore, we begin to talk about what it would actually take to self-publish a Chincoteague coloring book. We despair. And then we start planning.

February 2015

We start talking with book printers, Vic starts building colormechincoteague.com, and Joanna starts sketching ideas.

April 2015

We launch our email list with free coloring pages.

May-June 2015

We prepare furiously for our Kickstarter campaign, with lots of help from Stonemaier Games' massive repository of Kickstarter wisdom.

July 1, 2015

We launch our Kickstarter campaign with coloring parties at Woody's Beach BBQ and the Island Creamery. Also this video:

July 21, 2015

We blow past our goal of $3,000, and we roll out stretch goals. Also this impromptu song:

July 31, 2015

We finish our Kickstarter campaign with 111 backers pledging $5,230 to help us make our book!

August 2015

This was the month that we'd planned to have Joanna drawing full time, to complete the artwork phase of the book by September. But a week into our Kickstarter campaign, Vic took a new job that cut his (teacher) summer vacation short, leaving Joanna with 9 months of Saturdays to draw instead of 1 month of weekdays.

December 2015

Nearing the finish line, Joanna breaks a bone in her drawing hand! :(

February 2016

Joanna finishes over 50 drawings that will comprise Color Me Chincoteague.

March 2016

Vic finalizes the book's layout and submits it to the printer. Also: stickers!

May 2016

The books arrive, and we pack and ship the rewards packages to our backers. We deliver books to our retail partners and celebrate with some Island Creamery ice cream!

You can order your copy at colormechincoteague.com.