Kickstarter

Description

Donkey Heart Monkey Mind is a story told through the eyes of a young Berber narrator, whose perseverance and ingenuity helped him survive the problems experienced by his people in 1980’s Algeria, a third world country, where Berber’s are treated as second-class citizens.

 

His tale opens when police brutally beat him for participating in a protest march. Knowing that he stays in Algeria he will suffer like this forever he realizes his only choice is to leave his own country. He begins wandering through Europe and northern Africa, desperately seeking some alternative to the life he left behind.

To survive, he tries his hand as a street vendor and a pickpocket. His trials and tribulations include being mistaken for a drug smuggler, as well as Egyptian spy. In order to sneak into Israel he poses as a Jewish citizen, and as a devout Muslim to escape notice in an Egyptian Prison.

 

 

Despite all of this he is eventually swept up in the wave of arrests following the Algerian political riots of 1988, in what is now known as “Black October”. Drugged and shipped to a remote military prison, where for months he is burned, brutalized, and held in solitary confinement. But in the end, his tale poignantly illustrates how even in the most desperate circumstances sometimes hope is found, help is offered, and inspiration strikes.

 

Reason to Promote

The number one reason for publishing and wanting to promote  Donkey Heart Monkey Mind is to pass on the knowledge of where Djaffar came from, Algeria, and to articulate the history of its people to the curious reader, including a general understanding of the current events taking place in North Africa and the Middle East.

 

Donkey Heart Monkey Mind is Djaffar Chetouane’s debut novel, a must read for anyone hoping to understand the people and the unrest in North Africa and the Middle East today. It touches on universal human experiences of pain, struggle and hope.

 

The book is an honest look into the trials and ultimate success of a man born into - and indeed imprisoned – the political and socio-economic situations of his homeland, which are similar across the Arab world.

 

Donkey Heart Monkey Mind is very poignant to the current turbulence that is reshaping the Arab world today. It is for these reasons, Donkey Heart Monkey Mind will further people’s knowledge of the region and how the Arab countries govern and the circumstances the people face.

 

Because of the crucial timing and the curiosity of the people with the precise content of Donkey Heart Monkey Mind, Djaffar is seeking investment capital to promote it to an expansive audience so they can be aware of it.

 

I am seeking to generate $10,000.00 to be able to hire professional Book Publicist who would further promote the author and the book to the media such as TV and radio station, news papers and magazines through their experience and knowledge of the business.

Goal

The primary goal for promoting Donkey Heart Monkey Mind here in the US is to give a visual representation to the American public, the circumstances in which Arabs and Berbers live. Many Americans do not understand the history of the Arab world and what is going on now.

While western democracy may not be the right fit for those particular cultures, the people there deserve to have basic human rights endowed to them under a fair judicial system. Furthermore, Donkey Heart Monkey Mind will inspire countless individuals not to take the freedom afforded to everyone here in the US for granted, and that everything is possible when there is a will.

History

Djaffar Chetouane was born into the Berber tribe in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria in 1968. He hopes people will understand the harsh circumstances individuals in this region had to endure during the 1980’s and throughout history

His solution was to write Donkey Heart Monkey Mind, a novel that would give those not familiar with the political and social issues of the region a better understanding, and greater appreciation for the freedoms they have being in America.

Donkey Heart Monkey Mind will educate the west about the world Djaffar came from as well as entertain the reader with fascinating stories. Some are happy, while others are sad, there are those that are dangerous and risky, and some are dramatic, some are pure destiny and about the human kindness, and some are just plain funny.

 

Future

There are several paths that will be considered, or acted upon in the future. The first is establishing a brand identity for Donkey Heart Monkey Mind outside of the Bay Area. This will be achieved through various marketing and promotional efforts.

 

Growth potentialThere’s a great probability for Donkey Heart Monkey Mind to expand to a much larger audience around the state of California, the country and around the world. The immediate focus will be here in the Bay Area because of the sizeable number of readers as well as Djaffar’s ability to concentrate locally. Well-known authors who have been published by major publishing companies do still have to do a lot of promoting themselves. Djaffar’s intention is to constantly speak at events so to increase sales. Many people like to support their local authors and this will be an important aspect to have connection and exchange of thoughts directly with the reader.

 

Value

The value provided to the reader is not measured economically, but emotionally.

The reader will feel more alive than she or he has ever felt. Humanity reveals itself in this tale. Bravery becomes a metamorphosis. The narrator moves from death to life in a fit of will and dexterity.  Donkey Heart Monkey Mind will not only leave the readers in awe but will move them to make more of themselves.

The trivial matters of someone’s despair will turn to ash and fuel a new existence. The absolute theme of the book is to never give up no matter the circumstances; it is for this core reason many readers will benefit from and move them towards their dreams.

 

Uniqueness 

Overall Donkey Heart Monkey Mind is very unique novel. Its cover design and illustration will lead people to open the book, and once they do they will be introduced to the writing style and the flow of the pages. It is strongly felt that one the top reason a reader will pick up Donkey Heart Monkey Mind if they never heard of the book will be because its appearance and title.

A well-known artist and a Tea company owner in the Bay Area, artistically designed the books cover.  The title is unique by itself; it is not a mainstream title, and more importantly it intrigues the reader to be curious.

The colorful cover and the painting of the Donkey will allow the book to stand out among many book covers. In some instances six out of ten people that were showed Donkey Heart Monkey Mind by Djaffar ended up buying the book because of the well-crafted synopsis in the back cover.

In many occasions he has witnessed a reader go through many pages of the book as soon as they start reading the inside because of how the book was written; it magnetizes the reader right away, from the very beginning.

 

Promotion

There are several ways Djaffar intends to promote Donkey Heart Monkey Mind:

To hire a professional book publicist who would elevate the exposure of the book and the author by utilizing the media to achieve key objectives and establish long lasting, positive reputation.

Internet advertisement: Ads will be placed on Facebook, Google, Yahoo, MySpace, Goodreads, Amazon, eBay and other internet engines to target a specific audience that would potentially buy and read the book.

In print marketing: Ads will be placed on news paper and magazines across the Bay Area. In print marketing will add more recognition of the image of the book and will most likely be remembered by most people who look at it because of the artistic design on the cover.

 

Direct mail marketing: There are several companies who offer direct mail marketing. Post card will be mailed directly to a selective audience offering discounts and special promotions.

In person appearances: There will be extensive appearances at local bookstores for reading and book signing, it is the most effective method of promotion; personal interactions with readers will greatly increase sales.

Professional reviewers and celebrities: Like any other product, when there are other professionals, celebrities who would recommend a particular item or product, people usually tend to high regard them. I will seek professional reviewers and celebrities to increase sales.

There are several Book Fairs domestically and around the world designed specifically to promote books and international rights and distribution. Donkey Heart Monkey Mind will be exhibited at some of the Book Fairs that have greater potential for success and translation, such as New York, London, Frankfurt, Cairo and Beijing.

 

Why Now?

There are two factors for promoting the book at this time:

Timing is of the essence for any product or subject. In the book industry more than 2/3 of adult books are sold in the fall and winter seasons. Schoolbooks are sold mostly in the fall because of students returning to school, but students also buy supplemental readings that are mostly recommended by their professors.

Wintertime represents the bulk of book sales in general; it is when most people buy books, especially novels. Because there are not many outdoor activities in the wintertime, people tend to stay indoors and read more. The holyday season is also a major drive behind book sells; people buy books for themselves and as presents to their friends and families.

 

Reviews. 

By Ruth Awantang

This book is without question, one of the best I've ever read. There are books that take you to a new height, on a personal and spiritual level ... there are books that teach without prodding, that show with out pushing and that by their simple and honest beauty, lead you to a place of change and betterment that is shared only by yourself and the unknown author of pages. It is transforming. It is heart touching. It reminds me that there are human beings that are walking this earth that have lived, and in doing so, it has required courage beyond imagination, and persistence beyond failing hope. The touching twists and turns remind you of the undeniable strength and capacity of the human spirit to endure and to rise... and to rise.. and to rise...

It is one of few novels that will continue to color the architecture of my thinking for years to come.

 

By Catherine Jinkens

This is a story about a fierce, indomitable man with grit and heart and a limitless sense of adventure who gets kicked down again and again and rises every time. I read it in about four hours because the tone is very much in an oral tradition, conversational as opposed to "literary". In only a few hundred pages you travel three continents, escape from a dozen jails, and walk across the Sahara, while at the same time learning about the Berber tribes of North Africa and a condensed history of Algeria from one of the most personal of points of view I have ever encountered. It is exactly this kind of guy that makes me have faith in the human race and his story was great. Not polished, not sanitized, not professional, but so full of soul that you can't stop reading.

 

The author is running a Kickstarter project through April 29, 2012: [...], with the goal of making a movie of his story. Truth be told, even if he doesn't raise the funds through Kickstarter, I would wager better than even odds that he will find a way to make it happen anyway, if the tenacity and resilience that his character shows in the book are true to who he is as a human being.

 

By Phil Dynan

Originally, I spotted the author's Kickstarter campaign because of the title "Donkey Heart Monkey Mind". I have a donkey who is an important part of our family and workforce. He maintains 4 acres, cuts the grass, and keeps coyotes and other animals away from our art studio, protecting our cats, dogs, llama and goats.

I ordered the book online because once I read the description, I could not wait to see if the Kickstarter campaign would succeed. Djaffar not only mailed my copy promptly, but also sent me a PDF so I could get started before the book arrived.

This is a well written and captivating story. It can easily be read in one day - one sitting. The story has many aspects, that as one reviewer pointed out, may not be things that everyone will completely relate to. But "relating" is not as important as reading about the way that the main character reacts to his situations. Very quickly, the reader becomes both attached and fascinated by the central character. And the way he reacts is absolutely inspirational. His human weaknesses and strengths are both revealed. He is not a "super hero", he is a human being confronted with challenges. He responds with courage and determination. His is NOT from a Facebook World full of shallow "comments"; he is a deep thinker and he talks to us as if we are equals, leading us on his adventure in an honest and open way. I seriously doubt that many people could resist this total honesty. I find myself wanting to know what his next challenge will be - and I think I already know: making this a movie. If Djaffar does what I expect - and shows the same determination to find the right movie producer - we will be seeing this movie soon.

Another reviewer noted probably few readers will completely realate to things like being "captured", "tortured", or "crossing a desert". Unfortunately, I do know something about these things. Djaffar's book brought me to tears, triggered my PTSD, and caused me to put the book down for two days. But in the end, I picked myself up rather quickly - to my surprise, HIS story gave me some strength to deal with my own issues. I not only "liked" the book, I am indebted to Djaffar for having the courage to share his story.