About
Knocked Up Abroad Again
$10,870
277
Breathing through her contractions at 30 weeks pregnant, Erin Long vainly attempts to relax on her transcontinental flight from Macedonia to Oregon, USA in hopes of making it to the hospital before her premature baby decides to arrive.
Sara Ackerman's daughter is American by passport, Congolese by birth, and Ethiopian by heart. How should a mother raise a child who has adopted a culture so different from the one she knows herself? There is a fine balance Sara must find to determine which parenting culture works best for her family.
Cristina Pop discovered, to her horror, that despite buying industry-quality air purifiers, the poor indoor air quality in her Beijing apartment was causing severe migraines and breathing issues in her family. Her decision to move with her baby to a different country was not without major sacrifice.
These stories will take you around the world and introduce you to the different cultural attitudes toward pregnant women as well as the difficult parenting decisions these mothers had to make.
With your help, we will be able to edit, format, and publish these 26 wonderful stories in paperback and ebook formats.
This is your chance to be a part of something AMAZING.
Knocked Up Abroad Again: Baby bumps, twists, and turns around the globe is a +250-page anthology written by 26 mothers in 25 different countries, all with a pioneer woman attitude.
Each mother, with her unique voice and from her perspective, describes the highs and lows of motherhood as she straddles the distance between what was once familiar and the reality of her foreign environment.
This heartwarming, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking collection of stories illustrates that the more we see, the more we learn about ourselves as human beings.
WRITERS
Who are we? We are just like anyone else except our home addresses are always changing, and we may speak more than one language (or at least our children might).
We are 26 strong females who have stepped off of the plane with our passports in hand, children in tow (or in utero), and ventured off into the unknown to figure it out for ourselves.
Many of the contributors are experienced writers who have been published on popular websites like The Wall Street Journal, Salon, InCulture Parent, The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, ParentCo, Mamalode, Good Men Project, among others, and their own popular blogs. You can meet everyone here.
COVER ART
The Knocked Up Abroad series book covers were designed by Emelie Cheng.
The Knocked Up Abroad Series—Forty-eight (48) stories, love, heartbreak, and two journeys around the world in both paperback and ebook formats.
What readers are saying about Knocked Up Abroad
"The stories are heartfelt and honest, and are written without judgment or ego which is how conversations about birthing and parenting should be."
"I wish I had this book when I was pregnant! I'm sure it would have saved me a lot of questions and helped me navigate the different cultures where I experienced my pregnancy and the birth of my baby."
"This book lends an important voice to women who are marking a new frontier in terms of globalization. Families don't move to the next big city for a job anymore, they move to new countries."
"The experiences of all the women really give great insight into how different birth can be in different places and really makes you question what is "normal" wherever you are."
"Having never given birth as an expat, I found the stories fascinating."
NEW REWARD ALERT! Now you can order a pre-release ebook, paperback, and commissioned artwork on a 4x6 postcard and bookmark for only $10 more than the regular price. **Limited to 80 backers.**
(All Deluxe Mommy and Me backers will automatically receive the postcard and bookmark, those lucky ducks.)
Techniques For A Comfortable Childbirth Experience—With Or Without Drugs, PDF Guide—Your guide to tried-and-true strategies that have helped women birth comfortably worldwide. Some approaches may be a bit out of the ordinary, but that's how you have an extraordinary birthing experience.
What I Wish I Had Known Before Raising My Family Abroad, PDF Guide—The contributors of Knocked Up Abroad Again give you their best tips, tidbits, and life lessons about things they wish they had known before they set out into the world of expat motherhood.
An Alphabet Of Africa—Introduce your baby to the English alphabet with these bright and colorful paintings of African animals or tribespeople for every letter of the alphabet. This book is available only in the Deluxe Mommy and Me Package. This book was lovingly created by our contributor, Debi Beaumont. **Act quickly because we only have 20 of these beautifully illustrated books.**
Certified lactation consultant, Laura Kent-Davidson, ND, IBCLC knows what it is like to have babies abroad. The Prenatal Breastfeeding Companion course is a self-led program that will lead you through latching and positioning, how to manage breastfeeding sessions, and how to be sure that your baby is getting enough milk. The course includes access to a private support group on Facebook and unlimited virtual access to Laura to address any breastfeeding needs or worries. Visit her website for more information.
This course is only available in the Deluxe Mommy and Me Package. **Limit 20**
Books and Fika Discussion—Whether you live in Sweden or halfway around the world, backers of this package will receive both books in the Knocked Up Abroad series and delicious Swedish sweet treats. Get ready to drink some delicious tea or coffee with Lisa Ferland and enjoy an awesome discussion. Let's learn more about one another.
Book Club Package—This package includes five (5) paperback copies of Knocked Up Abroad Again for your book club discussion. Get the members together and a nice bottle of South African wine (if you can) because you're going to love discussing the similarities and differences of parenting around the world found in this book. Lisa Ferland will Skype/Facetime into your discussion anytime, and anywhere around the world.
**Note: If you want more than five books for your book club, add $30 for each additional book you'd like to order and I will confirm the total number of books in the survey at the end. Minimum order is still five.**
Essay Assistance With Olga Mecking—Do you need help reaching a larger audience with your writing? Are you interested in being published on Babble, The Huffington Post, BLUNTMoms or another popular website? Contributor, Olga Mecking, The European Mama, is a publishing powerhouse. She has been published on nearly every parenting website three times over (see her portfolio), and she has a knack for helping writers find their writing style. She can also help you find yours and will review three people's essays. She will provide feedback and insight for how and where to publish your essay. With any luck, you'll even get paid for your submission and wouldn't that be nice?
Creative Writing Professional Development—Are you looking for a creative boost? Contributor, Jennifer Malia, PhD, will help you tap into your creative roots. She is offering up her expertise as an English professor who teaches creative writing. With her experience teaching and studying at universities in the US and abroad, she will provide you with a personalized critique of your resume/CV, point you in the right direction in choosing the best academic programs in higher education around the world, and help you jumpstart your career as a creative writer.
Expat Mom Coaching—Contributor, Cristina Pop, MA, is a certified life coach, and she is ready to help you or your teenager through any difficult or challenging phase of your life. Expatriation and repatriation are full of bumps and obstacles that we had not anticipated, and it is helpful to have an experienced, positive person help you see the path ahead. You can meet Cristina and learn more about her on her website. She is ready to help make a difference in your life!
International Baby Box—Would you love to write on Japanese stationary paper, encourage your baby to hold baby chopsticks, and eat some Turkish Delight? Keep your baby's feet warm with Swedish soccasins, sip on some Rooibos organic tea from South Africa, and celebrate the birth in traditional Dutch style with beschuit and muisjes. This international baby box will contain many surprises from contributors around the world in this beautiful care package for Mother and Baby.
Manuscript Editorial Support (SOLD)—Do you have a dream to publish your memoir? Your life story, birth story, or something in between? I've helped nearly 50 women publish their stories, and I can help you publish your story in ebook and paperback formats. I take great pride in my editing and formatting skills and I will do a thorough editing of your manuscript (up to 100k words) and will provide in-depth feedback on your work. Do you need help navigating the self-publishing world? With one-on-one Skype/Facetime sessions, we will talk about your options, your manuscript, and next steps to take your dream into a reality.
**Note: All backers will receive an invitation to join the Knocked Up Abroad Virtual Book Club group on Facebook. We can discuss both books in the series, your thoughts on parenting in different cultures, and share our own experiences about life or travels to new places.
Want to see our emotional book trailer? Click here to continue the Knocked Up Abroad Again experience.
- Cover design, copy editing, formatting, and layout—$2000
- Contributor stipends (these writers deserve to be paid for their craft)—$4000
- Books, packaging, and shipping—$2000
- Taxes and Kickstarter fees—$2000
Total: $10,000
The following services have already been provided in-kind
- Despite the modest contributor's stipend ($150/each), the writers of Knocked Up Abroad Again have donated hours of their time away from their families to writing, editing, services in the rewards, and marketing. —Priceless
- Lisa Ferland's time and effort regarding soliciting the stories for the anthology, community outreach, collating, editing, designing the Kickstarter campaign, managing all marketing, and publishing Knocked Up Abroad Again. Over 600 hours of work (a conservative estimate). —Priceless
- Lisa Ferland also provided the costs related to designing and hosting the Knocked Up Abroad website platform.
- Any additional unforeseen expenses will be provided by Lisa Ferland.
WHY KICKSTARTER?
Without the distribution channels of a large publishing house, these stories won't reach the audience they deserve. Kickstarter is a great platform for connecting with new readers, supporting the project's expenses, and introducing more people to the Knocked Up Abroad family of writers.
Risks and challenges
This anthology is self-published and Lisa Ferland has already successfully published the first book in the series, Knocked Up Abroad: Stories of pregnancy, birth, and raising a family in a foreign country.
All of the stories are already submitted, have undergone preliminary editing and formatting, and a prototype of the book has been printed. Barring severe illness or other unknown catastrophe, we don't see any risks to completing this project before the December holidays. I hope to have this book published much earlier, in November, if possible as we always try to under promise and over deliver.
US Shipping for December Delivery - Low Risk
We have set our Kickstarter end date with plenty of time for our planner order to be fulfilled with our printer and shipped to ensure mid-December delivery for all US-based customers.
International Shipping for December Delivery - Medium Risk
International and Canadian customers accept the risk that shipping times may be less predictable and slower than anticipated. International and Canadian customers also assume the liability for any customs and import charges due upon delivery.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (30 days)