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I am a huge Rush fan. I mean psychotic. I received a copy of Moving Pictures when I was 8 years old and a light went off. Now, more than three decades later, I’m still a proud bearer of the Rush flag.

Want proof? Fine…let’s go there. I have thanked Alex, Geddy, and Neil in all of my books and have even spoken on how Rush has inspired me. I was at the premier of Beyond the Lighted Stage and got fist-pumps from Alex and Ged. I have more stories, and I know that I’m not alone here.

I have explained to my (mostly Rush-hating) friends that I’m really not that exceptional in my devotion to the band. You probably know that attending thirty-something concerts is small potatoes in the Rush world. (And what a wonderful world it is.) Case in point: When I met Geddy in 2000 in Menlo Park, NJ at a signing for My Favorite Headache, a man in front of me brought his newborn baby. The infant’s name? You guessed it. Geddy.

What an amazing story…

Energy Is Contagious

Fast forward 13 years. On April 18th, I was at the pre-party for the Rush Hall of Fame Induction last week in Los Angeles (amazing time, to be sure, even though Flavor Flav babbled for longer than any Rush song). I had organized a Facebook group and many of us showed up at Casey’s, an Irish bar near the Nokia Theater.

After 90 minutes of mingling and drinking, I got the idea to let everyone introduce themselves on stage. Pretty basic stuff: name, location, and favorite Rush moment. (A highlight for me: A woman flew in from freaking Japan to make the event! And I thought I was dedicated.)

This got my big brain thinking. What about a book by Rush fans for Rush fans? I figure that fan stories will fall into several categories:

• funny
• inspirational
• flat-out weird

But who knows? My goal here is to create a professional book with amazing stories from people with the same Rush moderation issues as yours truly.

All stories will be attributed to you. Aside from their stories, I’m thinking that each contributor will put his/her name, location, Twitter handle, and number of Rush shows attended.

Big Money: About the Funds and My Publishing Method

You may be thinking that $20,000 seems like overkill to create a book these days. After all, isn’t it easier and cheaper than ever to publish a book? Well, yes and no. Let me explain.

First, I’m no novice to the world of publishing. I’ve run five books through my publishing company and know what it takes to create a professional text. (Short answer: more than most people realize.) Quality editors, cover designers, ebook conversion specialists, graphic designers, proofreaders, and production folks aren’t cheap. As with anything in life, you get what you pay for. I’ve seen quite a few self-published books of questionable quality from subsidy presses like Lulu and iUniverse. Some even fall apart when you read them.

Not this one. Not this band.

Modern-Day Warriors will look and feel just as professional as any title released by a large publisher. My goal: that the quality of the book measures up to the quality of the band. In short, quality costs money.

Finally, let me state the obvious: books cost money to print and ship.

Secret Touch

While preliminary at this point, I’m working a few connections behind the scenes to get Rush-eratti involved in the project. At a minimum, I would love to have Neil, Alex, or Geddy pen the foreword. To be in the same book with Neil? To sleep…perchance to dream.

About the Process

In my prior Kickstarter projects like The Age of the Platform, I involved the community in key design elements of the book, including the cover. I’ll be doing the same thing here. I’ll be reaching out through polls and for individual suggestions and feedback. Even the title is hardly settled at this point. You’ll have the ability to shape the direction of this book to some extent.

For the final product, I’m envisioning a trade paperback, 6″ x 9″. I’m a big fan of matte finishes. They just look and feel great.

About the Publishing Team

I’ll be working with the following publishing professionals. I’ve worked with these folks before and have nothing but great things to say about them.

A Word of Thanks

While I’ve written five books and am proud of all of them, this one is different: to me this is a complete passion project. Thank you for considering backing it.

Brought to you by the letter R.

Exit the warrior…

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