About Read For Pixels
1. What is Read For Pixels?
Read For Pixels is an ongoing anti-Violence Against Women campaign by The Pixel Project featuring live YouTube sessions with award-winning bestselling authors saying NO to violence against women by doing a live reading and Q&A session with an emphasis on discussing violence against women and women in pop culture and the media, while fundraising for the cause to end violence against women.
The campaign began with its first live YouTube sessions with authors in 2014 with 2 different events – a fundraiser with award-winning Fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay in May 2014, and a full Read For Pixel YouTube Live series and fundraiser in September 2014. The Pixel Project now runs two Read For Pixels livestreaming campaigns per year and have expanded to include YouTube panel sessions with authors since 2019 and an upcoming charity anthology in September 2021.
Over 100 authors have participated in Read For Pixels to date and have collectively raised approximately $81,300 in aid of The Pixel Project.
2. What is a Read For Pixels Google YouTube session like?
A Read For Pixels YouTube session is a relaxed live interactive online event broadcast on YouTube featuring an author:
- Reading an excerpt from one of their books.
- Having a short discussion with the session moderator about their books, women in popular culture/the media, and their support stopping violence against women.
- Having a a live Q&A session with fans and viewers.
Our Read For Pixels team of moderators is a lively mix of book-loving Pixel Project team members, journalists, and popular Booktubers.
3. Who are the authors taking part in Read For Pixels?
Our upcoming International Women’s Day Edition in March 2021 will feature Alwyn Hamilton, Alyssa Sheinmel, Anna Stephens, Claire Legrand, Dana Cameron, Jennifer Crusie, Kat Howard, Kennedy Ryan, Laurie R. King, Maria Lewis, Maya Rodale, Roshani Chokshi, and Sarah Kuhn
We will also be launching the third and fourth sessions of our Read For Pixels Author Panel Livestream series featuring award-winning bestselling authors Adriana Herrera, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Bec McMaster, Brigid Kemmerer, Elizabeth Lim, Jeannie Lin, Jennifer Estep, Julia Quinn, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Leigh Perry (Toni L.P. Kelner), Rhys Bowen, SJ Rozan, and Tasha Suri.
Learn more about current/upcoming Read For Pixels authors here.
Read For Pixels alumni include A.M. Dellamonica, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alafair Burke, Aliette de Bodard, Alisha Rai, Alison Goodman, Alma Alexander, Andrea Cremer, Ann Aguirre, Anna Smith Spark, Alexandra Monir, Alexandra Sokoloff, Alyson Noel, Beverly Jenkins, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Brandon Sanderson, Caroline Kepnes, Carrie Vaughn, Charlaine Harris, Charles de Lint, Christina Lauren, Christopher Golden, Chuck Wendig, Cinda Williams Chima, Claudia Gray, Colleen Houck, Colleen Gleason, Cornelia Funke, Dan Wells, Dana Cameron, Daryl Gregory, Darynda Jones, David D. Levine, Delilah S. Dawson, Diane Chamberlain, Ellen Hopkins, Elizabeth Bear, Faith Hunter, Fonda Lee, Fran Wilde, Genevieve Valentine, Gregg Hurwitz, Guy Gavriel Kay, Hillary Monahan, Isaac Marion, Jacqueline Carey, James A. Moore, Jane Green, Jasper Fforde, Jay Kristoff, Jaye Wells, Jen Williams, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Jim C. Hines, Jo Walton, Jodi Meadows, Joe Hill, Jonathan Maberry, Josephine Angelini, Julie Czerneda, Juliet E. McKenna, Kami Garcia, Karen Chance, Karen Marie Moning, Karen Rose, Kass Morgan, Kate Elliott, Kelley Armstrong, Ken Liu, Kendare Blake, Keri Arthur, Kevin Hearne, Kimberly Derting, Kristen Britain, Kristin Cast, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Laini Taylor, Laura Anne Gilman, Lauren Beukes, Lauren Oliver, Laurie R. King, Leanna Renee Hieber, Lee Child, Leigh Bardugo, Lisa Shearin, Lois McMaster Bujold, Lynn Flewelling, Marie Brennan, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Martha Wells, Martina Boone, Mary SanGiovanni, Max Gladstone, Meg Cabot, Michelle Hodkin, Michelle Sagara, Molly Harper, Molly Tanzer, Nalini Singh, Nicholas Eames, Nicky Drayden, Paul Tremblay, P.C. Cast, R.F. Kuang, Rachel Vincent, Rebecca Roanhorse, Rick Yancey, Richard K. Morgan, Robert J. Sawyer, S.A. Chakraborty, Sara Raasch, Sarah Beth Durst, Sarah Langan, Sarah J. Maas, Sarah MacLean, Scott Sigler, Seanan McGuire, Shannon Mayer, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Soman Chainani, Stephen Graham Jones, Steven Erikson, Susan Dennard, Tad Williams, Tami Hoag, Tamora Pierce, Tananarive Due, Tessa Gratton V.E. Schwab, Veronica Rossi, Vicki Pettersson, Victoria Dahl, and Yasmine Galenorn.
Learn more about them via our Read For Pixels Author Alumni page here.
4. Where can I find out when my favourite author’s livestream session is held?
Please check our Read For Pixels YouTube Live schedule here (updated approximately 30 days before the launch of the campaign):
https://www.thepixelproject.net/community-buzz/read-for-pixels/google-hangout-schedule/
5. How can I take part in the live Q&A session with the author?
First, log into your YouTube account*. The go directly to the YouTube event page to watch the YouTube session live. The Q&A chatbox (to the right of your screen) will be open and live once the session begins broadcasting and you can type in your question for the author. The moderator will read out selected questions for the author to answer during the Q&A segment of the session.
*If you have a Gmail account, then you will automatically have a YouTube account.
6. Is it possible for me to join the YouTube session with the author?
This varies from author to author and the chance to join the session as another guest may be available as a perk for donors. However, you can ask the author questions by typing it into the Q&A chatbox to the right of the YouTube screen.
7. What if I miss the session? Will there be a recording of the session for latecomers to watch?
Yes, all sessions are streamed to YouTube where it will be automatically recorded.
We have compiled a special Read For Pixels playlist on YouTube or you can access the gallery of past sessions here.
Exclusive Author Goodies and Perks
1. How does the Read For Pixels fundraiser work?
Read For Pixels fundraiser usually run for 6 weeks in tandem with the YouTube Livestream series and encourages fans, book lovers, and supporters to donate to support the work that we do. All donations will also count towards the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign which aims to raise US$1 million for the anti-Violence Against Women cause. Each dollar donated will reveal 1 pixel of the hidden 1-million pixel Celebrity Male Role Models collage, so each donation amount will trigger the reveal of the corresponding number pixels in the collage. For example: $10 will reveal 10 pixels.
The author goodies will be given away to donors as “Thank You” gifts and perks in appreciation for their donation and support for the cause.
There will be dedicated Read For Pixels fundraising pages through which fans, book lovers, and supporters can make their donation and select their perks/goodies.
2. What are the exclusive goodies donated by the authors?
The goodies vary from author to author and from fundraiser to fundraiser and the selection may include:
- 30-minute 1-to-1 Skype chat sessions with individual fans or bookclubs.
- Handwritten short stories, flash fiction, poems, and haikus.
- An opportunity to become a minor character (or have one named after a donor) in an author’s next book.
- A one-off written critique session for submitted work of up to 1,000 words or a query letter.
- Signed first editions/special/advance editions of participating authors’ books.
- Drabbles (100-word stories) and longer short stories written especially for Read For Pixels donors.
- Special Read For Pixels packs from participating authors.
3. Who is eligible for donor “thank you” gifts/perks?
- All Skype chats, stories, and other intangible goodies are open to donors worldwide.
- For signed books and handwritten postcards, authors have stipulated whether they will ship worldwide or to U.S. donors only as the books and postcards will come directly from the authors themselves. Please check the Indiegogo fundraising page for details when it goes live.
- All e-receipts are tax-deductible for U.S. residents and citizens only.
4. Why are some of the author goodies only available to U.S. donors or donors from specific countries?
Read For Pixels authors and participating publishers who are donating books and other tangible goodies are kindly shipping those goodies directly to donors. Some authors and publishers have specified that they will only ship signed books and handwritten postcards within the U.S. or other designated countries.
Before you donate, be sure to read the details on the fundraising page to find out if you are eligible for a particular item.
Donations and Fundraising
1. Who are the beneficiaries of the funds raised and how will the funds be used?
Starting from 2017, funds raised go towards The Pixel Project. The Pixel Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organisation working to end violence against women.
2. How can I donate to the Read For Pixels fundraisers?
Every Read For Pixels campaign will be accompanied by an online RallyUp fundraising page. You can make your donation using your credit card.
These payment options are stipulated by RallyUp.
3. Can I make more than one donation to either “Read For Pixels” fundraising page?
Yes, you can make more than one donation to the “Read For Pixels” RallyUp fundraising page.
Please note that for the RallyUp fundraising page, the donor perks are linked to set donation amounts and many perks are one-of-a-kind. Therefore, once a perk has been claimed by another donor, it will no longer be available.
3. I have made my donation but have not received an e-receipt from Stripe (RallyUp’s nonprofit donation processor). What’s happened?
There are 2 possibilities:
- Please check your spam folder. Your e-receipt is likely to be in there.
- You have accidentally typed in an invalid email address.
If neither applies, then take the following steps:
If you are a U.S. resident and have not received an e-receipt confirming the tax-deductible status of your donation from Stripe (RallyUp’s nonprofit payment processor), please contact us at info [at] thepixelproject [dot] net and we will check our donation records to ascertain your donation before issuing a tax-deductible receipt to you.
4. I don’t have a credit card. Can I make a donation by check?
This is an online crowdfunding charity fundraiser and we will not take checks unless they are a major donation.
6. I have more questions about donating via RallyUp Where can I learn more about this?
For further details for individual donors donating via RallyUp, please visit: http://www.rallyup.com.
7. How can I claim my perk?
All RallyUp donors will have arrangements for their shipping or scheduling their perks within 2 months (60 days) of the end of the fundraising period.
The Pixel Project team will facilitate the connection between donors and the authors or their representatives.
The authors or their representatives will then make arrangements directly with the donor or via The Pixel Project regarding mailing the books/postcards, setting up a time and date for the Skype chat etc.
NOTE: For tangible goodies, there are times when there may be severe delays due to the weather (snowmageddon has struck before!) or mistakes by the postal service or if it’s a book that has not been published yet you will have to wait until it is out. To help minimise this, please ensure that the mailing address provided to us is correct, that you have arranged for someone to receive your parcel, and that postal services in your area are working as normal.