Kickstarter 2026: Success! 📖🍫🥳
Thank you so incredibly much to the 192 Kickstarter backers who have helped bring The Odyssey and The Time Machine Chocolate Bars to life. This year’s Kickstarter ended at 178% funded; 78% over our initial goal. Plus, we raised more funds this year than last year’s Kickstarter for The Maltese Falcon and Doctor Watson. We couldn’t have done it without all your support!
A very special thank you to Maggie Weber (@RefashionedHippie) for all her help, support, and enthusiasm!
And extra thanks to everyone who filled out our OFFICIAL FLAVOR SURVEY. I’ve submitted the Kickstarter pledge manager to collect everyone’s shipping addresses (as well as any flavor selections that may have been missed). Dear Backers, please fill out the pledge manager ASAP, to help expedite fulfilling everyone’s rewards.
We will be sending over 1,000 chocolate bars to backers as rewards. As you can imagine, we will be very busy over the next few weeks (months, even) working to send out all rewards well before Friday, December 25th.
Here is our current Kickstarter Fulfillment Plan:
The Kickstarter campaign ended on Tuesday, September 22nd. We should receive funds from Kickstarter in about 2 or 3 weeks from the end of the campaign (approximately mid-October).
We don’t send out rewards before Kickstarter funds are received. But we’re already busy organizing and preparing to send out rewards. We keep meticulous records of each backer reward, shipping address, and flavor selections. Also, we’ll take a count/tally of how many of each flavor we need to fulfill backer rewards; this helps us with inventory.
During the first few weeks of October, I hope to create, purchase, and print shipping labels for all backer rewards. This will help speed up the whole fulfillment process. You might notice an email from Pirate Ship with your USPS tracking info. Do not be alarmed if this tracking info shows that USPS is waiting for your package.
We plan on spending two or three days in a row at River-Sea Chocolates in Reston, Virginia to fulfill all backer rewards with the help of a couple River-Sea worker bees. At River-Sea, we will organize an assembly line! One person will pull the chocolate bars for the reward; one person will double check the flavors and pack the rewards in tissue paper/newsprint paper; one person will tape the package closed and put the shipping label on it. Hopefully, we will complete all backer rewards during mid-October over the course of these two or three days.
Usually, it takes just the two of us many weeks to fulfill Kickstarter rewards, so we’re hoping to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time with some extra hands on board!
Furthermore, I’m working on updating our online store, and hope to reopen it as soon as possible (sometime this month).
Although our online store is still closed at the moment, our chocolate bars are available to purchase at a number of indie bookstores and gift shops across the U.S., as well as at upcoming in-person events in Maryland and Virginia.
Wonder Book in Frederick
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Wonder Book (in Frederick, Gaithersburg, and Hagerstown, Maryland), expressing their interest in carrying our chocolate bars. Irene and I have been fans of theirs for years. So we were thrilled to hear from them!
On Thursday, September 10th, we visited Wonder Book in Frederick with our chocolate bar samples in tow. In the midst of their beautiful rare book collection, we had an impromptu chocolate tasting with the amazing Joey and a number of his staff members. It’s always a joy to share our chocolates with fellow book lovers.
On Friday, September 18th, we dropped off Wonder Book’s first order of chocolate bars. Almost immediately afterwards, Wonder Book emailed me wonderful photos of our bars displayed in their store. My understanding is that they are testing out our bars in the Frederick location and, depending on how that goes, might start carrying them in their Gaithersburg and/or Hagerstown locations.
If you’re local, be sure to stop by their Frederick store!
Caprichos Books at Berlin Book Festival
Last October, my husband Phil and I had a great time as vendors at the Berlin Book Festival on the lawn of the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum in Berlin, Maryland. We’d both been to Berlin once before as tourists, and really enjoyed this quaint and quirky town. The museum’s lawn, shaded by wonderful old trees, definitely gives a New England vibe. Dare I say I felt like an extra in an episode of Gilmore Girls?
Every year, the Berlin Book Fest coincides with the town’s Oktoberfest. So there’s a nice amount of foot traffic and enthusiastic customers, as well as the customary knockwurst, pretzels, and other German delicacies.
Unfortunately, Phil and I are unable to make it to this year’s Berlin Book Festival. But, just because we won’t be there in person, doesn’t mean our literary-inspired chocolate bars won’t be there! We’re thrilled that local indie bookstore Caprichos Books (110 W Green St Unit B, Snow Hill, MD 21863) will be carrying a nice selection of our chocolate bars at their vendor booth this year.
For more info about the Berlin Book Festival, Calvin B. Taylor House Museum, and Caprichos Books, please click the buttons below:
Design Preview: Literary-Inspired, Hard Enamel Pins
Ever since starting Open Book Chocolates, I’ve thought about creating and producing my own literary-inspired, hard enamel pin designs.
As you may know, at in-person events, we carry pins from a few different small businesses. But, with tariffs and import fees, it’s become increasingly expensive to carry these pins. So I decided it was finally time to invest in my own pin designs!
I was so impressed with Alchemy Merch, who helped us produce our new-and-improved pouches as well as our brand-new bandanas, that I was eager to work with them again on these pins.
To test the waters, I decided to start with six (6) pin designs:
Jane Eyre: “I am a free human being, with an independent will.”
Pride and Prejudice: “Obstinate, headstrong girl!”
Pride, Not Prejudice.
The Raven: “Nevermore.”
The Count of Monte Cristo: “I do what I please, and it is always done well.”
Frankenstein: “Even now my blood boils.”
Each pin has hard enamel in a variety of colors, silver-toned nickel metal, two pin posts on the back, silver butterfly backs/clasps, a backstamp of the Open Book Chocolates logo, and backing cards.
Depending upon how these pins sell at in-person events, I may decide to add additional designs in the near future. If I have time to do a photoshoot of the finished pins, I will add them to our online store. Also, I’m thinking of including these pins as add-ons for our 2027 Kickstarter campaign.
Click on the images below to see more details:
Candle Restock: The Library, The Chocolate Factory, and The Garden Party
On Wednesday, September 9th, we picked up a fresh batch of candles from our friends at South Ann Street Candle Co. (instagram.com/southanncandles).
I first encountered their candles at Su Casa Furniture in Fells Point, Baltimore. There, I was incredibly impressed with the sophisticated fragrances of all their candle varieties. So I decided to reach out to them! The owners, Jackie and Laura, agreed to help us create three literary-inspired candles to compliment our chocolate bars. And I must say that these two candle ladies are a complete pleasure to work with!
We’re thrilled to have candles back in stock, just in time for the start of our busy season. Here are descriptions of our three candles:
THE LIBRARY: Parchment | Leather | Smoke — Our Library candle is inspired by a cozy home study. Imagine a plush and inviting room, walls lined with bookshelves, a welcoming armchair, a glass of wine or cup of tea, all in front of an inviting fireplace. Spend an evening reading a spellbinding novel as our Library candle warms your senses.
THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Cocoa Bean | Vanilla | Roasted Chestnut — Our Chocolate Factory candle is inspired by the enchanting fragrances created during the production of our chocolate bars. Step inside our factory and breathe in the mesmerizing aroma of freshly roasted craft chocolate!
THE GARDEN PARTY: Gardenia | Tuberose | Jasmine — Our Garden Party candle is inspired by scenes from our favorite classics; decadent, alfresco tea parties as attended by Alice; lazy afternoons, sipping iced drinks amongst fragrant blossoms as accustomed to Dorian Gray. Imagine your own literary-inspired gathering, taking inspiration from our well-loved, floral candle.
If you’re interested in purchasing, candles will become available once we reopen our online store. Candles will also be available at in-person events. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (Geri) at OpenBookChocolates@email.com.
Vintage Books, Berkley Publishing Group, Del Rey Books, & Open Book Chocolates GIVEAWAY
We’re thrilled to have been invited to contribute to a GIVEAWAY hosted by three well-known publishing imprints: Vintage Books, Berkley Publishing Group, and Del Rey Books! The giveaway includes three historical fiction titles — Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim, The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung, and King Comus by William Demby— as well as four of our literary-inspired flavors.
“We are making history! Vintage Books, Berkley Publishing Group, Del Rey Books, and Open Book Chocolates are teaming up to give away one historical fiction fan a stack of top historical fiction reads from this year and 4 full-sized chocolate bars inspired by women writers! 🍫”
To view the giveaway on Instagram, please click the button below:
My Big Finds Pop-Up Recap
On Saturday, September 19th, we were once again at My Big Finds in Kentlands (Gaithersburg, Maryland) for an in-store pop-up. This time, we had a number of especially friendly, curious, and enthusiastic customers. We’re particularly excited when customers mention their book clubs and/or what book(s) they’re currently reading.
Even when we (Geri & Irene) are not at My Big Finds for a pop-up, our chocolate is always in the store. If you’re already looking for winter holiday gifts, now is a great time to stock up on our literary-inspired chocolate bars. Many of our customers over the years have told us our bars make wonderful stocking stuffers.
We will be returning for another pop-up at My Big Finds on Saturday, October 17th. So mark it on your calendar if you’d like to swing by for complimentary chocolate samples!
My Big Finds, 129 Commerce Square Pl, Gaithersburg, MD 20878:
C. Burr Artz Public Library Recap
“A Tasting: Telling Stories Through Chocolate”
On Wednesday, September 23rd, I gave a talk and chocolate tasting at the C. Burr Artz Public Library in downtown Frederick, Maryland.
It was a rainy and chilly autumn day, and happened to coincide with The Great Frederick Fair, so I was a bit worried I would find myself in a completely empty room. Thankfully, a nice group of about eleven library patrons appeared, and seemed to be excited to listen to Open Book Chocolates’s story, as well as taste complimentary samples.
I gave a similar talk and tasting this past February at the Frederick County Division of Aging & Independence 50+ Community Center. I enjoy detailing the process of bean-to-bar chocolate making, especially since most people are unfamiliar with the intricacies of making chocolate from scratch. Also, it’s always an interesting experience to describe the growth and development of our small business to those not yet familiar with it.
Before the event, we put together gift bags for everyone attending that included one of our menus and three chocolate samples: Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Frankenstein. In these bags, we also included a Periwinkle & Prose bookmark, a Wonder Book bookmark, and a list of local stores that carry our bars. Since we weren’t allowed to sell our bars at this event, I hope these library patrons might plan a visit to any of the stores on our list and/or might stop by at one of our upcoming in-person events.
I’ll be giving another talk and tasting this October for FCPL (Frederick County Public Libraries) Staff Development Day. It’s my understanding that there’s been huge interest in our session, so we’ll be preparing around 60 to 70 gift bags this time!
What We’re Reading
Geri’s Picks
Currently Reading: Nightmare Alley (1946) by William Lindsay Gresham.
What I’d Like to Read Next: Trilby (1894) by George du Maurier.
A Book Recently Recommended to Me: Blackwater (1983) by Michael McDowell.
Recently Purchased Out of Curiosity: And Then There Were None (Vol. 1) by Agatha Christie, Adapted by Aya Nikaido [Yes, a brand-new manga adaptation!].
Recently Purchased, But Might Be Too Scared To Read It: Greatest Hits (1965 - 2010) by Harlan Ellison.
Irene’s Picks
Just Finished Reading: The Claverings (1864) by Anthony Trollope.
Currently Reading: Barchester Towers (1857) by Anthony Trollope.
What I’d Like to Read Next: Possibly another Trollope!
Upcoming Events
Here at Open Book Chocolates, we’re very excited for our upcoming events October through December:
Saturday, October 17th: Pop-Up at My Big Finds in Kentlands, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Saturday, October 17th: Berlin Book Festival in Berlin, Maryland.
Saturday, November 7th through Sunday, November 8th: DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival in Boyds, Maryland.
Saturday, November 14th through Sunday, November 15th: DMV Chocolates & Coffee Festival in Sterling, Virginia.
Friday, November 27th through Sunday, November 29th: Maryland Christmas Show in Frederick, Maryland.
Sunday, December 6th: Annapolis Chocolate Binge Festival in Annapolis, Maryland.
If you’re a Maryland/Virginia/Washington, D.C. local, we hope to see you there!
Please visit our events page for more details:
We hope you’re enjoying the cooler weather as well as the start of Spooky Season! 🍁🎃🍂
See you next time!
Best regards,
Geri
Open Book Chocolates
