Rewards for Supporters

We appreciate every contribution, and consider our supporters to be fellow “Thebaid Pilgrims”, journeying with us on this unique creative project. 

To express our appreciation, we have a wide range of rewards for supporters at every level, which include advance copies of the finished North American Thebaid book, planned for publication in late 2018. Our goal is to thank our supporters with their copies before the book reaches stores and resellers.

Proceed to our GoFundMe page to support the Thebaid Project…

There is both a standard, Hardcover First Edition, and a special, Founding Subscribers’ Limited Edition in Bonded Leather, planned for publication.

Publication Specifications for the Finished Book & Fine Art Prints

  • Standard Edition of The North American Thebaid Book — Hardbound, cloth-cover, with deluxe, scuff-resistant, French-fold dust jacket; heavyweight matte, acid-free/lig-free fine-art paper, 157gsm/120#.
  • Founding Subscribers’ Deluxe Limited Edition of the North American Thebaid Book — Bonded Leather cover, with gold-foil stamped title, in handsome, cloth-bound slipcase, with ribbon marker, heavyweight matte, acid-free/lig-free fine-art paper, 157gsm/120#; SIGNED & NUMBERED, total quantity limited to 300.
  • Fine Art Prints from the Thebaid Project — 8×10 archival prints, mounted in an 11×14 museum mat (acid-free/lig-free), signed. Ready for framing in a standard 11×14 frame.

Discounts Available! Because we have already received questions about and commitments for multiple copies of both the standard Hardcover First Edition, and the Deluxe Limited Edition in Bonded Leather, we have created special reward levels for multiple copies, which present significant savings over the single copy reward levels. Pool your resources! Get some friends together to support the Project, and save between 10% and 33% over the single unit reward levels.

Visit our new GoFundMe page, where you can pre-order the book in both the Standard Hardcover Edition and the Deluxe Limited Edition in Bonded Leather, plus receive additional valuable rewards.

You can also contribute directly via the PayPal button in the right-hand column; simply indicate in the comments which rewards you are selecting, or if you have any questions.

Unless you request to remain anonymous, we will also list your name on our Partners page as part of our expression of thanks.

Rewards (in ascending order):

  • $25 — To thank you for backing the Thebaid Project at the $25 level, we will send you two eBooks: ‘Pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain’,  featuring dozens of photographs of Mount Athos by Ralph H. Sidway*. PLUS,  ‘Pursuing the Light – Forty Years of Photography’, a retrospective of Ralph Sidway’s award-winning landscape photography (see preview here). Both eBooks are in the universal PDF format*, and able to be enjoyed on any tablet or smartphone, or Mac or PC computer, using Kindle, iBooks and other apps.
  • $50 — To thank you for backing the Thebaid Project at the $50 level, we will send you a First Edition copy of The North American Thebaid Book (target ship date, late 2018). PLUS you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $100 — To thank you for backing the Thebaid Project at the $100 level, we will send you a SIGNED, First Edition Book, PLUS a SIGNED Fine Art Print from the Thebaid Project (ship dates for prints begin mid-2017; book target ship date, late 2018). PLUS you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $200 — To thank you for backing the Thebaid Project at the $200 level, we will send you THREE (3) SIGNED, First Edition Books, PLUS THREE (3) SIGNED Fine Art Prints from the Thebaid Project (ship dates for prints begin mid-2017; book target ship date, late 2018). PLUS you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $275 — As our special thanks for backing the Thebaid Project at the $275 level, we will send you the Founding Subscribers’ Deluxe Limited Edition* of the North American Thebaid Book (signed & numbered), PLUS a SIGNED Fine Art Print from the Thebaid Project (ship dates for prints begin mid-2017; book target ship date, late 2018). PLUS you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $500 — In appreciation for supporting the Thebaid Project at the $500 level, we will send you TWO (2) Copies of the Founding Subscribers’ Limited Edition (signed & numbered),  PLUS TWO (2) SIGNED Fine Art Prints from the Thebaid Project. Plus, you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $700 — With special thanks for supporting the Thebaid Project at the $700 level, we will send you THREE (3) Copies of the Founding Subscribers’ Limited Edition (signed & numbered),  PLUS THREE (3) SIGNED Fine Art Prints from the Thebaid Project. Plus, you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.
  • $1000 —With great appreciation for supporting the Thebaid Project at the $1000 level, we will send you FIVE (5) Copies of the Founding Subscribers’ Limited Edition (signed & numbered), PLUS FIVE (5) SIGNED Fine Art Prints from the Thebaid Project. Plus, you will receive the digital perks for the $25 level.

Thank you for becoming a Thebaid Pilgrim and helping this unique and worthy creative missionary project to its successful completion!

Proceed to our GoFundMe page to support the Thebaid Project…

* The Deluxe Founding Subscribers’ Limited Edition in Bonded Leather will be strictly limited to 300 total copies, with no subsequent print runs, with ten (10) copies reserved for the Thebaid Project.

A reminder to our supporters: The North American Thebaid is endorsed by the Church, but we are not funded by the Church. Nor do we have corporate sponsors or wealthy benefactors to financially support our work.

Rather, we rely on individual contributors like you to partner with us in our mission to help reveal the Orthodox monastic life and inspire more monastic vocations.

The principal way we fund the North American Thebaid Photographic Pilgrimage is through pre-sales of the finished book.

This is a time-honored method used by such well-known artists and photographers as John James Audubon and Ansel Adams. Sometimes referred to as a Founding Subscriber’s Edition, this pre-order business model is being embraced anew by independent publishers to help ensure the success of specialty books for niche markets, and is perfectly suited for the Thebaid Project.

Visit our GoFundMe page, where you can pre-order the book in both the Standard Hardcover Edition, as well as the Deluxe Limited Edition in Bonded Leather, plus receive additional valuable rewards. We also have discounts up to 33% off for multiple copies.

* Special Note about the ‘Pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain’ eBook: In addition to the universal PDF eBook edition, included at no extra charge is an iBooks edition, which may be enjoyed on any Apple iPhone, iPad, or Macintosh computer. Requires the free Apple iBooks app.