Silent MAYDAY started as Louie Hubbard’s private attempt to explain a long-kept personal truth. After sharing it with his wife Amy, it became clear the story held a deeper value — capturing decades of fast-paced living, hidden trauma, and hard-won insight.

This led to Louie reaching out to John Chao and the beginning of a two year collaboration. The visual storyteller that is John Chao transformed Louie’s evolving manuscript into a 480-page book with over 200 photographs. Early on Louie made it clear there needed to be a charitable goal. Traditional publishing couldn’t support its charitable mission so the campaign turned to the community to help print 1,000 extra copies for distribution through supporters and partner charities.

What began as a personal confession grew into a collective effort to share a story that could make a difference.

The Kickstarter Campaign, May 2025

With the support of John’s publishing company, Keep Life Pure Press—whose mission is to promote self-awareness and publish iconic works—we launched our Kickstarter campaign. Our goal was to raise £12,500: enough to print copies for our supporters and an additional 1,000 copies to donate to charity.

As momentum for Silent MAYDAY began to build, collaborator John Chao reached out with a heartfelt message to our growing community. He expressed deep gratitude for the early supporters who helped bring the project to life and shared how this book represents not just a creative work, but the beginning of a shared journey — one that will continue to unfold in the years ahead.

To properly acknowledge everyone who contributed, John invited supporters to confirm the name they wished to have printed on the book’s title page, ensuring each backer’s role would be preserved in the project’s legacy.

It was a meaningful moment early in the campaign — a pause to recognise the people who believed in the vision from the start.

Update 2: Printing Begins in Seoul

As support for Silent MAYDAY continued to grow, Louie and John shared another major milestone: the book was officially scheduled for printing in Seoul, Korea. The press dates — August 18–20, 2025 — marked the moment the project shifted from vision to physical reality.

In preparation, they offered backers a final review of the pledge-page acknowledgements and revealed the completed dust jacket design. It was an exciting step forward, and the team promised to share photos from the printing process — a behind-the-scenes look at the book coming to life.

This update captured the campaign’s rising momentum and the sense of anticipation shared by everyone involved.

Update 3: Press Check in Korea — The Book Comes to Life

With excitement building, the team returned to Seoul for the official press check of Silent MAYDAY — a key moment where the book’s pages first rolled off the press. During the visit, John also stopped by a local library and reconnected with friends at Pacom, one of Korea’s leading printers.

The update brought thrilling news: the book was fully printed. Over the following weeks, it would move through lamination, collation, binding, and boxing before shipping to the U.S. and England.

As everything was being wrapped up on the final day in Seoul, Louie, Amy, Mary, and John expressed heartfelt gratitude to every supporter walking this journey with them.

Silent MAYDAY was no longer just a vision; it was becoming real.

Update 4: Silent MAYDAY Is Printed, Bound, and Ready to Ship

Another major milestone arrived as Louie shared the first photos of the fully printed and bound Silent MAYDAY. The book had officially taken its final form — a finished volume ready to make its way into the world.

The printers began boxing the shipment for its long journey from Korea to distribution points in the U.S. and the U.K., where Louie, John, and Mary eagerly awaited its arrival. With fulfilment just around the corner, the team thanked supporters for their patience and enthusiasm.

Silent MAYDAY was no longer just in production — it was on its way home.

Update 5: Advance Copies Arrive

Excitement reached a new high as John Chao shared that the first advance copies of Silent MAYDAY had arrived. Two copies each were delivered to London and Oregon, giving the team their first chance to hold the finished book in hand.

With pallets of books soon to follow for distribution, this milestone marked the final step before supporters would receive their copies. The team expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the book a reality — the story was now truly alive.

Update 6: A Special Gathering in London

As Silent MAYDAY neared delivery, Louie announced a special gathering for supporters in the Fulham, London on November 22, 2025. This informal event offered a chance to say thank you in person and hand over copies of the book — with 80 airfreighted copies specially set aside for the occasion.

While most books were en route by ship to the U.S. (arriving mid-November) and the U.K. (arriving in January), this gathering marked the first opportunity to celebrate the campaign with the community in person. Louie and John also hinted at future meet-ups in the U.S. and U.K., emphasizing that this was just the beginning of a journey made possible by the support of every backer — a journey aimed at sharing the story and making a positive difference.

Update: Christmas Rush — Books Arrive in the USA

After an unexpected delay at sea, the Silent MAYDAY shipment finally reached the U.S. on December 5, 2025. John Chao immediately began working to ensure backers across the Americas received their copies in time for the holidays.

To keep deliveries on track, supporters were asked to confirm their mailing addresses, and additional copies could still be ordered for Christmas gifts, with bulk discounts available for larger orders. Meanwhile, the U.K. shipment was en route, with a few FedEx copies sent to Louie in England to ensure backers there could celebrate the season with their books.

This update marked a festive milestone — the campaign’s vision had reached supporters’ hands, ready to be enjoyed during the holiday season.