THIS IS THE CROWDFUNDER FOR THE 2027 TUDOR PLANNER.
This campaign was originally scheduled to end May 31, but the response has been so good that we've extended it to give more people a chance to get their hands on one.

Read on for details
...
Imagine a monthly and weekly planner filled with...

- This week in Tudor History
- Listening suggestions with an exclusive Spotify playlist
- Quotes by your favorite Tudors...

... wrapped in a gorgeous cover based on an illuminated manuscript.

 NOTE: The Weeks in this planner run Monday-Sunday! 

Plus it's got all the normal Planner things. Stickers. Ribbon marker. A sturdy two sided pocket in the back. Covered coil binding so it lies flat (with a gorgeous design on the spine). Plenty of blank, grid, and lined pages in the back so you can take lots of notes, sketch out ideas, and bullet journal to your heart's content. 

The world is a lot right now. You know it. I know it. And the Tudors, honestly, knew it too.

They lived through civil war, plague, religious upheaval, and political violence that makes our news cycle look almost manageable. And on the other side of all of that they gave us Shakespeare, Holbein, Thomas Tallis, and Elizabeth I writing "The end crowneth the work."

They went through it. They went onward.

That's what the 2027 Tudor Planner is for.

This is the 10th anniversary edition of the planner that brings together two of my great loves: Tudor history and the art of actually planning your life. It's a weekly and monthly diary wrapped in a gorgeous illuminated manuscript-inspired cover, packed with Tudor history on every single page, and this year it includes new reflection prompts and monthly Tudor women features to help you find your footing in uncertain times.

Note: weeks run Monday through Sunday!

What's inside:

Goals Pages: Broken into finances, spirit, health, mind, and family. People who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them. Keep yours front and center all year.

Monthly Pages: Space for top goals and tasks, mini calendars for the previous and upcoming months, a quote from a Tudor figure, a main Tudor event from that month, US and UK holidays, notes and doodle space, a listening suggestion, and this year, a featured Tudor woman with a reflection prompt for moving through hard things with intention.

Weekly Pages: Plenty of room for appointments and daily events, a large notes box, a habit tracker, a "what's in my control" reflection space, and a Tudor history event from that exact week in history. US and UK holidays listed.

Notes Pages: Blank pages for doodling, lined pages for lists, and grid pages for bullet journaling. You will not run out of space.

Extras: Silk ribbon marker, three pages of stickers (including new designs this year), and a sturdy double-sided pocket in the back for all the odd bits of paper that need somewhere to live.

The covered coil binding means it lies completely flat. The spine has a gorgeous design on it. It looks beautiful on your desk and even better in your bag.

About the campaign: I've been making the Tudor Planner since 2016 and crowdfunding it every year to cover upfront printing costs. This year I'm running the campaign on my own platform instead of Indiegogo, which means more of your money goes directly into making the planner. Back it during the campaign for early bird pricing, then it goes to full price when the campaign closes.

Shipping: Planners for the crowdfunder will ship from Lancaster, Pennsylvania by mid December 2026 at the latest. US orders generally arrive within 4-7 days of shipping. Tracking info comes via automatic email, so check your spam folder if you don't see it.

Onward. Let's do this.

The Crowdfunding Details

Benefits of being an early backer:

Of course there are intangibles - you'll have my deepest appreciation, and the good feeling that comes from supporting creative projects. But you'll also be among the first to receive the Tudor Planner when it arrives and ships. 

Plus, the cost of the Tudor Planner will go up considerably after this funding period is over. The retail price is $44.95, and it will stay there until I discount any that are left in February 2027. But I normally sell out of these by mid January each year.

You'll guarantee that you get one. I print a limited amount!

People Love the Tudor Planner!

Reviews from previous years:

Meet Heather (aka the Backstory)

I've been writing and talking about history since 1991 when I started a summer job at a Revolutionary War museum when I was in high school. In 1998 I built my first history website, on Colonial America. And in 2009 I started the Renaissance English History Podcast, which makes it one of the longest continuously running indie history podcasts. Since then I've spoken about podcast community building at writers conferences, and at other podcasting conferences including Sound Education, which was held at Harvard. The Renaissance English History Podcast was Podcast Magazine's September 2021 History Podcast of the Month:

In late 2016 I created the 2017 Tudor Planner,  which was a mix of two of my favorite things - Tudors and planning! It was a weekly/monthly planner that brought together history with planning - something that I definitely needed as a busy mom with a young kiddo. I've always loved planners, since I bought my first Ziggy assignment book in 1992 - I color coded my assignments with Crayola skinny markers in Bold colors.

Here's the cover from the 2017 Tudor Planner - the very first one:

It was one of those things that I wanted to create basically so that I could buy it. I thought it would be fun, and I might sell a few dozen. But that first one was way more successful than I ever imagined, and for the 2018 one, I worked with a custom printer. I've been working with the same printer since then.

The Tudor Planner is a gorgeous book that will lead to people wandering by your desk just to check it out, and will cause spontaneous conversations whenever you take it out :)  Because each planner is a unique work of art. It's like having art, history, and planning all wrapped up in one. I mean, what else is there!?

This will be the 10th year that I've created the Tudor Planner, and I rely on these crowdfunding fundraisers to pay for the printing and distribution - this is all an independent project that I do on my own - there is no publisher involved other than me. So I rely on your support to bring this planner to life each year. 

Why I'm Running this Crowdfunder (aka, the expenses)

The main expense for the Planner is printing.  But there are some other costs I incur including the cover image, which requires the purchase of a high res photo that can run into several hundred dollars to purchase the rights to, and a designer to make it all look great! Then there is warehousing the books, packaging, and shipping. 

Every bit raised will be put towards my work, and the project will happen whether the goal is reached or not. 

The perks I'm offering include all kinds of great stuff, including merch, online courses, and Tudorcon tickets. Also for the first time this year, memberships to my Patreon community where we bring even more Tudor to your life with extra episodes, courses, and hangouts.

The planners themselves will be shipped in time for the holidays. So hop on now to get the best deal, AND Tudorific perks!

The Impact (I mean, WHY does anyone want a Tudor Planner?):

I think of history as an empathy machine. A way to connect us to our own humanity, to see ourselves in people who lived very different lives, and to find within that a common thread that spans centuries.

The world can feel chaotic right now. You know it. I know it. And when it does, I find myself turning to the Tudors, who endured summer after summer of plague and sweating sickness, religious upheaval that could get you executed, political violence, economic uncertainty, and somehow, on the other side of all of that, produced Shakespeare and Holbein and Thomas Tallis and Elizabeth I writing "the end crowneth the work."

They didn't get the Golden Age despite the chaos. They got it through it.

That's what the word Onward means to me. Not toxic positivity. Not pretending things are fine. Just the steady, historically-proven truth that humans have been here before and made beautiful things anyway.

The 2027 Tudor Planner is built around that idea. Every monthly spread features a Tudor woman who modeled exactly that kind of moving-through-hard-things energy. Every weekly spread has a reflection space for what's in your control and what isn't. And woven through all of it is the Tudor history that proves, over and over again, that we can do hard things.

Also, when you manage your life with a planner that keeps everything organized, the chaos genuinely does feel a little less scary. That part is just practical.

This is the 10th Tudor Planner. I started this on a whim in 2016 and I still can't quite believe we're here. Thank you for that, really.

A note on the Onward Collection

This year for the first time the Tudor Planner comes with its own merch collection, designed around the same idea. The Katherine Parr mug. The Onward weighted hoodie. The tote with Elizabeth I's "The end crowneth the work." These are available as part of the higher tiers and I'm really excited about them.

Risks and Challenges

This is the 10th Tudor Planner, so things are much clearer now than they were at the beginning. I'm using the same printer I've worked with for years. That said, there are always underlying risks with physical products: printers can drop the ball, shipments can get delayed, customs can be unpredictable. I'll keep you updated every step of the way via email.

One thing I want to address directly: last year's planner had a few typos that slipped through and I was genuinely embarrassed about that. This year I'm hiring a professional proofreader before anything goes to print. You have my word on that.

Other Ways You Can Help

If a planner isn't your thing but you want to support the project anyway, shares are everything. Tell a Tudor history lover. Tell a planner obsessive. Tell anyone who needs a reminder that humans have survived chaos before and come out the other side with something beautiful.

The word is Onward. Let's go.

Yours in Tudor love,
Heather