When it comes to the business of publishing books, crowdfunding presents yet another option to get books into the hands of readers. The notion of pooling money from lots of people to make an idea happen is nothing new, but the 21st century is making the process more appealing than ever. A potential client of mine is considering crowdfunding to raise money for editing fees. The amount raised would determine which editing package she ultimately chooses. All of which got me thinking about reasons to crowdfund your next book.
Many of us have contributed to crowdfunding campaigns or maybe even have conducted one. Numerous crowdfunding sites exist. The top general sites are Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Rockethub. Book specific crowdfunding sites include the likes of Pubslush and Publishizer. Even book publishers like Inkshares and Unbound use crowdfunding as a way to decide what to publish. Or rather than aiming for one big funding push, some authors utilize sites like Patreon as a way for fans to show their patronage via monthly donations of one dollar or more.
Which option to chose primarily depends on how much control you want over your work. I personally believe in leaving some things up to the experts, but many writers prefer to control all aspects of the publishing process. It should go without saying how important it is to learn as much as possible before starting a campaign. Ideally, the process should begin with asking yourself how developed your reasons to crowdfund your next book really are in order to avoid an unsuccessful campaign.
Reason #1: You Can Provide Proof of Concept
In other words, develop a business plan. Some sites like Kickstarter require projects to go through a vetting process, and others like Unbound ask for a book proposal. In any case, seeking to publish a book is much more than just being a writer, it’s about being an entrepreneur. While it might be much more alluring to envision ourselves as artists, ultimately success will only be sustainable if the act of creation is treated like a business. If the very idea of writing a business plan makes you want to hurl, well all the more reason to push yourself to do so.
Reason #2: You Seek Professional Results
As more and more people join the self-publishing ranks, competition to find readers becomes increasingly difficult. Granted, some authors might have success without investing much money upfront. However, it’s more likely that those who are truly succeeding are utilizing some combination of editors, text formatters, cover designers, virtual assistants, and marketing advisers. Even then, success is not guaranteed. But why start off at a disadvantage? If self-pubbing is more of a hobby, justifying these expenses can be difficult. Even then, you owe it to yourself to make your book the best your resources will allow.
Reason #3: Your Book Fills a Niche
Let’s face it, the world doesn’t really need another YA dystopian novel like The Hunger Games or Divergent. Ask yourself if you’ve written a knock-off of something that’s been done before and done better. Be honest. Or perhaps you can truly add a new twist to popular plots. Be wary of proclaiming being a genre hybrid. In the case of nonfiction, is your topic of expertise merely more chatter or does the knowledge you have to give truly add to what’s already been said? In any case, the genre you choose means analyzing its associated market and audience.
Reason #4: You Can Build on a Following
In the age of self-publishing, engagement is key. Anyone can start a crowdfunding campaign, but if nobody is aware of the campaign, that’s just as bad as thinking because you publish a book on Amazon readers will find it. From building a blog, starting a mailing list, to maintaining social media accounts and sharing content across the virtual land we now call home, the greater your reach the better. And what better way to stretch your reach than have a legion of followers who are excited to help spread word?
Reason #5: You Believe in the Long Haul
Countless fantastic ideas are hatched every day, but a relatively small number of people can take an idea to fruition. A book has a story like all else in life. At first it’s an idea, then comes the countless drafts until completion. But wait … there’s more! The journey of your book only really begins once the marketing process begins. Buckle up and settle in for the long haul. It’s a lot of often lonely work. If you don’t believe in your book, nobody will. With methodical time and efforts, you will find readers.
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What is your experience with crowdfunding either as a campaigner or a contributor?
Image credit: Bright Idea by Zaldy Icaonapo
These are great reasons to crowdfund, but, Jeri, I also really like how you wove some cautions into your post. If a writer isn’t serious enough to write up a valid business plan, analyze her market and audience, and prepare for a long, lonely slog through the process, then perhaps she’s not ready for crowdfunding. If a writer believes strongly enough in her work, she’ll put more work into seeing it through to publication. I’ve followed a few friends on their crowdfunding projects, and have noted how disappointed they are if they’re not showered with sponsors on the first day. They’re putting work into marketing, but even with crowdfunding, people seem to think one can become an “overnight” success.
Marie, I’m always one to pull out all of the caution warnings I can. As I’ve worked on upping my editing services efforts, the more I realize how much I have to learn about how to be a successful author someday. I want to learn everything I can to ensure the best success when the time comes to release a full-length book or also too when it comes to being able to offer my editing clients advice. At every turn, it certainly seems like there is more and more authors need to know in order to succeed.
I know authors who have done the crowd funding thing and have been successful with it. It seems to me that unless you already have a following and people who like what you write and know you exist you probably have little chance of being successful with crowd funding.
Cheryl, that is definitely true. It’s also important to take the time to find various groups who will be interested in the topic of the book crowdfunding topic. Connecting with a passionate group who hears about a campaign is another way to gain potential blog and book readers as well.
Hi Jeri,
in some ways I wish I could do this- I am old skool maybe, but it seems like begging from strangers to help you. I really want to do it myself..am I silly?
Gerry, I think the comfort level with crowdfunding comes down to personal choice. After all, where would some of our great writers and musicians of past centuries be without the money given to them by patrons to support the creation of their art? The main difference today is artists can get backing from hundreds of people who give relatively small sums rather than one or two patrons who give large sums.
Great job of presenting the options and cautions for crowdfunding publication of a book. I think too often writers get caught up in the romance of the idea rather than approach it as a business proposition.
Jacquie, I’m definitely one who falls into the romancing the side of writing category. So much so that I tend to shut down and not get any writing down when I start to think about all of the very overwhelming business aspects of what a writer must do. It’s good though that crowdfunding is an option and the most savvy writers are figuring out how to use it to the best of their ability.
I’ve never even considered this as an option, but perhaps I should? I can see crowdfunding in non-fiction more than fiction, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Candy, I too would agree that crowdfunding better serves nonfiction writers, but that’s not to say it’s not a viable option for fiction authors as well. If you could connect to the right groups affiliated with your monster inspirations, you never know how supportive those people might be. Especially if you were to write a novella that featured a particular house or something similar associated with non-profit. It would be a good way to garner publicity for both of you. You never know what might happen with all of your museum connections and knowledge 😉 You could do a crowdfunding effort to raise funds for a story that you would write that would be inspired by a particular painting or other art object. People passionate about a work of art are likely to be passionate about seeing it breath life into other creative endeavors like writing as well.
Crowdfunding is a daunting prospect I have to admit, but your reasons give a great basis for someone to even consider it. It’s a big commitment for both the person raising the money and anyone supporting your venture. I think it was good that you started with the first reason you dd, because the phrase ‘business plan’ is enough to scare away people who realise they really haven’t thought the thing through. And I like that you say that a project needs to be special too. Thanks so much for all the links Jeri. Very informative post.
A. K., yep “business plan” is a term I’ve avoided as much as I could, but with as long as I’ve been blogging now and the route I’m going down toward offering editing services, the more business-minded I’ve had to become. In a way, what I’m learning via freelancing will someday make me more prepared to take on the career of author. Thankfully I am patient!
I’ve donated to several kickstarter projects primarily because they were either friends or the proceeds were going to charities. I’ve never really thought of using them in a promotional manner. Thanks for the information – something to think about!
Jan, the travel themes in your work could potentially appeal to a base of die hard travelers if you ever decided to try a campaign yourself.
Thanks for another chapter in the learning curve of publishing Jeri. All of these lessons are soaked up by me and very much appreciated. I had never even considered a funding campaign but now I have a reference. Thanks.
Tim, with your wide travels and experience as a tour guide, I’m sure with enough foresight you would someday be able to pull a crowdfunding campaign off. I know I would happily contribute!
Pubslush was one of the sponsors at the PubSense Summit last month or else I would not have known about crowdfunding a book. I’ve heard of crowdfunding for other issues but not books. I just happened to be filing away materials from some of the sponsors and was just over at their website. I think if we keep your well-appointed pros and cons in mind, if we do choose this kind of pre-book writing, we will be well armed. Thanks Jeri.
Patricia, how cool that you made it to PubSense and picked up some info on crowdfunding from Pubslush. Even more compelling is that you got to meet Jacquie in the flesh!
Thanks for a very informative post Jeri. The prospect of crowd funding is a great idea if we have a good number of followers. Helping each other is an innate attribute of writers and in the modern times, it has emerged as a wonderful feature, which can be explored further. The real challenge is building up a following! Thanks for the links dear, they are immensely appreciated.
Balroop, it really is so wonderful how much authors can help other authors in this day and age.
Hard questions to honestly answer, but necessary questions. I can’t say that the idea of crowdfunding has ever appealed to me, at least not for a book project, but I do know of several people who have tried and failed, not having set themselves up for success by putting themselves through this kind of self-vetting process.
Laura, I don’t think I’d be one to ever want to crowdfund a book either, but I do like the idea of patronage in the form of small monthly contributions from regular readers and fans.
I love the idea of crowd funding! But I think it has to be done well to be successful and these are some great guidelines for that. I think the best part is the social aspect. It’s a great way to engage people from the very beginning of a project. Then they’re (hopefully) raving fans by the time it’s published!
Meredith, given your niche of craft and design I can imagine some great crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to help get products made.
Thanks for unravelling the veils of the publication process in such an accurate way, dear Jeri… I like the way to summed it up over here.. I would say that points 3 and 5 make much sense to me…
As you say: “The journey of your book only really begins once the marketing process begins. Buckle up and settle in for the long haul”… :star: ~ All the best to you, Aquileana 😀
Aqui, it really is amazing how some people can wear so many hats when it comes to all aspects of the book world. I think I like my comfy editor hat best though 😉
Well I’ll have to join the list of those who have never considered Crowdfunding for a book Jeri, but the way you lay it out it certainly makes sense. Although I do tend to agree with your comment about it making more sense for nonfiction. That said, I figure if someone can raise thousands of dollars for potato salad there’s probably no limit to what can be done with a little imagination and the right hook!
Marquita, I was thinking about the potato salad idea the whole time I worked on this post. So many factors go into a successful campaign, and luck and quirkiness really can’t be accounted for. Bring on the potato salad!
I’ve contribued to a couple crowdfunding campaigns through Kickstarter and through Indiegogo. I’ve contributed to book campaigns both that were successful and unsuccessful, and they were for the same author. One of the more interesting crowdfunding projects I’ve contributed to was for the creation of an Appalachian Trail themed board game. That one was successful and I got the game. I think one of the big attractions of crowdfunding is that no matter how small the contribution you end up with people who are invested and interested in your success. Considering what you have to do to spread the word on books you author, it is a start.
Ken, I must admit your mention of an Appalachian Trail themed board game has me totally intrigued. If I had the funds, I could see how it would be fun to find campaigns to support as a philanthropic endeavor, but the three campaigns I’ve contributed too have all been for blogger friends and their projects–two books and one video app.
I see crowd-funding for everything these days. One of my staff even asked people to pay for her movers to a new apartment instead of asking them to help her move her furniture and be paid in beer and pizza. It is a new age; people share everything . . . Technology . . . Cars . . . etc. Contributions come from people who appreciate the cause, and simply want to help. And why not; it seems an effective way of doing things in an increasingly unaffordable world. It already crossed my mind, that in art, to do it properly, in a competitive writing world, if you need to self publish, then why not attempt a crowd source fund raising event? Many cannot afford the extras involved in bringing their work to the standard it can be, even if not just done for a hobby. If one feels the need to give something back, or don’t feel they can accept, what they might consider charity, contributors could, for instance, be signed up for a free e-copy of the book, in return. Done properly, crowd sourcing is a great idea. Good post.
SP, you’ve hit the nail on the head. We really do live in an increasingly unaffordable world. It makes sense to share more things, and more power to anyone who can successfully use crowdfunding to raise money in order to ensure their work is the best it can possibly be.
I was listening to an interesting podcast recently (Social Media Examiner) and the guest was an expert crowdfunder. She mentioned that strangers won’t help you unless the jar is 30% full. I guess that means you’ve gotta convince the people you know to chip in before you can really get things going.
Anyway, I’m really happy to have read this. As you already know, I’m exploring ways to publish something really soon:)
Take care and I look forward to reading your next post!
Duke, great point about people being more likely to contribute when the campaign appears to be off to a good start. I know I’ve felt that way at times when contributing.
Hi Jeri – this is great information. I often wondered why people would participate in crowd-funding. I can see where presenting your book outline in a professional business manner and using the right marketing strategies would get people interested. Making up a business plan would also ensure greater possibility of success all the way around.
Lenie, the more planning the better. I don’t know if I would ever undertake a crowdfunding campaign, but it really made me think more about the importance of having a business plan when I wrote this post.
Interesting post. I know many people have gotten into crowdfunding to get their project going or completed. There are many successful crowdfunding stories. I’m not one for proposals or business plans, nor do I want to dip my toes in the water, so I’ll leave the funding to others.
Denise, I hear you when it comes to lack of enthusiasm for the business side of things. All things considered though I’d say both of us have learned a lot as we’ve worked on our blogs and publishing and writing endeavors.
Last year when I did the Indiegogo campaign for my first startup (you know it, Jeri, you supported us! 🙂 I also thought it would be an awesome way to gain traction for my upcoming book. But then I saw how much work it is to pull off a successful crowdfunding campaign. It is definitely a sound marketing approach but one should really consider two things:
1) are you ready to pay from your own money to cover all costs associated with the publishing? (book cover, editing, formatting, advertising, etc.)
2) are you ready to really work your butt off for the crowdfunding campaign so that you push your book forward as well?
If the answer to either of those questions is NO, then don’t crowdfund.
Too many people think it’s all about putting your campaign out there and then just looking how the money comes in. It’s nothing like that.
If you think you can’t market your book once published (that’s why you think you need the campaign traction), you probably won’t be able to market your crowdfunding campaign right either.
It’s late for me to crowdfund my book (I forgot about it up until now that I read your post LOL) but maybe I will try it with my next book 😉 Thanks for an awesome post, Jeri!
Diana, I know you learned a lot from your campaign. I’m in awe of anyone who tries to pull one off and feel it’s a great idea, but I know it would require more energy than I could devote to making one successful.
I like the idea of raising funds for a book project with alternative methods like crowdfunding when your bank account is, er, not so big 🙂 I do understand you are offering cautions throughout this post and totally think that’s the way to do it as having a successful book takes time – it involves building an audience who is loyal and genuinely wants to support your written works. I wish you a wonderful rest of your week, Jeri!
Christy, not to mention you are the perfect example of someone who has been able to build a great audience who supports your efforts.
Hi Jeri, great post laying out the tremendous amount of hard work that goes into crowdfunding . I think most people think cool, I’ll get other people to help pay to get my book published. I think you gave them a good dose of reality here, Jeri. It’s much more than that. It sounds a lot like going to the SBA to get a small business loan for a start up company. Much work and preparation.
Susan, with your sales background I can imagine you’d have a better chance than many at organizing a successful campaign. Experience is certainly one of the best teachers.
Hello Jeri
I think this concept of crowd funding will be very helpful for the authors that are in process of publishing their work.
It is always better to learn from some experienced people about the benefits, rather try different things and then get on right track.
It is great that such concepts can help people who can not manage to publish their work. The points that you have mentioned are enough to convince anyone to go for crowdfunding.
thank you for share.
Andleeb, indeed if I ever did decide to try a crowdfunding campaign, the first place I would look for advice would be those who have already held a campaign.
I think crowd funding is a good idea, but a lot of people are on to this “game,” if you can call it that. There is a lot more competition for people’s money through these crowd funding sites, especially nonprofits, or individuals with major medical bills. So it’s important to have a compelling “call to action” if you want to stand out from the crowds.
Jeannette, you definitely make a valid point how there are so many people competing for other’s money. I’ve yet to contribute to a random campaign, but that might change as I start to spend more time on such sites to learn more about them. One can never know what might catch their eye and lend itself to supporting.
Jeri, I liked what you said about being creative and being in business. I’ve heard the quote, “That’s why they call it, Show BUSINESS”, many times, and it’s so true. The Internet has changed the creative field by opening the world to creative talent. I don’t know the logistics of a writer’s world, but for entertainment if you didn’t have an agent you had no hope of working. Now, having an agent is only one way of securing jobs because of what is available to artists for marketing their talent on the internet. I know directors and screenwriters who have been successful securing the finances for their projects through crowd funding. Projects that ten years ago might never have been completed.
Pamela, yes isn’t it exciting that crowdfunding does make it possible for certain projects to get off the ground that never would have had a chance in the past? That is very exciting and shows how much the playing field has changed.
I’d heard of crowdfunding of course but now I know a lot more about it! I appreciate this article and will pass it on to friends who consider using it for their projects.
Beth, it will be interesting to see the approach my potential editing client takes to crowdfunding her book’s editing fees.
Hi Jeri: As you know from being a contributor, I did a crowdfunding campaign to fund the publishing of my book, “Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate.”
What a ride that was! The hardest thing I’ve ever done. I said when I was going thru it, and shortly after, that I would never do it again. But you know … 2 years later, I think how much I learned from the process, how I would do it differently if I was to do it again, and I feel the satisfaction of winning an international award for the book. So would I do it again … YES!
Doreen, you are a good example of the results that can come about from a successful crowdfunding campaign. All the best to you as you work on the next volume of Chocolatour.
You have two very important points that most people seem to forget about: long term thinking and thinking like an entrepreneur. Too often we can stuck thinking that what we are doing is solely art and lose out on the opportunities that will bring our projects into the light of day. And then we also get stuck looking at what we need right now instead of thinking of ways that what we are doing can aid us into the long term.
Jon, said like a true business student 😉 It will be interesting to see how Patreon works out for you as time goes on.
I’ve ‘donated’ to one crowdfunding effort, but I still see it as a catch22 – to make crowd funding work you have to have, or be able to generate, a public following of a large enough size. Yet that is the area where most of us Indies fail. I’d love to have the money to commission a really good cover but I just can’t see it happening. 🙁
Andrea, you do indeed make an excellent point. Followers are necessary to raise funds. Yet, at the same time, you never know when I truly unique idea will catch hold of the public’s interest and spread like wildfire. It’ all such a crapshoot 😉