Crowdfunding for publication - part 2, launch

Last week, I talked about planning your campaign. If you missed the post, you can catch up on it here.

Now that you've done your planning, you will be ready to launch your campaign. Depending on your campaign, there may be a few days between hitting the button to make it live and it being launched. This is something to keep in mind when planning your launch date.

It's tempting to just make it live and then hope for the best, but there are things you can do for a successful campaign launch.

Before your launch
For a successful start to your campaign, start letting people know that it's coming up.

• Plan some blog posts with a blurb about your new book, let your readers know why you are crowdfunding, and, possibly, add some hints to the sorts of rewards they can expect.
• Post in your social media channels about your book and campaign so people can look forward to it and be ready to support you.
• Prepare announcement emails and media releases so they are ready to go when you launch.
• Line up supporters who will host you on their blogs and help spread the word (more about this in the next post)

During the campaign itself, you will be posting quite a bit to get people to support you, so don't go overboard at this stage. Let people know just enough so they know it's coming and are ready to pledge their support.

In my campaign last year, I didn't tell people enough, so there were some people who wanted to support it, but didn't have the money at that point, though they have since purchased books from me.

Launching your campaign
When your campaign goes live, this is where the work begins. Most pledges happen within the first few days, so this is the time to spread the word. Here are a few things you can do. Remember to include a direct link to your campaign so that people can easily support it.

• Plan a blog post on your blog to announce the campaign
• Post on your Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media channels
• If you are a member of any Facebook groups, post there too. Be sure to make sure these posts are in keeping with the rules of the group.
• Send an email out to your email list to let your subscribers know about your campaign.
• Prepare a media release before your launch and send it out as your campaign goes live. Don't forget about your local paper as they are always looking for local interest stories
• Prepare some postcards or flyers that you can give to your offline contacts
• Send an email to your family and close friends who may not be part of any of the above groups of people

Once your campaign is launched and you've let people know, work begins to keep the momentum going so you can reach your goal. A successful campaign is not a matter of "set and forget", there is still work to do. More about that in the next post.

Melissa Gijsbers lives in Melbourne and writes in between working as a bookkeeper and being the mother of two active boys. She successfully crowdfunded her first book in 2014, and is about to crowdfund her second book.

Follow her writing journey at www.melissawrites.com.au and www.melissagijsbers.com

Crowdfunding for publication - part 1, planning

This time last year, I was celebrating the launch of my first book, Swallow Me, NOW!. I self-published this book and to fund it, I ran a crowdfunding campaign through the crowdfunding site Pozible.

Over four posts, I'm going to share with you some of the things that I learned while crowdfunding my book, splitting it into planning, launching, promoting, and concluding your campaign. 

I'm in the process of getting ready to launch my next crowdfunding campaign, so I'm going through the process as I'm sharing it with you.

My Pozible campaign

Before you start your campaign, there is a lot of planning that needs to be done.

Crowdfunding Platform:

There are a number of sites you can use to crowdfund your book including Pozible, Kickstarter, Indegogo, and Pubslush. You will need to choose one of these, it's usually frowned upon to put your campaign on multiple platforms.

There are two main models for crowdfunding. The first is an "All or Nothing" model where you don't get any money if you don't get your target amount. The second is a "Flexible funding" model where you will get the money even if you don't reach your target. The fees are usually higher with the second model.

While deciding which model to choose, think about what will happen if you don't reach your goal. Will you still be able to publish your book? Do you have a Plan B? What is the minimum amount you need to reach.

Have a good look at the different platforms and do your research. Do they support the currency you want to paid in? Will they deposit money into an Australian bank account? Do they have other books that are being funded?

I chose Pozible for my campaign as they are Australian and I had friends who funded their books with them.

How much money do you need?

While you are choosing your platform, you will also need to create a budget for the money you will need for your campaign. Be sure to write down everything you need, including:

• All publication costs - editing, design, etc
• Cost of any rewards, including copies of printed book
• Cost of postage for any rewards
• Fees for the crowdfunding platform
• Add on 15% to that figure for any contingencies

Planning your rewards

In order to get support, you need to have some rewards. I look at crowdfunding as getting pre-sales for my book. A copy of your book is an obvious reward, but it's good to have different levels. Some suggestions for rewards include;

• A copy of your book or ebook
• Two copies of your book - one for you and one for a friend (I found this was a popular option)
• A copy of your book and some goodies - whatever the goodies, make sure they are relevant to your book. I made a pack with a notebook, pen and some hot chocolate as these were items mentioned in the book. Also, make them easy to post
• An experience of some kind for a high supporter - I offered to take people out for a hot chocolate at my favourite cafe
• If it's relevant, you could include an advertisement on your website or in your book for a high supporter

It's good to have a range of rewards starting at $5 for someone who just wants to support you, right up as high as you want to go. When planning rewards, be sure to include costs of posting the rewards to your supporters.

Telling your story

It's not enough to simply decide how much money you need and the rewards, you also need to tell the story of your book and why you want people to support your campaign.

Include a blurb about your book as well as information about why you wrote it, and why you want people to support you. To get an idea, look at some successful campaigns to see what they did.

Some platforms require you to post a video, for others it's optional. A video can be a great way to connect with potential supporters and share more about your story.

Answer all the questions set by the platform in as much detail as you can, and let supporters know what the money will be used for. Be honest with telling people about any challenges.

How will you get supporters?

When you are planning, also look at how you will get your supporters. This is something people often forget about, taking a "build it and they will come" attitude. If you have a plan, then you are more likely to succeed.

Some ideas include:

• Use your social networks including Facebook and Twitter. Be careful not to post too often or you'll annoy people
• Arrange to do some guest posts on relevant blogs during your campaign to raise awareness
• Build a team before your campaign that will help promote it through their social networks
• Print some flyers you can give to your offline contacts to let them know about the campaign
• Send out a media release to your local paper and other publications to spread the word
• Post on your blog and send an email through your email list

Where possible, do a calendar to plan your promotions so you can get supporters throughout your campaign.

When you have done all your planning, it will be time to launch your campaign. More about that in the next post.

Melissa Gijsbers lives in Melbourne and writes in between working as a bookkeeper and being the mother of two active boys. She successfully crowdfunded her first book in 2014, and is about to crowdfund her second book.

Follow her writing journey at www.melissawrites.com.au and www.melissagijsbers.com

Crowdfunding as a step to publication

A month ago, yesterday, the crowdfunding campaign I was running to publish my first book was successful. I decided to publish Swallow Me, NOW! earlier this year, the biggest factor was hearing teachers tell me they needed more books about bullying now.

As it's a book for kids, I knew I'd need to have illustrations and a layout that would appeal to kids, and printing. It would all take money, and money I didn't have in the bank.

I researched crowdfunding for a while, from long before I decided to self-publish. The way I looked at it was I was pre-selling copies of my book - as a result, I've already sold 68 copies of Swallow Me, NOW!. A friend of mine pointed out that my campaign was a pre-pre-launch.

Here are just a few of the lessons I've learned along the way:

• Crowdfunding is NOT easy money - it takes a lot of work to promote the campaign and engage with supporters, write blog posts, thank people who are sharing the campaign, and anything else that needs to be done during the campaign.
• Have a variety of rewards - start at $5 for people who just want to support you and go up from there. Where possible, make them relevant to your book. I was giving the opportunity for a hot chocolate with the author as my main character shares stories of her day with her mum over hot chocolate.
• Let your network know it's coming - if you have a social media following, email list, blog or any other fan base, let them know your campaign is coming. I didn't do enough of this, and it's something I will do differently in the future.
• Spread the word - during the campaign, spread the word far and wide, and invite your fans to help spread the word, even if they don't support your campaign.
• Don't overdo it - there's a fine line between spreading the word and bugging people to support your campaign. Try and post different messages, such as an update on your progress, answers to questions people have asked, sneak peeks of the book, or explanations for your rewards. This also helps so you don't get bored posting the same things! Also, be sparing posting in Facebook groups you're a member of.
• Enjoy the ride - it's easy to get caught up in the stress of waiting for pledges to come in, counting the days, spreading the word, and everything else that's involved. Remember to take time to sit back and enjoy the ride, and celebrate your little achievements along the way.

The books have now arrived, along with bookmarks and other goodies for rewards. The next step on my journey is about to start - sending out copies of my book.

My campaign is now over, if you want to check it out, click here.

Melissa Gijsbers lives in Melbourne and writes in between working as a bookkeeper and being the mother of two active boys. She is a blogger and author of flash fiction and children's books. Her first book, Swallow Me, NOW! will be launched on Saturday 25 October.

Follow her writing journey at www.melissawrites.com.au and www.melissagijsbers.com