Fund your dream with Crowdfunding!

Lemme throw the “I want to publish my book” equation at you.

  

Line editing $6,000 + Limited income +

Printing  $1,500 + Mortgage +

Illustrator $3,500 +    =      1.5 kids +

Marketing $2,000 + Car Payment 

 ------------------------------                   --------------------------
                      $12,000                           ( -$57.23 + X)

                               How do you solve for X?

The answer is:

1. Marry a millionaire
2. Sell a kidney
3. Win the Lotto
4. Crowdfunding.

If you chose a-c, more power to you but the only answer that does not require drugs or luck is crowdfunding.

But what is crowdfunding?

Think of crowdfunding as gift giving on a global scale.

It is not venture capital investing, where you must show a profit. Nor are you selling your rights to your work. With crowdfunding, Individuals from around the world offer donations to your project, prior to publication, in exchange for a gift.

A gift?  Like a set of purple earphones?

Not exactly. 

If you’re a writer you might offer to “give” your benefactors a signed copy of your book for $20 that will cost you $10 per book to publish.  The gap between the cost and the donation is what you use to fund your editing, printing, cover design etc.

With my AR graphic novel, The Goths, I offered my benefactors the opportunity to play one of the characters in the Augmented Reality elements.  For a lesser amount we would name a character in the book after them or have their artwork used as graffiti in the background of a scene.  

So how do you go about crowdfunding?

First choose an online crowdfunding service.  Here is a list of just some of the more popular sites.

Kickstarter

Indiegogo

Rockethub

Gofundme

Do your research.  Not all the services are the same or charge the same percentage.  
Kickstarter uses an all or nothing model where you only receive funds (minus their fees) if you meet or exceed your funding target.   They are also the most well known crowdfunding site but they don't accept every project that is submitted.

Indiegogo has a flexible funding option where you receive all the funds contributed minus fees regardless of your funding target.

I chose Indiegogo over Rockethub for my "Smittens Says" campaign because it requires fewer clicks to make donations.

After you  choose your crowdfunding service, then you get "jiggy with it."

1. You create a project proposal including a synopsis, pictures, list of team members
2. record a pitch video.  That’s right.  It’s you talking, juggling your dog or pony.   Whatever fits your personality and your project just as long as it’s you.
3. create a list of gifts that people will want, your book, their name in the credits...etc. 
4. establish a paypal account
5. upload your proposal
6. market online 
7. keep marketing
8. prod friends to share your link **
9. prod them harder 
10. add project updates that include "George Clooney wants to play the lead role"
11. prod your friends with your boot, a hot fire poker and pepper spray **
12. get funded!!!

Twelve easy steps.  That's all it takes!

Lemme know if you launch a campaign.  I promise to share.  I hate pepper spray.  

** Shares are essential for any chance of success.  "Likes" won't get anyone to your campaign.  The key to funding success is volume, so you need to reach beyond your own sphere of influence.  You need the 6 degrees of online friends to achieve success.  So even if your close friends don't back you with money... REAL friends SHARE!