Thumbs Up from Reluctant Convert to Crowd Funding–by Ruth Bonetti

After a year of the submit–reject–tweak–resubmit wash cycle I felt wrung out. 

Main house publishers have the distribution channels sorted. I’m an indie publisher of six titles. But it's a stretch to fund and distribute two more books.

Son Paul crowdfunded his second album, with excellent success.

“Too hard!” I whimpered. “Lots of work...OK, I’ll do it.”

Already I had relevant YouTube videos. Paul scripted suggestions for voice over snippets that I recorded on Sound Studio. He edited it down to 2 minutes plus for upload. 

We brainstormed the “rewards” offered in return for support; books of course, and launch invitations, but also eye-catching gingerbread and heritage wreaths.

How long should the campaign last? 40 days, suggested a friend. Done.

Ready for lift off. Press “Launch.”

Paul tipped me off to have some people primed ready to pledge at the outset. This signals “Success! Back her.” I felt driven because with crowd funding there’s no income if one falls short of the target. 

Whirlwind pace. Presto.

Put out the word, staccato. Personalised is best.

• Emails: write a basic spiel, cut and paste with various slants. Click resend, change address. To simplify the process, I went through the baby names book, starting with “Dear Anne”. That meant just a change of email address. Next to Annette, then Angela and on through my data base. Until I ran out of time.
• Facebook: posts to existing groups; explore and join target groups.
• Direct messenger. Again, cut and paste.
• Twitter: “My next follower will take me to the 1000 and receives a free book.” Liberal use of any hashtags that might cast a wider net.
• Blogs.
• Email campaigns, targeted to my various groups. One to music educators brought pledges from unlikely directions like China. Though my next books are different genres of historical biography, people said they’d been helped by my earlier ones and wanted to support my initiative. 

Social media drove such a campaign. It attracted people around the world,  like Finland and Sweden, that I could not have reached through my existing networks. 

The 40 days were a blur. Apologies to those who received multiple invitations. Forgive me, I knew not what I’d done. 

Gnawed fingernails. Then pledges came in. At times the pace stalled, as I’d been warned. But, with wonderful help from friends and writing colleagues we reached the target at half time. Now what? Anti-climax?

Pozible, who hosted my campaign, offered 15-minute phone advice. My contact person suggested a “stretch-goal”. If people supported further, I could value add. As a musician, live music features at all my book launches. I posted that any further funds would go to pay the band Greshka the professional rates they warrant. As St Paul wrote, a worker is worthy of his hire.

From the other side of the room at Omega Writers retreat in Toowoomba, Jeanette O’Hagan pledged to tip me to the $4000 exact–a thousand above my target. She typified the ethos of OWI, that writers support each other. Thanks, Jenny.

Crowdfunding stretched me way out of my comfort zone, but this is the first time I have pre-publication orders pre-paid. My Book Whispers pre-press account can be settled at the time, not in instalments. I can afford the printing. (For even POD needs outlay.) Thanks to all who supported. If some were wary of online platforms or preferred the usual book buying means, fine. But the crowdfunding process blew PR trumpets.

For those prepared to work hard, crowdfunding is a viable path. 

Thumbs up. Like.

Burn My Letters will launch on 13 August in Brisbane and at Byron Bay Writers’ Festival the weekend before.

RUTH BONETTI is author of a dozen publications. Her coming releases are Burn My Letters in July and Midnight Sun to Southern Cross in October. More info at her website and crowdfunding campaign.

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Burn My Letters: Karl Johan Back