By Joshua Winning
Publishers like Unbound – who are releasing my YA thriller, Killing Rumer – have come up with a nifty way of getting awesome new books out into the world. Here's what you need to know.
Crowdfunding puts you in the driver's seat
Here's the great thing: crowdfunding publishers like Unbound, Indiegogo and Inkshares are legit publishers, just like Penguin and HarperCollins etc. Their staff are super experienced and work hard to make your book the best thing since Beyonce's Lemonade.
As a bonus, you get a say in just about everything to do with the book, from the wording of the synopsis through to the cover design. (Though if you want a cover with Nick Jonas riding a unicorn naked, you may have to fight for it.)
And you end up with an actual book at the end of it all
It doesn't matter what kind of book you've written
Traditional publishers are increasingly wary of taking risks – your book about a space dolphin called Gemma C might be considered a bit niche.
But with crowdfunding, you prove there's a market for your book by raising the funds to get it published!
Loads of books have successfully done this, from Amy Goldwasser's All Black Cats Are Not Alike and Dan Dalton's Johnny Ruin to Rose Bretécher's AMAZING Pure, a book about OCD.
Your pitch is super important
Crowdfunding publishers are amazing but, just like traditional publishers, you'll have to pitch your book to them first. If they like the idea, they'll get you to sign a publishing contract before you dive into the crowdfunding.
So, yes, pitching is a big deal. Make sure you're ready before you approach a crowdfunding publisher.
A successful book campaign is all about finding your book's “hook”. What makes it unique? Why should people read it? Look at other books, study their synopsis and think about a tagline (mine's: “Haunted. Hunted Cursed. You've never met anybody like Rumer Cross”).
It's as simple as asking people to pre-order a copy
The way crowdfunding a book works is this: when readers pre-order a copy of your book, that money goes toward getting your book published!
It's really as simple as that. On sites like Unbound, you can set different “pledge” levels for readers to choose how much they want to give to your book campaign – and they get shinier rewards the more they pledge.
Yes, you have to raise the cashola
This is the part where you become your own cheerleader. The amount you have to raise depends on whether it's an ebook, paperback or hardback, and which publisher you're working with. My goal is to raise £4k to fund an ebook and paperback of Killing Rumer at Unbound.
How do you become a cheerleader? Well, put your Twitter followers, Insta-baes and Facebook frenemies to work!
If you want people to notice your book campaign, shout about it from the rooftops! Use funny gifs. Ask other authors (politely) if they'll share your link. Connect with other crowdfunders and share your successes. Basically, PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE.
All the cash you raise goes into the book
Forget about pocketing that £4k you raised. Every “pledge” (or pre-order) goes towards the internal cost of creating the book.
With Unbound, the money pays for proofing, editing, cover design and various other publishing doohickies.
You could end up as successful as JK Rowling!
Alright, that's a stretch maybe, given JK is the third most successful author of the 21st century, but if you're gonna dream, DREAM BIG!
Crowdfunding publishers provide a fantastic platform for you to get your book out there, and if readers fall for your story, you could become a legit bestseller!
JK is a great author to look at – she found a gap in the market and made £14.3m out of it! You could do the same. Good luck!
About Me
Joshua Winning is an author and film journalist who writes for Total Film, SFX, Gay Times and Radio Times. His YA dark fantasy series The Sentinel Trilogy is published by Peridot Press. You can help his new YA thriller Killing Rumer get published by pre-ordering a copy at Unbound here: http://unbound.com/books/killing-rumer Thank you