Tag: self-publishing

How to run a Successful Kickstarter Campaign Part 1

An introduction on How to Successfully run a Kickstarter campaign.


Kickstarter
Kickstarter (Photo credit: Scott Beale)

 

Hi everyone,

 

I figured I should type this up since I may be asked to give a talk on it at next year’s EPICon Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Hopefully this post will help those of you interested in creating a successful crowd-sourced funding drive. One of the most common places to do this is on Kickstarter (Sample Link provided), but other commonly used sites are Indiegogo, or GoFundMe. There are many others, but Kickstarter is currently one of the largest.

 
So what do you need to know before starting out on Kickstarter? First, know the rules. You are not getting free money, and you are not guaranteed success. Just like you have to market your novel, product, business, etc, you also have to market your Kickstarter. Kickstarter is great for novels because you have something tangible to offer people when completed. Kickstarter funds can be used to help cut the cost of certain parts of the publishing process for self-published authors, or to provide additional monies for marketing, development, etc for both self-pub and small pub authors.

 

Before you start a Kickstarter Campaign, it is critical to do your research.

 

Look at other, successfully funded books on Kickstarter. What do they do? I can point out a few signs that generally signal a kickstarter will be successful.

 

  1. They have a video OR incredibly gorgeous artwork at the top of the page.
  2. They have a wide variety of rewards, including those starting at just $5.
  3. They consistently provide updates and check/reply to comments posted by people.
  4. They promote their kickstarter to friends, family, twitter/facebook followers, on goodreads, etc.
  5. They don’t ask for too much in the beginning.

 

“But Daniel, my book cost me about 2k to edit! Shouldn’t I ask for all of that?”

 

Sure, if you want to fail right away and get nothing. (This may not be true as you will soon see). For self-pub authors, smaller amounts are better, especially if you are a debut author. For my first novel, I was truly blessed because my aunt helped out. A lot. But by the time I ran my second one, I had both followers, supporters, and fans who I could turn to. This is the caveat I wrote about earlier. IF you have a wide backing of support, including people clamoring for your next novel (Not one person, but many), then you can get away with asking for slightly more. I would say the best range to stay in is the 1k-2k range.

 

Creating a great title is important too. That’s what people will see first and what will grab them. Brass Legionnaire doesn’t tell people anything about what I’m doing. Copper Centurion – the 2nd Roman Steampunk Adventure does tell people what I’m doing.

 

Finally, justify your costs. What will the money provide? I described how I originally wanted to fund the novel with just my own money, but wanted kickstarter funds to make it better. I shared how I wanted more maps, more artwork, and additional promotional materials. And people understood.

 

I’ll end there for today. Hope to bring more to you very soon this week!

 

By the way, just to let you all know, I’ve finished Roma Aeronautica. Now I suppose it is time to start typing Iron Tribune!

 

To sign or not to sign with a small publishing house

I share a situation that may be happening in the future with a small publishing house, and my thoughts on whether to sign or not should an offer be forthcoming.


Hi everyone,

As many of you may know, Brass Legionnaire recently won the EPIC eBook Award for Best Action Adventure Novel. And I get an awesome new little award thingie to put on my blog and my book website! Yay! 2013_EBook_WINNER-smWhat I didn’t add earlier is that while at the conference, I was approached by an editor at a small independent publisher. She was very interested in my book, and the award made the series more attractive. She asked me to email her when I got home, so I did. She recently got back to me, and was very interested to read more, so I sent her the entirely finished first and second books of the Steam Empire Chronicles, plus Roma Aeronautica, the short story that I’ve been working on.

I’ll admit, I’m feeling a tad bit nervous. One of the best things that self-published authors have is control. Control over editing, cover art, interior illustrations, when to publish, even deadlines. With a publisher, any publisher, you lose that. I was also worried because of my Kickstarter. Companies don’t like it when you give their stuff away for free (although in this case, the people have ‘technically’ paid for it, and saved the publishing house money as they won’t need to spend as much time editing or revising the novel – theoretically). I’ve also been looking at some of their writer’s work on the computer, and while it has some good reviews, they don’t seem to have a ton of downloads, which worries me to another degree.

The end result is what to do? I’m not sure. I’m going to hold off posting this until I hear some feedback from her. Here’s what I’d love to ‘get’ out of this situation.

  1. I want to keep my cover artist and interior artist because I believe consistency is CRITICAL with a series.
  2. I want flexible deadlines because I’m a teacher and can’t crank sh…er… stuff… out at a ridiculously fast pace.
  3. Money! (duh, but really, a healthy percentage cut or something…)
  4. Marketing assistance – I can do some, more in the summer, but not a lot due to my day job. I’d love some help.

What I don’t want

  1. Going back into edits on both novels
  2. Arguments over illustrations or cover (MY BOOK = MY COVER)
  3. For someone to get me to sign it over then sit on it.
  4. Changing the character/nature of the novel
  5. Being hung out to dry
  6. Watching my sales stagnate.

Let me add some caveats – I’m not a control freak, not am I a crazy person to work with. Just ask my editor, cover artist, formatter, etc. I’ve very low maintenance, but I do want to be listened to and included in the conversation. I don’t want to be talked down to, but I am willing to listen to constructive criticism. I know that Self-Published authors get a lot of flak for being difficult to work with or unprofessional, but I think that publishers often think that their work is superior in all ways, and that they don’t have to listen to people. I’ve found plenty of typos in major publishing house’s work before, so that’s not an issue with just one publisher. I also don’t think the stereotypes about either side are true, as I met absolutely wonderful people at EPICon who would fit either of those categories. I’ve also been looking up and doing my research, and I noticed that this particular publisher was relatively low on the Alexa score rankings, (type in Alexa Rankings and you can type in any website and see their traffic information). So I’m still torn.

Of course, nothing has been offered and therefore this could all be moot!

Lots to think about I suppose.

 

EPICon Day 3

An overview of Day 3 of EPICon and the top mistakes authors make when trying to get published.


Howdy all,
This will be my second posting about EPICon 2013 in Vancouver, Washington. Day three came early and dreary, as the near constant grey skies and overcast weather constantly seemed to try and intrude upon our learning adventure.

Day three focused on self-publishing and traditional publishing strategies. It also included an awesome eFiesta! Readers’ luncheon and Book Fair. Then the awards banquet that evening. So a very busy day!

As far as the self-publishing strategies and tips/tricks, I got a lot of very useful information from Ms. Kate Richards of Wizards in Publishing. She shared how critical it was that self-published authors find peer groups in their local areas to review and critique their work. As a self-published author, I can say that this is so critical for us. Self-published books get a bad name because there are people who don’t bother to make their book look, and read, well…professional. Critique groups and a healthy amount of beta readers can make any novel sound and flow better, before and after it is written. A good editor and a good cover artist are also important. And with editing, 99& of the time you get what you pay for. A cheap edit will frequently be a bad edit. Several writers at the convention shared horror stories about bad edits.

But Daniel, you cry, I don’t want to go broke with my editing! – That is where good critique groups and beta readers come in. They will help eliminate many of the more common issues before sending it to an editor. You shouldn’t need the most expensive editor out there, but someone who has experience (preferably with your genre) and an interest in your novel. Also look into contests that give critiques out as they can be exceptionally valuable too!

By the way, there was also an editors/publisher panel where people asked questions and shared tidbits about each publishing house and their submissions policy. They all agreed that the biggest mistake people make when submitting a book is to a.) not follow guidelines and b.) Not follow guidelines by sending it to the wrong person or not sending their book at all!

Alright, more later! Have a great day! (My spring break starts today!) If you’re on spring break also and looking for a good read, check out my Award Winning novel! (I can say that now, still makes me smile with happiness!) for Kindle, Nook, or any of the other major platforms. Enjoy!

 

Looking for a few good readers

I’m looking for a few good Readers to do some reviews! Read more to learn about this great opportunity!


Hi everyone! Happy Saturday!

I’m looking for a few good readers to read and review some Advanced Reader Copies of Copper Centurion. I’ve got the entire novel ready to go, with the exception of the illustrations, and would like to send it out for people to review prior to it’s drop date. If you’re interested, send me a message or leave a comment with your email below! I’d be willing to give out up to ten digital copies of my novel, so get them before they are gone!

Ciao!

Turning your story into a community experience

Turning my novel into a community experience.


Hi all,

As many people may know from my recent kickstarter, I offered the opportunity for readers and contributors to create a character for inclusion into Iron Tribune, the third novel in the Steam Empire Chronicles. I know that this can be considered a strange idea. After all, as a self-published author, didn’t I go this route precisely because I wanted more control?

Yes. And No.

As an author, I want to engage people. My goal is to get people to buy my books, enjoy reading them, and tell other people to buy my books because they enjoy them. What better way to encourage people to share the news about my net novel than to let them have a hand in building it? Or at least a part of it?

As a result of the kickstarter, I’ll be introducing four new characters into my story. While I have some inkling of how to introduce them, I still don’t know much about the specifics yet! I have to see what their creators would like to include. That being said, I’m still the author, so I still get to make tweaks as necessary. The characters must fit the story, not the other way around.

I think of this as a professional challenge and opportunity. It’s pushing me to expand my story and not get ‘too comfortable’ so to speak. It is also making me plan my story to a much greater degree, as I’ll have to incorporate new characters and new situations.

What do you think fellow authors? Would you include reader generated characters into your stories? And readers, would you be more likely to read a story you had input into, either character or event wise?

Respond in the comments below! 🙂

Radio Interview Link & Last Day for Kickstarter!

The link to the radio interview and a notice about the last day of my Kickstarter project!


Hi all,

As promised, here is the link to the Radio Interview that I just did. Since then, I’ve read a lot about how people think they are a scam and what not, but the way I see it, I’ve gained some confidence in myself, gained some practice at how to effectively talk about your story, and can now use this audio file to help expand my readership. I’m also going to turn it into a youtube video to provide another way for people to find me.

kickstarter logo
kickstarter logo (Photo credit: AslanMedia)

Also, the Kickstarter project for Copper Centurion is almost done! This is the LAST day for anyone to contribute to the cause! There are some awesome rewards available, such as a digital copy of all the artwork from books one and two, as well as getting a handwritten thank you note. Of course, my favorite is the one where you get to name your own character, but that is just me :-).

Ciao!

– Daniel

Radio Interview!

See the show notes from my five minute radio interview with Kevin from Global Talk Radio!


Hi All,

I recently did a radio interview with Kevin from Global Talk Radio after they had a promo for five minute radio interviews. What can I say, these guys were super nice and considerate. Because I live on the East Coast, it was sort of a challenge to match my schedule with theirs (west coast), but they made it happen. I’ve posted the questions and my answers below, and hope to be posting the actual radio episode later this week!

How did you get started being a writer?

I actually started as a writer in college, when I decided to write a story that used all of my friends as characters. I got about 7 or 8 chapters in, but then lost interest. For me, one of the hardest things about writing is being self-disciplined enough to actually finish the novel. When I wrote Brass Legionnaire, it helped that I actually wrote down the entire story in a journal I had lying around, rather than sit at the computer and start from scratch. The words seemed to flow more easily for me.

Why did you go the self-publishing route?

I’m impatient and like to be in control! Actually, I had been doing a lot of reading about self-publishing and it seemed to me like it was something that was more practical and doable then trying to get an agent and get my book published by a company. Brass Legionnaire is a good book, and I’ve found great people to back me up on it through my own research. That’s another important part. Instead of having my team picked for me, I could pick my team for the editing, cover art, illustrations, etc. I liked that level of control.

Why Roman Steampunk? 

It was actually an inside joke that took off. I’ve always loved Roman history, and studied aboard in Rome and Naples during college. I’m also a big fan of alternative history, and noticed that very few authors had examined how the world would have changed if the Roman Empire was still around, even though it very likely could have. Plus, I enjoyed novels with steampunk elements that are more realistic, so I used my own knowledge to try and create steampunk creations that would actually make sense in a Roman world. This isn’t Victorian steampunk, no canes and zombies or giant guns, but instead a focus more on animal-like machines and gunpowder loaded weaponry that could realistically evolve from the Romans of old. You’ll see the world really expand in Copper Centurion, my next novel.

What advice would you tell new authors?

Plan, save up, and write a lot! Plan out your novel, then your post-novel plan – who will edit, make cover art, format, and how will you publish. Will you go with Amazon KDP or for a more broad spectrum release with Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, iTunes, etc. Save up your money, because you can do it cheap, but in this case cheap is not always good. You want your editor to really help clean up your story, not just do a one time sweep for loose punctuation.

How do you keep in touch with fans?

I have a twitter – @Dottalini, a blog – danielottalini.com, and a Facebook page. I also created a book page – brasslegionnaire.com for my novels, since I sort of wanted to keep that series separate from my author blog when I start writing other novels that aren’t part of this series.

What was your biggest mistake and your greatest achievement (so far)?

So far, I would say my biggest mistake was not writing more. I wish I had been smarter and had at least two stories ready to go, instead of just the one. It would have been fast and simply to make a 10-15,000 word novella and pop that out really cheap next to my other novel, that way I could hook more readers with a low-priced introductory story. My greatest achievement is that my novel – Brass Legionnaire – has been nominated for an EPIC – Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition – eBook award – it’s a finalist (top three) for the action adventure category. That is insanely cool considering that Brass Legionnaire is my first novel.

Round Up: Copper Centurion is coming out this spring, and a short story – Roma Aeronautica, is also coming soon. I’ll be starting work on novel number three, Iron Tribune, next! My books are on sale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.

 

(P.S – in case you were wondering, this is not a paid advertisement or whatnot – did you really think I would do that? I paid for the interview and simply enjoyed the experience. Ciao!

Copper Centurion Cover Art Reveal

Cover Art for Copper Centurion is out! Check it out and learn more about the progress of my kickstarter campaign!


Happy Long Weekend everyone!

Hopefully people are out enjoying their long weekend, but if you are stuck at home (or, like me, poor, grading work, and stuck at home) then take a moment to check out the cover for Copper Centurion. I’m really excited to be bringing this to you. Those of you who look closely may spot some clues to some parts of the story! But I’m not giving any more clues!

Continue reading “Copper Centurion Cover Art Reveal”

What is Kickstarter?

What is Kickstarter, and how does it work?


Hi all,

Hopefully by now, you’ve had a chance to check out my latest Kickstarter project and hopefully support me in my bid to publish Copper Centurion, the 2nd book of the Steam Empire Chronicles. I had quite a few people ask me in the last few days exactly what Kickstarter was! So prepare for a whirlwind tour of Kickstarter Nation.

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative and awesome projects. This means that people looking to get a start in creating or producing something will find a home among the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who support projects on kickstarter.

From the Kickstarter Website –

Everything on Kickstarter must be a project. A project has a clear goal, like making an album, a book, or a work of art. A project will eventually be completed, and something will be produced by it.

So what is the catch? Two actually. The first catch is that each project must be funded fully or beyond. So if you ask for $500 dollars, and only get $499, you get no money, zip, zilch, nadda. Which is good and bad. It doesn’t leave ‘partial’ projects hanging in limbo as creators try to secure other fundraising sources. The second catch is that each project creator must build reward tiers for each level of sponsorship. Pledge ten dollars to my project? You get a copy of both Brass Legionnaire and Copper Centurion ebooks. So in return for your money upfront, I give you a copy of what I’m working on (or have already finished). The rewards go up as the money goes up. I’ve seen people offer major characters in video games as rewards, names for product lines, given producer credit on albums, etc. Screen Shot 2013-01-14 at 9.49.21 PM

The only limits are pretty obvious – no weapons, no bribing (money for money or coupons for money) along with other banned substances. Kickstarter has more information, but really, be creative! My favorite tiers are the two highest because the rewards are the coolest! If you pledge $100, you get to create and name a character in Iron Tribune, my next full-length novel, and you can even choose his/her death. Of course, if you want something even cooler, you’ll pledge $250, which nets you all that plus a Roman Helmet. A legit helmet, not something you find in the dollar store.

But I digress. So rewards are the bread and butter of Kickstarter, but how to get rewards?! You must make your project cool. Kickstarter recommends making a video to promote your project. I plan on doing this, but the weather and light have not been cooperative, argh! But it also helps to have a social network out in advance – twitter, facebook fanpage, or email listserv. Alternatively, you can hit up friends and family to support to.

So there you have it – create your project, tell people why you need their hard earned money, then create your reward tiers, promote and voila! Hopefully a fully funded project. Oh, did I mention the time limit? 45-60 days max! And you must deliver on your rewards. Oh, and Amazon takes 5% of the money doled out in processing fees. So be aware, but then continue on! If there’s anything I learned, it is to start small – ask for $250 to help you get illustrations for your novel. Then see where it takes you!

Have any of you used Kickstarter? How did you like it? Were you successful?

Ciao!

Kickstarter Launch for Book Two

A new Kickstarter Campaign has been launched for Copper Centurion! Take a moment to read more and consider contributing to my second novel!


Greetings everyone!

It is with great excitement that I launch my second Kickstarter campaign, aimed at helping me fund book two of the Steam Empire Series, Copper Centurion. There’s some awesome rewards up for contributing, and I’ve really thought hard about what people would like to see from me as a reward.

To be blunt, at first I really did not want to use Kickstarter. I’d gotten help on the first novel, and wanted to really pay off all my followers by doing it all on my own. But the truth is, I need your help. A lot has changed in the past year for me, and the funding from Kickstarter will truly help improve the overall design, formatting, and feel of the novel. The cover art is already in progress, as is the editing, so the timing here is critical.

The funding will help defray the costs of editing, formatting, artwork. With Kickstarter money, I can add more illustrations and maps to the final novel. I can also focus my time on typing up short stories for the rewards! With my last book, I raised about half the cost of the novel through Kickstarter. I’ve lowered it to just 1/3 this go around. So take a moment to consider a donation. The campaign runs through February 10th, so check it out!

Thanks again so much for your continued support. I truly appreciate it. You have helped me bring my dream to life, so thanks, for everything.

Carpe Diem,Daniel