Have you heard of the crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter? If you haven’t you should check it out because it’s a great resource for writers, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, and just about anyone else you can think of.
I’ve been a proud Kickstarter lurker for over a year now and come across many great brands and individuals through it. On Wednesday I will no longer be a lurker because I launch my first campaign – in aid of getting Beyond Parallel in Print. Let me tell you, I’m excited and terrified all at once.
It’s Like Launch Day All Over Again
At the start of 2013 I launched Beyond Parallel as an Ebook and it was one of the proudest, most exciting, and purely terrifying days of my life. I’m going through similar emotions right now. On the one hand I’m excited about meeting new people, bringing all my friends and family together, and reaching the target of £2,743 with days to spare.
On the other, what if it’s a complete disaster?
What if my mum’s the only person to pledge?
Why, it would be the most embarrassing thing in the whole wide world – kind of… sort of… not really.
I’m sure you understand my pain, but in order to succeed in life you need to be bold form time to time. This is one of those occasions and I’m intrigued about the lessons that await. This may be my first Kickstarter Campaign, but it won’t be my last. I’m planning a second for my next novel later this summer, and a third in aid of The Successful Mistake.
Is It All About The Money?
For those of you who don’t know the ins and outs of Kickstarter, this is a simple breakdown:
You set yourself a target – say, $3,000 – and create a series of rewards that people can contribute towards – T-Shirts, Signed Copies, Early-Bird Access, etc – and you share it with the world through videos and images and cool-ass content. If you raise the full amount then the money is yours. If you don’t raise the full amount, it isn’t.
HOWEVER, despite the money aspect of crowd-funding being important, it’s not the part that excites me the most. Don’t get me wrong, the £2,743 target that I’ve set is very much needed, but the thought that I’ll meet new readers, interact with existing ones in a unique way, and generally create something bigger than myself is the greatest gift Kickstarter offers.
Standing out as an author is tough these days, and in my opinion Kickstarter can help achieve this – not just for writers, but designers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and inventors alike.
What’s The Plan
On Wednesday 12th June the Beyond Parallel Kickstarter Campaign Launches!
The video is ready, the rewards are awaiting, and the story-behind-the story is ready to sweep you off your feet. I’ve tried to be as transparent as possible and have great ideas for updates throughout the month. Pretty soon we’ll see whether this Kickstarter Campaign will shine or fall.
Will you help it shine?
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There’s going to be much more info on this site in the following weeks, but there are certain things you can do RIGHT NOW to HELP:
1: JOIN THE EVENT: Sneak Peek access to videos, rewards, and other cool content.
2: SIGN UP TO THE LIST: be the first to know EVERYTHING
3: INTRODUCE AN INFLUENCER: know a journalist or blogger? Introduce them to this campaign and help spread the love.
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Like I say, I’m excited/terrified about what awaits.
I’ve been planning this Kickstarter Campaign in my head for some time, and I’ve asked A LOT of advice from people who have been there and done it – thanks to those amazing folk, by the way. I have 3o days to raise £2,743 and get Beyond Parallel in Print. This is the dream. This can be realitty. But I’ll need A LOT OF HELP to make it happen!
I hope you’ll be part of this journey and Pledge & Share
Wish me luck and keep those fingers crossed
Turndog – @turndog_million
