City of Angles Kickstarter
Mar. 8th, 2013 10:12 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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crowdfundingHello -- long time lurker, more or less first time poster. If this is inappropriate let me know and I'll take it down.
I recently launched a Kickstarter for my next book, City of Angles. Within three minutes I was fully funded! Granted, I set the goalposts pretty low because I have a very small readership and the self-publication costs weren't that high, but still, wow. That small readership has continued to be very generous, primarily picking higher tier rewards rather than the cheaper book-only alternatives, and as a result I'm almost out of stretch goals. All very nice.
One issue I'm having, though, is that I also wanted to use the Kickstarter as a promotional vehicle... a way of growing that small audience into something larger. Having a dozen-strong group of wealthy fans is nice, but having a larger group of fans overall is better for my long-term health. Since Kickstarter is a hot button site at the moment, having a project up there would mean more eyes on my story. And I am getting clickthroughs from KS to my site... although I can't tell if they're peeking and immediately leaving, or sticking around to read.
So, my question to fellow self-pubby authors is this -- how do you grow your audience? Where do you find more readers? And how can I promote a Kickstarter, specifically? At this point the money is inconsequential, but if I can use it to leverage more readers, that'd be superduper.
Thanks!
I recently launched a Kickstarter for my next book, City of Angles. Within three minutes I was fully funded! Granted, I set the goalposts pretty low because I have a very small readership and the self-publication costs weren't that high, but still, wow. That small readership has continued to be very generous, primarily picking higher tier rewards rather than the cheaper book-only alternatives, and as a result I'm almost out of stretch goals. All very nice.
One issue I'm having, though, is that I also wanted to use the Kickstarter as a promotional vehicle... a way of growing that small audience into something larger. Having a dozen-strong group of wealthy fans is nice, but having a larger group of fans overall is better for my long-term health. Since Kickstarter is a hot button site at the moment, having a project up there would mean more eyes on my story. And I am getting clickthroughs from KS to my site... although I can't tell if they're peeking and immediately leaving, or sticking around to read.
So, my question to fellow self-pubby authors is this -- how do you grow your audience? Where do you find more readers? And how can I promote a Kickstarter, specifically? At this point the money is inconsequential, but if I can use it to leverage more readers, that'd be superduper.
Thanks!
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Try this...
Date: 2013-03-08 08:26 pm (UTC)I have an article on "How to Boost Your Audience (http://penultimateproductions.weebly.com/how-to-boost-your-audience.html)" along with a bunch of other crowdfunding material. Mouse over the Crowdfunding tab to browse the rest of the content.
Since you're looking to expand your audience, I recommend creating perks aimed in that direction: count people who subscribe/friend your blog, count links to your site, count new commenters or donors, whatever you feel is a good benchmark for your audience.
One thing I do in this regard is the linkback perk poem for my Poetry Fishbowl (http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/730515.html). During the fishbowl, each link to the "fishbowl open" post reveals a new verse. Afterwards, if there are verses left, it switches to links to the "unsold poems" list or a favorite poem. The current one is "Carrying the Sea and the Sky (http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/2748034.html)" if you want to see how that looks.
Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-08 08:38 pm (UTC)I even ran a contest where I'd write a mini-story for the reader, if the reader promotes my story anywhere on the web or simply tells a friend. I got surprisingly few takers for this. I also have a promotion now for desktop wallpaper if someone comments three times on story drafts, and only one person has taken me up on it.
I do have a core loyal audience, that's definite. They follow and participate and are happy. But I need to draw in people who have never heard of the story before, who might be interested in becoming a new reader. I've tried Project Wonderful ads and I'm trying Kickstarter now, but nothing really seems to increase the audience size notably.
Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-08 08:43 pm (UTC)Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-08 09:09 pm (UTC)Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-09 06:33 am (UTC)Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-09 02:27 pm (UTC)I don't feel I'm really reaching potential readers, even with all of this. Like I'm missing some obvious web novel promotional avenue that other authors know about. Or have I really covered all the bases?
Re: Try this...
Date: 2013-03-10 02:56 am (UTC)I didn't think much of it either, for the same reason. However, Tumblr can be used for text, and one of my fans has drummed up a handful of new readers for my series An Army of One (http://penultimateproductions.weebly.com/an-army-of-one.html) there.
Turns out that Deviant Art also has folks posting literature on it. So I got an account there.
>>Like I'm missing some obvious web novel promotional avenue that other authors know about. Or have I really covered all the bases?<<
Unfortunately the fiction aspect isn't as advanced as, say, Webcomics where there are lots of host sites. Most people are still doing fiction on their blogs or other websites. The host sites are for fanfic, and tend to be downright hostile toward original fiction. Web Fiction Guide is a networking site only, doesn't host, which makes it harder to find a dedicated audience. I have yet to find a fiction site with all the features I'd like, which is why I just post on my blogs.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-09 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-09 11:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-10 12:15 am (UTC)You do interviews or guest posts in other people's blogs, about your work, writing, or something else that each blog's readers are interested in that is enough related to your Kickstarter or to the story it's funding to justify mentioning it and linking to it.
Some bloggers are happy to get content, others want to trade time--they get an interview or a guest blog post in your blog too.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-10 12:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-10 12:56 am (UTC)There's http://topwebfiction.com for advertising stories serialized online.
There are periodic things people can participate in to try to draw more people to their blogs like the A to Z Challenge (dang--mislaid that link and I'm supposed to be writing now, not Googling!)
John Gibbs does periodic Meagre Puddle of Limelight Awards http://jongibbs.livejournal.com/
Other things you can do is offer copies of your book to reviewers, giveaways at Goodreads and on your blog, going to conventions to do readings, signings, and panels...it's hard to say which things do the most good for an author's career, though. I think it's different for different people.
It's also hard to say whether the thing that immediately precedes a breakthrough in number of fans was in and of itself important or just the straw that tipped the balance.
We hear over and over that word of mouth is the best advertising--but it's much more mysterious how to get to the point where a person has enough fans for their individual words to tip the balance.
But that's why Ysabet started this group--I know about blog tours; I bet you know stuff I don't too!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-10 01:17 am (UTC)