In 2014, successful speaking and communication coach Julie Howell ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to win a publishing contract for her first book (Get Your Public Speaking Mojo Back Forever!) via the new crowdfunding platform for books 'Britain's Next Bestseller'. (www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk)
This presentation covered:
What is crowdfunding and how does it work?
Why crowdfunding works for some books but not others
How to run a successful crowdfunding campaign
What you should do if your campaign is stalling
The role of social media in a campaign's success
Julie is sharing her experience to help other fledgling authors decide whether crowdfunding could be the right option for you and will be glad to take questions via her website www.juliehowell.co.uk.
2. Who Are You?
• Bucketlister
• Just for fun / Show my mum
• Sense of accomplishment
• Promote business
• Share knowledge
• Thought leadership
• Position in market
2
All perfectly
valid reasons
3. 3
Option Pros Cons
Traditional publisher
(Penguin, Routledge, etc., etc.)
• Lots of support
• PR machine
• Money
• Wait to be discovered
• Less control
• Whims of publisher
Self-publisher
(e-books, Lulu, etc.)
• Full control
• Speed
• Great if you’re web-savvy
• Less prestige
• No PR support
• Less chance of ‘success’
Crowd-funded publisher
(BNBS)
• Great if you have a big following
• Great if you love social media
• Once target achieved you have a great
book deal, including some PR support
• You must be web-savvy
• Your supporters must be
web-savvy
• It’s HARD WORK!!
Publishing options…
5. 5
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
6. 6
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
• I met Murielle Maupoint of Live It Books.
7. 7
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
• I met Murielle Maupoint of Live It Books.
• I wrote 12,000 words, didn’t like them, so DELETED THEM!!!
8. 8
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
• I met Murielle Maupoint of Live It Books.
• I wrote 12,000 words, didn’t like them, so DELETED THEM!!!
• 6 months later, following the death of my grandmother, it struck
me how proud she would have been had a written a book. So I
got in touch with my publisher again.
9. 9
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
• I met Murielle Maupoint of Live It Books.
• I wrote 12,000 words, didn’t like them, so DELETED THEM!!!
• 6 months later, following the death of my grandmother, it struck
me how proud she would have been had a written a book. So I
got in touch with my publisher again.
• Timing was perfect. A new imprint of Live It Books was about to
launch. I was invited to be one of the launch authors.
10. 10
My Story
• I had no intention of writing a book. Ever.
• I met someone who had just had his first book published via a
50/50 deal with Live It Publishing and he coerced me (‘Why
haven’t you written a book, Julie?’).
• I met Murielle Maupoint of Live It Books.
• I wrote 12,000 words, didn’t like them, so DELETED THEM!!!
• 6 months later, following the death of my grandmother, it struck
me how proud she would have been had a written a book. So I
got in touch with my publisher again.
• Timing was perfect. A new imprint of Live It Books was about to
launch. I was invited to be one of the launch authors.
• My target: 250 pre-sales in 12 weeks.
11. 11
Crowdfunding: how does it work at BNBS?
• Crowdfunding covers the cost of creation, distribution, promotion.
• BNBS works on principle that popular books will reach their target.
• The author submits a manuscript for consideration.
• Manuscripts MUST be complete and copy-edited.
• If accepted by BNBS you are given a pre-sales target.
• My target: 250 pre-sales in 12 weeks.
• You alone are responsible for promoting your book.
• To do this you must create a cover, get reviews, write promo blurbs.
• If you miss your target nothing happens.
• If you reach your target you get an international book deal.
• BNBS does the rest.
• Supporter incentives: name in your book & get book early.
12. 12
Crowdfunding is VERY DIFFICULT
• Who knows what crowdfunding is? (Kickstarter, Indigogo, etc.)
• BNBS is more like JustGiving than Kickstarter.
• How many of your friends and contacts understand crowdfunding?
• How many are willing to commit money online?
• People need to be reminded up to SEVEN TIMES (‘rule of seven’).
• Can you handle rejection?
• Are you comfortable asking for help again and again and again?
• How good are you at self-promotion and PR?
• Let’s look at my page on BNBS:
https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/index.php/book/index/GetYourPublicSpeakingMojo
BackForever
14. 14
My campaign
1. People who love you
2. People who admire your work
3. Your mailing list
4. Social networks
5. Press
6. Big customers
How many will pre-order on merit vs How many will pre-order on relationship?
Will people pre-order based on a manuscript they haven’t seen?
Will people pre-order a book they won’t receive for months?
16. 16
Pitfalls
• Time it takes to promote your book
• Steep learning curve
• Create promo materials, e.g. video
• Alienating yourself
• Hitting a wall
17. 17
But if you’re successful…
• You will be a published author
• You will have a REAL publishing contract
• Your book will have an ISBN
• You’ll have achieved something most
people don’t
• You will boost your profile
18. 18
How I did it…
• Relentless promotion via social media
• LinkedIn was crucial
• 155 supporters
• Final supporter bought 33 copies
19. 19
About me
Julie Howell
Successful Speaking & Confidence Coach
(and author!)
My book will be published
12th September 2014 by BNBS
(Available to pre-order on Amazon now!)
SPECIAL OFFER
3 x 1-hour coaching sessions (Skype)
Usual price: £135
SPECIAL OFFER: £99
CODE: BNBSWEB
www.juliehowell.co.uk
julie@publicspeakingmojo.co.uk