Kickstarting Novels, part 2

Laura Kajpust
Creative Artist 

If you haven’t read the first part of Kickstarting Novels, I recommend you start there. https://booklogix.wordpress.com/2015/01/13/kickstarting-novels-part-1/

 

The focus this time ’round is on videos and descriptions. The similarities here from project to project were incredibly clear and a bit formulaic.

 

• Under each video, you have to write a brief pitch about your project. Successful projects came in two varieties:
  1. THE “WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY” PITCH. These may seem too easy and basic, but they work. Basically start with breaking down your novel like so: “In [where/when], [character name] does [what] to/because [why]”, and revise it from there. Simplicity and getting to the point are key.
  2. THE INSPIRATION/CALL-OUT PITCH. These sort of pitches focused directly on the types of people who would like their book. They do this in one of two ways. One, they may reference their sources of inspirations or similar popular series (think “[series x] meets [series y] with [original element] in this [genre] novel!”) Alternatively, they focus on the specific genre and major elements in the book that people would be looking for.
     Both these sorts of pitches are good.

The purpose of the blurb is to grab readers with immediate expectations, and both these styles give possible backers an understanding of what sort of book it is and if that’s something they like. The latter (what I call the “inspiration” or “call-out” pitch) does this especially well by linking their projects to well-known counterparts. The more popular your inspiration, the faster their brain will connect the dots between those books and your own.

 

2) VIDEO LENGTH. This varied between 1 ½ minutes to 3 minutes on average. You don’t want it to be too long, but you also want to be thorough in covering everything you must.

 

3) VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS. Successful videos did all of the following:

1. The author introduces his/herself, their background and/or credentials.
2. The author explains why they wrote the story.
3. The author tells you about the story, often focusing on characters, important elements, what the character learns, and why the story matters.
4. The author explains where the funding money goes to and why they need funding.
5. Authors clearly knew who this book was for, and either directly said who would like it (see the “inspiration/call-out” blurb) or was evident through video.

 

4) DON’T…BE TOO IMPERSONAL. When funding on Kickstarter, people are seeking to fund an individual and their story. They want to know who they are funding, and feel like they can trust you before they give you any money. Projects that did well had videos where the author was being his or herself.

 

5) DO…BE PASSIONATE. Projects that did well had authors who were very clearly passionate about the story. They were easily able to explain why they wrote the story, what they hoped to share or achieve with it, what inspired them, what their motivations were, and what it meant to them. People like to fund someone with a vision, not just “a story.”

 

6) DO…BE CLEAR. Projects that failed often were unclear in their direction. It wasn’t obvious who the book was for, why the funding was needed, where the money would go, or even why anyone should care.

 

7) DESCRIPTIONS. These were often similar to the content given from the videos. Some were a transcript of the video verbatim, but most elaborated on different aspects in the description (in particular the story and characters). Graphics or drawings are a nice additional here, as well as links to text samples people may read to preview the book.

 

8) CREDENTIALS. All projects that were successful had a sampling of the book people could read and get a taste of before they donate, and quite a few were able to reference to previous books they had written that were available for possible backers to check out. After all, backers want to KNOW they’ll like it before they commit!

 

9) DON’T OVERTHINK IT. Some videos were clearly shot by a poor camera in one place, while others were higher quality with book trailers, teasers, or a large variety of shots…but don’t worry too much about it. Because things may seem so formulaic when it comes to talking about your book, you may be tempted to break away from all of this as much as possible. However, these things work—consistently. Be creative, but don’t stray from the heart of the matter. Focus on the content you provide and how to best explain it.

 

10) SO, TO SUMMARIZE…Be yourself! Practice explaining what your book is about, why people should be interested, WHO would be interested in it, and how you can associate your project to things the backers can relate to and understand (Important! This can be pre-existing novels, movies, or even concepts and themes). The key is to build a connection to people so they know why you are writing this book and why they should support you. Sway them by showing your book is made for them and that they’ll love it! This might sound easier said than done, but you of all people should know what this book is about (you did write it, after all) and who it’s for (presumably, people like you). The biggest difference between failed projects and successful ones were in how well the author communicated their project and passion.

 

I hope you’re not feeling ready to start your project because we have a very big topic to look at next. Always save the best for last, right?

NEXT UP: How much money do you really need? Where will it all go? The financial side of setting goals and following through! Yahoo!

Want to Sell? Need to Market!

Angela DeCaires
Publishing Director

Unfortunately there’s a common perception among writers that getting their book listed for sale on Amazon or with other retailers means sales will automatically start to come in. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. If no one knows about your book, no one will buy it! This means that marketing the book is even more important than writing it.

Many authors are so focused on the writing, editing, and production of their book that they don’t start thinking about the marketing until the very end, when it’s almost too late. Whether an author uses a professional book publicist or does all their own marketing, there are several steps an author can take, while the book is still in the publishing process, to set the stage for marketing. Here’s where to start:

First, define the value proposition of the book. What is the purpose/goal of the book, and what will someone who buys it get out of reading the book? This should be done before writing, to make sure your manuscript delivers on the value proposition.

Next, identify the book’s target audience. Who are you trying to reach? Narrow down the sex, age range, level of education, buying habits, etc. of your target buyer. Unlike many authors think, not “everyone” is going to be interested in the topic of your book. Figure out who will and write it for, and market it towards, them.

Third, do your research! What are the other books in your genre/topic? How much are they selling for? How can you make your book different from the competition? What tactics will work best to reach them? These are all things an author should know before they publish a book.

Develop a marketing plan. In the plan, include your target audience and budget, then detail the steps and tactics that will be taken to reach the target audience and promote the book. There are many tactics in this digital age that are used to promote books: social media, blogging, paid ads, press releases, book signings, and more. Determining which ones are best for each book will vary depending on the target audience and genre.

All of the marketing and finances in the world won’t make your book sell if it’s not a quality product. Be sure your book is professionally edited by a book editor, and that you have an attractive and professionally-designed cover. These are things that will definitely make a difference in book sales.

Kickstarting Novels, part 1

Laura Kajpust
Graphic Designer

Many people are interested in crowdfunding, and Kickstarter in particular, for getting the money necessary to turn their book into reality but they often have no clue where to start! So join me in a three-part series researching the good ideas from the bad when it comes to successful crowdfunding.

If you’re planning a Kickstarter, definitely start your research by examining other projects that are similar to yours—both the ones that succeeded and failed. To create a specific place to start, I chose to research Young Adult novels and primarily fantasy or science fiction. The more similar the project is to your own, the more what you learn will help you.

To start off my research, I didn’t watch a single video or read any descriptions. We will get to those in another post! For this part, I focused only on the rewards and the numbers. I made a list of projects I felt were similar enough to be helpful and made a list of all their reward tiers. What did they offer for how much, and how many people chose that level? I hoped this would give me some insight on what people who want to support YA Kickstarter books were after. (Many of these I believe will cross over into other genres as well, but I highly recommend doing your own research to know what may or may not work for you.)

Here is what I found:

EVERYONE WANTS THE BOOK. Granted, no surprise here. Most backers go for the tiers providing either an eBook or printed copy (signed books also do okay).

1. NO, REALLY. From what I saw, a lot of rewards to get “other stuff” actually do REALLY poorly. T-shirts, bookmarks, and all that stuff are nice bonuses, but few people are interested enough to make them worth doing. This makes sense when you think about—if they haven’t read the book yet, how can they know they’ll love it enough to wear a t-shirt promoting it? Knowing this adds production costs anyway, I’d recommend novelists skip on these.On the other hand, it turns out people WILL pay for additional copies!
2. EXCEPTION: Posters and prints. People do like these, especially if signed by any artists you’re working with. Luckily, you can get these fairly cheap!
3. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU. Here comes a harsh truth, so brace yourself. For whatever reason, it seems many self-publishing authors think offering critique sessions, marketing advice, and personal chat sessions are good rewards for those upper $100+ areas. It turns out . . . they’re not. No one really wants these. At all.Why? Because most people don’t know you or your background well enough to trust what you have to offer is both accurate and worthwhile. So, sorry, but you’ll have to keep your genius to yourself for now. However, if you are extremely popular or well-known in your field, then—and only then—will this be a worthwhile incentive to provide.
4. FEW WANT RECOGNITION. It’s fairly common for being listed in a “thank you” page or acknowledgments to be a reward. In comics (my bread and butter), I have seen this listed on the low end a lot, but after looking at the numbers, I recommend doing the opposite. Even if at a $1, people first and foremost want the eBook or print book. They don’t care about the recognition. So put it as a higher bonus, so the big donors are who get their name listed—and, for what reasons, none of them seem to mind.
5. PRICING: Value your book too low and it doesn’t seem worthwhile. Value it too high and people will think you’re crazy. ($100 for a book? Really??) Here is what I’ve noticed:

1. eBooks are often at either the $5 or $10 tier
2. print books are often $20 or $25, with $30 for signed copies

(This is actually very similar for comic Kickstarters, which surprises me a bit since their black and white books shouldn’t be costing as much to print!)

Most backers go for: $5, $10, $15, $25, or $35

While higher-paying backers are all over the place, they are rare, and (for YA novels at least) often don’t give more than $300.

 

• NUMBER OF REWARDS: Too many is confusing, and too few gives little flexibility. 8-12 seems a good average. Personally, I feel 10 is pretty good. Something like: $1, $5, $10, $15, $25, $35, $55, $75, $100, $200
• HARDCOVERS? Hardcovers are crazy expensive to print, especially for someone self-publishing. But don’t despair—it turns out people are okay paying a lot for them if you make them collectable and worthwhile! The only risk here is that it’s still an additional production cost on all the rest AND will cost more to ship. So if you do this, make sure you price it well.
• PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE BOOK: Another good expensive reward is to name minor characters after donors. Turns out people like this more than following any “behind the scenes” stuff!
• DOES GOOD DESIGN HELP? In the comics category, good design will help you a lot to get ahead, especially since you’re in such a visually dominated category. But for novels, it turns out (for better or worse) that it doesn’t matter as much as you think. Badly designed projects had just as much chance of getting funding as well designed ones, and were equally likely to fail. But for what it’s worth, well designed projects WERE more likely to be staff picked and made slightly more money (although not significant).
• WRITING IS A HARD CATEGORY TO GET FUNDED. Publishing projects struggle to get funded on Kickstarter, for whatever reason. It is a long fight to reach your goal, and often slow. Even those that get funding barely get over 100 backers, or even 200. If they meet their goal, getting over that amount is just as difficult. I think this is important to keep in mind while planning.
• For people only printing their projects (no publishing), their goal range was anywhere from $500 to $2,000. For those seeking publishing services (professional editing, cover design, layout, etc.) the range was between $4,000 and $7,000. These seem to be good, safe ranges to stick to.

 

To end my research so far, I’ll note some unexpected reward ideas I saw that worked:

 

• Posting a PDF of the novel one chapter a week as a low tier, while those at a higher tier get the whole thing at once.
• Related to above: a Facebook group to discuss the book as it’s being posted/edited/written.
• Audiobook (higher tier reward)

 

PHEW, this is a lot of information to start with, but we’re not done yet! Next, we will look more specifically into videos, descriptions, and how to pitch it and impress. After that, we’ll end discussing how to plan out the process, determine your goal amount, and price everything out. I hope these posts will help authors understand what to look for when researching while also removing some of the uncertainty of the Kickstarter planning process.

 

Stay tuned for more!

Before You Write, Consider This!

So you want to publish a book. Think you need to jump into the writing first? Not so fast!  Many authors believe they have to do all of the writing and then figure out the rest. But to help give your book a fighting chance, you have to do some “homework” first.

Before writing, ask yourself:

Why are you writing the book?

Common reasons: for fun; to build your business; to enhance your credibility; or to leave a legacy behind. Is your reason to make money? You risk disappointment. Half of all published titles sell less than 250 copies a year.

As you write, be sure that your book fulfills that “why.” Will you end up with a book that makes you look like a credible expert? Will your book bring in new clients?

What type of book is it?

Spend some time clearly defining your book. What is your vision or concept? Once you have defined your book, while writing, be sure that you stay focused on the end vision.

Who is your reader?

This is a crucial question to answer before you type the first sentence of your book. Every decision you make from word choice and writing style to the physical attributes of the book to how it will be promoted should be aimed at your reader.

Why would they read it?

Why would someone want to choose your book over another book in the same genre? Do you promise new information they can’t get anywhere else? Will you teach them something they never thought they could do?  As you write the book, be sure your manuscript delivers on that “promise.”

How can it be marketed?

Every author should be thinking about how they will promote their book to potential readers, and get them to buy it, before they write.  The genre of book, the audience you want to target as potential readers, and the “hook” that will make people want to read the book are all factors in what marketing and promotional methods you choose.

So do your “homework,” and get ready to start writing!

I Want My Book in Book Stores!

Angela DeCaires
Publishing Director

You walk into the big box book store, and there they are, the latest new releases. It’s something every author wants to know about when they get started publishing their book: when will their book be in book stores? And although new technology and changes in the publishing industry have made it easier to publish a book, it’s not any easier to get it into book stores.

We actually don’t recommend that a self-publishing/independent author push to get their book into “chain” book stores right away. The model by which the industry operates doesn’t work in favor of self-publishing or independent authors. The authors have to fund the process of setting up the distribution, printing and shipping books to and from a distributor that supplies the bookstores, and they will be paid much less per book than the list price printed on the back. Distributors will pay 50% or less of the list price to the publisher (in this case the author). For many authors, that payment will not cover the cost of printing the books, let alone help with other expenses. Books can also be returned back to the publisher, and in many cases they come back damaged and can’t be re-sold. The publisher is then also out the money they spent to ship the books to and from the distributor’s facilities. And that’s all assuming that stores place orders for the book.

The author needs to also dedicate a large portion of their publishing budget to marketing the book, as retailers won’t order a book if they don’t know it exists. Simply listing a book with a distributor doesn’t mean it begins to show up in stores.

The good news is that the Internet has made book selling easier than ever and in most cases also means higher profits for authors. Authors should start out by selling their book online to gauge demand. If the demand is there, then they can move toward physical retail options. Local book stores, some of which are experiencing growth due to the closing of big box book stores, are generally much more receptive in general to independent authors. Terms of sale will vary depending on the store, so authors need to be sure they’re entering into a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Ultimately, good marketing is what sells books, regardless of whether it’s sold online, in stores, or both, so before a book is pitched to retailers, a marketing budget and plan need to be in place.

Why Can’t I Have My Book Out Next Month?

 

We live in a want-it-now, get-it-now culture. Cell phones, DVRs, and eBooks have put everything we want at our fingertips. Book retailers like Amazon and Smashwords have programs that allow writers to upload a manuscript and start selling it as an eBook right away. So it comes as a surprise to many first-time authors that it will take an average of six to nine months for their book to be published. Keep in mind these timeframes are for self-publishing or hybrid publishing, not for traditional publishing, which can take two or three times longer. The timeframe for your book may vary—we see some books published in four and a half to five and a half months.

Editing: The editing of the book is the most important, and also the most time-consuming, part of the publishing process. Editorial can take anywhere from one month to six months depending on the intensity of editorial needed. Proofreading and/or copyediting generally have quick turnaround times, while line and developmental editing will take much longer.

Design & Formatting: The design and formatting steps can vary greatly depending on how much design is being done and the type. Getting illustrations done for your book will add a lot of time onto the design process. Whereas just having a cover designed may only take about two weeks or so. Having the interior of your book formatted will also vary a lot depending on the elements of the book (photos, graphics, etc.), but plan on a couple of weeks.

Proofing & Advance Review Copies: You should receive a printed proof of your book to review after the design and formatting is done. Take your time and review it to make sure everything looks good, and submit any changes. After this time you’ll get a set of advance review copies for you to send to book reviewers to get early feedback on your book, submit to people you’d like to get endorsements from, or use for any advance marketing efforts. They may or may not have the final cover on the book. Plan on a month or two of getting feedback from sending out the advance review copies.

Revisions: After you have gotten feedback from sending out your advance review copies, you may work with your editor to go back and make some revisions to the book.

Marketing: Many of your marketing and promotional preparations can be done during other steps in the publishing process, such as the building of your website and setup of your social media. Marketing is an on-going task that never ends once the book is published.

You really don’t want to rush any of these steps—they’re all critical to publishing a successful book. If you rush a step such as editorial, and put out a book that has mistakes, in the long run you could create more work and lost time (and expenses) for yourself in having to go back and make corrections. So while you may be rushing to get the book out because your friends are dying to read it, tell them it will be worth the wait!

Raising $ to Publish Your Book

Angela DeCaires
Publishing Director 

If you’re thinking about publishing a book, by now you probably know that you’ll need funding to do so. There are many expenses associated with publishing a book, and it’s important to have enough room in your budget for each aspect of the publishing process to ensure a professional, high-quality book that is properly marketed.

 

But what if you don’t have the extra cash on hand to publish your work? Do you sit on that manuscript and wait years until you can cash in your 401(k)? There’s another option…crowdfunding! Many writers are now turning to crowdfunding to raise money needed to publish and market their book.

 

Whether you need money for editing, the design of the book, printing, the marketing, or all of it, if there’s enough interest in your book, you can raise some (if not all!) of the capital you need. There are many platforms an author can use to raise money for their book project. You’ve likely heard of Kickstarter, and there’s also GoFundMe, Indiegogo, and Pubslush. Pubslush is a great choice for authors because its focus is on books and authors specifically, whereas with other crowdfunding sites, you may be competing for attention against someone raising money for their baking business, for example, and the folks surfing the crowdfunding site may not be avid readers or supporters of literary endeavors.

 

Some important things to keep in mind if you’re going to crowdfund…

• First plan out your whole budget before you post your campaign. Be sure to include all expenses from start to finish: editing, design, and marketing. And be sure to include at least a few months of marketing expenses, not just your launch.
• Read the terms and conditions of the crowdfunding site carefully. What are the site’s fees? If you don’t reach your set goal, do you still get the money that was raised or none of it? Also, are there certain guidelines on the content of your book or type of book you’re raising money for?
• Be sure to offer some good incentives to your donors—autographed copies of your book, maybe a special edition version, or something like offering to do a reading with their book club. It’s very important though to be sure to include those expenses into your budget. You don’t want to get your funding, publish the book, and then realize you don’t have enough money to print up those special hardcover books you promised to your donors.

And most importantly, have fun! Running a campaign and publishing your book should be enjoyable and fun, not work!

 

Social Media Marketing for Authors, Part I

Ian Douglas
Marketing Coordinator 

Social media has become one of the most effective forms of global communication, allowing businesses to reach new, previously unavailable audiences with the click of a button—for free! The different platforms available have continued to multiply, each unique in its approach to reaching and captivating millions of people, every second of every day. There is a good chance you found this blog post through one form of social media or another.  Neglecting the potential clientele social media can bring you is no longer an option. But to those who are not well versed in the many incarnations of the social network (i.e., people not in their twenties and thirties), this can seem like a daunting task. It’s important that you understand social media marketing fundamentals, from maximizing quality to understanding what platforms are best for your book. This blog is the first in a three-part series that will help you understand social media platforms and how you can utilize them to sell more books.

The most important part of the marketing effort for any author is identifying the book’s value proposition. The value proposition should be solidified before you set up any social media account. This is going to be the crux of your marketing effort; everything you do with your book should revolve around it. If someone were to come up to you and ask, “Why should I buy this book?” your value proposition would be your reply. The value proposition may end up as your back cover text, so it’s important that you optimize it as much as possible with keywords that will increase search engine efficiency and readability.

Identifying your target audience is the next crucial step in your marketing effort. Nailing down the broad demographic factors that make up your audience will enhance your marketing endeavor, resulting in tangible gains and measurable improvement. The first step in identifying your target audience is realizing that it is not everyone. Think hard about the factors that would make up your potential reader. Sex, age, education, income, and family status should all be taken into account. If possible, identify these before you write.

I have an account, but what do I say? For better or worse, social media has given everybody a voice. The opinion of the common man can be immediately transported across the globe from any place at any time. This immediacy changed many aspects of society, especially marketing. People no longer want to be constantly marketed to. Instead, they want opinions from people they can trust. Whether it be friends on social media or a review they read on a website, it is important to realize that you need to court your clientele before bombarding them with sales pitches. How do you do this? Give them something for nothing. Abide by the 70%-30% rule. 70% of your content should be entertaining or informational while only 30% should be marketing your book. Entertain them while establishing your brand. Build their trust before you ask them to buy your book.

Pricing Your eBook

Roselyn Waiyaki
Project Manager

There are several misconceptions when it comes to pricing eBooks. By now, most (if not all) authors are acutely aware of the pros of having their book in digital format, especially given the popularity and success rate of titles like The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey in recent years.

What authors may struggle with is how to price their eBook. A good rule of thumb is to select a list price that’s half the price of the print book. For instance, if the list price on the physical book is $12.99, its eBook counterpart should not be more than $6.99. A common concern authors have is that a cheaper eBook price devalues their work, but this does not necessarily translate to the consumer. Although it may cost the author more to produce an eBook, once the initial cost is covered, they can theoretically sell millions of eBooks without incurring any additional cost.

Another important piece of advice for authors to keep in mind is which online bookstores they intend to sell their books on. For example, some retailers may have price restrictions dictating the range of prices for an eBook to fall within in order to receive maximum royalty payments. Anything lower or higher than that will result in them taking out a higher commission (which means less royalties in the author’s pocket).

There have also been studies that suggest that genre plays a significant role in eBook sales. It’s been said that generally fiction books sell best at lower prices, whereas nonfiction books sell better at slightly higher prices (although still in the $2.99 to $9.99 bracket for maximum royalties). This is because, for the most part, nonfiction books are deemed as problem solvers and add value to the reader’s life (think how-to books, diet books, etc.), while fiction books are generally considered to be more of an entertainment item.

Although these are not all the factors authors need to consider when pricing their eBook, they are a good starting point. At the end of it all, there’s no better driving force for sales than good content and great marketing.

Don’t miss our upcoming workshop “eBooks 101” November 22, 2014 at 11 a.m. EST

Follow the link for more information and sign up today! https://www.booklogix.com/November_Workshops.html

 

Pricing Children’s Books in the Age of Self-Publishing

Jessica Parker
Senior Publishing Consultant 

Authors of children’s books are quickly learning the difficulties in publishing children’s books in the age of digital printing and self-publishing. Unfortunately, it’s often too late in the process. There are several key elements that authors of children’s books must keep in mind early in the process in order to overcome certain obstacles they will face while publishing their books. However, the biggest thing I see authors struggle with is the pricing of their book.

Although digital printing and print-on-demand technology has made self-publishing possible, most people do not completely understand the concept of print-on-demand, which is very important for authors of children’s books. Digital printing is based off short print runs with quick turnaround times, which allows printers and fulfillment centers the ability to print books to order. Most online retailers have 48-hour turnaround times, meaning the book must be printed, packaged, and shipped within 48 hours of receiving the order. Due to this timing, self-published authors are able to list their books for sale online without having any up-front costs. Publishers and fulfillment centers collect the money from the buyer, and then start deducting the costs of production, packaging, and shipping. The money left over afterwards is paid to the author in the form of a royalty. Sounds great, right? The downside to this technology is that it is based off a quantity of one, which makes the price per book higher than a print run of 100, 500, 1,000, or more.

Now, the question I get most often is: “Why can’t I price my children’s book at $6.95?” I respond by saying, “Because you’ll end up paying your publisher or fulfillment center for every book sold.” Got your attention? There are two reasons most self-published children’s books cannot be priced that low. The first is that children’s books are most always full color, which is expensive to print. The average children’s book costs $5.50 to produce, and most online retailers take out a 30% commission. All in all, this makes it difficult to price your children’s book low like so many buyers are accustomed to seeing.

The most common follow-up question is: “Well, then why do I see children’s books for sale at retailers for $4.95?” Great question! This is made possible because these books were likely traditionally published and printed offset, which focuses on larger print runs. A great rule of thumb to remember here is that the more you print, the lower the price per unit. Traditional publishers print hundreds of thousands of copies in order to get the price per unit extremely low, which then allows them to sell the book for a lower price.

Although you may not be able to price your book at $6.95, you do want to price your children’s book as low as possible in order to compete with these traditionally published books. A great way to achieve this is to be cognizant of your production costs early on. Don’t design a children’s book that is sixty-four color pages that bleed. You also want to avoid large, oversized landscape books. Everything from the finished size of the book to the number of color pages can affect your production costs. The goal is to keep your production costs as low as possible without compromising the quality of the book.