Kickstarter, launched in 2009, was the first to demonstrate the magic of crowdfunding, allowing vetted campaigners to set rewards for different tiers of project backers: pledge a certain amount, and you’ll receive a little something in return for thanks.
Some of these rewards are small but meaningful–like a backer’s name appearing in a book, or even becoming a character–though, with book projects, you’ll always find a copy of the title as a pledge reward. This makes Kickstarter, along with dedicated book crowdfunding platforms like PubSlush and UK-based Unbound–vehicles for pre-ordering, and backers know they’re playing an essential role in the book’s ultimate success of being published.
Not surprisingly Kickstarter and the others have been quite a boon for indie authors (In 2014, 2,064 out of 7,050 Kickstarter publishing campaigns were a success, which means a lot of happy readers and writers!). We at IndieReader believe that the books generated by successful crowdfunding campaigns truly represent the best of what indie publishing can be–books created by authors with a vision and supported by readers who share that vision.
For example, Paul Kingsnorth’s The Wake (funded via Unbound) was longlisted for the Man Booker prize 2014, won the Gordon Burn Prize 2014, was longlisted for the Folio Prize 2015, shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2014, won The Bookseller Industry Book of the Year Award 2015 and has been longlisted for the Desmond Elliot prize 2015. Not bad for a post-apocalyptic novel set in 1066.
Below find five Kickstarter book campaigns that went above and beyond their goals:
Descartes’ Meditations, Bro created by Tommy Maranges
Brace yourself for flashbacks to your freshman college-level English class and wading through your first introduction to philosophy. You might’ve read Descartes, though if not, you certainly know his famous axiom: “I think, therefore I am.”
But if you’d like a deeper understanding of the great 17th century thinker, Philosophy Bro’s got your back. His project Descartes’ Meditations, Bro seeks to be an easy-to-read edition to Descartes’ groundbreaking work, presented in a way that’s as funny as it is insightful (judging from Philosophy Bro’s casual, sailor vocabulary). Think Drunk History–only with a sober bro leading you on the path of enlightenment.
Getting Naked for Money by Edie Jarolim
The provocative title of Edie Jarolim’s memoir recounts just one of her many adventures around the world as a professional travel writer for Frommer’s Guides, the Complete Idiot’s Guide and for Dummies series. “This book can either serve as an inspiration or a cautionary tale,” Jarolim says of her journey as a freelance writer, a career change she took close to middle age.
Venture with Edie as she goes on assignment in a nudist resort and sit in on other whacky moments; it’s a project that’s sure to inspire or tickle the funny bone for anyone with a spirit of adventure or who loves to travel.
Hello Ruby created by Linda Liukas
Linda Liukas successfully funded her campaign Hello Ruby, bringing in almost 400 times as much money as she asked for: over $380,000. Her book is not only entertaining, but educational, teaching kids the fundamentals of computer coding.
Liukas began the book as a simple side project, illustrating her own challenges in coding through the lens of how Ruby, a child-sized personification of the coding language, might approach the issue. It’s no surprise her Kickstarter became a phenomenon, fusing fun and education in a way that makes coding more accessible to children–including young girls.
Assault Rifles & Pedophiles created by Brian Krans
Brian Krans used Kickstarter to fund his third novel, Assault Rifles & Pedophiles, under his own book company, Rock House Press. A fun thriller featuring a reporter whose beat is celebrity suicide–but there’s more going on in the city after dark than meets the eye!
Krans used his Kickstarter money–just shy of $10,000–to cover the costs of printing, distribution and formatting the digital version. Among one of the more creative pledge rewards in Krans’ campaign: “I’ll write your family Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/Festivus letter next year, including interviewing you for quality source material.” (And all five spots were filled–netting him 1/6th of his goal!)
Fiction Unboxed created by Sean Platt
There’s no arguing that recent technological developments and platforms have revolutionized how we write, buy and read books.
Fiction Unboxed, brainchild of authors Sean Platt and Johnny Truant, set out to change storytelling forever by having the authors write and print a full novel in just 30 days–live in front of an audience. Not only could backers watch the story unfold, but they were aslso treated to the finished book as well as transcripts of communication between the authors. The two went on to create an archive of all the content for purchase online–serving as an example for how to craft an amazing story in a tight schedule.
The Fiction Unboxed novel and project, overfunded just 11 hours after going live on Kickstarter, show that thinking out of the box and finding a way to give back to the community with your work will certainly grab readers’ attention!