Featured Q&A with Mary Rowen

[Michael]

1. What made you decide to crowdfund for your project?

Obviously, I knew that any money I could raise would be helpful with marketing. But I also wanted to spread the word that I was planning to publish another book. When I self-published my first book (Living by Ear) I was surprised by the number of friends and family members who were shocked to hear that I wrote at all. So I figured a crowdfunding campaign would be a nice way to do some pre-publicity.

2. Did you have any apprehension about the crowdfunding process?

Yes. As a writer, I doubt myself constantly, and was afraid no one would pay any attention. Also, since my first book had come out less than a year earlier (Leaving the Beach is actually an older project, that I'd been working on for over ten years) I worried that people would be tired of hearing from me.

3. How would you construct your campaign and outreach differently?

I might've done some outreach before the campaign started. The campaign only lasted 30 days, and after it was over, some people told me they hadn't heard about it till it ended.

4. What was your most effective method of communication?

I used both email and Facebook, and am not really sure which was more effective. Maybe Facebook, as I could post different images on a regular basis. People responded very well to the images I posted.

5. What were you able to achieve with your campaign dollars?

I'm currently working with an amazing publisher called Booktrope, and am using the Pubslush funds for some marketing efforts they're not able to cover.

6. Could Pubslush do anything better to assist in your campaign efforts?

Not sure. I think Pubslush did a great job.

7. Did the crowdfunding process change your writing or artistic approach?

I don't think so.

8. What did you learn about yourself or the world through this process?

I was amazed at the number of people who came forward, both with donations and with words of encouragement. This may sound cheesy, but the Pubslush campaign renewed my faith in humanity.

9. How do you see crowdfunding fitting into the publishing process, now and in the future?

As more authors self-publish--and publishing companies do less marketing for their authors--I think crowdfunding is becoming more and more important to writers who don't have much of a marketing budget. Conferences, book fairs, hiring marketing and PR professionals, entering reputable contests: all of these can be effective ways of getting your book in front of potential readers, but most also come with a fee. But running a Pubslush campaign is free, so just by running it, you're able to showcase your book to a worldwide audience. And if you raise some funds too, that's all the better!

10. Any other comments or advice you would like to offer?

Just that I'd once again like to thank Pubslush for all their help and guidance. Without the support of the staff, I would've backed down before the campaign ever launched. I found Pubslush to be a great group of people to work with, and would recommend them to any other author hoping to promote a book.