Pubslush Literary Corner discussion
Featured Q&A
>
Featured Q&A with Kim MacQueen
date
newest »
newest »
It's very interesting to me to hear the lessons Kim learned from her campaign. I'm into the second week of mine and am finding it is helping me hone my marketing plan. I had a finished manuscript as well as an established platform when I chose to start a Pubslush campaign to spread the message of my memoir and reach new readers. It proves that there are many ways a Pubslush campaign can help, depending on each writer's individual needs. Congratulations, Kim on a successful campaign!
Thanks for your post, Kim. I'm getting ready to try Pubslush for two reluctant authors -- I think hearing about your experience will help them a lot. Congratulations, as well, on a successful campaign.
Kathleen wrote: "It's very interesting to me to hear the lessons Kim learned from her campaign. I'm into the second week of mine and am finding it is helping me hone my marketing plan. I had a finished manuscript a..."Thanks Kathleen! I'll check out your campaign. Best of luck with it!
Michele wrote: "Thanks for your post, Kim. I'm getting ready to try Pubslush for two reluctant authors -- I think hearing about your experience will help them a lot. Congratulations, as well, on a successful campa..."Michele, the thing that strikes me is that I found my campaign really simple and fun to do -- And that was working by myself. Now my business partner and I are doing this for clients, with a great staff of writers, editors and videographers. Now THAT is fun.
Great stuff. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Pubslush and my now-published novel, Virginia's Ring!
This is a very interesting discussion for me, as I am about to start a campaign for a new charity writing project called Write Minds (www.writemindsgroup.com), and also to completely repackage, re-title and redesign the cover for my first novel. Goodreads friends have been really generous with help and advice, but after A/B testing suggested titles and cover designs I just didn`t feel we were there yet. If anyone has any advice about generating a great title, I would love to hear it!The practical advice above, about videos and other things, is really helpful though!
And now about what motivates me as an author? I am fascinated by paradox and contradiction, and love to explore and play with them in my writing. Actually, though, I don`t feel that writing is about motivation - for me, it`s a necessity. Writing is my life`s work and my working purpose. I have to write, like some people have to play music or climb mountains. It`s the only work that doesn`t seem like work to me, even though it sometimes drives me crazy, especially when I`m falling asleep and I keep having to sit up and put my bedside lamp on to write down ideas before I forget them - maybe ten times in a row?!!
Meira wrote: "This is a very interesting discussion for me, as I am about to start a campaign for a new charity writing project called Write Minds (www.writemindsgroup.com), and also to completely repackage, re-..."Titles can be so, so hard. I've always found that if I try to think one up, I will hate it. If my friends make suggestions, I will initially love those suggestions and then inevitably, later, I'll hate them. And it's the same with cover ideas. I mused and fumed over the title for my first novel for months. There's no replacement for that fuming/musing time. You walk around thinking and plotting and planning and ultimately, the title will suggest itself. That probably is too hippy dippy for lots of people! But it's the only thing that's worked for me: Walk around thinking about it for a long time, and pay attention to the ideas that suggest themselves.
Meira wrote: "And now about what motivates me as an author? I am fascinated by paradox and contradiction, and love to explore and play with them in my writing. Actually, though, I don`t feel that writing is abou..."Excellent! When I don't write, I hate myself. That's why I write.
What made you decide to crowdfund for your project?
I saw it as a very simple way to buy time to write my book. It allowed me to actually turn down a couple of freelance projects that I would ordinarily have felt I needed to take. So crowdfunding instantly made me feel more in control of the timing for the whole project.
Then once I got into it, I realized I was pre-selling my novel before it was even completed. The whole process helped me to get much more organized, much earlier than I would have. I hadn’t realized how much power crowdfunding would have.
How would you construct your campaign and outreach differently?
I’d definitely do a much better video, and take more time with it. I hadn’t really built my tribe for this book at the time of my campaign – no designer or video people lined up yet. Now I’ve got those people, and I can’t wait to get them all together to help me with launch and marketing. If I’d had them for my campaign, that would’ve been amazing!
What were you able to achieve with the funding you raised?
I basically bought myself a full month to focus on writing my book. I also conceived of a great side project (a cookbook to go along with the novel, at the $100 pledge level) that I wouldn’t even have thought of if I hadn’t really needed to think long and hard about pledge levels, etc. So it added some fun to a project that was already pretty fun.
Did the crowdfunding process change your writing or artistic approach?
Absolutely – crowdfunding is singlehandedly making me finish the novel now. So it’s great. It’s been kind of a godsend for this project, actually.
How do you see crowdfunding fitting into the publishing process, now and in the future?
Now I see it as pre-selling. And it helps you to get things organized in time, so that your entire project will be successful – not just the funding part. So now I see it as absolutely crucial not only for my personal projects, but also for all of my indie publishing clients. It’s become a central part of our business plan.
The crowdfunding process not only helped this author financially but fostered her drive to finish this project. What motivates you as an author? Where do you find the inspiration that pushes you to finish your work?