Gray Hammond asked Michael Dow:

Any advice on Crowdfunding? Thanks!

Michael Dow Hi Gary, I assume you're referring to crowdfunding for self-publishing of a novel? I would first take a look at the successful projects on Kickstarter (and maybe Indiegogo as well) that are similar to what you want to do, there are a lot more good examples than when I did it a few years ago. You really need a video, and some creative rewards (lots of options for books, especially works of fiction) - signed copies, acknowledgment, picking character names, etc. You'll see lots of examples. Personally, I would NOT do add on products like t-shirts or coffee mugs or posters; t-shirts especially are a huge hassle collecting sizes and adding to the mailing. That was a mistake on my part, it's a distraction, and I don't think anyone funded the project because of the t-shirt. In fact, several said "no thanks" when I asked if they still wanted one.

Have a good spread of rewards, from a few bucks to hundreds or thousands, depending on how much you are going to raise.

Then, the real secret is publicity. Email the project link to friends, share on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Get it out there. Best case is a catchy "hook" that can be used in the advertising. See if you can attract local media. When my project launched, I had several friends ready to fund it so it was partially funded almost immediately, and did not languish at 2% funded for weeks. I would also run the project no longer than 30 days, maybe less. That is plenty of time.

Good luck!

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