The Inkshares 6-Step Guide to Crowdfunding Your Book

Inkshares has been crowdfunding books for over a year. In that time, the Inkshares team has observed how our most successful authors have hit their funding goals. We’ve included here our summary: a 6-step guide for getting a book project funded on any platform. Keep in mind, following these steps does not guarantee your book will get funded. But they will ensure you’ve done everything in your power to connect with potential readers of your book.

Step 1: Build Community. Become a part of your readers’ community, if you’re not already.

Step 2: Perfect Your Content. Put your best foot forward with content that will grab the attention of your reader.

Step 3: Share on Social Media. Use social media effectively and responsibly.

Step 4: Send Personal Emails. Keep your biggest supporters aware of your progress and tell them how they can help.

Step 5: Pitch Online Media. Research the right, targeted sites, and be smart in your outreach.

Step 6: Be Creative. Find novel ways to reach readers beyond the Inkshares community.

Step 1: Build Community
If you’re writing a science fiction novel, for example, learn about the science fiction community and become a part of it, if you’re not already. Follow leading authors in social media. Review their books on your blog, on Amazon, or on Goodreads. Support debut novelists you admire by broadcasting their successes. Join your local science fiction book club. Visit your local bookstore and spark up a conversation with the local science fiction fan on staff.

Inkshares offers a few social features that help build community with existing readers. Follow similar Inkshares readers, provide feedback to fellow authors, or even “pitch” readers on why they might like your book.

Writing may be a solitary act, but publishing is a community effort. Contribute and build meaningful relationships before expecting anything in return.

Step 2: Perfect Your Content
The readers you draw to your project page are inundated by content. If your project page has missing fields, spelling and grammar errors, or confusing run-ons, readers will move on.

Write a headline “idea” that boils down your book idea into a shareable, twitter-length statement. The headline should differentiate your project from any other book that’s been written, and your author bio should prove that you’re the only person who could write it. Create a video or include images so readers know the person behind the project. Have a friend, or many friends, read your chapter before uploading to ensure it’s free of spelling and grammar errors.

Every reader who looks at your page is deciding whether or not your book is worth backing. Make your page as perfect as possible, so readers are as excited as you are about making your book real.

Step 3: Share on Social Media
If you’re not on social media, you should be. Twitter and Facebook are a must for the writing community, but Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Goodreads can all be useful for getting word out about your project, sharing your enthusiasm, and driving potential readers to back your book.

They all also share the same pitfall: you can easily annoy your followers if you’re too aggressive. You can avoid this by keeping the updates steady but gentle. Share news that will genuinely interest your followers, like launching the project, hitting the 50% mark, or getting close to the funding goal. Share unique content, like photos, quotes, or personal experiences throughout the process. Keep it relevant and authentic, and your followers will appreciate your efforts and share in kind.

Step 4: Send Personal Emails
Before launching the project, gather email addresses of people who you expect to be your strongest supporters. Plan to email them personally with updates at the start of the campaign, midway, near the end, and give them instructions on how they can help—for example, re-tweeting your social updates. As you gather backers to your project, keep them informed—count them as your strongest supporters.

Email is a great tool if the person on the other end knows you and wants to help out. Otherwise, it’s just spam. Don’t be spam.

Step 5: Pitch Online Media
Before launching your book project, research sites that are truly relevant to your project. Ideally, you’ve been a reader for years and know who might be interested in your project. Better yet, you have a personal connection with them that will make them likely to take an interest in your project. At launch, let them know what you’re up to and why it might be relevant to their audience. If they’re not interested or don’t respond, let it go gracefully.

Any effort to contact media outlets must be personal, thoughtful, and targeted. If you blast media outlets unrelated to your project, they will likely ignore you, potentially ignore your book if it gets published, or worse, share your misfire with their audience.

A few mentions from the right targeted media will be better than wasting time bothering big-name blogs. If you feel like it’s a stretch reaching out to a certain media outlet, it probably is.

Step 6: Be Creative
The steps above outline the foundation of what goes into a successful book funding campaign, but it would be boring if that was all. Be creative in how to get the word out. Some of our most successful authors have created billboards, put up physical flyers in bookstores and cafes, or shared their project while participating in open mic nights. There’s no limit to what can be done to reach your readership. Spend time thinking about who your reader is, how you can engage them, and what matters to them. If done right, they’ll be your reader for the rest of your writing life.

Learn more at Inkshares.