Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“You have to have the attitude that the world won’t be the same unless your book is published” Justine Schofield, Communications Coordinator, Pubslush
I’m excited to announce that I have decided to participate in a Pubslush Crowdfunding campaign for my memoir!
What is Pubslush?
Last May, I featured Justine Schofield, communications coordinator at Pubslush as a guest on my blog to discuss “6 Ways to Know if Crowdfunding is For You.”
We all learned from Justine that Pubslush is “a global, crowdsourcing publishing platform for authors to raise funds and gauge the initial audience for new book ideas. For every book sold, Pubslush donates a children’s book to a child in need.”
Justine had reached out to me about Pubslush, and I’ll be honest, my first reaction was “Oh no, not another place to spend money.”
Why I Decided to Crowdfund My Memoir through Pubslush:
1. To reach new readers:
After learning more about the service, I realized it is more about collaboration and open dialogue between a writer and a community. Yes, it does involve raising funds but this is in exchange for ideas and engagement. It also provides an opportunity to fine tune my project by getting feedback from people who are willing to invest in the message and vision.
Vann Alexandra Daly, who considers herself to be “the Crowdsourceress”, describes crowdfunding as a ” democratic, collaborative process which allows an open dialogue between project creators and their backers…to fine tune and develop a better product” in this post “Why You Need A Crowd”
2. To share the message of my memoir:
I have been working with my publisher Paul Burt of Pen and Publish Press to develop a campaign with a system of rewards for various levels of contribution that will help spread the message of my memoir, Ever Faithful To His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse.
Sharing your transformative journey can transform readers. That’s why a memoir must focus on providing value, or benefit, to readers.
I hope to spread the message of hope, resilience and courage for women still searching for their own inner strength.
My journey to memoir led me to healing and self-forgiveness. My hope is that Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse will help others face their own past self-defeating choices and find their own pathways to healing
It’s more about the message than the book. The book is the vehicle to convey the message and the Pubslush campaign will help me find new readers and help me spread the message. Here’s my campaign video:
The funds generated will be used for promotion and marketing activities. I hope to reach out to local and global networks who serve women in abusive situations. This is where community comes in. New ideas will help me reach the right organizations.
My 30-day campaign starts Monday,May 12 and I will provide a link when it goes live. I hope you’ll join me in spreading the message of hope, resilience and courage to those who need it the most.
Thank you.
How about you? Have you ever considered crowdfunding your book? I’d love to hear from you and will be happy to answer your questions. Please leave your comments below~
This Week:
Thursday, May 9: ” Why Fear is the Key to Unlocking Your Best Writing by Joe Bunting”
Congratulations on this Kathy!
Thanks very much, Dan. I can certainly credit you for your expertise and guidance in helping me reach this milestone. 🙂
Hi, Kathy,
This is an important article and I’ll be looking out for the other one too. I’m also still researching my publishing options and crowdfunding is definitely on my list. It’s good to see the options are wide open for us writers – memoirists.
Dorit Sasson
Giving a Voice to Your Story
http://www.GivingaVoicetotheVoicelessBook.com
Hi Dorit, thanks for stopping by. Pubslush’s author support and focus on books tipped the scales in their favor for me. I also love that part of the proceeds goes for donations of books to needy children. Yes, our options are wide open. I wish you the best in your decision making process!
What is more appealing than a story about a victim being transformed into a victor! You can count on me to help spread your message of “hope, resilience, and courage.”
Your rewards system sounds great too, and I like the idea that Pubslush donates a children’s book to a child in need.” The saying “It takes a village” definitely takes on new meaning with this innovative approach to publishing. My crystal ball predicts success for you in this venture leading up to your book launch.Thank you, Kathy!
Yes, indeed, Marian, it does take a village to publish a memoir/book! Thank you for your ongoing support and vote of confidence. It means the world to me. 🙂
Kathy, thanks so much for sharing your decision to use Pubslush. I’m very happy I can be a part of your publishing journey and am so excited for your upcoming campaign! 🙂
Justine, it’s wonderful to have your support and guidance in my publishing journey. Thank you! 🙂
Kathy, all the best in succeeding with this! You’re truly inspirational, my friend, and I look forward to holding your memoir in my hands and reading it some day SOON!
Thanks,Debbie! It’s been a long road since we first met in 2009 and I’ve enjoyed your company every step of the way. BTW, I feel the same way about holding your book in my hands so keep us posted!
When designing the campaign, our goal was the direct benefit to the mission, not how much money would be left over after fulfilling the rewards. We focused on how we could get the most books directly into the hands of women through nonprofits, and public libraries, for donors who wanted to do more than get a personal copy. We wanted to give donors the opportunity to provide books to their local community, and extend Kathy’s outreach to a variety of groups.
Thans for stopping by,Paul. Your expertise and guidance have smoothed out this path for me!
Kathy … good luck in this venture … will be very interested to see how effective it is at expanding your audience! I’ll be rooting for you!
Thanks,Mary! Your words of encouragement and cheers mean a lot to me.
Congratulations, Kathy on taking this step! I, too, am interested in Crowdfunding with my next book I’m currently working on. I’m considering Kickstarter, but will be curious to see how things work and how they go for you with PubSlush. Did you consider Kickstarter? And if so, what main reason did you choose PubSlush? Thanks so much for always sharing your journey with us. I’ll be more than happy to spread the word for you once you begin your campaign. As always, wishing you the very best!
Thank you so much for all your support and enthusiasm, Barbara. I remember the excitement surrounding the launch of your memoir Through Frankie’s Eyes, and I remember wondering if I’d ever reach that point. And here it is! As I mentioned to Dorit, I selected Pubslush based on their author support and focus on books/literary works. The main reason I decided to crowdfund was to find new readers and spread my message. The funds generated will help me promote and market to target audiences–women’s shelters, nonprofits working with women,etc. Does that answer your question? I’m grateful for your cheers and good wishes. 🙂
Thanks, Kathy – yes, I remember well the excitement around my memoir, too. 🙂 Always a fun time! Thanks for your input about PubSlush. I will watch with interest as you go through this. I’m not quite ready to make a decision yet– have a ways to go in my writing process yet with my 2nd book. But will look forward to what you share along the way. I’m so happy and excited for you!
Barb, I’m excited about my campaign. The staff at Pubslush are very supportive and I look forward to sharing the adventure!
Always cheering for you, Kathy. This Pubslush idea is one I never considered but will follow with interest.
So proud of where you are in your publishing journey.
Shirley, you did an outstanding job of building book buzz with your book cover reveal party and your 100-Day Challenge. I think it served the same purpose I hope my Pubslush campaign will achieve–to spread the message of the book and gather new readers. Your support along the way has been amazing and I really appreciate it. Thank you!
Kathy, can you believe you draw closer each day to seeing your book in print? I am excited and congratulate you on your PubSlush decision and campaign. I’ll be joining your other cheerleaders to cheer you toward the finish line!
I know, Sherrey, it’s hard to believe, after all these years, that this dream is becoming a reality. Thanks for joining me in my campaign. Your cheers and support are greatly appreciated,as always!
Congratulations on taking one step closer to achieving your dream, Kathy. Your message is one that is so important and deserves to be shared. I’m honoured to follow your journey and wish you every success.
Thank you for supporting my message and my dream,Linda.I appreciate your presence on my journey. Your support and words of encouragement mean a lot.
Very interesting, Kathy! I had wanted to know more about PubSlush myself. At this time, I do not think this service is a right fit for my upcoming book, but I wish you a fervent success in your campaign!
Hi Amanda, Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate your kind and supportive comments. You hit the nail on the head about finding the right fit for your book. The beauty of it all is that we have many options to choose from when it comes to publishing and marketing our books. It pays to research and find the path that fits your needs. After doing my research, I feel very pleased to have Pubslush as my partner. I wish you the best in your publishing journey.
Amanda, Amanda here from Pubslush. Would love to chat with you more and share all that we offer aside from funding. If you have an upcoming book, we might be a great fit. Let me know if you would like to set up a call to learn more 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Amanda. I’ll make sure Amanda receives your comment.
As you know, I did Pubslush last year for the Anthology event. Amanda was so wonderful and I wish you all the best Kathy.
Thanks,Sonia! I have worked with Justine and am currently working with Sara. They both are wonderful.
Best wishes on it all Kathy. I’ll be following this with great interest while on the road. Will be in touch.
Thanks so much for stopping by while you’re “on the road”, Sharon. I appreciate your support very much!
Kathy, best wishes on this venture. I didn’t know anything about
PubSlush until you mentioned it. My own memoir is coming out this summer. I’m self-publishing, using an opportunity that Amazon offers to writers only through an agent. I’ll tell you more about it in an email.
Hi Lorenzo. Thanks so much for stopping by. We can share in our summer memoir launches! I look forward to hearing more about yours. Best wishes!
Very nicely done Kathy! How do I make a contribution? I will also spread the word. Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!
Thanks for your generous contribution and for sharing the link, Sarah xo