It’s often said that writing is a lonesome job. It could be because writers need solitude to explore the universe inside their heads. Or maybe because of the lack of support they often wish they receive. Being a writer is not meant for the weak. Not at all. Beginning from those tiny voices in their heads telling them to back off, their near and dear ones expressing skepticism, to being rejected by publishers, writers often feel that they are fighting against the world. The advent of social media and self-publishing platforms have brought in a sea of change in the world of publishing.Aspiring authors are no longer stranded in the uncertainty of whether their dream project will see the light of the day or not.
The concept of self-publishing isn’t really new to writers. Charles Dickens paid for publishing ‘A Christmas Carol’ in exchange of a percentage of profits. Walt Whitman paid for the publishing of the first edition of his seminal ‘Leaves of Grass’. International bestselling authors like E.L.James and closer home writers like AshwinSanghi and Amish Tripathi have used self-publishing to realise their dreams. Despite the autonomy over content that self-publishing offers, self-publishing can be daunting to first-time authors. The reasons could be the costs of editing, designing, marketing and packaging. Add to this, the uncertainty of whether the spending made would yield any results or not can make writers finicky. A lifesaver here would be crowdfunding.
Three reasons why an aspiring writer must consider crowdfunding:
- Visibility
A crowdfunding platform creates visibility for an aspiring writer. Also,writers can anchor onto the powers of the collective and build a personal brand for themselves over time. Writers can start and pursue conversations about their work using a fundraiser.Writers can offer readers a sneak peak into their upcoming projects while running a fundraiser. This can be used to gauge audience response and possibilities of engagement. This would help the writer to know if his/ her work would be a hit or a miss.
- Copies to donors
Writers can offer a copy to everyone who donates to their fundraiser as a tangible reward. This would ensure that copies are out in circulation and not lying down in someone’s basement. This would ensure that more people would be reading the writer’s work and can result in a major publishing house being interested in the project. Also, the readers can put reviews of the book on social media platforms, blog, online shopping sites etc. and generate something of a buzz.
- Financial support
The cost of self-publishing can be high. Writers can use a fundraiser to cover a part or their entire self-publishing expenses. This can allow the writers to focus on creativity rather than the finances. To ensure that the fundraiser is successful, writers will have to get creative. Whether it be the chance to win a free signed copy, or a video trailer, writers will have to create engaging promotional content to ensure that their fundraising campaign remains successful.
A writer no longer lives on an deserted island anymore, thanks to crowdfunding and self-publishing. We can definitely say that crowdfunding is bringing a paradigm shift in every aspiring writer’s world.
