Seven Tips to Stay (Mentally) Healthy While You Crowdfund Your Novel

author claire patel campbellGuest Post
by Claire Patel-Campbell

You’ve decided to crowdfund your novel and you’ve snagged yourself a campaign page on a site like Unbound or Inkshares. It’s all looking great, you’re satisfied that your pitch video isn’t too embarrassing, and you’re already starting to see pledges come in. You’ve written the novel, so the hard part is over. It’s going to be a cinch, right? For the lucky few, maybe. I’m sure there are campaigns that can happily sit there, letting the pledges roll in, with very little effort.

Here’s what no one really tells you, though: for most people, it is going to be tough. It is going to be stressful. You are going to be doing a lot of this on your own. Getting your campaign off the ground is going to take up a lot of your time, at the expense of perhaps more pleasurable pursuits, including writing. It’s going to take a toll on your mental health, even if it was pretty good to begin with, and especially if, like me, you already struggle with issues like anxiety and depression. Continue reading “Seven Tips to Stay (Mentally) Healthy While You Crowdfund Your Novel”

LynneQuisition: Pubslush

Interviews by Lynne CantwellWhen somebody decides to look for crowdfunding to make a bowl of potato salad, you know the practice has hit the mainstream. Authors who are looking for financial help for their latest writing project have their own site to turn to: Pubslush. Nicole McArdle at Pubslush has agreed to take a seat in the comfy chair and answer a few questions for us.

Nicole, I think we’ve all heard about Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. What makes Pubslush different? Continue reading “LynneQuisition: Pubslush”

How to Use Thunderclap and HeadTalker For Book Promotion

Screen shot 2014-10-04 at 3.47.40 PMUnless you’ve been busier than Kanye West’s damage control team, you might have noticed indie authors using various crowdfunding ventures like Kickstarter to raise the scratch to produce their books. Ask people what they think about the practice and you’re bound to start an argument, usually about the money. But what if you could engineer a crowdfunding effort that uses a different sort of currency—the social media reach of those generous enough to lend their support to your book promotion? That’s what programs like Thunderclap and HeadTalker aim to do. Continue reading “How to Use Thunderclap and HeadTalker For Book Promotion”

LynneQuisition: Tugboat Yards

It seems like every couple of days, we hear about a new venture aimed at helping authors strut their stuff. One new kid on the block is Tugboat Yards. Lydia Laurenson, who does publisher development for the venture, agreed to take a seat in the comfy chair (all together now: “Not the comfy chair!”) and answer a few questions.

First, Lydia, where did the tugboat thing come from? Continue reading “LynneQuisition: Tugboat Yards”