Vertical Publishing Crowdfunding Platform, Pubslush.com, Helps Writers Raise Money to Fund Writing Projects

How to and Why Authors Should Crowdfund a Book

by Justine Schofield, Pubslush

 The digital age has brought about a rise in self-publishing. Writers now have access to the publishing tools and services that were once monopolized by traditional publishers. Equally as important, the Internet now provides authors with the means to connect with their audience and promote themselves and their books. No longer do writers need the backing of a publisher to make a name for themselves. All they need is Wi-Fi and a keyboard.

Pubslush: Crowdfunding to raise money for Books, Authors and Self-Publishers

As with all things, there are, however, disadvantages to self-publishing. The author incurs all the expenses of publishing, which can add up quickly. Most authors publish their book knowing that not only will they possibly not recoup their out of pocket expenses but they also may not generate a profit from sales.  It is a big financial risk for the self-publishing author. However, crowdfunding has introduced a solution to this problem and is quickly becoming the newest staples in the self-publisher’s toolbox. Now authors can not only promote and create their own books, they can fund them as well.

Crowdfunding is a way to fund great new ideas in all creative and business fields and authors are joining the ranks of those finding success in the crowdfunding industry. If an author is going to publish their book, the first step is building their author platform, i.e. connecting with and building their audience, making a name for themselves in the industry, etc. Once they’ve established themselves in the industry, they will need to start promoting their upcoming book. Here’s where crowdfunding enters the publishing equation.

Rather than creating a buzz around their book, authors can now create a buzz around their crowdfunding campaign, which will subsequently promote their book, too. By offering their book as a reward, authors can gain preorders while they’re raising funds. At the end of their campaign, they will have accumulated funds that they can use to publish without digging into their own pocket.

Crowdfunding is a great option for established authors, too. The crowdfunding industry is very up and coming and people get excited about supporting projects and being a part of the creation process. Conducting a crowdfunding campaign will give any author a badge of recognition and something that differentiates them from other authors. An author that has already found published success may choose to crowdfund for a cause, raising funds and garnering support for their book and donating a portion or all of the funds to a philanthropic organization. Plus, established authors can offer some really cool rewards, like meet and greets, signed copies of the book, or an invite to the book launch party. Win-win for everyone.

Although the big name platforms are getting a lot of attention, there are smaller, specialized platforms that cater to specific niches, like Pubslush, a global crowdfunding platform for books only. At Pubslush we work solely with writers, publishers, and other industry professionals. Our goal is to create a vibrant community where readers are the gatekeepers and writers are able to publish more successfully.

As a niche platform we are able to offer author-oriented tools, analytics, and support. We’re also able to offer other specialized features, such as our “Buy” button, that links to an author’s Amazon page once their book is published. We work hard on author education, so that no author launches an uninformed crowdfunding campaign. In addition, our author and publisher support team works closely with every campaign to ensure it’s as successful as possible.

For more information about crowdfunding for authors and publishers and to learn more about the specialized services Pubslush provides visit our site or send us an e-mail at hello@pubslush.com. We would love to hear from you!

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Justine Schofield is the development director of Pubslush, a global crowdfunding platform only for books. Authors can raise funds and gauge initial market viability for their book projects. Justine graduated from Emerson College in Boston, MA with a degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing and is currently enrolled at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, earning her MFA in Creative Writing. She specializes in social media and public relations and in the past she has worked with growing companies to develop their online presence. Justine has become a prominent industry voice for educating authors and publishers about crowdfunding and her work has been featured on many online publications.

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