Tag Archive | info

The internet paid for my book to be published – a guest blog post

Jun25

This is a guest post written by Victoria Corva – https://tootplanet.space/@vicorva

People keep asking me to talk about how to run a successful kickstarter, and I guess I did that — run a successful kickstarter, I mean. But it feels disingenuous to say it. My kickstarter was a success because it fully funded, but the amount I was looking for was not high, and I don’t feel that the credit lies with me. I wasn’t looking to launch a bestseller career or get my name in articles or anything like that, and that’s just as well because I didn’t.

What I was trying to do was to get together enough money to publish my book. A small, specific dream. To cover proofreading, cover art, and ISBNs. I needed about £1000 to get all three, but I was so desperate to publish that I figured I would ask for just enough to cover proofreading (about £700) and would somehow pull the rest from my already drowning bank account.

That might not seem like a risky thing. £700 might not seem like a lot to ask from friends and family, and kickstarters regularly fund with thousands of pounds. But I knew my chances better. Continue reading →

A beginning of a basic overview of starting a webserial

Sep19

I am in the process of starting two new webserials – Angry Aetherist (Edally Academy) and Jumping Rings (Inner Circle) – and thought the steps I go through might be useful for someone else.

This is by no means comprehensive, but it’s a base list to start from.

  1. Have a serial idea, title, and a buffer. At least a month’s worth of material to post is a good rule of thumb.
    1. No, really, have a buffer.
    2. Know when and how often you’ll post and stick to it. Once a week regularly is better than “three times a week” that turns into “when I can make it.”
    3. It helps to google the title – something I wish I’d done with Inner Circle – to see if it’s already in use.

  2. If you can, have a dedicated site with an easy-to-remember/type URl.
      Things that help to have on the site:

    1. Links to your other fiction
    2. A table of contents or
    3. Readily visible link to your starting page & easy navigation buttons

  3. You have a site up? Good! Start posting your story. Make sure your posting schedule is visible on the site and stick to it.
  4. Once you have 3-4 installments up, start promoting yourself:
    1. http://webfictionguide.com/
    2. http://muses-success.info/
    3. http://www.epiguide.com/forums/local_links.php
    4. [community profile] crowdfunding and crowdfunding
    5. http://www.projectwonderful.com/ (although ads are a subject all in themself)
    6. Twitter – esp. the #weblit hashtag. Promote each installment, but be careful not to overspam people.
    7. Link to your serial from other sites – your writing blog, if you have one, other serials you’ve written… you get the idea.

  5. Continue to post on your posting schedule.
  6. If you’ve linked to your serial at sites like Web Fiction Guide, it doesn’t hurt to ask your readers for a review; the reviews put your story on the front page, which drives traffic.
  7. Speaking of readers: Engage, but don’t fight. Chat in the comments but don’t yell at people.

I know I’m missing steps, but this is a beginning, at least.

Can you think of anything obvious I’ve missed?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/813232.html. You can comment here or there.