Episode 37 - Crowdfunding for Authors (even if you're traditionally published)

I'm in the middle of my second crowdfunding campaign, and I've learned some things that I hope can help other authors.

My first crowdfunding campaign was in 2018 for "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill," a book that I author published, meaning when the campaign was successful I hired a team of people to help me put out the best quality YA novel possible. It was my debut, it worked, and the book went on to win some awards, had thousands of readers who loved it, got on a couple of banned and challenged lists, and overall launched my author career.

My second YA novel, A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE was traditionally published (in paperback and as an ebook) in March of 2024, by Duet Books/Interlude Press, an imprint of Chicago Review Press. And I pitched the publisher on the idea of crowdfunding to raise enough funds to donate 350 (or more) paperback copies of the novel to LGBTQIA2+ teens while offering backers a special collector's edition hardcover of the novel. They said yes, so I launched my second crowdfunding campaign on June 20, 2024 and it will end 30 days later on July 20, 2024 at 6:50am Pacific: bit.ly/BRAVEkickstarter

I recorded this podcast episode half-way through the campaign (on July 4, 2024) to share 12 tips for authors about crowdfunding. I hope you'll find it both helpful and empowering!

Links:

The amazing designer of the cover of A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE and the cool character cards (don't trade them!) is CB Messer

The Publishers Weekly article about this Kickstarter Campaign: YA Author Lee Wind Launches Kickstarter to Donate Books to LGBTQ+ Teens

My Social Media Countdowns from day 16 of the campaign:

Bluesky

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

The awesome nonprofit empowering LGBTQIA2+ and Allied Teens I partnered with is Brave Trails

Link to the Kickstarter project: ⁠https://bit.ly/BRAVEkickstarter⁠

More about A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE:

Nicolas “Nico” Hall is sixteen when he escapes from Dr. H’s religious gay reprogramming institute in California. On his own, he assumes one identity after another to avoid recapture as he flees south to Peru and then to Mexico.

Seven days older than Nico, Samuel “Sam” Jonas Solomon is a privileged Upper West Side only child who idolizes James Bond. When his heart is broken, he vows that, like Bond, he’s never going to trust in love again. Then he meets Nico, and his heart won’t listen to any logic.

Nico’s survived by living only for himself—until his love for Sam has him risking his freedom for others. And as much as Sam wants to be like 007, he discovers that James Bond is a terrible role model.

Together, Nico and Sam set out to free the other teens trapped in Dr. H’s Institute, plunging readers into perils, drama, and a long-shot chance at love. To succeed, they’ll both have to be A Different Kind