Last year I set up an Indiegogo campaign to help launch The Purple Door District. Thanks to all of the amazing donations, I was able to print 100 books for publication and use the rest of the money to take care of some marketing elements. This year, I'm back at it again with my second campaign, set to last 60 days (instead of 30) with a goal of reaching $2,500 to print Wolf Pit.
I've had several people ask me what Indiegogo is. Well, Indiegogo is a website that allows creators to set up campaigns to help raise money towards a particular goal, usually for a product. People who back the campaign receive rewards/perks depending on the tier they pick. For example, $1 in my campaign will get you a shout out on social media, whereas $25 will get you the e-book versions of both The Purple Door District and Wolf Pit once the second book is released. The higher the tier, the more perks you receive!
Indiegogo is very much like Kickstarter except Indiegogo seems to be more author-friendly. Also, while Kickstarter is an "all or nothing" campaign, meaning you either hit your goal and get everything, or you don't and get nothing, Indiegogo also provides a flexible campaign in which the creator receives whatever donations are made, even if the goal isn't met. I personally prefer the flexible goal, just in case I can't meet the deadline. Some say it's better to do all or nothing because it pushes people to donate, but I don't want to risk it. I know how hard it is to have money problems, and I'd rather people feel more comfortable donating a smaller amount, if anything at all. As I always say, every dollar helps!
With that being said, here's information regarding my campaign. At the very least, hopefully it will help other writers get ideas for setting up their own campaigns! I actually used the template that Indiegogo suggested. Don't forget to check out the actual campaign and see the book trailer/welcome video.
Overview
"Wolf Pit" is the sequel to the urban fantasy book, "The Purple Door District." Werewolves are going missing, and the District must come together to solve the mystery of their disappearance. In the same vein, I've relied on the community to help me build this book. Editors, artists, marketing specialists, and other authors have been vital to its production. I want to raise the money both to print this book, and to also support other creators. Will you help the District?
Who Am I and Who's the Community?
My name is Erin Casey, and I'm an urban fantasy and YA fantasy writer, as well as the Director of a writing organization called The Writers' Rooms. TWR is a non-profit corporation focused on providing a free and safe environment to all writers no matter their gender, skill set, background, income, etc. I focus on bringing communities of writers together to help them learn from one another. This is what drove me to want to write about the diverse community in The Purple Door District series.
The Purple Door District and Wolf Pit started out as part of a canon that AE Kellar and I are writing together and hoping to publish in the future. PDD was a smaller component of it, but I fell in love with the concept and asked if I could write a series based on it to help support our main canon. She has been vital in helping me make sure I keep my facts straight! We jokingly say that she's the brain and I'm the heart of our series. I couldn't have done this without her.
So what is Wolf Pit about? Here's the blurb:
My dream is to become an author and help inspire other people. Community plays a big part in my life now, because it was something I grew up without as a child. Last year I ran a campaign and it enabled me to print The Purple Door District. Now I'm looking for help to print Wolf Pit and also support the creative minds who are helping me.
Your generous contributions will allow me to publish the books and support additional creators:
Author and Editor Leona Bushman who edited the book and is an author herself.
Author and Proofreader, Shakyra Dunn who proofread and sensitivity read my book. See her book down below.
Author, Leslie Kung, who has agreed to sensitivity read my book. Check out her work on Patreon!
Jewelry maker Amanda Bouma who will help create jewelry for the book.
Artist Oni Algarra who is creating character portraits. (Tess from PDD and Wolf Pit is featured below)
Not only would this ensure the production of this book, it would open up the possibility to a series that would continue to bring more work to you and invest in these members of the literary community.
What I Need
My goal is to be open and honest with everyone, so here are what the funds will go towards:
Editing through Leona Bushman $500+
Business Cards $40
Book printing through Ingramspark ($6.74 per book) x 100 $850 (shipping included)
Ingramspark Print and Ebook Set up $50
Art Marketing $150 (for Oni)
Promotional Publishing/swag $300
Cover $50 (for artist on Fiverr)
Copyright $25
Additional Costs (additional marketing/publicity, donation books, office supplies, ec).
What You Get
Character art! Just look at that awesome picture by Oni!
Book swag!
First look at items to be sold alongside Wolf Pit and the first chance to receive them!
Jewelry and items that I and Amanda Bouma create for The Purple Door District and Wolf Pit.
E-books
Printed copies
A one-on-one writing talk with me
and much more!
The Impact
I can't even express how important your support is. Self-publishing is becoming a more respected form of publishing, and I can't do it without your help. In a time when our country feels so divided, I think it's valuable to bring a book with a diverse cast to the community. You get to read through the eyes of characters who are Latino/a, Native American, black, Caucasian, Indian, Chinese, LGBT, etc, and with those who have different beliefs to survive. Even if the different parahumans have prejudices against one another, they're able to put it aside to make their community safer for themselves and for their children. I hope that people who read this will see themselves in these characters. As I get deeper in to the series, I want to bring in more people of different nationalities, beliefs, and abilities so they can feel represented as well.
Here are just a few of the reviews from The Purple Door District about the world:
This book has a great group of characters that are diverse in many ways, and the author will have you falling in love with each one of them. The PDD is a safe haven for all parahumans and it is interesting how all of the different species co-exist together. --Amazon Review
THE PURPLE DOOR DISTRICT has everything I want from an urban fantasy series--a big, diverse community of characters who have the same general goals but are at odds with each other as far as how to achieve them, a great blend of high stakes action scenes and poignant emotional moments, and the looming threat of a group of Hunters determined to track down and eliminate magical beings. --Amazon Review
It has been a very long time since a book has made me cry, in sadness and joy. The emotion in these characters is so moving, you can't help but feel you are there with every character through a ride of a story. The people of the Purple Door District are multi-dimensional and it was so great to see such diversity among the characters in a modern fantasy book. --Amazon Review
You have the opportunity to see a group of creative minds come together to create this book and its future series. We can do this together, and in December, I hope you'll feel proud holding this book in your hands.
Other Ways You Can Help
I completely understand that you may not be able to donate, and that's okay! There are other ways you can help!
Share this campaign on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.
Share this campaign word-of-mouth! Get your friends involved. Show them how they can help a creative community.
Let me know what you would like to see promoted. More jewelry? More art? What representation do you want to see in future books?
Want to make a smaller but still powerful contribution? Consider becoming a patron on Patreon and receive chapters of the book before everyone else!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I can't do this without you!
Cheers!
Erin Casey
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wolf-pit-urban-fantasy-novel