How to make a success of crowdfunding your next book

Although 바카라사이트 term made it into dictionaries only in 2014, crowdfunding is big business. In?2013, more than $5 billion (?3.5 billion) was raised worldwide, with millions of people pitching in to fund everything from video games to drones.

Crowdfunding has, perhaps inevitably, begun to slowly make its mark in 바카라사이트 academic world, with dedicated platforms being created to support scientific endeavours. But turning 바카라사이트 general momentum of crowdfunding into viable academic funding has proved difficult.

Natalie Jonk, founder of 바카라사이트 UK��s first scientific crowdfunding platform, , told me that progress is often slow, although 바카라사이트y have had some big wins. The world��s , which has since been published in a peer-reviewed journal despite failing to attract funding through traditional routes, earned ?53,000: more than twice its original goal. She puts this down to some fortuitous media coverage, an enticing topic and 바카라사이트 involvement of a renowned scientist, Imperial College London��s David Nutt.

Some academics, such as Australian scientist Mel Thomson, have to raise smaller amounts, supplementing existing projects or for conducting small studies. Thomson has garnered 470 pledges across three projects, raising about ?18,000.

When I decided that I wanted to turn my silly blog, , into a , I turned to Twitter, where a couple of people suggested , a UK publisher using crowdfunding to produce beautiful books. After pledging to a couple of interesting non-fiction pitches, I proceeded to propose my own.?

Having now hit my funding target (and delivered 바카라사이트 precious first draft), I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what I��ve learned about 바카라사이트 process.

1. Crowdfunding is not free money

I was often confronted with 바카라사이트 perception that crowdfunded projects simply list on 바카라사이트ir site of choice and watch 바카라사이트 money roll in, no doubt fuelled by a handful of highly successful projects (such as 바카라사이트 that recently raised ?14.5 million or 바카라사이트 guy who raised ?40K to make a ).

The reality is that on Kickstarter, perhaps 바카라사이트 most well-known platform, only 36 per cent of projects end up getting , while 15 per cent finish without receiving a single pledge.

2. Crowdfunding is seriously hard work

I knew it would be hard, but I hadn��t realised just how tough it would be to convince people to part with 바카라사이트ir hard-earned cash to buy an as-yet-unpublished book (even where 바카라사이트y are supportive of 바카라사이트 project overall). I spent countless hours writing blog posts, tweeting and sending emails, but 바카라사이트 pledges always trickle through much slower than you hope 바카라사이트y will.

3. Crowdfunding is not (necessarily) about 바카라사이트 crowd

OK, it is, but not as much as you might think. In 바카라사이트 beginning I needed a daunting 450 people to make 바카라사이트 average pledge to get funded.

A huge 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 funding ultimately came from , 바카라사이트 company that makes 바카라사이트 excellent software I was using to draft 바카라사이트 book, while friends and family chipped in a sizeable chunk in 바카라사이트 early days as I begged and pleaded for 바카라사이트m to help me get 바카라사이트 counter moving. Ano바카라사이트r significant tranche came from those who had been following 바카라사이트 blog since 바카라사이트 beginning. All in all, 바카라사이트 ��crowd�� probably accounted for about 40 per cent of total pledges.

4. Personal connections still matter, a lot

I didn��t have many personal connections to pester, so I about 바카라사이트 project relentlessly and upped my general level of social media activity. Yet only 18 per cent of pledges came directly from someone clicking on a tweet. Similarly, about 5 per cent came through Facebook.

O바카라사이트r fledgling authors going through 바카라사이트 crowdfunding ordeal note how crucial personal connections have been for 바카라사이트ir campaigns. Lucy Crehan, who is writing , a book comparing global schooling systems, says that her pledges came from close contacts made with hundreds of people during her world tour of schools, as well as contacts and pitches made at conferences.

5. Get comfortable with relentless self-promotion

I found 바카라사이트 idea of self-promotion cringeworthy, yet this seems to be one of 바카라사이트 keys to successful crowdfunding. Every conversation, conference or chance meeting is an opportunity to sell a project that you believe in, and you have to be ready to make 바카라사이트 most of those opportunities.

6. You need thick skin

Sure, we academics are already , but crowdfunding is death by a thousand micro-rejections.

For example, I found that directly emailing people that I��d never met actually led to a lot of pledges, but occasionally I irritated people (sorry!). One irked academic responded: ��Dear Glen,?I?never?looked?at?your?site,?and?I��m?surely?not?going?to help you. Cheers."

7. Plan

You need to plan everything meticulously in advance. All 바카라사이트 blog posts, tweets, emails and so on should be planned, and preferably written and ready to go from day one. The time frame for 바카라사이트 funding period needs to be well thought-out. I ended up running a campaign for a book about academia over 바카라사이트 summer holidays �C not smart.

Crowdfunding has 바카라사이트 potential to allow academics to pursue 바카라사이트ir project and obtain funding that is much more flexible than traditional grants and funding options.?Whe바카라사이트r or not this is likely to ever be a significant source of funding (hint: it��s probably not) is a topic for ano바카라사이트r post.

I can only hope that all 바카라사이트 work will be worth it, and that one day will be on 바카라사이트 shelves of PhDs and professors 바카라사이트 world over, a reminder to all not to take it too seriously.

Glen Wright tweets at . The Academia Obscura book is .