#inkshares

New idea

I have a new and much better idea: some people have said they can't afford to pre-order (since the ebook still costs $10) and therefore can't support the project even though they would like to.

I just thought of something though, if you can't afford to pre-order in the near future: you can still

Make an account on Inkshares dot com

Click "follow": not on my profile, but on the project specifically.

That way at least if push comes to shove, if there is debate about the book's actual interest level (interest is what the publisher is trying to guage) i will still have a lot of proof that people are interested.

I hope this works and nobody has to feel bad about not having enough money! That's the last thing I want and part of why I've been feeling like a pest.

On September 1, I will open pre-orders for The Kingdom of Heaven on Inkshares, a crowdfunding site for hybrid publishing.

What is Inkshares?

Inkshares offers equal-opportunity publishing assistance, conditionally. Anyone who can generate enough interest for their book will have it published by Inkshares at no upfront cost.

The book would get a professional editor, a well-connected marketing team for marketing assistance, a cover, distribution, as well as the Inkshares imprint.

How does funding work on Inkshares?

Simply: I must set myself a funding deadline, and then reach a set number of pre-orders of the book before that deadline. Once the minimum number of pre-orders are reached, the book will be taken to press as quickly as possible.

The pre-order goal (set by Inkshares, not me) is 750. Once Inkshares is absolutely sure the book will sell at least 750 copies, it can go to press.

In order to be absolutely sure this will happen, I need pre-orders. This necessitates making an account on Inkshares and pre-order a copy of the book. (Note: This means that 750 people have to order 1 copy. Multiples are considered cheating; one person cannot order 750 copies in order to get the book to press. If your friends or family want a copy, encourage them to order it themselves.)

What happens if the goal is not reached?

Inkshares will refund everyone and I will move toward self-publishing the book outright.

How long do you have?

I think I can reach this goal in 8 months. However, that is ambitious, since it requires me to sell almost 90 pre-orders a month or 22 per week or 3 per day.

This will be much less daunting if I can start with a burst of energy! It lowers the amount of grinding I will have to do later on in the campaign. Especially since a strong start will help me get pre-orders from within the Inkshares community itself, taking off some of the pressure. That is why it's extremely important for you to put September 1 on your calendar as the date to pre-order The Kingdom of Heaven.

How Much Does it Cost?

you see, I had a wake up call when speaking with my multi-published English professor: no matter how hard I try, Call Me Icarus is too niche to be picked up by a traditional publisher. Especially with a trans main character and multiply queer main cast.

That sucked to hear, especially since I cannot afford to self publish. However! I have been a fan of works published by Inkshares for a while now, so about 3 months ago I started looking into them as an option.

And now, Call Me Icarus has been submitted! What's great about this publisher is that they give you the option of not only pre-ordering my book, but also following the story on their website and nominating it for publishing! That means that you guys as my audience, my friends, and my family get to have a hand in making Call Me Icarus a thing!

You also get access to the draft of Call Me Icarus on that website! I am uploading full drafted chapters as I finish editing them! If you follow the project, I believe you get a notification of every time I upload a chapter!

Now this is interesting. 

Imagine if Wattpad and Kickstarter had a baby, and that’s kind of what this looks like. You post up drafts on the site, build up an audience, and launch a crowdfunding campaign. If the book reaches 750 pre-orders, they package it for publishing and distribution to the usual print and electronic channels, handling editorial/design and some marketing work. 

Looking at the royalty structure, it’s not bad. You do give up exclusive publishing rights for 10 years, which is pretty steep, but at least it only applies after the successful crowd-funding campaign. In other words -- you don’t stand to actually lose much by posting a story there and testing the waters, you can pull it down and opt not to try to crowdfund it. 

Intriguing. 

I’m shameless promoting my new WIP Midnight Season on Inkshares! https://www.inkshares.com/books/midnight-season

Now, why should you care? Well if any of this interests you, head on over. Inkshares is a publishing company based on reader interest. They hold multiple contests a year, and are a leader in Indie publishing. (#NotSponsored) They are a wonderful platform I’ve decided to join and the place I’m beginning my journey. But as I just said, this is a community fueled by reader interest, meaning I’ve got to grab you, and everyone’s attention.

So, if you like fantasy, magi, otherworlds and magick-

If you like diverse casts that are all inclusive of POC and LGBTQIA and love strong female characts- 

And if you heckin love YA literature that talks about relationships, family, loss, and identity then-