I backed Thankful Frankie before I even met Kathleen (yes, I’m one of those strangers backing campaigns), because I absolutely loved the book’s message.
It broke my heart to see the campaign fail when the book had so much potential and I was delighted to see Kathleen relaunch Thankful Frankie with a new goal.
I asked Kathleen to share a bit about her experience and what she changed during the relaunch.
Be sure to check out her relaunched campaign here and support the campaign with a social media share or pledge.
If you’re scared of failing, and who isn’t(?), then be sure to read Kathleen’s encouraging messages and advice about how to handle a public failure on Kickstarter.
“I have put so much love and work into Thankful Frankie, and I believe so strongly in its message, that giving up was not an option.”
Why did you decide to crowdfund your book?
Crowdfunding offered an opportunity to share the message behind my book and get the word out about Thankful Frankie. I also knew that paying an illustrator/designer, printing copies, shipping books, and a handful of other expenses add up to quite a lot of money. Raising funds offset the financial risk required to self-publish.
Almost everyone is terrified of failure but your campaign failed and you decided to relaunch on Kickstarter. Can you explain a bit about your experience and how you decided to relaunch?
I’ll be honest, failure is the worst.
It doesn’t feel good and for a few days after the campaign ended it was difficult to stay positive. After getting over the set-back and disappointment, I reconnected with the purpose of my book.
The book encourages readers to list things they are grateful for each day, a practice I believe can change your life. I have put so much love and work into Thankful Frankie, and I believe so strongly in its message, that giving up was not an option.
Aside from changing your overall campaign goal from $20k to $4444, what other changes did you make to your strategy and communication with your audience?
My initial campaign launched when I was working with a hybrid publishing company (hence the crazy $20,000 goal). After parting ways and deciding to tackle this on my own, I realized I needed significantly less funding and was able to lower my goal.
I also changed the rewards I offered. Most of my backers were family and friends and were supporting out of love. I realized they didn’t want or need the rewards I had initially offered.
This time around the rewards are simple and straightforward, which also allowed me to keep the funding goal low.
I am still in the middle of my campaign, but communication and connection with my audience has been more consistent and I post on my social media accounts every day.
Allow yourself to be upset for a couple days, scream a little, cry a little, throw some things around a little, and then get over it.
What strategies or resources did you find most helpful when planning your campaigns?
I referenced a lot of successful and unsuccessful campaigns to see what worked and what didn’t. This gave me ideas for rewards, price ranges, and strategies for communicating with backers.
Your blog has been a game changer for me as well. When starting out I connected with your blog to help decided which crowdfunding platform to use. I read and re-read your post “5 Biggest Mistakes Indie Authors Make While Crowdfunding” and got so much out of it. I have about 2 ½ weeks left in my campaign and will implement your suggested strategies as I continue to work toward my goal.
I also connected with other authors who ran campaigns and asked for any tips, advice, or suggestions they could give. There are many great groups on Facebook and social media that provide a supportive community to bounce ideas off of.
Lastly, I supported projects and other campaigns that resonated with me.
What has surprised you the most about crowdfunding?
Great question! I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t expect it to be this hard. Crowdfunding is currently my full-time job!
What has been your biggest source of support?
I wouldn’t have gotten this far through the process without my family and friends. I owe them so much gratitude and several giant hugs. Another source of encouragement has been seeing other self-published authors achieve success. It’s great motivation to keep at it despite the challenges.
What advice would you give to an author who is considering crowdfunding their book?
-Believe in your book and its message. Passion will keep you moving forward when things get tough.
–Team up with a coach or someone who knows what they are doing. Their experience and perspective can be hugely beneficial. I have a great suggestion if you need one 🙂
I know this is a tough financial decision to make since you are crowdfunding to earn money not spend it, but this could be the difference between making your goal or falling short.
–Start early.
–Make genuine connections and support others when you’re able.
What would you tell that same author about recovering from a failed campaign?
If you believe in your book and your heart tells you to try again, try again. Allow yourself to be upset for a couple days, scream a little, cry a little, throw some things around a little, and then get over it.
An unsuccessful campaign isn’t necessarily the sign of a bad book, perhaps it’s a sign of bad campaign.
Bio
Kathleen Cruger is a former educator, a musician, a lover of nature, travel and kindness. In addition to writing, Kathleen teaches yoga in Los Angeles, CA. She is a firm believer in the power of gratitude and kindness and does her best to practice both each and every day.
