Kickstarter.com

LBlankenship · Jul 12, 2011

I've been looking at Kickstarter.com (a site for crowd-sourcing creative project seed money, if you haven't heard of it) and thinking about ways to defray costs of getting to Viable Paradise. Apparently a Clarion student used Kickstarter recently to raise funds for the trip. Since the point of Kickstarter is to offer rewards in exchange for support, the Clarion student offered copies of an anthology comprised of her writings while at Clarion. Which is all well and good.

While VP is shorter than Clarion, I'm workshopping a first draft novel and expect to do the second draft soon after the workshop. If I were self-publishing, I'd have no qualms about offering free copies in exchange for Kickstarter.com support.

But I don't want to rule out traditional publishing.

Does any exchange of money for writing violate the spirit of the "unpublished manuscript"? If I offer the chance to critique my second draft manuscript -- electronically, maybe a hard copy -- in exchange for $50 toward my bus ticket to VP... ? Are publishers going to have to turn away the later, finished draft?

I can't guarantee I'll be picked up by a publisher any time soon, of course, even if my manuscript is perfectly virginal. But I can't offer "maybe someday" as a reward on Kickstarter.com.

Thoughts?

Deirdre · Jul 12, 2011

People kicking in to send you to a workshop isn't the same as having the manuscript published.

I got a scholarship for Clarion and I paid that forward by paying two other Clarion members' scholarships. I don't know if VP currently has scholarships; my recollection is that they didn't in my years.

Susan Coffin · Jul 12, 2011

I think there's a difference between loaning copies of your manuscript for beta reading, even editing, even if you choose to pay for it.

I'm dense, so please bear with me: your manuscript would be in published form at kickstarter.com and other people will be able to view it and they pay you $50 for each view?

If so, to me that sounds like publication. If you do a Google search, you will find plenty on kickstarter as well, including some links on people who believe it is a scam. I don't know one way or another.

Have you looked into other financing options to go to the conference?

Whatever you decide, good luck!

jaksen · Jul 13, 2011

I would have to pay you to read your unpublished ms? And then I am supposed to critique it, too? So I get to do the dirty work and pay you, too. If this works, you have found a potential gold mine for unpublished writers. They get critiquing AND get paid.

Sorry, don't mean to sound rude, but I don't get it at all.

LBlankenship · Jul 13, 2011

The money is for the workshop and the manuscript is a thank-you gift, essentially.

Am I allowed to use my own manuscript for anything before a professional publishing house has passed judgement on it?

(well, aside from as a door stop, I suppose)

Susan Coffin · Jul 13, 2011

carlaviii said:
The money is for the workshop and the manuscript is a thank-you gift, essentially.

Am I allowed to use my own manuscript for anything before a professional publishing house has passed judgement on it?

(well, aside from as a door stop, I suppose)

If you E publish or hard publish and give it to others, even as a "thank you" for their monetary contribution, then it is published. At least, that is my feeling.

Really, this all sounds a little odd and maybe even too good to be true.

jaksen · Jul 13, 2011

The thank you gift is that I get to do work for you and pay you, too.

Like I said, win-win situation for you, but perhaps that's the point of this site?

Polenth · Jul 13, 2011

My impression would be that people pay for workshop fees because they like to support the workshops and new writers, so you could consider offering something else.

Susan Coffin · Jul 14, 2011

I agree with Polenth.

benbradley · Jul 14, 2011

This kickstarter thing - a promise of a manuscript copy doesn't seem like it would attract anything but small donations like $5.

Susan Littlefield said:
If you E publish or hard publish and give it to others, even as a "thank you" for their monetary contribution, then it is published. At least, that is my feeling.

Really, this all sounds a little odd and maybe even too good to be true.

Maybe technically it's published , but I recall reading elsewhere if you've printed a run of ten copies to give to family and friends, an agent or publisher won't consider that to be publishde. One could conceivably have ten beta readers. Fifty copies might be, though.

Polenth said:
My impression would be that people pay for workshop fees because they like to support the workshops and new writers, so you could consider offering something else.

Maybe if each donor were mentioned (unless they choose not to be) in your acknowledgements?

Wayne K · Jul 14, 2011

I have a friend who raised $3,800 doing this. I can't find it right now

It was a survivor story for an abusive school he went to

Susan Coffin · Jul 14, 2011

benbradley said:
Maybe technically it's published , but I recall reading elsewhere if you've printed a run of ten copies to give to family and friends, an agent or publisher won't consider that to be publishde. One could conceivably have ten beta readers. Fifty copies might be, though.

I think the issue is that these people who are strangers would probably keep the manuscripts. Otherwise, why would they pay any money for them?

Kickstarter.com

LBlankenship

VPXV 4EVA

Deirdre

practical experience, FTW

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

jaksen

Caped Codder

LBlankenship

VPXV 4EVA

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

jaksen

Caped Codder

Polenth

Mushroom

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

Wayne K

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is