Notes from Pozible information session

pozible-for-web-jpg_800x600fitBack in November last year I attended a really interesting Pozible crowdfunding information session in Launceston. I tweeted and made notes, but completely neglected to collate my notes, which I’m doing now for my own reference (and anyone who is interested!). While the session was specific to Pozible (and very well presented by the friendly, approachable and knowledgeable Reuben), much is also relevant for other crowdfunding platforms. So here it is (reminder, this is in reverse order of tweets – perhaps read from the bottom up!):

 

  • Undelivered rewards are surprisingly uncommon. #crowdfunding
  • Pozible charges 5% service fee on total raised IF project funds – no charge if it doesn’t. #crowdfunding
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    Pozible subscription #crowdfunding model now available – could be of interest in publishing!
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    As creative people, your traction is in how you tell stories; you have the advantage to involve people at a personal level. #crowdfunding
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    Success rate goes through the roof just by attending a Pozible information session. #crowdfunding
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    When the campaign is over, thank your supporters – a lot! #crowdfunding 
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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-mentions=”reubenacciano KaleidoscopeTPP” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>

    Hee! @reubenacciano played the @KaleidoscopeTPP Pozible video because I asked a related question – he said nice things! #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-mentions=”tansyrr” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>

    Research several projects similar to yours – 8-10 including a couple of unsuccessful ones (to consider what NOT to do). #crowdfunding
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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>RT: @Krasnostein: interesting – lots of this stuff not true for my Pozible campaign – Twitter the best platform for publishing #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-mentions=”Krasnostein” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>90% of campaigns that reach 25-30% in the first week will fund – the “sheep” effect. #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>Significantly more Pozible traffic via Facebook than from Twitter! #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>Offline engagement: talk about project in the real world. Plan a live event halfway through. Have iPad there to demo Pozible! #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>Reinvigorate campaign by adding special rewards AFTER target has been reached – stimulate interest again. #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>Heh. “I’m special” is a really popular narrative in social media. Unique rewards can be very effective, even at high price. #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>90% of successful Pozible #crowdfunding projects have a video as part of the project page, and these raise more money.

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>… Creative rewards; strategic planning; offline engagement. #crowdfunding

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>How do you convince people to pledge to your #crowdfunding project? Be personal/transparent; use video; use social media (40% of traffic)

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    <br /> </div><br /> ” data-you-follow=”false” data-you-block=”false”>Most common pledge on Pozible is $100, then $25, then $50. #crowdfunding

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The Isles of Glory by Glenda Larke

Tainted CoverThis morning I pressed “publish” on the final book of Glenda Larke’s Isles of Glory trilogy, The Tainted. FableCroft has been privileged to publish the ebook editions of this fantastic series over the past few months, and I have been personally delighted to revisit them. It has been a decade since the paperbacks were first released (via Voyager in Australia and Ace in the US, with later German editions as well), and this is the first time English ebook editions have been available.

If you enjoy epic fantasy with an intelligent and action-filled plot, detailed and logical world-building, and characters you will weep for, fall in love with or loathe with justified passion, you need to read Glenda Larke’s books. This genre has been my first love, my go-to comfort read, my preferred escape from reality for over 20 years, and Glenda’s novels are some of the best examples of the form I’ve come across. This trilogy is as good (or better!) than most fantasy being published today, and the themes explored are just as relevant as ever.

The great thing is, you don’t have to just take MY word for it – over the years so many people have said wonderful things about the books. We list some on the Isles of Glory page here on the FableCroft site, but check out Goodreads and the paperback editions on Amazon for even more.

Here at FableCroft, I only publish stories I love, and I love these books. I think you will too!

The books of the Isles of Glory trilogy, The Aware, Gilfeather and The Tainted, are (or will soon be) available for just US$3.99 each from Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords (and affiliates, including iTunes and Sony Bookstore), Wizard’s Tower Books and Weightless Books. Choose your preferred format and supplier!

New Books: What is Focus 2012?

Focus2012-Cover2In the second half of 2013, Deborah Biancotti made one of those throwaway comments that piqued my interest and set my creative brain rolling. The biggest advantage of operating a boutique press is that the projects I choose to publish can evolve from idea to fruition far more quickly than for a major publisher, and also that I’m the only one I have to talk into doing things! Thanks to Deb’s comment, within a week I had the title and tentative table of contents in hand for what I plan to be an annual series.

Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction reprints an exclusive selection of Australian stories that have been recognised as the best of the best – stories shortlisted for and winning major national and international awards. We looked at the Hugo, World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, BSFA, WSFA, Aurealis, Ditmar, Chronos, Tin Duck and other relevant genre awards lists to select stories and artwork (by the incredibly talented Kathleen Jennings, appearing on several awards lists for 2012 including the prestigious World Fantasy Awards) to include in the inaugural volume.

And what an amazing table of contents we ended up with: Joanne Anderton, Thoraiya Dyer, Robert Hood, Kathleen Jennings, Margo Lanagan, Martin Livings, Jason Nahrung and Kaaron Warren, most of whom I have been fortunate enough to work with in the past, all of whom create brilliant work. Interestingly, several of the 2012 stories fall on the darker side of the speculative fiction spectrum, and a number of them are novelette length pieces, which of course means that while the selection is elite, you are getting hefty chunk of reading nonetheless! And of course, the quality of the inclusions is incomparable.

Focus 2012 is deliberately an ebook-only publication – we wanted to make it a readily accessible price-point, and to make it easily available internationally, to showcase the highlights of Australian speculative fiction for the year. And while the nature of the selections means the book comes out quite late in the year (we want to wait until all the major international awards shortlists are announced), that means it can act as a refresher for readers who may have not come across publications in the year they first appeared.

With the Focus series, we look forward to introducing readers to the astonishingly good work being produced by Australian speculative fiction creators for many years to come.

Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction is available from your preferred ebook retail platform: find it for US$4.99 on Kindle, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords and more!

 

PRE-ORDER WITH BONUS CONTENT: Unbound by Jo Anderton

Jo Anderton photoIn 2014, we are looking forward to publishing Unbound by Jo Anderton (a Veiled Worlds novel), in both print and ebook editions.

In anticipation of publication (and to tide over hard core Veiled Worlds fans – you know who you are!), we are very pleased to offer a pre-order special on both the print and ebook edition. Not only are we offering the lowest prices with this pre-order, but you will also get EXCLUSIVE bonus content.

We have created a very special Veiled Worlds e-collection, containing three short stories set in the Veiled Worlds universe, including one original story never before published, as well as Jo’s unique brand of “author” interviews and more. Only those people who order using this page from now until the official publication of Unbound will be given access to it! You will receive the bonus ebook within 24-48 hours of pre-ordering, and your copy of Unbound will then be sent as soon as it is published (scheduled for June 2014).

BonusEbookCover1

Contents:

Story: Grandeur

Interview: Tanyana

*NEW* Story: A Varsnian Name

Interview: Lad

Story: A Memory Trapped in Light

Intervention and group interview with reader questions 

The Movoc Under Keeper Tourism Brochure

So if you need a fix of the Veiled Worlds while you eagerly await Unbound, or just love Jo’s work as much as we do, order now!

PRE-ORDER Unbound by Jo Anderton, with exclusive bonus ebook! (ended 5/6/14)

 

The exclusive e-book will be sent to your Paypal email address in mobi, epub and PDF.

This PRE-ORDER pricing and bonus offer is available to readers all over the world, with no geographic restrictions. 

Photo used on ebook cover courtesy of Flickr user papalars and used under CC BY-ND 2.0

Nearly New Year new reviews!

A couple of lovely reviews to wind up the year!

InkBlackMagicsmJim C Hines took a look at Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Ink Black Magic and pronounced it as having “a healthy appreciation for the absurd, and a lively cast of ridiculous and entertaining secondary characters” with a plot that “was surprisingly layered, with mystery after mystery to be peeled back like an onion in which every layer of the onion is magical and might kill you or rewrite your mind or un-kill you or bring about a sudden rain of seafood. Or all of the above.” Thanks Jim!

Sue Bursztynski read Path of Night by Dirk Flinthart and thought it was pretty good too! She says: “Definitely a change from Dirk Flinthart’s usual swashbuckling fantasy, but still, action adventure”, and made particular note of the humour of the story. Cheers Sue!

If you review one of our books on Amazon, Goodreads, a reviewing outlet or on your blog, please let us know – we love to see what people are saying 🙂

Got holiday writing time? Aussie press open submission calls!

Writing
Image licensed under Creative Commons, courtesy of Flickr user Olivander.

Cranky Ladies of History (FableCroft Publishing – historical(ish) fiction, pitches only): closes to pitches December 31.

Kaleidoscope (Twelfth Planet Press – diverse YA fantasy and science fiction): closes December 31.

Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction (Twelfth Planet Press – 2013 reprints only): closes December 31.

Insert Title Here (FableCroft Publishing – unthemed speculative fiction): closes February 28.

Twelfth Planet Press novella series.

Ticonderoga Publications novels.

Satalyte Publishing – pretty much anything spec fic!

Dimension6 from Coeur de Lion: first reading period 12 Jan – 22 Feb 2014)

And lastly, though they aren’t Australian they HAVE published several great Australian books: Angry Robot’s open call for novels closes December 31!

Looking for some Cranky Lady inspiration?

3320310The deadline for pitches for Cranky Ladies of History is fast approaching (December 31). If you’re seeking inspiration for stories, Bad Girls & Wicked Women: The Most Powerful, Shocking, Amazing, Thrilling and Dangerous Women of All Time by Jan Stradling might be interesting. From the blurb:

Bad Girls & Wicked Women: The Most Powerful, Shocking, Amazing, Thrilling and Dangerous Women of All Time is an historic survey of 22 of the most ruthless and ambitious women in history. These are sassy, brilliant, magnetic, cunning and tough-as-nails women who defied the social mores of their eras. These anti-heroines battled against the odds and often against the status quo, succeeding in turning the power structure, if only for a short time, directly on its head. Some were cruel, some were visionary and some were blinded by ambition or love.

With thanks, from the publisher

Christmas
Image licensed under Creative Commons, thanks to Nina Matthews Photography

FableCroft would like to thank all the contributors who have been part of our books in 2013, and also everyone who has purchased, read or reviewed something we’ve published – we look forward to bringing you more amazing speculative fiction stories and novels in 2014!

Wishing you all a relaxing holiday period and a truly marvellous 2014.