Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Kickstarting a books revolution: the literary crowdfunding boom

Authors, publishers and literary journals are all finding new ways of connecting directly to their readers – and their wallets – on online platforms such as Kickstarter. Marta Bausells examines the books industry’s new wave of social financing and picks 10 of the best literary crowdfunding projects

Quijote Don Quizote 400th anniversary crowdfunded edition

An intriguing opening ... the first page of an illustrated 400th-anniversary edition of Don Quixote, one of the literary projects that are sourcing funds from readers online. Photograph: Restless Classics/Kickstarter
As the digital revolution gathers pace, the pressures on writers and publishers only increase. But authors, magazines and independent presses are starting to respond to the challenge of the online world by turning to the internet themselves, reaching out to readers through crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter.

Since launching in 2009, Kickstarter has seen $70m pledged to projects in the site’s publishing category. But recent years have seen the number of successul books-related projects more than double, from 735 in 2011 to 2064 in 2014.

According to Kickstarter’s publishing outreach lead, Margot Atwell, the book industry has lagged behind gaming, technology and design, perhaps because “traditional publishing can be a little conservative and risk averse”. But “lately we’re seeing more authors and high profile publishers,” Atwell says. “They’re becoming a critical mass and people are starting to notice it more.”
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