How to Write a Book

Keep your crowdfunding campaign fresh -- Tip #3: Sweeten the deal

We're starting our 3rd week of crowdfunding the next 2 books in the Adventures With PawPaw children's book series -- and I'm sharing tips with you about what we've learned.

You want to keep your campaign fresh and keep people coming back so add some pizzazz. We just added a BOGO to our Indiegogo campaign. Actually it's a BOG3!

For every perk over $25, we'll give 3 Adventures With PawPaw books to a library or school around the world. 

Illustrator Leah Wiedemer created a short 25-second video to announce the BOGO:

We posted the video at the top of our campaign page with a big headline:

"We sweetened the deal!"

To keep your campaign fresh, you can post a video, add a new perk (we've got a big one coming), rearrange your copy (we did today), and more.

If you have tips for how you ran your Indiegogo campaign, please share them in a comment.

And we'd love to have you be part of our campaign -- just click here!

 

 

Can crowdfunding help you publish your book? Tip #2: Offering perks

As promised I'm sharing tips on what I've learned in the process of crowdfunding my next 2 books.

What the heck is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is an awesome 21st-century way to fund your creative project. You promote your project online and ask for start-up donations.

Would total strangers give to your project?

Oh, just check out www.indiegogo.com, www.kickstarter.com, and other crowdfunding sites -- and look at some of the projects that have raised tens of thousands of dollars.

There's no guarantee that you and I will raise the same -- but why not try? I am!

Two weeks ago I launched an Indiegogo campaign with illustrator Leah Wiedemer and graphic designer Cathleen Kwas. We're raising funds to publish 2 more books in the Adventures With PawPaw children's book series.

Let's talk perks.

Wonderful people fund your campaign, so to thank them (and encourage them to give), you offer perks. Sort of like thank-you gifts.

According to Indiegogo, campaigns that offer perks raise 143% more money than those that don't. After all, who doesn't like to get a little gift with purchase -- or a big one?

When you're planning your perks, do the math and make sure you’re not losing money. Think of creative perks that you can easily get your hands on, and something that ties in with your campaign. Factor in shipping costs, manufacturing, and your time. Then set your funding levels and allocate a perk for each.

Our perks

Here are some of the perks we came up with for our campaign:

• $10 level: Signed thank-you card with an illustration from a PawPaw book
• $25 level: Above plus signed set of all 3 original books in the PawPaw series
• $50 level: Above plus signed copy of one of our new books
• $100 level: Above plus signed copies of both new books
• $250 level: Above plus signed gliclee of an illustration from a PawPaw book
• $1,000 level: Above plus 30 minutes of personal coaching time from Leah or me to help you write or illustrate your next book

You can see all our perks and the doggie-centric titles we gave them on our campaign page.

So think about your own Indiegogo campaign, plan your perks, and watch this space because I'll share another tip soon.

Meanwhile if you'd like to contribute to our campaign, we'd be thrilled. To thank you, PawPaw promises to send you a paw-fectly awesome perk! Just click here. 

 

Italy! Announcing an artists' and writers' retreat in Tuscany (really!)

 

Poppies in Tuscany, by Leah Wiedemer

UPDATE:  We've postponed this fabulous retreat til June 2011--so you'll have plenty of time to prepare!  We'll have even MORE exciting events for you (can you say "cooking classes"??). Stay tuned for details--or email Diana or Leah if you simply can't wait!

"My next stop was a fairytale village called Barga in northern Tuscany. It’s a medieval town complete with 4-story palazzi hugging narrow curving lanes. From my 3rd-floor window I could see much of the town and surrounding mountains. It was magic. Enchanted. I felt light headed, as I climbed the winding stairway to the top floor where the walls are frescoed and the rooftop views stunning."

--by artist Leah Wiedemer, from Roaming Artist blog

If Leah's description of Barga, Italy -- or her beautiful painting of Poppies in Tuscany -- are too alluring for words, you can join her (and me) for an artists' and writers' retreat in Barga this September!

Let's say you’ve always wanted to write a book...

...but didn’t know where to begin. Or you wanted to paint but are convinced you can’t draw a straight line.

This retreat is for you! 

Your instructors

Artist Leah Wiedemer and yours truly will teach all the classes--and we promise you’ll be inspired and encouraged to paint the masterpiece and write the best-seller that you’ve always dreamed of.

Leah is not only my good friend but also illustrator of my Adventures With PawPaw children's books and the soon-to-be-released Born to Fly wordless book.  She launched her art career in 1987 when she took a watercolor class, followed by study of master artists working in different mediums. Since that first step she's garnered many art awards and much experience painting, teaching, and exhibiting. She's taught art to children and adults, painted murals, worked as a chalk artist at Disney MGM Studios, and continued to study, paint, and grow in her craft.

You can see her beautiful work, including her enchanting scenes of Italy, at www.lwiedemer.com and on her blog, Roaming Artist.

I'll teach the writing classes -- and you already know me. :-) As a writer's coach, I've helped countless people all over the world write the books that are inside them. I offer numerous workshops throughout the year, personalized writer’s coaching, and this blog to help people write the book they’ve always dreamed of writing.  And I'd love to help you write your book, too.

Classes perfect for you!

Classes are for beginning as well as experienced artists and writers. Leah and I will teach 2 classes each (in English) over two weekends in September. You can attend 1, 2, 3, or all 4 classes. The more classes you take, the greater your discount (and you also get a nice discount if you register by June 15).

All classes will be at beautiful Casa Cordati in the delightful town of Barga. Here's what you'll learn in this charming setting (remember, you can take any or all of these classes):

Saturday, September 18
Drawing with the Artist’s Eye: Learn proven drawing techniques used by artists all over the world
Taught by artist Leah Wiedemer
10 am – 6 pm

Sunday, September 19
How to Write a Book 101:  Learn 7 practical steps to help you write the book you’ve always dreamed of writing
Taught by writer’s coach Diana Scimone
10 am – 6 pm

Saturday, September 25
How to Write a Book 102: Explore 23 valuable tools to make your fiction and non-fiction sing
Taught by writer’s coach Diana Scimone
10 am – 6 pm

Sunday, September 26
Beginning Soft Pastel: Learn color basics and how to work with this wonderfully portable and forgiving medium
Taught by artist Leah Wiedemer
10 am – 6 pm

Want more info? 

Contact Leah or me. Registration is limited in order to keep classes small, so don’t put it off. Save up to 50% and register today.

That landscape is waiting to be painted and that book doesn’t want to wait another year!

Register by June 15 for Tuscany artists'/writers' retreat and save up to 50%!

Michela's View, by Leah Wiedemer

UPDATE:  We've postponed this fabulous retreat til June 2011--so you have plenty of time to prepare!  We'll have even MORE exciting events for you (can you say "cooking classes"??). Stay tuned for details--or email Diana or Leah if you simply can't wait!

Registration fees are in euros; PayPal will convert to your local currency using the rate for the day you register. In parentheses below are rates in US $ as of May 1; rate will fluctuate. Prices are for classes only, not transportation, food, or hotels.  (Email me for that information.)

	Register by June 15	June 16-July 15	July 16-Aug. 15
1 class	75 euros ($99)	100 euros ($132)	150 euros ($199)
Any 2 classes	125 euros ($165)	175 euros ($232)	225 euros ($298)
Any 3 classes	175 euros ($232)	250 euros ($331)	325 euros ($430)
All 4 classes	250 euros ($331)	325 euros ($430)	450 euros ($596)

HTML Tables

Registration is limited in order to keep classes small, so don't put it off.  That landscape is waiting to be painted and that best-seller doesn't want to wait another year! Register today!

The photo that changed my life

My Twitter buddy Pam Mandel (@nerdseyeview) is one smart cookie.  Pam is a travel writer and blogger (and one of the first people I ever followed on Twitter).

For the month of April, she's opened up her blog, Nerd's Eye View, to 29 people to write a guest post -- as long as it's about some aspect of travel.

I jumped at the chance and today she features the guest post I wrote about the photo that changed my life.  You can read it here.

This is the photo, by the way, but you'll have to click on over to Pam's blog to read why it changed my life.