How crowdfunding is changing the world of publishing

“In a world in which it is becoming harder and harder for debut writers to get their writing published by increasingly risk-averse traditional book publishers; and in an era when the internet has made, it seems, every person and their dog into a writer of some description, it is perhaps little wonder that ever more people are looking to crowdfunding as a model to help them break into the literary scene”. These are the words of author and Warwick alumnus Samuel Dodson, who I recently interviewed with regard to his new book, Philosophers’ Dogs. 

A vital part of Dodson’s project relies on this phenomenon of crowdfunding, a topic on which he has offered his “bare, unadulterated view from someone currently right in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign” to provide an exclusive insight for The Boar into how it is changing the way the publishing industry itself operates.

Websites such as Kickstarter and Indigogo tend to come to mind when crowdfunding is mentioned. However, with these sites, authors must ensure their budget is “absolutely watertight” to cover the exact cost of every aspect of publishing the book as well as the rewards they promise to those who pledge money. The risk that a traditional publisher would take a gamble on becomes the sole responsibility of the author themselves. They have to convince readers not only that it is worth buying, but worth physically creating in the first place. 

The implications of this change in the way books are published, Dodson reveals, is that crowdfunding is “hard work”

The publisher ‘Unbound’, which Dodson’s book is currently in the hands of, goes one step further than standard crowdfunding sites. They offer a well-respected brand for pledgers to trust as well as taking care of the technicalities of publishing and lie somewhere in between the crowdfunding sites and more traditional publishers.

Although the company still have a “submissions and acquisitions process and (…) only put books on the site that they love and think are worthy of publishing”, “they then use the crowd to fund their books”. The creation of ‘Unbound’ can be seen to mark an era in which the publishing industry has begun to change drastically. 

The implications of this change in the way books are published, Dodson reveals, is that crowdfunding is “hard work”.

“Like, ‘oh, here I am staring into the emptiness of the abyss, for the third time in a week’ hard work. Like, ‘do-away with any lingering sense of vanity or ego before you start crowdfunding because the entire process is designed to crush any delusions of grandeur you ever had’ hard work”. 

It “allows you to focus all your creativity and passion into a single channel” which, for Dodson, is “genuinely exhilarating”

The industry seems to be working against debut novelists in favour of those authors who are guaranteed sales as a consequence of an existing reputation. “Unless you are literally the most popular person or have a fantastic social media following (or very rich family members and friends)”, Dodson reveals, “the crowdfunding journey is going to be one of unremitting toil and graft”. The support of fellow authors such as Daniel James and Paul M.M. Cooper, as well as award-winning Warwick academic Will Eaves, has helped Philosophers’ Dogs overcome some of this setback and gain some recognition. 

Ultimately, despite the effort that crowdfunding requires, for a small author attempting to publish a project they are passionate about it’s an innovative medium to achieve that dream. It “allows you to focus all your creativity and passion into a single channel” which, for Dodson, is “genuinely exhilirating”. 

All the tribulations of crowdfunding aside, the author ended on a positive note:

“For me, though, the greatest thing about crowdfunding is the crowd itself. It’s the people you meet through the campaign who amaze you with their generosity. It’s the connections you make with strangers who not only share your same dreams and outlook; but also inspire you with their own amazing creativity and ideas. And it’s the friends you have who show you nothing but endless support and enthusiasm – reaffirming your fundamental belief that people (like dogs) are very, very good.”.