[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello authors.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: I'm Joanne Morell, children's and young adult fiction writer and author of short non fiction for authors. Thanks for joining me for the hybrid Author podcast, sharing interviews from industry professionals to help you forge a career as a hybrid author, both independently and traditionally publishing your books. You can get the show notes for.
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[00:00:43] Speaker A: Hello authors.
I hope you're all keeping well in whatever part of the world you reside and listen to. The podcast in today's interview is a loan or so from me and I'm chatting about the platform which helps bring creative projects to life. Kickstarter and I'm going to chat about what Kickstarter is Kickstarter campaigns why authors are using this site, my campaign, other campaigns currently on the platform, and much more. There will be no author adventure update this week in this episode as it's largely involved in the loner sode as Kickstarter is pretty much where my author efforts have remained this week.
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Kickstarter Lonosode so for those of you who haven't heard of Kickstarter before, I have chatted about it briefly in previous episodes. As mentioned in the introduction of this episode there Kickstarter's mission is to help bring creative projects to life and cited from their website. Their about page says Kickstarter campaigns make ideas into reality. It's where creators share new visions for creative work with the communities that will come together to fund them. No matter what, creators always control how the work comes together. No 100 page grant applications, no donors demanding you modify your message, no last minute edits from investors. When backers chip in funding and help spread the word, they too become part of these independent works. And it's not just authors using this platform. The topics are largely based around all sorts of different things. You know, there's arts, comics, crafts, dance, design, fashion, film, food, games, journalism, music, photography, publishing, that's our domain. And technology, theatre and much more. It's really, really amazing. You should go, if you haven't already, go and check out the site if you're not familiar with it, just to see what kind of cool things people are doing and trying to get off the ground. It's really, it's really amazing. But I will say you do start to get addictive to, you start to get addicted to backing projects. I've only backed three at the moment, but then you just find more and more really cool stuff and you're like, oh, you know, and you want to be a part of it. It's really, it's really amazing what some people are doing. So what I love about this platform is that it allows ideas to flourish that might not have otherwise due to the lack of funds to help get it off the ground. I love that people who, you know, some, some have got cash, some might not, they're not necessarily interested in making or creating their own projects themselves, but they want to be involved in the process of others or, you know, part of, of a campaign in some really cool ways. And it's a great way to support creators directly and purchase unique gifts for yourself or your loved ones. I recently backed fellow women's fiction author Sasha Wasley, who's also children's and ya author Ash Harrier's recent Kickstarter campaign, and she has collated a special edition of her young adult paranormal dark fiction book ghostling. I purchased it, it's for myself, but when I saw her really cool add ons, I thought this would make a great present for my eldest daughter, who's 13 at the end of the year. So, you know, you could add on this charm seven seven power charm bracelet thing. And I thought that's great with the, with the book and that. It's a really nice present. I've also backed some ebooks for a romance campaign and an audiobook version of a non fiction book by fellow non fiction author Johanna Penn. Some really cool projects I've seen which have been funded are some special editions of books. There was one in particular and I apologize, it's now finished and I can't remember the name. It began with like a v and it was like a medieval project, but the guy was so, his, his, his video was really cool, it was really entertaining and uh, just really simple and I think that's the key. Just keep everything simple, this book, because it was like medieval. They wanted to create something, a book, special edition book that you could pull off the shelf that would have looked like it had come from those times. And they had, I think, I don't know if it was a poetry book. They had. On the left hand side, there was like inscriptions in Italian. On the right hand side it was done in English. And then they had the lovely, obviously, illustrations and just trying to make a really cool product, like with this book, and do some really cool things. And I think they had hit. They'd asked for about 10,000, 10,000 maybe in the US, and they exceeded that by miles. It was honestly went to about like a quarter of a million, half a million or something like that. It was insane, like, but people, obviously there was a market for that. That's what's really cool about Kickstarter, is I think that you can put your, put your project idea out there and see if people are interested. It's almost a little bit like market research. Well, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Rather than kind of fronting. Even if you did have money to bring a project to life, rather than sort of full steam ahead doing that, you need to see, I guess, if there's a need or a want for it first. So, yeah, there's lots of projects that are really cool and hitting, smashing their goals at the park. Some are meeting their goals, doubling them. There's smaller projects that are quieter that are doing the same and some that aren't funding for whatever reason. But, yeah, definitely urge you to go and check out the site, just kickstarter.com, and have a. Have a little peruse for yourself. If you're an author out there, like listening and you're considering a Kickstarter or you don't actually know what it is, as I've said, you can go across and have a look at the platform, but if you're thinking, oh, it's a really cool platform, I would actually like to do something like this. But immediately, you know, the thoughts that I had around Kickstarter initially was it felt like begging for money, you could probably look at it that way. And I think that the people who don't know what Kickstarter is all about and that they've not been part of it, that's their initial thoughts on it. So definitely go and check it out. You can see it's an actual community of people just doing really cool things and trying to stuff off the ground. And like I said, if people are interested they're interested, it will get backed. If they're not, they're not, and that's the end of it. It's no physical, no projection on you as a failing or whatever. And I had wanted to share a post that I wrote, well, actually, when I was putting my campaign together, because I think that I talk about author fears a lot and roadblocks in writing and I just had to stop what I was doing for my campaign and jump and write how I was feeling these thoughts and feelings. Because a lot of people, I believe everybody probably feels this way when they're putting out a Kickstarter, especially their first. And I think that, you know, my feelings will probably be the same as a lot of other people. And it could actually probably help stop authors going forward with their plans and their really cool ideas. So I wrote, my stomach is churning and I have literally been feeling physically sick. Putting the final finishing touches together for my Kickstarter campaign. I feel like I'm going to vomit. I feel anxious, I have a headache. It's ridiculous. Why? Why is my body physically reacting this way to the activity I am undertaking? This is supposed to be exciting, and perhaps this is what I'm experiencing, excitement in the unknown. My mind constantly puts roadblocks in my way, trying to stop me from my plans, my ideas, my dreams, my goals. It wants to protect me, but from what it tells me, things like, this is stupid, you're going to flop flat on your face. It tries to shove as many problems at me as once, so I feel overwhelmed. And if I was new to this process, it might succeed. But what I have is an unwavering determination to go after the ideas that I am gifted with. Why have I been given this idea to pair products with my book as an experience? It's not something I've ever bought before, it's not something I've ever strived to do, but I'm being steered and driven to do it, so it must be right. And if it doesn't make its goals, what are the lessons it wants me to learn? I'm scared because it feels like public humiliation. I'm scared to ask for too much funding. What's right? What's wrong? What am I doing? But this is the purpose of me doing the Kickstarter, to get the experience off the ground. The way I cope with these fears is by flipping them on their head. Imagine. People love the idea. Everyone who have told about it does does like it. It's a great book, it's a great bundle. It will be a great experience for friends and book lovers alike. So who am I to deprive the world of that? I'm giving women or people a chance to sit back, relax and escape and join friends in the book and bookish experience. Hell, I can't wait to do it myself. With my mates. Making the video was extremely excruciating. I feel so sick and nervous. I'm not used to video, but I'm a podcaster. I'm used to audio. I'm not used to looking at myself face on and pointing out all my flaws. But why do we immediately point our flaws? My teeth are crooked. My face appears squint. I look ancient. I truly was making myself feel awful. But who cares really? Because it's not about me. It's my product. I know I'm selling it, but I look nice. I'm not ugly. And I'm damn well not going to be as young today as when I record this to later down the track. So I'm persevering. Vomit, vomit, vomit. So that was what I paused when I was putting the campaign together. And I think that was like a couple of weeks ago. I had pushed the campaign back an extra week, which was absolutely fine because I was waiting on print books and took the pressure off. And I think that was good. Yeah. Wanted to share those feelings because every writer goes through, especially writing a novel, the battle of the wolves, I think daily, you know, we live in our heads. It's okay. And this experience is about putting yourself out there in a way that makes you uncomfortable. But if you listen well, I certainly listen to a lot of motivational videos, and that's what they tell you to do. You know, you're never going to grow. You're never going to see what's on the other side unless you do push yourself out of your comfort zone. So by me doing this, I'm definitely pushing myself out of my comfort zone. So in a way, I'm actually really excited about that to see what comes of it. So there was another social media post that I posted on the 9 may, which I might have shared on the podcast already, and it said, what do you do when you begin to feel the fear of something new you want to try? I'm planning on running a Kickstarter campaign for my first ever women's fiction book, and already the jaws of fear have opened their razor sharp mouth and are trying to swallow me whole. So what do I grab onto? Duh. I'm a writer. A pen and paper. Of course, it helps me to write down what I'm actually scared of to acknowledge it, to think logically about it, to feel the fear, and to know I'm bloody gonna do it anyways. So here goes. One, I won't meet my goals. There's every chance of this. But what if I hustle, set realistic expectations? What if I meet or exceed my goals instead? Two, I'll stuff up the campaign, perhaps. But what if I research hard, prepare, and plan in advance? What if my campaign is run and delivered smoothly? Three, what if I don't have enough time to do a Kickstarter campaign properly? Well, why not? If I schedule my time, all the moving parts that need done, why the hell not? And as I said, I put my Kickstarter campaign back a week, and there was no, it wasn't a big deal. Nothing happened. In fact, it was, it was the right thing to do. You just roll with it and go with what's right and what what is to be is to be. So the rest of the poll says. And boom. I boot the metal mouth full of fear back to the depths of me. And my entire mindset has changed. It now tells me, what have I got to lose? And to turn fearful author fears on their head. Because, yeah, I could let my Kickstarter campaign riddle me with fear. But what's way worse is the fear of the unknown from not doing, not trying, not moving forward, and seeing for myself how far I can go. So I guess what this whole sticking it to my Kickstarter fears post has been about is to say I'll always feel the fear, write it down, and go ahead and do what I want to anyway. I did for so many other fears pursuing this hybrid author career, what's one more? So despite that was a post on social media way back then, a couple months ago, and despite my entire being trying to hold me back from this project, I'm plowing on ahead because I was gifted with this idea, and if others like it, then they can help me get it off the ground. And if they don't, then the book is still going ahead anyway because the book is actually not the campaign. So if you have been on my social media sites lately, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, I do post on X or Twitter, as it's known. But I really don't hang out there much at all. And at the beginning of this Kickstarter, I'm thinking about joining TikTok. So to tell you a little bit about my campaign, it's called the writer, the hairdresser, and the nurse, a high end immersive experience for book lovers and friends into the fast paced world of Zara Ellen's women's fiction. So I am writing under pseudonym Zara Ellen, which is my middle names, because obviously Joanne Morell is nonfiction, Jay Z Morel is children's and young adult fiction. So what's left? My middle names, and I think it's quite nice for women's fiction. So the writer, the hairdresser, and the nurse intertwines the struggles and dynamics of three women's working, family, and romantic relationships, focusing on friendship to help get them through. The story is chronologically written in third person narrative. Each chapter is told from the perspectives of best friends, and this is the blurb of the book. The writer's story. With declining book sales and critics calling Agnes Roberts romance writing rigid, a lot depends on her next book. Is the stale relationship with her potentially cheating, absent husband Doug, to blame? Can she climb back to the bestseller lists with the help of Marcus Olivar, a handsome debut author waiting in the wings? The hairdresser story despite infertility impacting their lives, Donna's marriage to Matthew Hayden is a fairy tale one her tyrant boss Amanda, an unbearable mother in law, try to destroy often. But when pushed to her absolute limit, can Donna break free from all that holds her back and go into business for herself, setting up her own salon to save her spirit and her clients? The nurse's story Christy Johns is suffocating with five kids in an emergency department roster, leaving her feeling frazzled. With no support from her children's unemployed father, Carl, and her troubled sister Nat. Free from jail and wanting back in their lives, can Christy open her heart to second chances from those who need it more? The book has been described by award winning author and the editor of the book, Xena Shaptur, as a slippery ride through the drama of unraveling into the relentless truth of friendship. It has been physically created by a team of local professionals based in Australia. From editors to cover design to formatting and print production, and is currently being produced on 100% recycled paper. So that's the book. Why am I running a Kickstarter campaign? The print run for the writer, the hairdresser and the nurse has been completed. The ebook and audiobook files are also in the making. So why am I running a Kickstarter campaign? Well, I want to celebrate the essence of the story, which is friendship, by bringing groups together and creating a fully immersive experience into the book. I want my backers of Kickstarter to join Agnes, Donna, and Christy for one of their infamous pinot and Plato nights. And what that means is I want to celebrate the essence of the story, which is friendship, by bringing groups together and creating a fully immersive experience into the book. I want the backers of Kickstarter to join Agnes Donagh and Christy for one of their infamous pinot and platter nights. It's about gathering your besties, book buddies or book club and sharing an evening or an afternoon of literary chatter, treats and your favourite vintage. It's about gathering your best mates, your book buddies or your book club and sharing an evening or afternoon of literary chat, food and wine and whatever your typo. Each of the immersive experiences that I am launching comes with all three character nine digital platter recipe sheets for whatever character you feel like connecting with. So the recipes are all sort of small snacky bites, ranging from sweet to savory, and they're uniquely taken from scenes throughout the book and shared with you on the recipe sheets. You know, you can bake them, or you can just buy them, cook and construct the recipes and serve them on one of the two acacia wooden platter boards in rustic, small and medium rectangle sized designs, slicing through your creations with your own stainless steel mirror polished Paris cheese knife. Then sit back, relax and sit from your own stainless wine glass which is specially engraved with the catchphrase pinot and platterme, created specifically for this Kickstarter campaign in the same font as the front cover. So the way in which it works is very simple. You buy your bundle, distribute your books. Everyone gets a copy of the writer, the hairdresser and the nurse to read. You devour chapter after chapter plan who's hosting, decide who is creating which character snack recipe to bring along to your get together, gather round, fill your platters, pour your pinot and everyone gets a stemless, specially engraved pinot and platter. Me wine glass and you chat about the book. Which characters did you relate to the most? Did it end the way you thought it would or what was your favourite part? Decide who's hosting the next book club and the Acacia wooden platter board and knife goes with them. I've tiered these bookish, high end, immersive experiences into bundles which I believe will suit a variety of book lovers and ring true to overall feel and themes of the book. These are the book club bundle for that group of book buddies getting together once a month to read and chat about books. The best friends bundle for the three besties who gather often to have fun and want to try something new and the book beauty, a great gift for the individual who loves nothing more than escaping herself and becoming fast friends with the characters in the books they read. So I'm offering some great savings and bonuses with these bundles, especially for the Kickstarter campaign, literally slashing half the price on what these bundles will be once the campaign's over. And if it's successful, then they'll obviously jump back up in price for further retail. So my mission is, the reason I'm doing this is I want the bond of friendship within the book to bring friends and book lovers together for a fun, immersive experience into the true meaning of friendship. But to do this, as I was doing the research, it's really costly. So I'm doing the Kickstarter to see if anyone shares my vision and wants to help me bring this project to life by supporting my campaign for bringing friends together for bookish, high and immersive experiences. The book is a given, it's gonna go ahead. But these kind of experiences, if they're not, if people aren't wanting to do them or they're not interested, then it's not something that I'm gonna pursue. I'm an author. I love books and I thought this was a really cool idea that I've had and I yeah, want to know if you do too. Wish me luck.
So there you have it folks. A Kickstarter lonisode from me. If you want to find out more about the campaign or support it, you can do so by visiting kickstarter.com projects, the writer, the hairdresser, and the nurse. And I'm writing under Zara Ellen, so don't be fooled. So be in the show notes. And yeah, watch out. You'll see lots of posts from me about the Kickstarter and the book and all of the above across social media and email. If you're on the hybrid author email. Next time on the Hybrid Author podcast, we have children's author Laura Holloway chatting to us on the importance of finding a writing community. I wish you well on your author adventure this next week. That's it from me. Bye for now.
[00:20:26] Speaker B: That's the end for now authors. I hope you are further forward in your author adventure after listening, and I hope you'll listen next time. Remember to head on over to the hybrid author website at www.hybridauthor.com dot au to get your free free awesome pass. It's bye for now.
