Crowdfunding is a powerful and underused tool for authors. Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo let you sell your book before it’s ready. You can test the market to see if people want your book and, if successful, use the funds for editing, cover design, or other publishing expenses.
Your readers pledge money toward a funding goal, and in return, they get rewards like a copy of the book and sometimes even a signed one. If you don’t reach your goal, no money is collected. It’s a low-risk way to test interest.
But how can you use crowdfunding for your book? Is it right for you?
To help us explore that, I asked Marine Corps veteran and Christian fiction author Jonathan Shuerger, author of The Exorcism of Frosty the Snowman and the upcoming Shades of Black: In Darkness Cast, on Kickstarter.
Why Kickstarter?
Thomas: Why did you choose Kickstarter for this book instead of going straight to Amazon?
Jonathan: I went straight to Amazon with Exorcism of Frosty. I was testing the waters of self-publishing. But for Shades of Black, I wanted a slower, bigger release. I’ve backed a lot of board games on Kickstarter, and I saw it as a way to secure investment without going through a traditional publisher, while keeping creative control.
At first, I thought I was the first person to come up with this brilliant idea. Then I found Thomas’s Ultimate Crowdfunding Course and realized, I wasn’t. However, I saw it could work, and I went for it. It took several months to get everything ready, but it worked out.
Building Your Kickstarter Page
Thomas: You went through the Ultimate Crowdfunding Course. What were you doing during those prep months?
Jonathan: First, I worked with my cover artist to create an eye-catching graphic. Whether it’s a bookstore or Kickstarter, visuals matter. If the image doesn’t grab people, they scroll past.
At the same time, I started building interest. I reached out to my existing communities, especially fellow Marines. We’re a tight-knit group. When one of us does something, we all rally. They loved Frosty, so when I told them about this new book, they were excited to support it.
That’s one of the key lessons in the course: build a tribe. If no one knows about your project, it doesn’t matter how great it is.
Thomas: You need a crowd to get crowdfunded. You did a couple of strategic things, including investing in the cover ahead of time and reaching out to people one-on-one. You didn’t have a Mailchimp list of Marines, so how did you message people directly.
The Power of Personal Outreach
Jonathan: I exported a list of all my Facebook friends into a spreadsheet, which was about 550 names. Then, I color-coded the list: green for contacted, yellow for responded, red for not interested. I messaged people individually for a couple hours each day. The messages had some copy-paste sections, but I personalized the first couple of paragraphs for each person.
Someone once told me, “If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice. So, I didn’t ask them to back the campaign. Instead, I asked for advice. I shared the preview link to the Kickstarter and asked for feedback. I asked:
- Does this page make sense?
- Is it compelling?
- If you’re new to Kickstarter, does it help you understand it?
About half the responses were positive supportive, but others went deeper, offering feedback on layout, copy, and even advising me to add an author video. Some were Kickstarter creators themselves. I only had one person give advice that wasn’t useful, but I thanked them anyway.
Launch Day Success
Thomas: Walk us through launch day. Your goal was $2,000. What happened?
Jonathan: I work nights, so I stayed up to launch the campaign at 10 a.m., which I’d heard was optimal. I messaged the folks who had responded positively and gave them a heads-up. Within the first two hours, we hit $500, which was 25% of the goal.
I’d also posted countdown graphics for the previous five days, so people were primed. I went to bed, tossed and turned, prayed, and finally fell asleep. When I woke up, I had 19 messages saying “Congratulations, you’re funded!” We hit the $2,000 goal in seven hours.
Reward Tiers that Work
Thomas: At the time of this recording, you’ve raised $3,500 from 59 backers. That’s about $60 per backer. Walk us through your reward levels.
Jonathan: I offered:
- $5: Digital wallpaper of the cover art
- $10: Digital copy of the book (only four people chose this!)
- $20: Softcover
- $30: Hardcover
- $100: Signed, numbered hardcover (limited to 100 copies)
That last one has been the most popular and brought in the most money. People want to support you and have something special to show for it.
Thomas: Signed, numbered copies feel exclusive. It creates a sense of value, scarcity, and ownership.
High-End Tiers and Immortalizing Fans
Thomas: You also had higher tiers: $250, $500, and even $1,000. Tell us about those.
Jonathan: At $250, backers can be immortalized as a character in Shades of Black 2. We’ll do a video call, build a character, and I’ll include them in the story. They also get one of the first ten signed, numbered copies.
At $500, they can become a “Warlord” and help me create a villain the protagonist must defeat. Marines love that.
At $1,000, they become an “Avatar of Sinai.” They get to create a major character, and I’ll write a 10,000-word short story about that character’s backstory, printed with a custom cover.
Lessons Learned and Spiritual Impact
Thomas: What did you learn through this process?
Jonathan: Honestly, I avoided a lot of pitfalls because I educated myself. I took your course, read Stegmaier’s Crowdfunder Strategy Guide, and listened when you told me to delay and engage my tribe first.
Thomas:And these one-on-one messages opened spiritual conversations too, right?
Jonathan: Yes. Many of my Marine buddies asked theological questions. They were cynical but curious and hungry for something real. These were gospel conversations happening before the book even launched.
Shades of Black isn’t a preachy book. It raises hard questions and invites discussion. The plot opens the door for those conversations.
Final Encouragement
Jonathan: Don’t be afraid. If God told you to do something, do it. Like Peter walking on water, don’t look at the storm—just keep your eyes on Christ. A phrase we say in the Marines: “Shut up and color.” Do what you’re told.
Links:
- The Exorcism of Frosty the Snowman
- Shades of Black: In Darkness Cast
- CreativeGrumbles.com
- Jonathan’s Kickstarter Page
- A Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide: Build a Better Business by Building Community
Sponsor: Ultimate Crowdfunding Course for Authors
Learn how to use crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to raise money for your book before your book comes out. This course has helped many authors successfully crowdfund their books and achieve the publishing dreams they didn’t think they could afford.
You can save 10% off the course with coupon code “podcast” or by clicking the link in the show notes.
A quick update on Jonathan’s Kickstarter: Since we first recorded the interview, the $1,000 level we discussed was funded, and he now has more than $5,000 raised.