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Why I Decided to Start a Kickstarter Campaign
I had a hard decision to make, but after a lot of thought, I've decided to start a Kickstarter campaign to help me write VOODOO QUEEN (my novel about Marie Laveau). It's going live October 1. I am nervous, but also incredibly excited!
What is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter.com is a website dedicated to assisting creative projects: comics, films, games, designs, technology, or in my case, books. People post what their project is and how much money they need to get the project off the ground, and in exchange offer the backers various goodies. The backers then follow the progress of the creation until its completion. 
You might wonder why people would just donate their money out of the goodness of their hearts. I wondered that too, until I got on the site and looked around. Surprisingly, I got really excited about a lot of the projects and was eager to support the creators. It's fun to be a part of other people's work.
Also, you get some pretty awesome goodies if you donate, so it's a great place to go on a shopping spree.
Why Kickstarter is Right For Me
Writing a historical fiction novel is expensive. I'd love to spend a week in New Orleans doing research and to buy all the books I need, and my inability to do so is hindering my work.
For example, the architecture in New Orleans is completely different from what I'm used to, and it's hard to visualize just by reading about it. It's hard to understand voodoo ceremonies without going to at least a few of them. Interviewing priestesses and historians on the phone is not nearly as good as meeting them in person. Etc.
Why it was a Hard Decision
When I first had the idea to start a Kickstarter campaign, I hesitated. So many authors finish and publish their books without any financial help. Would people look down on me when I ask for money instead of doing it by myself?
Eventually, I reasoned that every author is different, and every book is different. Raising funds through Kickstarter might not be right for everyone, but it's right for me.
How You Can Help
I need as much help as I can get! You can tell others about my project through Twitter, Facebook, email, Pinterest, Instagram, StumbleUpon, or by hosting me on your blog. Plus, if you donate only one dollar, you can get on a newsletter that will give you updates on my book's progress, so when it's available to buy, you'll be the first to know.
Like I said, my campaign is going live October 1st. If you are interested in helping out (and I'd be eternally grateful if you are), let me know what you'd like to do either by commenting or via email. My email is teralynpilgrim at yahoo dot com.
Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Source: http://teralynpilgrim.blogspot.com/2014/09/why-i-decided-to-start-kickstarter.html
