Writer’s Corner: Publishing Wide

Posted: August 3, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Indie Publishing, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Direct Selling, Intellectual Property, Kaye Lynne Booth, Publishing, Publishing Wide, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | 3 Comments

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

Many of you know that I publish wide. I’ve published Writer’s Corner posts on this topic in the past such as, “Why Put All Your Eggs in One Basket?” or “6 Reasons I Chose to go Wide with my Books“. All of the reasons mentioned in those posts still hold today, but the one that stands out the most for me today is maintaining control of my intellectual property (IP). Something many authors may not realize, is that each story they write has value as IP. Maintaining control of your IP means that you can restructure and reuse your IP as you see fit. Authors who sign away their IP to traditional publishers no longer have the right to reuse that IP.

So, if I sign a book with a traditional publisher, I sign away all rights to that book. The publisher decides when and how the book will be released. They have the right to change the title, choose the cover, and they may even have the right to tell you to change the wording or the whole direction that the story takes. But, if I publish independently, or at least be aware of the wording on any contract I do sign, I can retain control of my copyright. (With short fiction anthologies, usually your copyright is signed over for short time, 3-6 months, and then it reverts back to you, but you must make sure this is in the wording.) That enables me to turn around and use that same book in a box set collection, or that story in a short story collection of my own, giving it even more value. This is important because IP is an intangible that can be passed on to your family after you die. It is a part of your estate. It is best described in a book by Dean Wesley Smith, called The Magic Bakery, which I talk about in my “Review in Practice“.

I know lots of authors who just want to write. They don’t want to worry about promotion or selling. They can’t be bothered with worrying about their IP. They’d rather just publish on Amazon, enroll their books in KDP, and move on to the next story. But like it or not, when you are an author, you are a business. And if that’s the way these authors want to do business, that’s okay. They can do that.

But think about this. Amazon has been known to suspend author accounts for various reasons. If they claim you have breached their policies in some way, they can do this, and it’s up to you to prove to them that there has been no breach. This is no easy feat and could take an indefinite amount of time. Meanwhile, if you are exclusive on Amazon, your whole writing income has just been placed on hold. On the other hand, as a wide author, they can suspend me, and my book income from other channels still continues uninterrupted. Now, I admit that Amazon brings in the largest part of my sales income, so if that happened, it would still hurt, but it wouldn’t devastate me like it might an author who publishes exclusive through Amazon.

But publishing wide doesn’t just mean getting your books out with as many retailers as possible. Publishing wide means getting your books on subscription channels and library lists, as well. Selling direct is also a valuable piece to selling wide because an author keeps more of their royalties by cutting out the middleman. This is something I’m just dipping my toes in the water with, through my digital doubles deals I’ve run for my series books this summer. This month’s Sizzling Hot Summer Digital Doubles Deal offers my short fiction, with both Hidden Secrets and Last Call and Other Short Fiction for $5.

But don’t believe me. I’m still finding my way in the publishing landscape. Listen to the BookFunnel Podcast where Mark Leslie Lefebvre talks about the publishing aggressively wide, below.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre on the BookFunnel Podcast

Self-Publishing Aggressively Wide | Mark Leslie Lefebvre | The BookFunnel Podcast

BookFunnel Offers Valuable Author Tools

I use BookFunnel to supply free copies of all my books for giveaways and reviews. My subscription is the lowest one, and I don’t even get to collect an email list from those who use the service to get copies of my books. Now, I could pay more and be allowed email collection, and also get access to other tools they offer that can be used to sell direct from my website, but I hope to be able to do so someday soon. I use BookFunnel to provide a valuable writer’s tool, which enables me to deliver to my readers. It makes delivering an ebook easy and convenient, with several methods of delivery, including reading in the BookFunnel app for those would be readers who don’t have a reader to read their ebooks.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy, and WordCrafter Press.

Digital and Print copies of The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy

Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/OnesWhoStayed

Writer’s Corner: Direct Selling Through Kickstarter

Posted: October 2, 2023 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: book marketing, Book Sales, Fiction, Kickstarter, Writer's Corner | Tags: Book Sales, Direct Selling, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kickstarter, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

Caricature of a woman typing on a computer at a very messy desk. Text: Writer’s Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

Note: “The Viscareal Character Portrayal” segment of “Writer’s Corner” promised last month has been postponed, but will be featured soon.

Why sell direct?

Many of you may be aware of my use of the Kickstarter platform to sell my books direct, before they are released through distributors. My business model utilizes both direct selling and offering my books wife through distributors and libraries. But, ‘why bother?’ you might ask. By my own admission in previous posts, Kickstarter campaigns are a lot of work, create a certain amount of tension as I wait to see if they will fund, since Kickstarter is an all or nothing deal, and since I am not Bryan Sanderson, Kevin J. Anderson, or Joanna Penn, have produced only a small amount of money, just barely funding each time.

But, did you know that authors who sell direct make more money from their books by cutting out the percentage that distributors take, so they get to keep more of their royalties. I would make even more if I sold direct from my site, but I’m not set up to do that yet.

So, by buying direct from an author’s site or through a Kickstarter campaign, you are supporting that author more than you do by purchasing through a distributor. I’m all for anything that makes me more money from my books and gives less to Amazon. While I do have to give a cut of the money I make on each campaign to Kickstarter, it’s only 5%, which is much less than the 30 – 70% that have to give distributors.

Why Kickstarter?

Traditionally, authors would submit their work to publishers, and if they were lucky enough to have their book catch a publishers eye, they would get a contract and an advance on their earnings, and their book would be published eventually. But that advance was basically what most authors would make on their book unless it hit the best seller lists, because you had to earn out the advance before any more royalties would be distributed. With the rise of indie authors, traditional publishing, publishers began offering less and less for advanced, and doing less and less marketing, until I hear now, that in many traditional publishing deals today, authors are lucky to get any kind of advance at all, and they are expected to do most of the marketing, as well.

I look at Kickstarter as the indie authors advance for their books, and the best part is, you don’t have to earn that out before receiving more royalties from distributors. So, while $500 isn’t a lot of money, that’s where I set my funding goals for now, because it’s low enough to offer me a chance to reach it, since I don’t have a big reach… yet. I figure that’s a pretty good advance, and it gives me more funding to keep my writing business operating for a while longer.

Not all crowd funding is equal. I understand that other crowd funding platforms charge a lot more to host, are more general in their uses, and feel a bit like begging. But Kickstarter is set up to accommodate creative projects, and they have formed their own inner eco-system, so you can reach out to a whole new audience. Backers from earlier campaigns are automatically notified when you launch a new campaign, and they have internal messaging set up, so you can engage directly with your backers and develop more of a relationship. And I’m not begging. I’m offering real value to my backers in exchange for their support. The going may be slow, but this is one way to find those 100 true fans that will read everything I ever wrote, just because I’m me.

How Does It Work?

Why you might want to back a Kickstarter?

There are several reasons for backing Kickstarter campaigns. You might know or be familiar with the author and want to show your support. I support Kickstarter campaigns of authors I know, and they, in turn, back my campaigns, as well. That’s one thing I love about most author communities – we support one another.

But, there is another reason which can be even more motivating – the value offered through the Kickstarter system. Of course, the higher pledge levels offer more value through bigger and better rewards.

Plus there are add-ons, which you can get for an additional pledge. Since international shipping is beyond my reach at this time, I offer plenty of digital goodies for my add-ons. I tried offering an interview with the author, but as a still relatively unknown author, I didn’t have any takers on that one. Hopefully, that will change soon.

But there’s more. Once the funding goal is reached, stretch goals can be added, which offer bonus goods if a new goal is reached, as I touched on above. For example, you might receive a bonus book for everyone who backed the project at the $5 level or higher for hitting a certain amount of pledges, or bringing in a certain number of new backers by a given deadline. The more goals reached, the more rewards backers get. And it’s not just books. Kevin J. Anderson offers audiobooks. Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rush offer workshops valued at $150. Other authors offer artwork, interviews, in-person hang outs or Zoom calls, or consultations. Backing a Kickstarter at the $5 level can return some great value.

My campaigns offer an early digital copy of the book, before its release through distributors at the $5 level, and a signed print copy for U.S. backers at the $25 level. For Rock Star, my highest level offered a goodie bag with all the rewards from the lower levels and more. For Delilah, backers at the highest level got to name a character in the second book. I’ve had a lot of fun developing the characters of Lillian Alura Bennett and Owoz Crebo for Sarah.

Things to be aware of

Kickstarters are a lot of work. Seriously. And you must keep in mind that Kickstarter is an all or nothing deal, so if you don’t reach your funding goal, you get nothing, and neither do your backers.

On the other hand, it’s a great way to engage with readers, as Kickstarter provides internal messaging which allows you to interact directly with your backers. Backers for one campaign are automatically notified when you run the next one, so it helps to build your following. Because it is a form of direct sales, you profit more than you would selling through distributors.

A look at my past Kickstarters

I have done two Kickstarter campaigns, and both successfully funded. The first was in January, for Delilah and the Women in the West adventure series. You can learn more about that campaign here: . I’m planning another series Kickstarter in January 2024 for Sarah, book two of the series.

The second campaign was in July of this past year for The Rock Star and The Outlaw, my new time-travel adventure. Although I am not a big author, with a big reach, this campaign also funded, and it did so a little faster than the first, leaving me three whole days of campaign to offer a stretch goal. Stretch goals are extra added goodies, which can be offered to try and gain more pledges, thus making more money once you’ve reached your goal. I added a stretch goal for reaching an additional $100, but didn’t quite make it. Still it was excited to have the opportunity to offer it to my backers. I like being able to offer cool things to my supporters. It felt good to be able to offer an extra value. Maybe next time, we will make it.

Looking forward

I have two Kickstarter campaigns planned for 2024. The first is the January Kickstarter for Sarah, mentioned above. I’m really looking forward to sending off the second book in this wonderful western series, with its strong female protagonists and historic female characters. Big Nose Kate will make an appearance in the second book, along with young Sarah, the fiery youth who was kidnapped and sold to the Utes in the first book.

The second campaign will be in July, for the first three books in the My Backyard Friends children’s series. I almost had this one published back in 2015, but problems with the illustrator prevented it from coming to fruition. You can learn more about the difficulties encountered here: . This series is inhabited by characters based on birds and wildlife which visit me at my Colorado mountain home. Each book is stand alone, so they need not be read in order, and I will be launching the first three from the Kickstarter platform Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and one other story to be determined.

I finally found a wonderful illustrator for these books, and she was right under my nose. I’m happy to announce that this series will be illustrated by our very own, multi-talented Robbie Cheadle! I am thrilled to have Robbie doing the illustrations, and can’t wait to present the first three books on the Kickstarter platform.

In conclusion

I hope this post has given you a better idea of what Kickstarter is all about, and how it might be useful to you, as an author. I also hope it has encouraged you to check out my Kickstarter campaigns, and maybe even throw your support behind me. I’ll keep an eye out for you next January and July.

To learn more about Kickstarters

Here are a few places where you can learn more about Kickstarter and get tips on what to do when launching your own campaign.

Get ting Your Book Selling with Kickstarter, by Russel Nohelty and Monica Leonelle. (Watch for my “Review in Practice” for this book next week.)

Stark Reflections Podcast: Episode 149 – Killing it on Kickstarter with Russell Nohelty

The Creative Penn Podcast: Episode #627 – Kickstarter for Authors with Monica Leonelle

The Creative Penn Podcast: Episode #619 – Kickstarter and Multiple Streams of Income with Bryon Cohen

About the Author

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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