hey SheWrites ladies...

I just thought I'd send you all a note to share my experience fundraising using Kickstarter.com for my book. My book, which is narrative nonfiction, has done really well, and I'd recommend Kickstatrer to any other author whose advance doesn't exactly cover expenses.

It was easy to make up the project profile, and Kickstarter is free. It also seems like a good way to raise my profile.

This is the pitch I've been circulating, to give you an idea of how it's been happening. I've circulated it mainly on Facebook thus far, and it's been incredible!

All best,
Erin


"As many of you know, I graduated with my Master's degree last August and immediately embarked on what many said was a crazy mission: to write a book on child trafficking in adoption, based on my year of thesis reporting as a Stabile fellow at Columbia University. The first part of my project's journey came to fruition this past January when I signed a deal with Beacon Press, the nation's oldest independent publisher. Beacon Press authors are some of the sharpest minds in American literature and social justice: Cornel West, Howard Zinn, Sonia Sanchez, Leslie Feinberg, Marion Edelmen Wright, and many more. They've published numerous seminal works of journalism, including The Pentagon Papers. I'm so lucky to have such a great publisher.

Yet despite the fantastic reputation and stellar track record, Beacon Press is still a small, independent nonprofit. My book advance (a little under $4,000) isn't nearly enough to continue the reporting I need to do. And so, I'm trying to raise $5,000 to support my last three months of work, including two months on the ground in Guatemala.

I'm sending you this note because my book is now on Kickstarter! It’s listed here: http://kck.st/c533wf. Kickstarter's success has been mentioned in the New York Times, in Wired & on NPR- it's a start-up dedicated to micro-philanthropy to help writers, artists, and musicians crowd-source project support. And it works- within the first six days, I reached my Kickstarter target of $3,000. There's just another $2,000 to go!

"Finding Fernanda" (working title) is a dramatic true story and a carefully reported work of investigative nonfiction. It's the about two mothers, Elizabeth Emanuel in America and Mildred Alvarado in Guatemala, whose lives abruptly collide while searching for the same little girl. Each woman unwittingly ends up playing a central role in one of Guatemala's most profitable underground industries: the buying and selling children for international adoption. My book also examines the role of organized crime and the actions (and inaction!) of both the US and Guatemalan governments related to corruption and human right abuses.

I've been working hard on this for almost two years now, and this is the homestretch! Thank you for any and all support you might be able to offer. I'm so fortunate to have such amazing friends and colleagues.

When you give $5 or more on Kickstarter, you get a sneak peek inside my world: pictures, private blog posts, and chunks of my reporting. You'll get to follow me on my last trip to Guatemala City as I chase down the organized crime family involved in my book, and get to know my main characters and story components way ahead of my book's publication.

Here's the link: http://kck.st/c533wf

Don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions, comments, or suggestions!

With love,
Erin

PS: Repostings and retweets are also greatly appreciated!"