From author Michael J. Sullivan on A Dribble of Ink:

I’m a huge supporter of the hybrid model. Traditional publishing opened doors for me that I couldn’t get when I was self-published. Now that my books are in libraries and bookstore, my audience broadened. I received more foreign deals, and the advances on those were probably larger than they would have been without Orbit. There was even book club and audio versions produced, which paved the way so to Theft of Swords being named a finalist for an Audie (the audio book equivalent of the Grammy). These are all good things, but there are also aspects that I miss from my self-publishing days.

. . . .

Cash flow is one of the biggest. Money in traditional publishing comes in chunks separated by vast amounts of time. An advance is sometimes split over three or four payments. For instance, I receive a third when the contract is signed, another third when the manuscript is accepted, and the last third when the book is released. Multiple books deals are common in speculative fiction so that “big advance” is often stretched over several years. Also, eighty percent of titles never earn out, so the advance is the only money the author will ever receive. Even for those that do, royalty checks only come twice a year. With self-publishing, income comes every month like clockwork. It makes managing your life much easier.

Control is another obvious perk. I don’t dislike the covers that Orbit has produced, and as I said they sell well, but I do have my own “vision” for the package of my books and it’s incredibly satisfying to be able to produce Hollow World exactly the way I want…right down to the fonts used and the teaser copy on the back cover.

. . . .

I do know the incredible income potential of self-publishing. At my height I was earning more than $45,000 a month and I know hundreds of self-published authors who are earning more than comfortable incomes. In fact, I know more self-published authors who have quit their day jobs and earn a living wage than I do traditionally published ones.

. . . .

Hybrid authors, and particularly those that utilize Kickstarter as I and Brad have done, solved all of these problems. The Kickstarter provides the author with production capital, and if it goes well, will also receive an advance. Readers can buy with confidence because the author has previously received that all important “stamp of approval” from the publishers, and also validation from prior readers (the highest contributors to the Kickstarter) because they are willing to put down money to get more of what that author produces. Authors, who know firsthand the importance of editors and the value that they provide, will hire professionals from the money the Kickstarter raises.

Link to the rest at A Dribble of Ink

From Kickstarter:

Have you ever dreamed of what Bilbo’s pork pies actually taste like?  Does Sam’s coney stew sound wonderful?  Do you share Gollum’s affection for sushi-grade fish?  If Balrogs had wings, what would they taste like?

If you, like me, have ever spent long afternoons wondering about these important questions, this is the project for you.  With the help of my friend, Corey Olsen (also known as the Tolkien Professor, and author of the recently-released book “Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”“), I aim to write a 30-recipe book, which I will release in both print and free online versions, with recipes, pictures, cooking tips and tricks, and witty commentary from both Corey and myself on where these recipes originate from in Tolkien’s works.  The online version will be available for anyone, anywhere – not just my backers but free for anyone to use!

. . . .

These recipes will cover different parts of Tolkien’s world – light and delicate Elvish recipes like lembas bread, stout roasted Dwarven fare, hearty Hobbit pies and stews, as well as a few oddball recipes like Balrog Wings.

Link to the rest at Kickstarter

From Space Travel:

Tea enthusiast Emilie Holmes this week hit the streets of London in her antique van serving flavourful loose-leaf tea to drinkers she says have had to settle for low-quality brew — courtesy of around 300 complete strangers.

The 27-year-old Londoner has turned her battered grey 1974 Citroen H van, whose engine growls like a small aircraft mid-take-off, into a mobile tea bar that features black, green, oolong and white teas.

Holmes, who left her job in advertising to launch the business, needed about £10,000 ($16,000, 12,000 euros) to refurbish the delivery truck with flooring, shelving, worktops, sinks and other basic supplies.

But instead of taking a loan from the bank or pitching to an investor, she posted her tea project on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Just 25 days later, Holmes had raised £14,682 from 372 backers, most of whom she didn’t know — and she does not have to pay any of it back.

. . . .

Despite being considered the largest crowdfunding site worldwide, initially only creators with a US bank account could take part.

But British innovators can now try their luck and in the first week they launched 171 projects, raising more than £588,000 from more than 15,000 pledges.

“It oozes creativity. It’s about exciting, passionate people doing things, rather than other sites where it sort of feels like it’s about the money,” Holmes said as she sipped from a cup of Starbucks tea that was not to her liking.

. . . .

Holmes will give 95 backers who pledged between £15 and £25 a bag of tea, an illustrated postcard, a loyalty card and their names listed on her website as founding supporters.

Link to the rest at Space Travel

And from the Kickstarter Blog:

On October 31, 2012, Kickstarter opened to projects from UK-based creators for the first time. How has it gone? Let’s have a look at what transpired in the first month.

Statistics for projects from UK-based creators (October 31, 2012 — November 30, 2012)

Total Pledged: £2,069,164
Total Backers: 45,799
Launched Projects: 407
Successfully Funded Projects: 30

In Kickstarter’s first month in the UK, an amazing £2 million was pledged to UK creators. That works out to £48 in pledges each minute.

Link to the rest at Kickstarter Blog