As we collected 823,376 pub. print books through crowdfunding

After 1, 5 years of channel simple science, we decided nevertheless to start monetization. Of all the ideas (and they were many) we settled on the simplest: the book sets and shows for children.

We started with the book. As a basis we took the videos with experience. We selected experiments for children (5-12 years of age for). Then they broke into sections. And he took to start the first section 4 (about water, egg, experiments with balloons and balance), grouped them by 8 runs. Total 32. Then came filmed 32 clips in the correct "children's format" - with appropriate music, installation, explanation. Then, wrote the text and composed the book.

And when it came to "the book» , we are faced with a completely new field. First, we find out the possible options for the establishment and implementation through publishing. Those who responded offered or 10% of sales, or of 50-70 thousand rubles. immediately. It is our clearly not happy.

It was then decided by the print and sell themselves. All who heard the idea, at best, cute smile, especially publishers. But the more interesting it seemed to us the task to release themselves and find a customer!

With the search for the printing of the book printing it was nelegche. We started with a query in Google "print books." Done "Well, where the hell, to print this book !!!". Then there were the printing of the "friends" who were very nice and offered to print a book 500-700-900 thousand rubles.

And this orgy lasted a week, until we directly asked the guys who have already published a book. They just told us, "you need to type in a Pareto-Print in Tver. There are no other options". They said - we did. Associated with this printing press - and what do you think? They called the amount of 350 thousand rubles. Then I decided to go to them in the Moscow office, and to find the catch in a very attractive offer. In the office, I was greeted by lovely aunt, who all told me all about the publication of children's books and gave good advice (about the script, about the gloss, etc.). In general, I found the trick, I had to believe in them.

When the place of printing was found and defined budget, suddenly, there was a question: "Where is the money to take a print of the book?" An interesting and, most importantly, timely question, is not it? But the answer was needed. And the needs in the near future! And then suddenly the phone rings and the voice on the phone says, "I think you have an idea for which you need money." From the voice of the tube was aware of our ideas and the need for money - I do not know. Or rather, about the money it was still possible to guess, but that's about the idea ... but to hang up the phone, I did not, and asked to tell us more.

The voice was Leonid, manager of Boomstarter.ru. So I learned about crowdfunding. And I began to study this "phenomenon", which is the first time I correctly pronounce and even failed. It turned out that many of the famous "Kick" with its millions of projects rolling in the head surprised startups working on the same principle. But in Russia, judging from the articles and posts in the domestic Internet, with crowdfunding bad and it is not clear when will get better.

This is what you need! After all, when something is already doing well, then it's a bad job (I am aware that not everyone shares my opinion). In general, it decided to go further and "Crowd" -shtukoy.

After careful examination of others successful and failed projects bumstartere I noticed (well, it seemed to me that the notice) the set of trivial errors that allowed the authors of these projects. It seems that many of the projects presented so that no one has ever even thought to transfer the money. But the authors clearly wanted to return.

As a result, I took as an example, one recent project that was able, though not without difficulty, to collect 300 thousand rubles. print books for children. I liked how the author presented the book. 15 Views video presentation, reading the text as many times, after reviewing all the rewards I got to the statistics - how many people transferred certain amount. And found that the nucleus had been gathering for 500r. It seemed very important to the success of his project bumstartere.

Wrote the lyrics for the project and developing the pay was the turn of a video message to potential sponsors. And this item on the list was the most difficult for me personally. Some days I sleep and wake up with the same idea: "Presentation ... what is it and how to do it ?!" In the end, he wrote a simple script, which included: the author's appeal with an appeal to join the project as a book and created a small piece, can be used as a book. Assigned the shooting and took off for the day. The last part was shot at my house and I asked his son to participate. Everything turned on the first take, that of Mark (his son) a special thank you!

When all was ready, the project could run! But instead of a couple of hours on the formalities took three days:

the conclusion of the contract (we made to legal entities, but you can on the physical);
the layout of text on the site (it's a disaster on bumstartere);
Project moderation on the part of the service.

Running the Project h4>
Running occurred on September 8.

Opens up some insider information for those planning to run to raise funds for their projects through crowdfunding:

I purposely did not affect the time of advertising and public relations as a separate and more-ah-I history. I must say that no one, except you will not do it. No one! But, as I noted, and the authors, for the most part, are not doing it. And as a result - no money.

It should be noted that one of the tenets of crowdfunding is the "all or nothing". If the project is at least 1 ruble will not get the amount claimed for the period claimed, the money returned to the sponsors. And this is perhaps the most important point for those who planned to raise money in this way.

Fully aware that all have to do yourself, I thought about the team. He offered me to do with this difficult, but certainly interesting work, my colleague, Anatoly. The answer did not take long - he was positive. So has the "team". And looking back at the path, I can say with confidence, I am not mistaken.

Well, what kind of idea do without planning? No. It was made a rough plan of how everything will happen. Of course, everything has been taken, by and large, from the head. But it was a need to start somewhere. To describe all the possible actions that we can do, and what benefits they can bring. We share it all on the "circles" (for some reason the name came first to mind). In each round there was a certain number of days and certain "movements" demands from us. And the amount of fees, of course. Further, these amounts were divided into 44 days, it was so many days we have stated in the draft.

And in his story I got to our beloved and dear viewers. This is the "capital" that we are going bit by bit from the beginning of the project is simple science. For those who do not know what a simple science - a video channel on YouTube. At the time run on bumstartere we had more than 50,000 subscribers. A lot or a little? Unclear. But it's our viewers. Now we have, by the way, almost 100 thousand. That is the growth in September - almost twice.

Besides youtube-channel, we still have a blog on Habre, FaceBook page and on Facebook. It's something that we could rely in their desire edition on the money sponsors. And our hopes were more than 200 percent. But first things first.

Money money - cliché. But in this case it is very appropriate. Let me explain why. A potential sponsor, going to a project and seeing collected from 380.000r 0 p., Very thoughtful, "and whether or not and I translate, even $ 100.? And suddenly it's scammers ?! ". Well, or some other issue puzzled. But what he will think and doubt the prospects of the "zero" of the project - that's for sure.

Therefore, to attract potential sponsors of the audience, it is necessary to persuade the most liberal and committed to become the first part of the sponsors. And who is the faithful? Yes, these are your friends, acquaintances and relatives (though, about the family - it is someone like :). For two days I spent on the phone and in the correspondence on all possible channels to all whom he knew personally. This list includes both friends that only in the morning drinking tea in a cafe, and a friend who had not seen for over 3 years. But I assure you, this is the best I could come up with. And for two days, we have collected 25 thousand rubles. While I was counting on 50. But the 25 - it is something without which not collect 380,000 rubles. (take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those who responded to the first two days, it was very important for us not only financially, but also morally!).

Now Habrahabr. For two years, we are a blog channel simple science, and we have more than 2,000 subscribers in habravchan. And on the fifth day we put simple post : «because, they say, and so, so decided to do the book, and please support us financially. " Directly and sound. Well, from the video, too. And on this day piggy bank has replenished with 167 thousand rubles. On the second day - another 72 thousand rubles. But this is neither more nor less than 67% of the amount requested. This was the same habraeffekt, which often write!

This was followed by publication on the website Peekaboo and thematic groups Vkontakte, personal correspondence to vote in our poll VKontakte. As a result, for 10 days to collect 100% of 380.000rub. About this point of our work, Anatoly tell much better than me, because it all fell on his shoulders.

A bit of PR h5>
His part want to start with caution - when you run kraudfangdingovy project, be prepared for radical changes in their lives and their personal time. Or rather, even so - personal time you have left. The sponsors of the project are 886 of our people. Of course, I do not communicate with each of the 886 sponsors, but I talked to a much larger number of people who are literally begging to support anything - even information (repost), though ruble (even better - and information, and the ruble). All channels kommunitsirovaniya and information about the project can be divided into three main groups.
- Social Networks;
- Sites entertainment;
- Media
  
  Social Networks h5>
  The scheme of work with social networks was: informative post in a group of channels with the obligatory reference to the project to Bumstartere, anchoring it to the "cap" and broadcast (repost) in the other case, not only the group. Themed in this case - it's scientific or pseudo-scientific. "Not only" - similar to the theme of our project - a group for mothers, children, parents and so on. With a couple of them, our group is still on friendly terms.
  
  For example, how many groups I have the right editor or moderator (the ability to do repost):
  
  You can see that a rather big list (note the slider), and that include the really big topics in our community. There were those who turned up his nose, asked for money or your logo on the cover of our book for only one post at.
  
  Why new groups agreed to repost our project? You can talk about the nobility of our initiatives, part of a high moral purpose, but as soon as people see the collection of money, all the same reaction - or lack of confidence or "pay, good gentlemen." About crowdfunding heard few, even fewer understand its features. Therefore, we often "paid" information support. So on our website a new section with information sponsors. By the end of the project he was as follows:
  
  The main tool in the social networks for us was a group of VC (at that time - 20 thousand with a little "hvostikovm" people). Facebook group was not as developed as in Twitter and do nothing to boast. However, in the course of the project it became apparent on FB audience more "business-like" and responsible - and it will support the ruble, and the words in the wind drops. In contrast, students who are hyperactive in the VC. Now I have a lot of friends in FB, rotating among crowdfunding, we exchange information, projects, Denis attends these parties (I prefer to stay in the shade). But the prospects for development in this area is still enormous.
  
  The same post information about the project for a long time does not make sense to keep in the "cap" of your group, the post needs to be changed constantly reminded about the project, to inform him of all the members of the group. As a result, I had worked out the following mechanism: each next post, not even always tied to renewal on Bumstarter, accompanied by a survey. The bottom line has always been the same - a call to support the project. Just call sounded each time in different ways and veiled. All polls were "openly". After this survey, I contacted everyone who answered "ready to support" "Support", "be sure to help." And I wrote to each individual message. To say that it was difficult - not to say anything. I fell asleep with the project and wake up with him, not letting smartphone application VC hands. So much so that I asked the bus driver to stop at the stop "VC". And said, "VKontakte, stop, please." Because it sat buried in a smartphone. But all this - the prose of life. There are technical problems:
  - If a few people complain that your message - spam, your page is frozen. We need to change the password (old no longer accept) confirm that the page is not cracked attackers.
  - 3-4 hours, you can only send 20 messages to users who are not your friends (up to the project, I had a couple dozen friends, and to its end - 290). After each interview I had to write a hundred or so potential sponsors, so it becomes clear why suddenly reduced free time.
  - reaction of many participants in the survey (by misunderstanding and fear of who I am and what I want them to threats in my address) also can not be foreseen.
    What brought VC polls and chat with the participants can be read here .
    
    Entertaining sites h5>
    The second area of work - popular entertainment sites with colossal attendance. There are, for example, open "Peekaboo" Yaplakal and closed - "Leprosy". Go to last me at the time access was not, and now I'm still in quarantine - left somewhere half from the position six months before writing something on the main leprosy. By the way, I was given access Alexander, author of another project on Bumstartere, which we also spoke Habré. In general, I focused on the "Peekaboo" and "Yaplakal." With the second, to be honest, the relationship did not work out. Our movies and comic books were seen almost as an advertising channel (probably due to the presence of the logo), and post about my bum is allowed to do, then they forget about their promises, and came to the ban.
    
    The relationship established with Peekaboo. So to provide adequate admin who owes nothing prohibits - if only there was interest from users. This interest is reflected in the ranking posts. The system is simple and clear - "plus" - like the post, "minus" - did not like the vote can only registered users. To reach the "hot" from a fresh need to dial the rating not lower than 18 points. Posts are updated every 24 hours, the difference in attendance "fresh" and "hot" is simply enormous! There really worth it.
    
    On Peekaboo I'm not a beginner, but still can not say what it is and what to eat. He is so diverse and multifaceted that changes its face, depending on the time of day and year (ie - the beginning and end of lessons at school and school holidays). The site has several so-called League (association with the same interests, so to speak) - good, evil, Leni, detectives Grammarnatsi. There Pikasonov League (now called the "Order of Pikasonov" and a closed group of VC, where all help each other). The founders of the group in more than 10 thousand users Peekaboo (feel perspectives from "promoting" posts?) Supported our project, share ideas, and decided to help. Some administrators even supported the ruble, in the rest of the group maintained plus our posts on Peekaboo with once every two week. For our part we put the logo of the Order, and the URL of the VC in the "Information Partners" book. Now, unfortunately, the contact and understanding with the new leadership of the Order lost completely, it totally uninteresting neither this book nor the fact that they are represented in it.
    
    Here are examples of posts on Peekaboo:
    - crowdfunding - what is it and why?
    - Давайте together we will publish a scientific book for children!
    - Спасибо to everyone who helped us and help those who have not yet done!
    - Спасибо pikabushnikam, supported the publication of children's science book "Simple Science»
      A few important tips, who decides to go in our footsteps:
      - Please note that the first post Peekaboo acquaint themselves with the concept of "crowdfunding", talk about some aspects of our project, then - thanks to those who supported. Since we are from one topic to get several post.