Tom's Note: this is a guest post from Matthew Turner, the indomitable author of The Successful Mistake. I don't normally take guest posts, but Matthew's article hit a nerve with me as I've experienced a lot of failures in my life. If you've ever felt like quitting when things get tough, this article is for you. Read this. Bookmark the page. And then share with people you know.
As I looked at the screen, I knew I wouldn't make it. After all those months of planning...After hundreds of hours crafting emails, coming up with rewards, and writing my campaign copy...
After all the time, money, and energy spent putting my campaign together...
I realised my book crowdfunding campaign would fall short.
I. Would. Fail.
It hurt.
They say you shouldn't take business personally, but I did.
This book is my baby, and I put a lot of work into this campaign. I wasn't one of these people who woke up one morning and decided to crowdfund my book.
I meticulously outlined and perfected my plan, and I did everything I was supposed to do, so why me?
Angry and frustrated and swarming with sadness, I sulked and played victim for a few hours, but it didn't take long for my curiosity to take over...
That's what I hope to share with you in this post, and it's why I turned to Tom, because he succeeded with his crowdfunding campaign, and he's someone I turned to during my own book crowdfunding Project.
If you have a crowdfunding campaign on the horizon, I'm sure you're devouring Tom's content as well. And indeed you should.
But it's also important you see the other side of the coin: what failure looks like so that you can avoid the same mistakes I made.
I don't have all the answers, but I'm able to look back and appreciate the mistakes I've made.
Hopefully, my own experiences will fill in a few gaps for you and help you find that slight edge that can push your crowdfunding campaign (or any project) to the finish line, successfully.