New Service, Authr.com, is a Kickstarter of Sorts for Authors

Author Erik Bowman has launched Authr.com, a crowdsource funding site along the lines of Kickstarter, specifically for writers. Much like Kickstarter, users of Authr create a profile explaining what their book is about, set a fundraising goal, then promote it. Unlike Kickstarter, users get to keep what they raised even if it is shy of their goal. If the fundraising goal is met, the author’s profile page automatically flips into a book pre-order page. When the book is available for completion, authors can sell their books via the created page. I love this idea. It seems like a very well-thought out user experience that will keep writers with Authr through the lifecycle of their projects. It will be interesting to see how/if this platform grows. If I were a big six publisher/Amazon/Barnes and Noble, I’d get really cool with Bowman and track Authr’s progress with a mind to ultimately buying it from him. Read more about the platform’s launch on The Huffington Post UK.