Community Stories: Inkshares and JukePop

Oy, my main website got hacked. Boo hiss. ANYWAY.

There seems to be a trend toward community input these days. The general public has become the gatekeepers, and I think that’s okay. Things like indiegogo, Patreon, and Kickstarter allow people to support projects and artists they believe in and that they enjoy, even if those people might not be able–or want to–go through more traditional channels.

Self-publishing has somewhat done the same things for writing, but there are so many books out there, which makes it hard for self-published authors to connect with readers. So I’ve started to see some services come into being recently that allow authors to reach a reading community that just might work for them without having to go it alone.

I’ve been looking at two of these services myself, because they kind of seem like fun.

The first is Inkshares. Inkshares works more like Kickstarter. Authors pitch their stories, readers back said ideas, and when enough “pre-orders” are attached to a book, Inkshares professionally publishes (with an editor, designer, etc.) said book. Authors earn royalties as well past the initial process. Authors can also gain draft feedback before the start the pre-order process.

The second is JukePop. JukePop allows you to release a story serially. Stories that update at least monthly are eligible for rewards which can be used to offset publishing costs. Readers can vote and leave comments on stories as they go, and the ones with the most votes get the most rewards.

I haven’t used either of these services myself, but I do think they sound interesting, both from a reader or a writer perspective, so if they sound good to you too, you should check them out. And maybe, when I find myself in need of a new project, I’ll set something up on one or both of them. What do you think?