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The 40-year-old author isnt a stranger to violence. Under the tailored suits and pocket squares is a black belts body, chiselled by years of mixed martial arts training. Bruce Lee was my hero, Babiak says. I wanted to be intelligent and gentle and careful and polite and live a certain kind of life. But then, at the same time, I was so attracted to violence. It was a big part of my life growing up, its how I saw everything. For the protagonist of Come Barbarians, this dichotomy is tested by scandal and murder. For Babiak, who kept Graham

crowd CONTROL Indie publishers share their experiences and advice for getting
the most out of online crowdfunding campaigns

I wanted Come Barbarians to have emotional resonance, Babiak says

Greene in mind while writing the novel, he recalled the big, redneck men of his lower middle-class upbringing in Leduc, just south of Edmonton. I wanted Come Barbarians to have emotional resonance, he says, but also forward momentum, the marriage of violence and intelligence, a moral universe but also huge physical threats. In fashioning his new identity as a suspense writer, Babiak, who is currently working on the books sequel, is taking cues from the disciplined craft of screenwriting. One of his scripts, an adaptation of Marcel Therouxs post-apocalyptic drama Far North, has been picked up by Gemini Award winning filmmaker Niobe Thompson. He also has a second book coming out this fall, Just Getting Started (University of Alberta Press), a commissioned work celebrating the 100-year history of the Edmonton Public Library. Yet its not the books and scripts keeping Babiak busy. Shortly after returning from his sabbatical, Babiak left the Edmonton Journal to co-create Story Engine, a consulting agency that shows organizations how to develop corporate stories as part of their strategic planning. His clients include banks and non-profit organizations from B.C. to Ontario, but Babiak says that, by far, his most complicated client is the City of Edmonton, which hired him after Make Something Edmonton gained popularity. Babiak, who also does public-speaking engagements about the benefits of taking time away, says, Sabbaticals are supposed to be how you change your life and career in some fashion. Omar Mouallem
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f you work in a creative industry or follow the news, chances are youve heard about crowdfunding. The fundraising model targets online communities for donations, often in exchange for rewards. In 2012, websites like Indiegogo, Rocket- Hub, and (U.S.-only) Kickstarter, which facilitate the creation and management of online fundraising campaigns, helped raise $2.7 billion worldwide, with $1.4 billion earmarked for artistic projects. Faced with tight budgets, a handful of Canadian independent publishers have tried crowdfunding, with varied degrees of success. Indiegogo co-founder and CEO Slava Rubin has suggested that 30 to 40 per cent of project funding comes from friends, family, and fans. Finding outside donors can be a campaigns biggest hurdle. ChiZine Publications co-publisher Brett Savory says tastemakers can help clear that barrier. With a week left in ChiZines Kickstarter drive for Fearful Symmetries, an

anthology of original horror stories edited by Ellen Datlow, a supportive tweet from Neil Gaiman, followed by ones from William Gibson and Cory Doctorow, resulted in contributions jumping from $18,000 to $28,426 well over Savorys $25,000 goal. (The money will cover writer fees, production, marketing, and distribution costs.) Dont forget offline promotion, cautions Iguana Books publisher Greg Ioannou. Iguana supported its Indiegogo campaigns for a pair of novels with sponsored Facebook and banner ads, but it also took its projects to the streets: Lexus Sam author Brian Gallucci postered teasers around Toronto, while Dragon Whisperer author Vanessa Ricci-Thode spent two weeks wearing a dragon costume to thank donors who contributed $500 each to her campaign. Crowdfunding websites are online marketing tools as much as they are funding platforms, says Colleen McKie, co-founder of YA publishing collective Fierce Ink Press.

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McKie and partner Kimberley Walsh ran Indiegogo campaigns for the companys first two novels. Although both fell short of targets, McKie says the f ledgling publisher succeeded in connecting with readers by debuting book art and early chapter excerpts on the campaign pages before the books were published. It [builds] more of an intimate relationship with our readers, she says. People can preorder the book, they can get excited about it, and they can become part of the process. Like Fierce Ink, many publishers approach crowdfunding as a sales tool by offering a copy of the title as a reward for donating. However, many backers expect value-added incentives for their money. ChiZine gave away limited-edition books and artwork, the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, writing critiques, and brainpicking sessions with Savory and Datlow. Thoughtful promotion and incentives take planning and time, McKie stresses. She suggests starting to plan months in advance: decide on a platform; establish a budget for promotional material, shipping costs, and platform fees (4 to 9 per cent of all donations); post a breakdown of how contributions will be allocated; and settle on a realistic timeline (not fulfilling rewards is a sure way to lose face). Most importantly, McKie says, figure out a plan B if the fundraiser doesnt meet its goals. When Fierce Ink didnt make its targets, it scaled back print runs and marketing budgets. ChiZine was set to scrap Fearful Symmetries altogether. Although Canadian publishers have had positive experiences with crowdfunding, not everyones convinced its a good fit for traditional publishing. If you cant afford to back your books then I dont think you should be doing it, says Koyama Press founder Annie Koyama. She questions whether companies that crowdfund titles are real publishers since, historically, part of a publishers role has been to use expertise and resources to shoulder the risk of putting art into the marketplace. It works best, she says, as a means for pre-ordering limited-run books, or for self-publishing. Ioannou sees it as a short-term solution for an industry in the throes of change. I suspect that this is one of a number of tools that will be useful for a few years and well Creator DragonArt or move on to a different model two, or :three, dragonartz.wordpress.com four years down the road. he says. For now, were finding it effective. Natalie Samson

DEALS

Late bloomer
Hard work and a series of fortunate events led to Kate Hiltons self-published novel, The Hole in the Middle, being picked up by HarperCollins Canada. The debut novel which follows a dedicated mother, wife, and career woman who, approaching her 40th birthday, comes face to face with the great unrequited love of her life began gaining word-of-mouth attention shortly after it was self-published on Amazons Kindle platform in May. Within a few weeks, the ebook had been downloaded 13,000 times, in part thanks to a successful social-networking campaign devised by Hilton and some businessminded friends. Hilton decided to experiment with self-publishing because she wanted to avoid the stressful and long process of having her manuscript rejected by agents. I saw it as a chance to spread my entrepreneurial wings, she says. A former English major, Hilton had always wanted to write a novel, but raising a family and building a career became the priority. Three years ago, as her own 40th birthday loomed, she was inspired to start writing, balancing the task with her full-time job as assistant dean at the University of Torontos Faculty of Law. I set aside three hours every Sunday afternoon and hired a babysitter, Hilton says. I was very disciplined about it, and after 18 months I had a first draft. In the novel, Hilton aims to tackle the inner conflict that many working mothers experience, and to talk about those issues the way her friends do. I wrote the book I wanted to read, she says. Eventually, the book caught the attention of agent Beverly Slopen, who was recommended the novel by author Roberta Rich (The Midwife of Venice). Slopen invited Hilton to join the agencys roster (which includes another self-publishing succcess, Terry Fallis), and barely a week passed before HarperCollins Canada editorial director Jennifer Lambert made an offer. A paperback edition is now scheduled to appear in December with a new cover design. Hilton didnt have any second thoughts about going over to Harper Collins Canada. Ive always liked the structure of traditional publishing, and it was always something I hoped for, she says. (Coincidentally, Hilton worked as an editorial assistant at Harper Collins Canada during university, and later as a freelance editor.) She adds that there is a reach and credibility associated with a traditional publisher, though she acknowledges that, with self-publishing, others may prefer having control of the pricing and direction of their brand. With her newfound confidence, Hilton says her next novel is already starting to take shape, and shell start working on it this fall. Maria Siassina

Notable deals from Q&Qs online newswire

Random House Canada has signed Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield to a two-book deal. The first title, An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth, will be published on Oct. 29. Coach House Books has acquired world rights to Jonathan Chan Simpsons debut novel, Chi-Star, about a rap star who mysteriously disappears in Red Deer before a show. Scholastic has acquired North American rights to author-illustrator Jeremy Tankards chapter book debut, Clover the Uncredible.

For more information visit www.quillandquire.com/omni; to submit deals notices, contact deals@quillandquire.com

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