Welcome back to Alchemy for Authors!
In this week’s episode I interview urban fantasy author Martha Carr about Kickstarter and starting over in her author career. Some of the topics we discuss include:
- How Martha went from being a prolific traditionally published author to starting over as an indie author with just one book in her backlist.
- Why Martha chose to go indie rather than traditional publishing this time round.
- Why Martha chose to open a Shopify store with only one book.
- The strategies Martha uses to bring readers to her books and her Kickstarters.
- How to set up your Kickstarter for success, particularly as a beginner.
- Why Martha doesn’t advertise on Amazon.
- Why your greatest assets are the people in your author community.
- The role the Enneagram and Claire Taylor’s books and courses have played in Martha’s pivot.
Whether you’re an author just starting out, or starting over, Martha offers great tips and strategies for boosting your books and setting yourself up for success.
Find Martha’s books here: https://authormarthacarr.com/
Learn more about Martha’s Kickstarters here: https://marthacarr.com/
Contact Martha at: martha@marthacarr.com
Other resources mentioned in this episode:
Join Lee Savino and Renee Rose’s Money Magic Membership here and enjoy the first month for FREE: https://www.moneymagicmembership.com/a/2147619110/FFtoFakC and use the coupon code JO on checkout. (Please note: I am a member and an affiliate myself and I may receive a small commission if you decide to stay on past the month trial. This commission helps support the show.)
Learn more about Claire Taylor and the Enneagram by visiting her website here: https://www.ffs.media/ and listening to Episode 75: The Sustainable Author Career, and Episode 58: Author Alignment & the Enneagram on Alchemy for Authors.
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Find the full transcript of this episode below.
Episode 79: Kickstarter & Starting Over with Martha Carr
Jo: Hello, my lovelies, welcome back to another episode of Alchemy for Authors. Today, I am sharing with you Episode 79: Kickstarter & Starting Over with Martha Carr. But first, just on a personal update, I’m still buzzing from my interview with Joanna Penn. So this is my gentle little nudge that if you haven’t already listened to Episode 78 of Alchemy for Authors, to go listen to that episode, where I chat with the lovely Joanna Penn about Writing Your Shadow, embracing some of those traits that we see as being a little bit darker and bringing that into your writing to really make sure that you’re connecting with your readers on a deeper level. So I highly recommend that you go back and listen to that episode if you haven’t already.
Another plug, I guess, is, uh, during today’s interview, we do hit on the topic of the Enneagram and Claire Taylor’s fantastic books and programs in relation to the Enneagram. And you would have heard me talk about the Enneagram quite a bit on this show, simply because I am so passionate about it myself. And I’ve had the privilege of having Claire Taylor on the show a couple of times. And so of course, if you’re new to the Enneagram, then I recommend you go listen to Episode 75: The Sustainable Author Career with Claire Taylor, in which she discusses her Kickstarter and her wonderful new book, Sustain Your Author Career, which I have just received the eBook copy of and am only a few chapters in, but thoroughly enjoying it. It is just another fantastic recommendation. You can also learn a little bit more about Claire and the Enneagram in Episode 58 of Alchemy for Authors: Author Alignment and the Enneagram.
So today I am chatting with the wonderful Martha Carr. We are discussing how Martha went from having a pretty prolific, traditionally published career, and then starting over as an indie author with only one book in her backlist. Why Martha chose to go the indie route versus being traditionally published this time round. And what convinced her to open a Shopify store with only one book. The strategies that Martha uses to bring readers to her books and Kickstarter. And she also shares how to set up your Kickstarter for success, particularly if you are a beginner. Martha will also share why she doesn’t advertise on Amazon. Why your greatest asset in your author career is really the people in your author community. And of course, the role that Enneagram and Claire Taylor’s books and courses have played in Martha’s pivot. So it is a really fantastic show today. So when you are ready, grab a drink, find your favourite chair, sit back and enjoy the show.
Hello my lovelies, welcome back to another episode of Alchemy for Authors. Today I am chatting with Martha Carr. Martha started writing at 30 years old with a newborn and a fresh divorce. She tried everything the way that her family wanted her to do it, and she saw where that got her. She was a successful stockbroker who dreaded every day of work. She just couldn’t picture herself still in that chair at 60. So here she is today at 64 and super glad that she walked away. Although the money was tight for a long time, when she looks back at the past 34 years, this is what she sees. Martha was a stringer for the Washington Post, national columnist with 4 million readers a month, contributor to almost every major news outlet, and author of a bestselling urban fantasy series. And now she’s hanging out on Kickstarter with great books full of adventure and a store of her own. She is out here in the world writing recess for all of us who want to find the courage to just be ourselves on any given day and want to make the most of it.
So hello, Martha. Welcome to the show.
Martha: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I’m so glad to be here.
Jo: So we have so much to talk about today, but I would love if we could start with you sharing a little bit about yourself and how you came to be an author and your author journey so far.
Martha: So I have been an author for over 30 years. I was first traditionally published. I used to write for the Washington Post. I had a national column on politics that over 4 million people read a month and I wanted to get into writing books, and I somehow ended up writing urban fantasy because I love the idea that magic exists right next to you and you just don’t know it yet. And you might even be the magical and you’re just finding out. I mean, I could tell that story over and over and over again. I love it.
Jo: I love that. I love that. So you have had a little bit of a turning point in your career, and this is one of the reasons I wanted you on the show was to actually talk about your author pivot a little bit. Can you talk a little bit about what’s going on for you in that area?
Martha: Yes. And I can also give a little perspective too. So, you know, I’ve been writing for so long that I was also around during 2008, and my backup plan was journalism because papers have been around since Benjamin Franklin. And in 2008, that world crashed and kind of evaporated overnight. People who had won really nice awards, friends of mine, were watching their paper close and lost their job. So a huge pivot happened then where we were all kind of staring at each other, like, what does this new world mean? So here we are in 2024 and I’m pivoting again and I am starting over from the view that I have one book that I own in my backlist. If you’re new as an author or you’re a reader, really where authors make a stable income is from their backlist. How many books have they got that they’re selling to new people? They can create sales that way by saying, Hey, you could have the whole series here for… And I have this beautiful one book, Eamon and the second book in the trilogy is about to come out. And that’s pretty much starting over.
I’m trying to look at it as a blank slate, and which is what happened to me in 2008 as well. Where, okay, yeah, it’s turning over and that’s a little rough after all these years. However, what would I do differently now that I’m starting over that, now that I know so much more, how can I do this differently? Plus, the other thing is I’ve made a lot of really good author friends along the way. So 2017 is when I started writing an urban fantasy, and I thought it was really important to make friends and allies among people who are starting out with me, and in 2017 there were a lot of us who are brand new. We had all kind of caught on to Kindle Unlimited and indie writing was really starting to really flower. So I’ve kept up with those people and we’ve met at conventions and become friends. And when I realized I’m starting over and my income could become somewhat shaky, I thought it’d be best to be transparent and vulnerable and honest, instead of trying to like act like, no, everything’s fine over here. Just keep walking. And ask for help and see what happens. And that’s actually been really heartening. I still don’t know how well the ride’s going to go. I just know it’s going to work out in the end. And it’s much better doing it with people saying, Hey, let me give you a shout out.
Because I have a Kickstarter on May 1st starts on May 1st and it goes to the 21st. And it’s Lasair, the second book in a really cool series with dragons in Austin, Texas, cause you know. And it’s really been heartwarming to see how many fans and authors have come out of the woodwork to say what can I do for you?
Jo: Yeah, yeah, that’s fantastic. So this time round, have you decided to go indie publishing or are you traditionally published?
Martha: So I am going full on indie. I started out in this world as a traditionally published author, and there’s a lot of drawbacks to it. You get published by committee. You generally have to go through three committees. It takes forever. The house will hold most of the money. You’ll get paid twice a year. They do returns, you’ll have almost no control over the cover, and if an error is made, a perfectly innocent error, like the blurb’s just not quite working, it is a lot harder to change it on a moment’s notice. And I think it’s kind of fun to be able to say, okay, this isn’t working and do a quick autopsy and change whatever you can and then watch something take off. I don’t know. I just really love the indie world where if you’ve got a good idea, go try it because one of your ideas is really going to hit, and that’s just true over and over and over again.
Jo: Yeah, absolutely. So that’s quite a big change because with indie publishing, you know, we do so much more of it on our own. But what are some of the things that you have learned from being traditionally published previously that you are bringing with you and is impacting upon how you’re restarting your author career this time around?
Martha: That’s a great question. And that applies to Kickstarter as well, if somebody is doing a Kickstarter. I get the book to reviewers ahead of the Kickstarter when I can. And, you know, that’s always where you got to hold your breath and hope they don’t hate it. And because these are authentic reviewers, these are not fans who are leaving a review. These are people who this is what they do. And so now you’ve got a much more thoughtful, longer review that you can use in advertising, that you can post. They’re going to post it and people are coming to them just to read these reviews. So that’s a big space where I don’t see other indie authors going out and seeking those out. And I think it’s a really big missed opportunity. I think Eamon did pretty well as a Kickstarter book one. And I really believe it’s because of that particular element where there were people who are basically another side of the more traditional side of this industry, reviews ahead of a book, who were putting out a good word for the book. So, a lot of new people heard about it that maybe are more traditionally leaning who wouldn’t have heard about the book otherwise.
Jo: That’s fantastic. So how are you getting your word out about Kickstarter then? Do you have a mailing list? Like, how are you other than through that?
Martha: Yeah. So I have a mailing list, and if you’ve done one successful Kickstarter, you can go back to that one and put out updates that sends it to everybody who participated. I highly recommend doing ads even on a Kickstarter. And I don’t know that a lot of people are thinking of that. And think about YouTube and TikTok for doing the ads as opposed to Facebook. YouTube and TikTok are where people are searching for books. So you want to go to where the field is fertile, and I don’t know that Facebook is really the place to be when it comes to that. And you can do more over there too, with voiceovers, YouTube, you know, you can do a voiceover on some art. And also, I look for influencers who have maybe a smaller crowd, and just keep reaching out and asking, will you plug this book? Or, you know, do you ever review indie books? Do you have any giveaways that I can participate in? And I find that the smaller influencer, not the mega ones, actually bring better results for me than trying to reach one of the giants. And sometimes they’re paid, they’re basically paid ads, much more affordable. So you can spend a little bit of money and have quite a nice bang.
Jo: Yeah. And I’ve actually heard that before where sometimes hitting up the smaller influencers, because they’ve got more of a dedicated audience, you’re going to get much more interest, because they’ve got that connection with their audience a little bit more, with their followers and that, so that’s really cool.
Martha: And one little note, personal note: I watch a lot of their videos first and I make sure they don’t slam authors because some think that it’s cute too, and I’m just not interested in that vibe. So I will make sure that’s not somebody before I approach them to ask in the first place. And you get a lot of no’s, but you know, you’re looking for four or five yes’s. That’s all it takes. And then you’re off and running.
Jo: That’s fantastic. I like how you’re going about this. So Kickstarter is definitely coming into my circle more and more. I’m seeing more and more people who are authors really jump onto that and being really successful with it. What was it about Kickstarter that drew you to it in the first place?
Martha: So, you know, in this industry, there’s a lot of shiny new toys to play with all the time, and it can get a little overwhelming to decide which one of these things do I want to play with. Kickstarter appealed to me because, much like being an indie author, I have more freedom to develop pledge tiers that can offer more than just the straight up book. And you can offer, um, well, for some reason, we readers, we like to collect books that we don’t actually want to read. We want to keep them. So you can offer a special edition along with paperback and a nice hardcover plus little side things. It becomes so interactive with the reader. And I’ve been doing this a while and I’ve watched a lot of other writers, and the ones who interact closely with their audience do better than those who don’t. It’s not always the quality of the book. You want that to be there too, but it’s the ones who build a personal relationship with their audience, and Kickstarter will let you do that. Along with you now have the email address of everybody who pledged for you and you’ll have those forever. There’s no other platform that’s going to hand that over to you. So you have built this amazing… and the more you do it, you’re building this amazing foundation. So in my case, I’ve opened a store with my one book. And as my backlist builds to something more reputable, I also have this email list to say, here’s what I have now. And Kickstarter right now is the only game where you’re going to be able to do that as well. They’re also very nice people to work with, I have found.
Jo: That’s really cool. I want to go back and talk about opening a store with one book, but first just keeping with the Kickstarter, I know a lot of authors have had great success with it, but they’ve all said, you know, it’s been a real learning curve. Are there particular parts of it that you’ve found tricky, or advice you want to give to anybody listening to this who’s considering their first Kickstarter?
Martha: Sure. So go and look at a lot of other Kickstarters and pick out what you like and what you don’t like. And keep it casual. It seems like the slicker you get… So Kickstarter is thought of as this wonderful community where people are going to support you. It is basically a store, but it’s not. It doesn’t have the vibe of a store. So the slicker you get, the more turned off people tend to get. You can be you, whatever that amounts to, whether it’s funny or you’re heartwarming. And then graphics matter. Images matter. If it’s just a big block of print, you’re not engaging the person to join in with you as much as possible. When it comes to your bio, do a first person, not a third person. This is Kickstarter, not Amazon. You’re talking to the people, you’re not acting like you’re not actually present and weren’t the one who wrote it. So you know, it’s personal. Your personality needs to come through. Try not to overthink it. Use plenty of graphics, and have some fun. It should feel fun to you. If it’s not feeling fun to you, it’s not going to feel fun to those who show up and take a look. And Kickstarter, there are people who look at it kind of like the malls of the 80s where kids would go to the mall and just go through the stores. That’s Kickstarter. It’s the largest seller of board games in the world, not Costco, not Walmart. Kickstarter. That means people are cruising there all the time, looking for something fun. You could be the fun.
Jo: Yeah, I think that is so true. I definitely get sucked down that rabbit hole of when somebody I follow has a new Kickstarter and I’m going through and there’s that temptation of all the shiny objects of their different pledge tiers and rewards and everything like that. So it’s so much fun. So much fun.
Martha: But you also get caught up like, I liked this one, I wonder what else is available? And you go and look, right? And suddenly, you know, an hour’s gone by and you’ve looked at, I mean, I have a standup paddleboard in my garage and I have all sorts of little gadgets I’ve gotten off of Kickstarter.
Jo: I love that. So I had a look at your previous Kickstarter for your book Eamon, and you had some fun little things there. You had little pins and graphic art and that. Because I was wondering, like I’ve supported a lot of nonfiction Kickstarters, so for a fiction author, what are your recommendations for some of the rewards that you could potentially offer?
Martha: So, if you’re brand new, I would suggest you try and think of rewards that are more e-involved instead of having to manufacture and mail. Like, for the first Kickstarter, one of the stretch goals was the prison record for some of the characters, and another one was the different planets with a description and graphics. And those could be emailed out to everybody quickly, and there was no expense and they enjoyed it. So try and think along the lines of what could I do that I don’t have to manufacture? And then if you’re manufacturing, what can I do that’s smaller and weighs very little? Flat is best. That’s why you see a lot of bookmarks. But, also how can I tie it to the story?
So this new Kickstarter, the pins and Eamon will be available again as add ons, but the new thing will be temporary tattoos that are tied directly to the story. So yeah, so see if you can tie it to your story. Also, I always go out and buy, get it shipped to me ahead of time, whatever it is I’m trying to do, to make sure I like the quality, the shipping looped up to it, and the actual cost. So you want all those questions answered before you put it out there and you’ve sold it and now you’ve got to do it.
Jo: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that’s so cool. I’d never even thought of the temporary tattoos, but that’s such a great idea, particularly in worlds of like urban fantasy and whatnot. I love that.
Martha: And they’re light and flat. So shipping them is super easy.
Jo: Yeah, absolutely. So you’re using the Kickstarter pretty much to launch your books as they’re ready to come out. And then you’ve talked about, you’ve also got, it looks like a Shopify store. Am I right? It’s Shopify?
Martha: Yeah.
Jo: So you’ve created that, and I’m interested in that because lots of people are talking about selling direct on Shopify stores, and I’m in the process of looking at setting one up for myself as well. And I don’t have a very big backlist at all. I’ve got like a handful of books, so that’s going to be interesting. What was your thoughts behind creating a store kind of right off the bat here with only one book?
Martha: So, you know, with every new thing we learn how to sell, there’s a learning curve that’s kind of steep in the beginning. And there’s always added expense or detail that we weren’t expecting. It takes more time than we thought. So I’m going to get that out of the way and learn it now so that when I am ready, I already know. Plus, it’s established. I’m not really pushing advertising dollars toward it because there’s one book. But it’s there and people do keep finding it to buy the book. So it’s there. The book is also wide, so you can get it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but the store is there. So what I’ve done is set up my intention. My intention is to, over time, pull people more and more directly to me. So that can’t happen if the store doesn’t exist. And I’ve grown comfortable with having a store. All the bugs have been worked out as the books are there. I can build on that instead of it all hitting me like a wave.
Jo: Yeah, that was my kind of intention behind it too. I was actually kind of like patting myself on the back for thinking about starting it now rather than when I’ve got the big back list, because I’ve certainly heard from authors who’ve made the transition with 30 odd books in the background there that it’s time consuming, and it’s a big thing to kind of get that all set up.
Martha: It is. Plus, also, so when you start a newsletter, you don’t wait till you have a thousand people, you start a newsletter and you build over time and you build because you had a newsletter in the first place that people could join. So you and I will have a store that we can keep referencing that people can go look at. They can tell their friends about it. And it will build over time.
There does occasionally seem to be a trend where authors are saying, how do I do it now? And that’s unfortunate because you can burn yourself out or feel anxious if you’re not getting it now. It’s okay to build. And that’s the approach I’m taking about starting over, is we’re going to build a solid foundation so that I can stand on that for quite a long time, hopefully. And having the store ready and available and functional is part of it. And then too, when someone makes a good suggestion, like having a coupon on the store, I’m not like, well, I don’t have a store and I really can’t, I’ve got to do that first. It’s like, how do I do it? Where do I go? Let me look into it. And I can keep building up. And also, if you want magic to hit you, you gotta be ready. And, yeah, having the book and having the store available makes me ready. It may not happen, but at least I’m in the game and it’s available if it does.
Jo: I really love that. I love that. If you want magic to happen, you’ve got to be ready. I totally agree with that. That is fantastic. And I love your philosophy around that kind of slow build and making sure that you’ve got everything set up and in place and not just trying to rush it. I’ve always tried to keep that in the back of my mind, setting up my author career as well.
So creating the solid foundation, what would you have to say for authors out there who are maybe in a similar situation that you are, or are thinking about completely pivoting their author career? Maybe they haven’t been writing or releasing books for a while, or they’re looking at jumping to a completely different genre or pen name. What would your advice be from your experience shifting, starting from scratch all over again?
Martha: I would strongly suggest that some time is taken to really discern what did I like about this and what did I not like. Because the advantage of starting over is the knowledge I’ve gained. That’s the big plus. And if I can have the kind of the courage and the faith that this is all going to be fine, so I can put that aside. If I had this to do over, which I do, what do I really like? And how do I accomplish that and what will further that cause? Instead of like trying to get on a hamster wheel, and we need to be here by then, which will make you crazy and you’ll miss opportunities and you’ll probably burn out. How about instead, what would make this fun for me? And that’s a very tailored approach because it’s not going to look the same as anyone else’s. And it means too, looking away from when people make those posts that say, I did this much in a month. It means just look away. And I snooze those posts, by the way, I snooze people when they do that. Because there’s so much information missing about how they did it and how they felt and what went wrong, and is it still happening? It’s just not useful. So instead, it’s do I like this genre? Or have I always hated it?
I started out in thrillers, by the way, and no one cared. So I pivoted before to urban fantasy seven years ago. And if urban fantasy, I adore it, so, okay, we’re staying there. Do I like the covers I’ve been doing? I love the new covers. In other words, just piece it out. Take the time. Do I like my writing schedule? Am I putting out too many books because the pace is too fast for me? Or is it a little slow and I could do more? Do I want to experiment with more ways of marketing that are more fun and not so much Amazon, Amazon.
By the way, I don’t advertise on Amazon. If I advertise over in other areas and the buyer says, you know, I’m used to Amazon, I’m going to go over there, then that means everybody who goes, it’s 100 percent then the Amazon algorithms pick up on that and push it anyway. Whereas if I buy ads, it’s a lot lower. I’m just shooting myself in the foot, just a thought.
But the big advantage you’re going to have to starting over, if you can really take a breath, is that you’re going to design what you truly in this moment want, according to your personality. Claire Taylor, who’s been killing it on Facebook, has put out a couple of books on the Enneagram, and I’ve taken her courses and figured out what my Enneagram is, which ironically is not the type I tend to make a main character. So that’s interesting.
Jo: Very interesting.
Martha: But, yeah. And knowing my Enneagram has helped me in the redesign because I know when I’m sliding into the darker side and just ignore it, don’t make decisions based on that. And it’s helped on the writing side because then I know what’s motivating that character better. So just a side note, Claire Taylor’s books have been a big help for me in the pivot to be clearer and more direct about what will make it fun for me, and what’s made me have fun about these books.
Jo: I absolutely love that. Claire’s been on the show a couple of times and I totally am such a fan girl of hers. I’m always talking about that. And yeah, similar to you, I’ve done a few of her courses and find that really beneficial to get that better understanding of character. And I do tend to write main characters similar to my own Enneagram type, but that also helps me connect with my audience a little bit more. And, you know, Claire’s teachings have kind of taught me that there are people out there who think similar to me, so they’ll resonate with these characters and that too. So that’s really cool to hear that that’s been so pivotal for you.
Martha: I’m a Type 6 with a very strong Wing 7. And Type 6 for everybody who doesn’t know Enneagram yet, we love safety. And if you make decisions based on safety alone, then I will always be making decisions to protect against, instead of grow toward. And so I just need to be aware that that’s going to possibly play in. Don’t give into it. Actually, ask what can I grow toward, or else I’ll always be just trying to keep the pool small.
I tend to write an 8, which are the ones who say I can do it myself and I will. Which is interesting that I’m always drawn to that. And I tend to sprinkle around them sidekicks who are 9 or 5 and which gives it a kind of a balance. And readers really connect with that because it’s generally our friend group is not a bunch of sixes. Can you imagine a bunch of sixes huddled together? You would all be talking about how the world is ending. It’s not good. So that’s the same way in stories, you know? This knowing these things is a great way to know myself, so that I make business decisions based on reality, at least a broader reality. And then writing stories where the characters are a little more balanced too, and not straight down the middle.
Jo: Yeah. I find that really interesting. Then I’ve got to ask you, knowing that you’re at Enneagram Six and security is so important to you. This is a big thing, pivoting in your career and starting from scratch again. So what have been some of the mindset struggles that might’ve come up for you or that you’ve had to deal with along the way? Has there been anything kind of really significant…
Martha: Absolutely. I mean, I can get caught up in what I call magic eight ball thinking: what if, what if, what if. And there’s no answer to those questions because they’re all based on nothing that’s happening and they can eat up a lot of time. So if I catch myself doing that, I know that I need to take a breath and maybe talk to somebody else. Also, Sixes love a plan. And my desire for a plan can put off somebody else who’s like, do we need so many? When I’m in something like this I need a plan. The plan has to be able to breathe. It can’t be written in stone. It’s going to morph. But it helps to have some general idea, we’re going to head in this direction and this is what we’re going to do today. We may not get it all done, but here’s the general idea. That helps knowing that a lot. Plus, I have a very strong Wing 7, which is, um, we’re all about the fun.
Jo: Yeah.
Martha: Yeah, and so knowing that too, I know that if I take on something that is way too high pressure, way too fast paced, it’s going to kill the fun and it’s going to raise my insecurity on safety. So that is not a good idea. Kickstarter is like a big giant playground, so it’s kind of perfect. And there’s going to be a lot of playing and shiny things. And then you get to watch when it launches, like how well will it do? It’s a weird mixture of safety and play that, you know, kind of matches together nicely.
Jo: Yeah. Oh, that sounds so good. And I think it is so important for us as authors, particularly when we’re starting out or starting over, to get really clear about who we are and what’s going to work for us. Absolutely. And not go down that rabbit hole of listening to the gurus or the people out there who are like, this is the one way to do it. And this is the only way that guarantees success.
Martha: Nothing will guarantee success. And that’s okay. And that’s absolutely okay. And so if I can take my ego out of it, when things take a left turn, which they always will, I can do an autopsy faster of what went wrong, what went right, and change. And that has been key my entire career. Instead of saying, it must be my fault. I should have done this. Why didn’t I do it that way? You’re going to eat up time and it helps nothing. And it’s probably not true in the long run. Instead, if I can just look at it, maybe get some trusted advisors who can take a look too, not Facebook. Do not ask Facebook, what do you think of this? Just pick one or two people because other than that, you’re going to overwhelm yourself. What could I have done differently? And just try to adjust slowly. This business is always going to require a certain amount of courage that you can take a little bit of time and it will be okay. And you can test things and find out what was working, what wasn’t, and then make the adjustments. And then occasionally magic will hit you. You will have a runaway bestseller and use the money wisely knowing that the next one will probably do fairly well. It may not be as big, but it’s all going to kind of work out, average out to some nice success. And have some fun, you know, just along the way, if you’re not having fun, why are you doing it?
Jo: Yes. I love that. I love that. And I always say that. I think at the end of the day, you’ve always got to go back to what lights you up, what brings you joy. And if you’re not getting that from your author career, what’s the point? So yeah.
Martha: Yeah. And you won’t last. It’s too hard. You won’t last.
Jo: Yeah, I agree. Well, let’s talk about your books then, like your one on Kickstarter and Eamon as well. Can you talk a little bit about what they’re about? You’ve called them urban fantasy, but I think I also saw you mention romantasy as well.
Martha: I did. Yeah. So urban fantasy is magic in a realistic setting. And it also doesn’t exist as a category in a lot of places. We have to, you know, choose something else. And it’s a kind of a cool category too because I know people who do a lot of warfare in urban fantasy. I know others who do a lot of romance, or action adventure, or thriller even. So urban fantasy can kind of take on whatever the person’s bringing to the table plus magic. And some are more bio magic where, you know, they’re using weapons that are enhanced by magic, and others are straight up wands and wizards. My urban fantasy tends to have a strong romance that goes through it. And because I like seeing the character unfold, I keep doing, I like doing the female main character who is very strong, but hasn’t learned how to ask for help very well, which is something I had to learn how to do. And also watching them start to trust others. And in particular, the romance.
The thing I like about romantasy more than straight up romance, which is great, is that straight up romance focuses on the romance. The plot can often take the back seat. And I am not a big fan of that. In romantasy or urban fantasy the way I do it, the plot still is the main driver, but the romance is also key and essential to what’s about to happen, so that you don’t lose one in service of the other. Does that make sense?
Jo: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. So what could our listeners and our readers expect when they’re reading your books?
Martha: So I live in Austin, Texas, which is a truly weird town. And I mean, you could see pretty much anything on any given day. Like the woman in the grocery store parking lot who had clearly hand painted her car to look like a cheetah. Yeah, that’s nothing for this town. That sort of thing goes on all the time. I put a lot of speakeasies in Eamon and they’re all real and I could have put 30 more. I don’t know why it’s a big thing here. And one of them was in a parking garage where it was, you know, the cement tall parking garages, they had taken the valet’s office, made it a bar. So you have to know where you’re going because you’re going to feel like, I don’t think this is right. I’m in a garage. Until you open the door and go around the corner in the bar, and then you’re in a bar. So, I love setting books in Austin for that reason. There’s a man who’s now famous because he’s made a tower out of found objects, that he had to lower a little bit because the airport made a fuss. And it’s called the Tower of Junk and it’s become a popular tourist attraction. That’s kind of Austin. So I start with that, where I know I’m going to find enough real places that I can put in there that are genius. And then I just add magic.
And then this is a story about a girl gamer in a taco truck who finds dragons in Austin, Texas, and fights interdimensional demons. And so, you know, you’ve got a little bit of everything. I’m a girl gamer. We don’t get mentioned a lot in books ever. And the main heroes are gamers. And, you know, gamers tend to be the skinny guy, and the guy with the paunch, and the one who’s got a comb over. Or, I mean, we don’t tend to be the ones right out front. They’re the heroes. And I use game strategies in different board games. I’m a board gamer. In the book on how they defeat or take on the enemy, it’s just a lot of fun that it’s not your hero with a big piece of machinery. It’s a bunch of gamers who happen to be magical. And in Eamon something happens and she finds herself the custodian of these three dragons. I don’t want to give anything away, but she’s got to also hide them in Austin, Texas.
And in Book 2, Willow Jenkins is finally coming into her strength and she is having to bring the fight to the enemy and learn how to fight. I mean, you know, just running straight at your enemy is not always the best ploy. Plus, she’s got these dragons, and it’s still Austin and magic is hidden. And how do you deal with all of that?
And there’s a lot of humour because I, I just love snarky humour. And I also tend to bring in a lot of actual natural science with trees and with birds. I love the fact that trees communicate with each other over miles, and that they will share nutrients, and that they will take care of each other, and that that’s actual science. And then this is grackle land. A grackle is a bird that looks a lot like a smaller crow. They gather by hundreds on telephone lines and they’re very, very loud. And if you’re new to Austin or visiting, you will think something has happened because the sound is so large. It sounds like a horror movie is about to start. Those of us who live here don’t even notice. But it’s such an obvious that grackles play a big part in the book as well. And by the way, a group of grackles is called a murder and who doesn’t want to use that in urban fantasy?
So I’ve been tending to use a lot of plant medicine and how they combine and potions, along with magic, along with battle scenes, and this romance that’s kind of weaving through it. Harry the borrower, he can take an object that was used by a magical and he can feel their entire life history. But he’s not well liked, borrowers aren’t in general, because they can also siphon off magic from other magicals. And Harry would never do that, but other magicals just aren’t comfortable having him around. So there’s that kind of push and pull of Willow watching what’s happening to him. And that he can share, he can share in her memories, and what’s going on, even when she doesn’t want him to, because he has this ability.
Jo: That just sounds so fun. That sounds so fun. It’s just got, yeah, a little bit of everything for everybody. I love it. I really do. That is so cool. So, how many books do you have planned for this series?
Martha: So, from writing so many books before, I’ve discovered that what I truly love is three long books. So I’m doing trilogies. That’s the, yeah, so Anail, the third book, and these are all Gaelic names, Eamon, Lasair and Anail. Anail will come out next month in June on Kickstarter. And then I will start a new trilogy that I’m already outlined called the Mermaid Detective set in Austin again. And it, yeah, I’m just having fun. I like creating new systems of magic. I like coming up with a new little world, and trilogies allow me to fully explore it without then having to remember a thousand details about what happened in book two and I’m on 13.
Jo: Yes. Oh, that’s so fun. So, so fun. So where can people find your books then? And how can they check out your Kickstarter?
Martha: So you can find the books at https://authormarthacarr.com/. I also have a Kickstarter site that’s just dedicated to Kickstarter, which is https://marthacarr.com/. And that’s the fastest way you can get to the Kickstarter project. But if you go to Kickstarter and you put in Martha Carr, everything will also come up. I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to find me from several different routes. And if you join my newsletter on https://marthacarr.com/ then I’ll make sure you get a notice as each Kickstarter comes out. But yes, my plan is to keep launching books on Kickstarter first, plus I put in the front of the book the date and 001, so if you want a first edition you have to get it on Kickstarter. After that the date changes and it goes to 002. So if you’re collecting or you just like the idea of a first edition, then we all join in on the Kickstarter together. And if you bring, this time I’m trying something new, if you bring someone to the Kickstarter who pledges at the eBook or above, and put your name in in the survey that you sent them, then you’ll get a bonus of an audio short story from the trilogy. And that’s the only way you’re going to get that is if you bring somebody along with you.
Jo: I really like that. That’s a really unique kind of idea. I haven’t heard that done. So love that. Love that. Well, just as we wrap up here, is there any last advice or anything that you would like to share with our listeners or anybody who’s considering being an author or using Kickstarter or writing an urban fantasy?
Martha: I think the thing that I’ve really enjoyed, so I’ve got a bit of a longer career than most who are doing this, because I’ve been doing this for about 30 years. And the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is the connections I’ve made with others. And the thing that’s paid off in the end when the market is turned down or things have changed drastically are the connections I’ve made with others. No matter how well you do in this business, there will be times where it gets tough and things change so drastically, you’re not even sure what to do next. And being able to call people that you already know, you already trust, who know you, and even if they’re in the same boat, being able to say, what do you think? What can we do here? It will change everything for you. And it’ll slow your role from, I wonder if I need a day job to what can I do today? And you can remind each other of have you done everything you can today? Then you’re done. Go find something else to do. Are you being reasonable? This doesn’t sound like you. And they may have an idea. Or in my case, like right now, how about I do a shout out for you in my newsletter? And you know, you can do it for them. It’s the connections that you make that will really make this enjoyable. Both with fans and to other authors. The books are amazing and I love writing, but I have more fun when the book is done and the book goes out there and then fans tell me what it was really about. I used to do a lot of in person book signings and I always said I’ll find out what the book’s about at the signing, because they come up and tell you. So it starts to be like a theme and a pattern and it’s not generally what I thought it was going to be. And that’s fascinating to find out. And then I have to ask myself, what was I doing here? Plus it’s fun to find out that they think you’re far more ingenious than you really are because they put so much meaning into things.
So, you know, if you’re new or tired, and getting a little burnt out, look around for people that you trust, that you like, and start to have those conversations and be open to how can I change this? Instead of taking an exit from this, because you loved it at one point, ask yourself what can I do here to bring the fun back? It is possible. It’ll take some courage. But it’s very doable. And, you know, I did this in 2008 where it really felt like somebody had set the building on fire. And coming back from that made it all the sweeter. And I have found out I could survive it. And I could pivot like drastically, and I could let go and still cherish what I did in that timeframe when we did have it.
So yeah, it’s all a great ride, but do it with other people. And you know, don’t try to act like, no, I got this covered. I’m doing fine. I don’t want anyone to find out that my income is dipped. I don’t want anyone to find out. Let them all know, just tell everyone. Those who can’t handle it, they weren’t going to help you anyway. And the others will cheer you on and want you to succeed just as much. So, you know, that’s a great thing.
Jo: That is such beautiful advice. I just absolutely love that. And I hope all my listeners really take that on board because I think you really just hit the nail on the head there that, you know, at the end of the day, it is about those connections and people. And that’s what makes or breaks your career, your enjoyment, your, all of it, all of it. So, yeah, I love that.
Martha: And on the days when you do something truly stupid, to have some people who can laugh about it with you, it takes the sting out. And then you can say, okay, how can I pick up the pieces here? And by the way, you’re going to do something stupid and it will probably be expensive.
Jo: Yeah. Yeah, such is the way of it, for sure. Absolutely. Aww, well, I just love that. Thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing that. And hopefully you’ve got people really inspired now to not only check out your books on Kickstarter and on your website and that, but to consider doing something similar and using those tools, like Selling Direct and having a Shopify store and using Kickstarter to launch and that as well. So yeah, I really appreciate you coming on the show and chatting about all that. Thank you so much, Martha.
Martha: Thank you so much for having me on. I really appreciate it. And also I answer emails. So martha@marthacarr.com, if you’ve got a question or you want to tell me something, I am easily reachable.
Jo: Wonderful. Thank you. I’ll make sure to have all of that, including your Kickstarter and that in the show notes as well. That’s so great. Thank you.
So here are some takeaways from today’s show:
1. Consider using ads on platforms like YouTube and TikTok to bring people to your Kickstarter.
2. Reach out to influencers to promote your Kickstarter or books. Those with smaller lists and deeper connections with their followers tend to yield better results.
3. Graphics matter when setting up your Kickstarter, as does keeping it personable and having fun.
4. As a fiction author, starting out with Kickstarter, consider rewards that are tied to your story and that can be emailed out, or that are smaller and lighter to save on postage.
5. If you’re considering selling direct but only have a small backlist, start your setup now. This will save you time and effort and make things smoother for you in the future. Start how you plan to continue. And in Martha’s words, “If you want magic to hit you, you gotta be ready”.
6. If you’re pivoting or starting over in your author career, consider what you liked, disliked and have learned from your previous experience. Utilizing this information gives you a head start on success and sustainability.
7. Martha and I both highly recommend investigating Claire Taylor’s work around the Enneagram for authors to help focus in on creating an author career best aligned to your needs and wants.
8. No one way of doing things in your author biz guarantees success. Ask for feedback from trusted advisors, test things out and make adjustments.
So I hope you really enjoyed today’s episode and I highly recommend you go check out Martha’s present Kickstarter with her book Lasair. All the links to do so will be in the show notes.
A few other recommendations for you: If you are a fan of manifestation and want to uplift your money mindset and maybe increase the income that you are receiving from your books and your author business, I highly recommend that you go check out Money Magic with Lee Savino and Renee Rose. I have a link in the show notes that you can click on. Yes, it is an affiliate link, however, if you click on that link and use the coupon code JO, J O, you can get a month of that membership for free, and then it’s up to you whether you cancel or continue on depending upon the value that you get from it. And personally, I think it is worth the continued membership fee. But yeah, I’ll leave you to make that decision, but go check it out and grab your free month anyway.
If you are enjoying this podcast and these episodes, which I sincerely hope you are, please consider supporting the show. This is a one woman show. This is just me putting it together, doing the editing, the graphics, the conversations, reaching out to other authors and all of this. And it does take a lot of time and a lot of resources. So there are lots of different ways that you can support the show just by sharing the links to the show, chatting with a friend, sharing it on social media, tagging me, all those things really, really help promote the show and I’m always very grateful for that. You can leave a review, of course, rate the show, subscribe, or you can buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/jobuer. All of that really helps to keep the show alive and going and to allow me to chat with other amazing guests and that, that hopefully help inspire and fuel you with your author dreams as well.
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So I am wishing you a wonderful writing week ahead, my friends. Happy writing. Bye.
author mindset, Kickstarter, pivoting, starting over, urban fantasy