Now on Kickstarter: My Gothic Suspense Novel

Since Kickstarter launched in 2009, it has shown incredible success. The crowdsourced funding platform has generated over $8.5 billion. As of April, Kickstarter had 24 million backers and had successfully funded 277,302 projects, with games and comics the most popular, followed by musical and theatrical projects.

But what about fiction?

In 2022, bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson raised more than $41.7 million for four secret books, all of which were planned as stand-alone novels through his publishing company, Dragonsteel Entertainment. It broke records on announcement and became the most successful campaign in history.

Other authors have plunged into Kickstarter, recognizing its value in promising something different to readers, whether it’s stories created outside of traditional publishing in some way or a physical format that excites interest. In a follow-up to his 2022 project, Sanderson announced a campaign to fund a leather-bound edition of one of his books, with illustrations and other goodies. To learn more about fiction on Kickstarter, I recommend listening to Joanna Penn on why she released a thriller there.

As for me, producing something physical with special features sounded very appealing, particularly as my recent historical thrillers have focused on the ebook format. I am a dedicated digital reader, and I love how a book can appear on a reader’s Kindle in a moment, but I adore the feel of a hardcover or paperback book. If you watch Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube video “How a Leatherbound Book Is Made,” you’ll see I am not alone!

What perfect timing, then, to learn about Kris Waldherr’s Kickstarter project “Once Upon a Gothic.” She has had success on Kickstarter with several beautiful projects. Her new idea? To produce a limited, beautifully designed Gothic compilation of original novels paired with modern retellings in Tête-Bêche editions. I became one of four novelists–the other three are Kris, Heather Webb, and Paulette Kennedy–who would honor a favorite classic.

I chose Northanger Abbey, the excellent Gothic novel, satire, and affecting drama written by Jane Austen. In my novel The Heiress of Northanger Abbey, I tell the story of Catherine Morland–now Catherine Tilney!–twenty-two years later, and what happens to Catherine, Henry, and their daughter, Phoebe, when the beautiful and willful seventeen-year-old is poised to inherit the Abbey. Will the promise of such a fortune attract a dangerous sort of attention?

The other three classics are Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula.

To explain why we chose this format for the books and what kind of experience readers can expect, I interviewed Kris for Miss Demeanors.

Nancy Bilyeau: These novels will be offered in an unusual design as print books. Could you explain tête-bêche flip books and tell us a little bit about the history of this type of book?

Kris Waldherr: A tête-bêche book is basically two books in one. It’s when two novels are printed together, but upside-down to each other, so their last pages meet in the middle of the book—the term tête-bêche translates from the French as “head-to-tail.” Here’s how the design format will work for the One Upon a Gothic Kickstarter: open the book one way and you’ll be reading the original gothic novel; flip the book other way for the retelling of the gothic. Though tête-bêche books have been around for a while, the format became popularized in the mid-twentieth century through Ace Books, who published a series of science fiction and other genre novels in the format. Here’s an article explaining tête-bêche in more detail: https://poetshouse.org/books-in-love-tete-beche-and-dos-a-dos-bindings/

“Our retellings offer readers another way to immerse themselves in the worlds created by Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Gaston Leroux, and Jane Austen—each classic is so richly imagined and beloved.”

Kris Walderr

NB: What made you think that this book format would lend itself well to Gothic classics and their retellings? Was there a moment of inspiration?

KW: As a book designer, I’m fascinated with unusual book formats and how they can enhance the reading experience. But I’m also an author: my novel Unnatural Creatures is a retelling of Frankenstein from the perspective of the women closest to Victor Frankenstein and his monster—the other side of the story, so to speak. I began thinking how amazing it would be to bind both gothic novels together in a literal sense in tête-bêche format. You’d get the “other side of the story” simply by flipping the book! From there, I thought of other gothic novels that would benefit from this treatment, and decided to ask author friends (such as yourself 😉 to contribute retellings. Once Heather Webb agreed to come on board as editor, the Once Upon a Gothic book series was born. 

NB: What will the four retellings bring to the experience of reading these classic novels? 

KW: I hope they’ll expand and deepen readers’ appreciation for these gothic masterpieces. Our retellings offer readers another way to immerse themselves in the worlds created by Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Gaston Leroux, and Jane Austen—each classic is so richly imagined and beloved. Though we didn’t plan it this way, the four retellings also offer uniquely feminine perspectives. Paulette Kennedy’s The Last Bride is written from the perspective of Ileana, who became Dracula’s bride before Mina and Lucy showed up on the scene. Heather Webb’s The Phantom’s Apprentice is a very different take on Christine Daaé, who’s more interested in creating magic than singing opera. My Unnatural Creatures is told through the eyes of Victor Frankenstein’s mother, bride, and servant and set firmly in 18th-century revolutionary Europe. Finally, your The Heiress of Northanger Abbey picks up the plot twenty-two years later, featuring Catherine Tilney’s daughter, Phoebe, who is poised to inherit the titular estate. I especially love how each author has brought their own style to their retellings. For example, Paulette’s retelling is wonderfully sensual, while yours melds Jane Austen’s witty sensibility with your considerable gifts as a suspense author.   

NB: Why not do this project as a giant ebook collection? 

KW: Much as I appreciate ebooks, they offer a very different experience from a physical book. That said, some readers do prefer digital books to print books, so during the Kickstarter, we’ll have all four retellings available as an omnibus ebook. However, the ebook won’t include the gothic classics that inspired them. Nor will it offer the tête-bêche experience with all the bells and whistles of the print edition—you won’t be able to flip your e-reader for the other side of the story. 😉  

NB: The first Gothic novel was ‘The Castle of Otranto’ in 1766. Why has the genre made such a deep impact on our culture?

KW: I think gothic novels speak to our collective anxieties and obsessions as a society, offering readers a safe way to process their fears. Though the gothic has gone in and out of fashion over the centuries, it’s become especially popular of late—no doubt a reflection of our increasingly complicated and troubled modern world, especially since the pandemic. Plus, they’re fun to read, with all their atmospheric glory and dramatic twists and turns. 

NB: What are the different print features that these books will offer?

KW: In addition to the tête-bêche format, the books will be personally designed by me with decorative elements reflecting the era in which the original novels were first published. Books will be available individually and in sets as softcover and deluxe hardcover editions. The deluxe hardcover edition will be something really special! We’re planning printed fore-edges (that’s when the three sides of a book have a full-color design), full-color endpapers, autographed vellum inserts, and more. 

NB: Why do this as a Kickstarter? What does it make possible that wouldn’t exist otherwise?

KW: First off, it would be difficult for us to publish these books with a traditional publisher in tête-bêche format, let alone as a book series. In addition to other considerations, the production costs are too high for something so artisanal. Plus, getting the books from manuscript to bookstore would take years. However, through Kickstarter, we’re able to streamline the production process considerably. We also don’t have to do huge print runs to make a book profitable, which enables us to create projects that are really unusual and special that you won’t find anywhere else. We also don’t have to compromise our artistic vision to please a publisher’s marketing team.

 “We also don’t have to do huge print runs to make a book profitable, which enables us to create projects that are really unusual and special that you won’t find anywhere else.”

Kris Waldherr

I should also mention how easy it is to purchase books from Kickstarter. A Kickstarter campaign is just another way to preorder books directly from the author. Here’s how it works:

1. Make a pledge for the book/s you want to preorder. Books are offered individually and in bundles. (Your account won’t be charged until after the campaign ends.) 

2. After the campaign ends and payment is complete, you’ll receive a survey requesting your shipping info.

3. Books are shipped as soon as they arrive from the printer, and ebooks even sooner. 

That’s it! 

NB: Is Kickstarter becoming a path to supporting the innovative work of novelists, independent of traditional publishers?

KW: I consider Kickstarter a real game changer for all authors, not only novelists. This is my fifth Kickstarter, and I’ve had great experiences with all of them. Aside from creative considerations, Kickstarter enables independently published authors to connect directly with readers without a middleman retailer, who can take up to 70% (or more!) commission on book sales. If you’re a traditionally published author, the profits are even slimmer: traditional publishers pay authors an average of 10% royalty per book. In comparison, Kickstarter takes only 8 to 10% commission on books sold—the remaining 90% goes to the author. Bottom line: on Kickstarter, profits go to the creators, not corporations. 

NB: Will the books be sold on Amazon or in bookstores?

KW: Due to the special book format, the Once Upon a Gothic books will be limited in number and only available through Kickstarter and, for a short period afterward, directly from us. (No Amazon, no BN. Ever.) Aside from production costs, retailers require ISBN codes on covers, which would undermine the tête-bêche design. This makes the Once Upon a Gothic books all the more unique and exclusive. 

NB: How can people best support this creative endeavour?

KW: For now, we hope you’ll follow the campaign on Kickstarter. This also ensures you get first dibs at special offers when we launch this fall. Here’s the prelaunch link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/musepublications/once-upon-a-gothic/

NB: Are there special rewards people who follow the Kickstarter will get?

KW: Yes! That’s one of the best aspects of Kickstarter: we get to offer readers extras that won’t be available anywhere else. When you follow the Once Upon a Gothic campaign on Kickstarter, you’ll receive an email notification when the campaign launches, which offers access to early bird pricing, special book bundles, and other swag. In past Kickstarters, we’ve had Ask the Author Zooms, signed bookmarks, bonus chapters, digital prints, tarot readings, pencil drawings, and other fun stuff. So if any of your readers have any suggestions for what they’d like to see us offer for the Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter, send them our way! 

——————————————————————————————————————–

Thanks, Kris, for this fascinating look at an emerging path to publication that authors of all kinds can explore!

And I hope readers of this blog will follow our campaign to learn more about the journey I’ve embarked on. All you have to do is click “Notify Me on Launch” on the Once Upon a Gothic page.

Nancy Bilyeau

Nancy Bilyeau is the author of eight novels and one novella of historical suspense. Her latest thriller, ‘The Versailles Formula, set in 18th-century Europe, will be published in spring 2025. A former staff editor at Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and InStyle, Nancy lives with her family in the Hudson Valley in New York.

View all posts by Nancy Bilyeau

Website