And so Tapsalteerie's crowdfunding campaign has been successful, having raised a grand total of £625 so far. Of course there's still a little time to donate if you would like - anything more than this total would be massively useful - but at least the minimum amount I needed to get the press off the ground has been reached. It really is fantastic news, and I'm very grateful to all the generous crowdfunders out there who made it happen.
I would heartily recommend anyone to give the crowdfunding a go. I was genuinely surprised by the amount of people who showed their support so readily, including those I both knew and didn't know.
So what would I count as the main reasons for Tapsalteerie's success? Firstly, a worthy cause combining a few different elements. Not only did we have the Scots language side, but also the idea of helping young Scottish artists. I was also launching two things for quite a modest amount of money - both a new poet's first collection and a new publishing company. I do think this means people could get quite a bit of bang for their buck, which probably helps when they're deciding to donate or not.
The thing is that a solid idea with clear motives and goals is not enough for success. You also need the support of those around you, and if it wasn't for my personal and professional networks I don't think the funding target would have been reached. Although it all happened through the internet, it was in the real world that the success was built.
