It’s easy to become a bit cynical about crowdfunding. Like charity door knocks there seems to be a new one every day, and when you only have a finite amount of money it can be hard to decide who gets your cash. And, while there are lots of worthwhile causes, sometimes it seems that there are people who see crowdfunding as a bit of a shortcut.

But, then there are projects that are so exciting that you want to find the money for them, and that tick all the boxes of what crowdfunding should be all about.  Right now there are two projects in particular that I have absolutely no hesitation in spruiking because I think they not only deserve to succeed, but they represent things I want to see more of. Hopefully their success will breed more success for others.

The first is the upcoming anthology Kaleidoscope, from Twelfth Planet Press. From the website:

Kaleidoscope is an anthology of diverse contemporary YA fantasy stories, which will be edited by Julia Rios and Alisa Krasnostein, and published by Twelfth Planet Press. Too often popular culture and media defaults to a very narrow cross section of the world’s populace. We believe that people of all kinds want to see themselves reflected in stories. We also believe that readers actively enjoy reading stories about people who aren’t exactly like them. We want see more stories featuring people who don’t always get the spotlight, so we’re gathering a wonderful variety of:

* YA fantasy stories
* Set in the modern world
* Featuring teen protagonists from diverse backgrounds

There are lots of reasons to be excited about this anthology. The first is that Twelfth Planet Press have consistently released books of the highest quality that have transcended  Australian boundaries, finding international acclaim and being nominated for, and winning, major awards. Secondly, Alisa is an editor and publisher of incredible vision, and when you add Julia Rios (who I only know by reputation, but it s a stellar one)  to the mix you know you are going end up with an amazing selection of stories. If this isn’t one of the stand out anthologies of the year I will eat my hat.

And, thirdly, any project that encourages diversity in this fashion deserves our support. If this project succeeds it will breed more projects of a similar nature. Everyone deserves a chance to read stories that are about people like them, not just the standard demographic, and anything that makes that a reality is something I want to support.

You can contribute here.

While Twelfth Planet Press has established itself as arguably Australia’s premier press, Satalyte Publishing is closer to the beginning of that journey. However, they have already announced some very exciting projects.

Satalyte Publishing is a brand new venture from an Aussie team, who want to see Australian works back on Australian bookshelves. Being an author and designer (as well as husband and wife), we have been involved in the process of book design for some years, and now looking at helping authors achieve their goal of seeing their words published.

I had the pleasure of working with Steve on a story in the Great Southern Land anthology and I was really impressed with both his passion and his professionalism. It was clear to me that his priority was doing the right thing by his authors, that to him they were not commodities but collaborators. Whether it is the percentage of royalties in the contract, or the level of support provided, Satalyte seem determined to ensure that the author is the focus, not the publisher.

That’s why I have no doubt that the funds that are raised by their Pozible campaign will directly benefit the authors, and be ploughed back into making the press the best it can be. As a writer I am thrilled to see a publisher that cares so much for its contributors, and as a reader I am very excited about what they have in the pipeline. Their success is not just going to be good for them, but for the Australian writing scene.

You can donate here.