Funding Week | Professional Development – Crowdfunding

Since 2020, 77 Publishing has raised over £350,000 through crowdfunding to publish new books from both established and emerging creators. Join CEO of 77 Publishing Ltd, Ben Cullis as he discusses how to create, run and manage a successful Kickstarter campaign with Comic Creator, Hannah Berry.

This event is in conjunction with the SoA’s Comics Creators Network (CCN).

The session is part of our 2026 Funding Week, a series of #SoAatHome events focusing on funding opportunities for writers in the UK. Funding Week runs from 18-19 May and the events on offer are:

• 18 May | SoA Grants and Funding: FAQs and tips for success
• 19 May | Professional Development – Sustainable work for writers: Finding roles that support your creative practice
• 19 May | Professional Development – Crowdfunding

You can watch the recordings from last year’s Funding Week events via our Resources Page here:

• Professional Development – Developing your creative practice funding
• Industry Insider – Funding opportunities in England, Scotland and Wales
• Industry Insider – Applying for funding for scripted work
• Professional Development – The nuts and bolts of funding applications
• Industry Insider – Grants and funding opportunities with the Society of Authors

#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members

All #SoAatHome Professional Development sessions continue to be free for members. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.

Not a member? sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20% off for the first year – use code SOAATHOME20.

Programme

• Welcome and introductions from Hannah Berry (3 mins)
• Presentation by Ben Cullis (60 mins)
• Comfort Break (5 mins)
• Q&A with audience (20 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Lilly Brend-Fish – Events & Engagement Manager, SoA

What will this session cover?

• Why choose Kickstarter?
• Building a campaign
• Calculating costs and reaching your goal
• Marketing 
• Fulfilment pitfalls

Who is this session for?

This event is for creators looking to raise funds to get their books published.

About the Comics Creators Network (CCN)

The Comics Creators Network is a pressure group of working authors that advocates for the rights of traditionally and self-published creators of comics and graphic novels in the UK.

The comics industry has a history of treating people who work in it as disposable, and this is something that needs to change. It can be hard to push back when bad conditions are often viewed as standard practice, but if you publish comics you are an author just like every other poet, essayist or novelist, and you deserve to be treated the same way. No one should accept substandard treatment because they are grateful for being published. 

We want to raise standards across the publishing environment by holding publishers to account and highlighting best practice. We will advocate for fair contracts and set standards for effective and equitable collaboration between creators. 

We also advocate for a more diverse, inclusive, and accepting comics industry. We want to improve access to comics, from routes into the industry, to best practice for industry events.

We do this by:

• Holding regular online community meetings to discuss issues and offer a platform for peer-support, experience sharing, and conversation
• Working with SoA to offer access to training and workshops
• Signposting authors to the legal advice, contract vetting and other support offered by SoA
• Working with industry bodies, publishers, and events organisers to improve access to the industry
• Conducting research and speaking with publishers and stakeholders in the comics to lobby for change.

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email Lbrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Crowdfunding’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.

SoA Fundraising Bookshop

Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in our events programme. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.

The Line-up

Ben Cullis

Ben has been lucky to enjoy a varied career in the creative industries, from film-making and music production, to teaching design and now publishing. His love for comics began as a young child and it’s never left him. He is currently the CEO of 77 Publishing Ltd, who have published 40 books and comics since 2020, with new talent and several household names. 

Store: The77comic.net |  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4727793513 | Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/The77Publications

Hannah Berry

Hannah Berry is an occasionally award-winning comics creator, scriptwriter and campaigner, and is a founding committee member of the Comics Creators Network and co-director of the Comics Cultural Impact Collective. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was UK Comics Laureate 2019-21.

Website: hannahberry.co.uk | Instagram: @streakofpith | Bluesky: streakofpith.bsky.social

Need to know

Accessibility

• Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org

Before the event

• Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
• If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
• Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails

During the event

• This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
• This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
• Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
• This event is 90 minutes 

After the event

• The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.

Booking

SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.

Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.

For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.

SoA Members – Free

Non-Members – £35