LitLaunch

Hi, I’m Rebecca, an independent creator from Australia, and for the past six years I’ve been developing an idea called LitLaunch. LitLaunch started with a simple problem: finding a book you’ll actually want to read can be much harder than it should be. Readers increasingly choose books using things like tropes, subgenres, themes, content warnings, spice and darkness levels, representation, relationship dynamics and even the type of ending they want — or don’t want. But that information is scattered across different platforms, social media posts, reviews and recommendations. LitLaunch is being designed to bring that information together and make book discovery more useful, detailed and personal. The larger vision goes beyond discovery. LitLaunch is intended to become a place that connects readers with books, indie and self-published creators, bookish services, bookstores and the wider book community — while keeping genuine discovery separate from paid promotion. Over the past six years, I’ve researched the idea, tested different approaches, built prototypes and developed the data and structure behind the platform. I’ve funded that work myself so far. I’ve now reached the point where taking LitLaunch from a concept and prototype into a properly built, usable platform requires professional development. I recently received an initial estimate of approximately $12,000 AUD to build the first MVP, which is why I’ve created this fundraiser. Funds raised will go directly towards the development and technical work required to build that first working version of LitLaunch — including the platform itself, its core book-discovery functionality, database integration, user features, testing and deployment. This won’t build every part of the bigger LitLaunch vision at once. It will help build the foundation: a real, usable first version that can be tested, improved and grown from there. I know not everyone is in a position to donate, and that’s completely okay. Sharing the fundraiser with readers, book lovers or anyone who might be interested in seeing LitLaunch become a reality would help enormously too. After six years of developing the idea, I’d love the opportunity to finally put a real version of LitLaunch into people’s hands. Thank you for helping me give it that chance.