Nowadays, publishers ask for authors to pay for publishing. This is so that publishers are not taking on the full risk of publishing a new author. If you prefer to get published in a traditional manner, fees can be very high. One way to raise funds is through crowdfunding. This is when friends, family, acquaintances, and anyone else in your network and beyond, help fund your projects. There are tons of sites set up to do this. Here are some places to take a look at:
Kickstarter.com
Indiegogo.com
Gofundme.com
Startups.com
Rockethub.com
If you want more information on crowdfunding, here is an article from PBS: http://crowdfunding.pbworks.com/w/page/10402176/Crowdfunding
If you want to see an example of how crowdfunding can be used for publishing, here is my account. I wrote a children’s picture book about a teddy bear that travels the world. He goes to the Galapagos to learn about the islands, but while he’s there, he runs into unexpected problems and must work with his new friends to overcome them. It is a whimsical tale of team work and leadership, and will help give kids a broader world view!