I've Successfully Funded Four Kickstarters: Here's What I've Learned
Five Tips for Bookish Kickstarters
Quick Intro: What is Kickstarter?
It’s a crowdfunding platform for creators to launch new projects. This can include new books, or special editions of previously published books. Every campaign has a time limit of 1-60 days, and a unique funding goal ($1 - ???). It is all or nothing; in other words, the creator either meets the goal and receives all the funds minus fees, or the funding goal isn’t met, in which case the creator gets nothing.
According to Kickstarter, about 40% of publishing campaigns on their platform are successful. (Success, in this case, is defined by meeting the project’s funding goal.)
Out of that 40%, Kickstarter reports that 75% of those projects to NOT break $10k.
I’ve successfully funded all four of the campaigns I’ve launched, and three of them broke $10k. Campaign 1 made over $5k; campaign 2, a little over $12k; Campaigns 3 and 4, over $14k each.
Due to this success, I’m often asked for advice, so that’s why we’re here. (I also have a YouTube video which is a recording of an “Ask Me Anything about Kickstarter” live I did on TT. It’s long, ~2 hours, but very informative if you have the time!) I’m going to give you FIVE tips regarding publishing Kickstarters. Ready?
Understand that a Kickstarter is NOT the same as a GoFundMe. This is one of the most common mistakes I see authors make. KS and GFM are both crowdfunding platforms, but they are VERY different. Kickstarter backers don’t want a sad story about not being able to afford various publishing expenses. Kickstarter is much closer to a retail platform insofar as how backers use it. Backers want to buy pretty and/or brand new books. Yes, they also want to support you as a creator, but they’re showing up for the shelf trophies, and/or so they can receive a copy of your newest book before it’s available on Amazon. (Bonus tip: therefore, it is a very VISUAL platform. Graphics and presentation matter!!)
Read the book Kickstarters for Authors by Anthea Sharp and/or join the Facebook of the same name (which Anthea started). Ideally, do both. This isn’t a paid promo, I don’t get anything if you purchase this book. Anthea is an expert on the topic and I highly recommend you use this resource.
Pre-launch is important. Be patient. Have a minimum 30 day pre-launch period. Get a minimum of 25 pre-launch followers before you launch, if you want to fund around $500 (or 50 if you want to fund $1000, etc). Not all pre-launch followers will convert (usually only 20-30%), but the more folks who pledge on day one, the better your campaign will go.
Do your research. In addition to reading the book I recommended, do your own research on the platform. Look up other campaigns in your genre. You can see how many backers pledge for each reward tier: pay attention to that, and you’ll quickly find patterns as far as the most and least popular rewards. (Spoiler: Kickstarter backers like special edition hardcovers most of all, and they care the least about audiobooks.) Look at the story and reward elements of successful campaigns vs campaigns which didn’t fund. It’s also a great idea to make your own pledge on one or more campaigns. This doesn’t have to be a big investment; you can pledge as little as $1 to support a project. That level of support usually doesn’t come with rewards, BUT being a backer will give you insight to the process via campaign updates and the like.
Do NOT launch a Kickstarter for a book that isn’t finished. (Finished at the minimum means you have a completed draft. Ideally, it’s also edited, or maybe only needs a proofread.) Now, the platform ALLOWS you to launch campaigns regardless of the status of your books. DON’T DO IT. Many authors have learned this the hard way as they’re fulfilling rewards months or even years later than promised—because life happens. You think you’re on schedule to finish the book a month after the campaign is over, but then illness or something else arises. (Even worse is when this happens, and then you ALSO have delays beyond your control for printing/shipping etc.) It’s stressful for you, but also, backers will remember. They might not back your next campaign, if you ever do one; they might not read your future books because their experience left a bad taste in their mouth. It’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver as opposed to the reverse.
Questions? Feel free to drop a comment! Have you ever run or backed a Kickstarter??
In addition, I offer Kickstarter consultation and design services. If you’d like more info or an estimate, there is a form to fill out here.
And if you’d like to check out MY next campaign, which is a gorgeous omnibus for my romantasy trilogy, you can follow the pre-launch page. 🫶🏻 Click on the banner below, or search “Luxe’s Lullaby” on the Kickstarter website.
