No clue what a Kickstarter is. 
$1500 in a day
So it looks like my latest Kickstarter presale may fund in a single day. I asked for $1500, and 19 hours in I'm at not-quite $1100. 
Twenty days to go, too. Last time I asked for $1500 and raised all of it in three days (over the course of a month it raised $5250). Best way to do a Kickstarter: barebones goal. You can always raise more, but you can't raise less.
Twenty days to go, too. Last time I asked for $1500 and raised all of it in three days (over the course of a month it raised $5250). Best way to do a Kickstarter: barebones goal. You can always raise more, but you can't raise less.1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Kickstarter is a way for writers, game designers, artists, clothing designers and foodmakers to raise seed money in exchange for whatever it is they're offering. Essentially, it's a presale. We don't have access to Amazon's presale system, so this is a way to do a presale without them. Your fans get what they want (your books) and you get money for book production. It's neither a loan nor a donation. Don't attempt it without an existing fan base.
I've kicked several books and graphic novels/comics, two or three films, several musicians (including Amanda Palmer, and the Polyphonic Spree), an artisan salt maker (jobs for the Oregon coast), two or three games and a food cart. in exchange I've gotten music, films, books, ebooks, games, comics, two drop dead gorgeous card decks, a little tin of really delicious salt, a bag of goodies from the new grocery store in my neighborhood, and my favorite food cart.
I've kicked several books and graphic novels/comics, two or three films, several musicians (including Amanda Palmer, and the Polyphonic Spree), an artisan salt maker (jobs for the Oregon coast), two or three games and a food cart.
in exchange I've gotten music, films, books, ebooks, games, comics, two drop dead gorgeous card decks, a little tin of really delicious salt, a bag of goodies from the new grocery store in my neighborhood, and my favorite food cart.
Oooo! I volunteer! Who wants to kickstarter me?MeiLinMiranda said:Kickstarter is a way for writers, game designers, artists, clothing designers and foodmakers to raise seed money in exchange for whatever it is they're offering. Essentially, it's a presale. We don't have access to Amazon's presale system, so this is a way to do a presale without them. Your fans get what they want (your books) and you get money for book production. It's neither a loan nor a donation. Don't attempt it without an existing fan base.
I've kicked several books and graphic novels/comics, two or three films, several musicians (including Amanda Palmer, and the Polyphonic Spree), an artisan salt maker (jobs for the Oregon coast), two or three games and a food cart.
The Onion is hysterical, as always.
Is Kickstarter really useful for authors with a backlist? I would think that it's a lot easier and faster to fund your books with money from prior sales. It's not like indie publishing costs a ton of money.
ETA: Congrats, MeiLin. I'm sure that feels very rewarding.
Is Kickstarter really useful for authors with a backlist? I would think that it's a lot easier and faster to fund your books with money from prior sales. It's not like indie publishing costs a ton of money.
ETA: Congrats, MeiLin. I'm sure that feels very rewarding.
Which are you asking for? A boot to the head, backside, or jewels?vrabinec said:
That is awesome news.MeiLinMiranda said:So it looks like my latest Kickstarter presale may fund in a single day. I asked for $1500, and 19 hours in I'm at not-quite $1100.
Although you can raise less. It just ends up being $0 received. I think the success rate on books is quite low.
And have you considered using Indiegogo? That one allows you to receive money even if you didn't achieve your goal. (Not that you need to, since you are close to your goal in one day.)
Here's the link. I'm obviously going to fund; I'm not here looking for kicks, man. I just offer it for reference. I'm a staff pick today.
I don't use Indiegogo because Kickstarter's discoverability and reach are better, at least IMO. It's a great option for non-US people since Kickstarter is US only.
Putting out a backlist, sure, you could use it for that. You can ask for as much or as little as you need, though you're right, putting out a backlist title is relatively inexpensive. My major expense is a development editor, which you don't need for a backlist release. If you did the Kickstarter as a package--something like a package deal of, say, three backlist novels--it might make a lot of sense.
As for success rate on books, most of my friends who've done them succeeded but it's because they've done the work and built a fan base first. The one who didn't was a first-time writer with nothing to show anyone and no readers. IE, she shouldn't have run a Kickstarter.
Vrabinec, I kick people all the time. Ask my kids. If you put up a project, and it's something I want, I'd happily kick you.
George, happy to contribute to the singularity.
I just offer it for reference. I'm a staff pick today. I don't use Indiegogo because Kickstarter's discoverability and reach are better, at least IMO. It's a great option for non-US people since Kickstarter is US only.
Putting out a backlist, sure, you could use it for that. You can ask for as much or as little as you need, though you're right, putting out a backlist title is relatively inexpensive. My major expense is a development editor, which you don't need for a backlist release. If you did the Kickstarter as a package--something like a package deal of, say, three backlist novels--it might make a lot of sense.
As for success rate on books, most of my friends who've done them succeeded but it's because they've done the work and built a fan base first. The one who didn't was a first-time writer with nothing to show anyone and no readers. IE, she shouldn't have run a Kickstarter.
Vrabinec, I kick people all the time. Ask my kids.
If you put up a project, and it's something I want, I'd happily kick you.George, happy to contribute to the singularity.
Ah, I completely misunderstood.
I use a development editor. She's very good but she's not cheap. The cover artist is very good but she's not cheap, either (painting, not photo manip). This is also funding the paperback, and I prefer to hire someone else to format the paper versions. I put out short stories and novellas on the cheap--pre-made or self-made covers, do my own formatting, crowdsource typos (I have a good beta squad)--but not my novels. They wouldn't be as good or as good-looking as I want them to be.
Bottom line: I am not established enough yet to self-fund ~$1000-1500 on a major release, but I am established enough to raise it via presale. Even if I were, my readers like the presale anyway.
I use a development editor. She's very good but she's not cheap. The cover artist is very good but she's not cheap, either (painting, not photo manip). This is also funding the paperback, and I prefer to hire someone else to format the paper versions. I put out short stories and novellas on the cheap--pre-made or self-made covers, do my own formatting, crowdsource typos (I have a good beta squad)--but not my novels. They wouldn't be as good or as good-looking as I want them to be.
Bottom line: I am not established enough yet to self-fund ~$1000-1500 on a major release, but I am established enough to raise it via presale. Even if I were, my readers like the presale anyway.
Aah! People who like your books, pay for your upcoming project's completion (editing, cover etc)
Nice!!!!
Not all of us have such fans!
but we're still happy campers!
Nice!!!!
Not all of us have such fans!
but we're still happy campers! 1 - 20 of 20 Posts
