The publishing business continues to be in a constant state of change, There are many variables in the future that are hard, if not impossible, to predict.
One thing that we can safely predict – authors will be more and more responsible for financing their own work in the future. The fall of the big publishing system is a boon for authors in many ways, but the initial financing can be a struggle.
One service that many of our authors have used to help raise money and support is Kickstarter. After following some of the campaigns, doing some research, and testing different strategies, here are our top 5 tips for authors who want to use Kickstarter.
1. Set your goal at what you need, but don’t overshoot. One big mistake authors make is to ask for more than they really need and then fail to reach the goal. With Kickstarter, it’s all or nothing. Cut everything but the basics, then once you hit the first goal you can add supplemental goals with ideas and guidelines about what you’ll do when you reach new benchmarks. This way, you are walking away with something and you can always add more if you have a lot of support.2. Look at other Kickstarter campaigns for books in your genre and see which ones are successful. Can you use similar rewards? What kind of copy did they write to sell their product? Did they already have a following that it supportive, or are these new fans?3. Include as much media as you can. You should have at least one video, some pictures, some sample chapters, and whatever else you can think of. Make your project stand out and don’t do it halfway. If you want to get serious about your video, try shooting it yourself but pick up this lighting studio – [amazon text=Cowboy Lighting Studio&asin=B001NDYTKA] – first. It’s what we use at Lucid Books and it’s great and very affordable at $60. Not a video person? If you have a big budget (Go big or go home, right?), try using www.breadnbeyond.com to make a video. They are very good and it will look great, just plan to spend at least $600.4. Offer a really small reward ($1 – for sincere gratitude) and a really big reward that your’e sure no one will pick. Make your $25-$30 reward offer the most bang for the buck – most people give in this range, and you want to make it tempting. Think creatively about what rewards to offer . . . be sure and check other successful campaigns!5. Don’t get discouraged and keep updating. Most campaigns will start and finish well, but the activity is almost always slow in the middle of the campaign.
You should also get a copy of The Kickstarter Handbook , full of very good advice. Good luck with your campaign, and be sure and let us know about it! We will also run your campaign for you if this sounds overwhelming . . . just Contact Us and tell us about it, and we’ll be in touch!
