Back in the 00s when Kickstarter began operations, only a few people knew about what came to be known as crowdfunding. Over the next 20 years or so, it became more and more understood and used among writers. By 2020, when Brandon Sanderson (author of the famous Mistborn series) raised over $40M on Kickstarter, everybody in our industry had at least an idea of what crowdfunding was…and the potential it has to completely change the course of an author’s career.
Today, I’ve been invited to share a little more information for folks who might consider using this method to make their next book happen. We’ll talk about what crowdfunding is, how crowdfunding works, the top dos and don’ts about your own crowdfunding efforts, and where to begin if you decide this is your new way.
Sound fair? Good. Let’s get started.
Crowdfunding isn’t a new concept. Presales and patronage have been part of artistic life for centuries. However, the internet has allowed crowdfunding on a scale never before imagined. We all understand the basic idea, but it’s important to know three things crowdfunding isn’t.
That used to be partially true back when only a few creatives were using it, but not anymore. It’s on you to bring potential backers to your crowdfunding campaign. If you work hard and you’re lucky, some of those backers will bring in more backers, but you will work your butt off making this happen.
That’s a different beast, and an appropriate goal for writers who want it. Crowdfunding is a new species of self-publishing process. Some traditional publishers even use this method now for funding their upcoming titles (especially for shiny editions with extra content/images and the like).
I said before you will work your butt off to make it happen. The good news is that it’s still something you can succeed with through focused, informed effort. You don’t need lots of money or specialized skills to make a go of it.
There are three basic models for crowdfunding a book or other writing project.
Via this method, you use your own platform and infrastructure to create and market a presale page for your upcoming book. Dedicated fans will buy it before it’s released, giving you money to pay artists, editors, layout experts, and to order your first batch. In some cases, you’ll sell enough to keep a profit before the book goes out.
((Editor’s Note: This is one of the reasons why developing your following through social media or an email list can be so incredibly effective for your ongoing efforts. Presales also help algos on sites such as the ‘Zon to know that they should rank your book higher when it first releases, creating a positive sales flywheel.))
In this context, “Kickstart” refers to any use of a crowdfunding platform to help you market, manage, and collect funds for your crowdfunding project. It’s Kickstarting whether you use Kickstarter, Backerkit, Indiegogo, or any of the other major platforms out there. You put your project up, get the word out, enjoy a little bonus promotion from the platform, and use the money just like you would if you’d taken presales on your own.
Most crowdfunding asks for a moderate amount of money for a one-time project. Patreon asks fans to give you a small amount of money each month with the understanding that you will produce ‘exclusive’ writing (or other content) on a regular, periodic basis. It can work for writers who can commit to that kind of production schedule, and is a disaster for those of us who can’t.
Once upon a time, people could run a successful crowdfunding campaign by the seat of their pants. It’s no longer that time. Market saturation, corporate-level competition with big budgets and full staffs, and the rise of professional crowdfunding consultation have changed the landscape.
That doesn’t mean scrappy underdogs like us can’t succeed. It does mean we have to give ourselves the best possible chance. Here are ten of the best things to do or avoid to make certain we get the results we’re after.
Your campaign doesn’t start on the first day it’s open to the public. The best ones start three months or more early with teasers, a presale page, and taking the time to create a robust plan for marketing and fulfillment. I recommend a one-year timeline. Take three months to craft your plan and gather resources, then start promotions and managing your fan base. By the time you open for orders, you should have a small army of people eager to get on board.
Make certain you ask for enough money to keep the promise inherent in a crowdfunding campaign. More than one Kickstarter has had trouble because they funded successfully, but ended up losing money to expenses.
If you set your goal too high, there’s a good chance your campaign will fail. You will have spent all that effort and time for nothing. Also, there’s a psychological barrier. None of us are Brandon Sanderson (unless he’s reading this right now, in which case Hi Brandon!). We don’t believe we can raise 40 million dollars, and there’s a number lower than that we also don’t believe we can raise. We should aim high, but if we don’t believe we can succeed, we often set things up so it turns out we’re right.
You can only successfully avoid #2 if you know how much it’s going to cost to finish, print, and ship your book. Use a spreadsheet. Gather accurate numbers. Include how much profit you want or need to be happy with your results. Add 10% for processing fees and another 15% for when things go wrong. Use the SUM function in excel or Google Sheets to find out how much you need to make.
You will not run a successful crowdfunding campaign in the spare corners of your time. Treat it like a part-time job. Give it at least 30-60 minutes a day while you’re ramping up, and budget 20 hours a week while the campaign is in progress. Once it closes, you’ll need 30-60 minutes a day during the fulfillment stage. Figure out how to make this happen, and make certain your family is on board.
As an author you’ve probably experienced this. Your close friends and family, the ones who have helped you move for nothing but some pizza, who would come to your home at 3AM in a true emergency…still won’t read your books and leave reviews. It’s just a fact of writer-life. Acquaintances, passing social media contacts, and fans will be the core of your promotion team for any crowdfunding efforts. Make your plans accordingly.
A crowdfunding campaign with at least one video on its landing page is 85% more likely to succeed than one without. It doesn’t have to be fancy – talking into your cell phone for half a minute will do – but it does have to be there.
Similar to the above, you’ll increase your chances and your backer count with some solid graphics spread through the text on your landing page. Spend a few dollars on Fiverr.com to make header banners. Use a cover reveal as part of your updates and promotion. Get an author photo taken by that one friend. Even a little makes a big difference.
Actually, you can’t do this. There is no upper limit to how much you can communicate with your backers and prospective backers. Post regular updates and notes before, during, and after the campaign. Communication is the blood of fan and backer passion, so keep it flowing.
The last day of the campaign, when you get your final numbers and backing officially closes, is not when you’re finished. You will need to work and communicate just as hard in the fulfillment stage. Even after you’ve shipped the very last book, you’re still not completely finished. The occasional check-in update will prime your backers to support your next book.
If you think you want to have a run at this method of creative life, you have to start somewhere. I recommend having a conversation with yourself about why you want to try a crowdfunding campaign in your writing career. Consider:
Once you answer those questions, you can set formal goals. From formal goals come action steps. From action steps comes a plan for completion, from a plan…but that’s a different blog post.
This post was written by Jason Brick. Jason has been a professional writer since 2009. He’s the skipper of the Flash in a Flash newsletter, which is always seeking super-short fiction from writers like you.
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