Introduction

Kickstarter has gone from a small startup Internet company in 2009 to one of the leading tools used to fund tens of thousands of creative projects. The company uses a concept called crowdfunding, or bringing together many people to support a concept, product, or idea. Crowdfunding works by allowing individuals to provide financial backing to a project they want to see come to fruition.

However, Kickstarter is different from other types of fundraising-oriented platforms. The people posting campaigns are not asking for donations for a favorite charity or cause; they are asking backers to believe in their idea. Kickstarter has quickly become a mainstream way to get a creative project made, whether it’s backing for a feature or documentary film or preselling copies of a book. According to a July 2012 report in Publishers Weekly, Kickstarter has already revolutionized the graphic novel industry, quickly becoming the second-largest publisher for this type of work.

Everyone from Academy Award–winning writers to long-established musical acts are using Kickstarter to get their latest projects off the ground without waiting for a studio or publisher to come along. Thanks to the nature of digital giving (using a credit card over the Internet), backers can come from anywhere and support projects at any level, from $1 to $10,000 and beyond.

About This Book

This book is mostly for anyone considering — or in the process of — raising money for a project via a Kickstarter campaign. You find a little bit of information about backing projects and an introduction to what Kickstarter is all about, too, but the book’s focus is squarely on raising funds through Kickstarter.

Whether your project is just a spark of an idea or a fully conceived one for which you simply need the funds, this book can help you with your Kickstarter campaign. This book will give you a step-by-step guide to conceptualizing your Kickstarter campaign, gathering the pieces needed and tools available to maximize your push, as well as deciding what to do after your project is funded.

I offer tips to help you accomplish your goals at every stage in the process: determining how much to ask for, managing your campaign throughout the fundraising timeframe, and more. Throughout the book, you also find case studies about successful campaigns and how they applied concepts I explain in a chapter.

Kickstarter is a powerful tool — not only to raise funds for your idea or project, but also to create a community. The Kickstarter website has tools for backer updates, links to Facebook, and opportunities to be seen by other enthusiasts in your neighborhood or category. I help you identify ways to use these tools for sharing your idea with a large, previously untapped audience.

How This Book Is Organized

This book begins with chapters that cover the basics of Kickstarter, including how the site’s all-or-nothing approach works and a history of some of the most successful campaigns.

The middle chapters address the process for creating your campaign, uploading content, and getting approved.

The last chapters look at what to do after your project is funded and offer a list of ideas for unique backer rewards.

Foolish Assumptions

I assume in writing this book that you know the basics of how to use a computer and the Internet, as well as basic communication tools like e-mail and Facebook. I also assume you understand the basics of loading photos and videos up to the Internet and the idea of dragging-and-dropping elements in a program.

However, I do not assume to know why you are using Kickstarter. I don’t know about your project, your hopes, and goals. My goal is to give you the tools needed to create a successful Kickstarter campaign and transform your idea into reality.

Icons Used in This Book

I use some basic icons throughout this book to help you quickly scan and find useful information and tips.

When you see the Tip icon, you’re getting a quick tidbit of handy information on using Kickstarter.

Some information is important to remember as you use Kickstarter, so when you see this Remember icon, be sure to tuck the information away for future reference.

Watch out! As with any online tool, you might need to avoid some pitfalls or do a vital task as you participate. Also, because Kickstarter is always changing, I alert you to some potential issues in advance.

Where to Go from Here

The simplest route is to read this book in order, from beginning to end, but that certainly isn’t mandatory. If you’re brand new to Kickstarter or will be setting up your account as you read this book, I recommend reading the chapters in order. After you read this book, keep it handy and use it as a reference as you navigate Kickstarter.

Please keep in mind that web interfaces can change at any moment and without notice. The overall concepts in this book apply no matter how Kickstarter or the other tools mentioned throughout this book change their interfaces. So please know that we checked that all the information in this book was accurate as the book went to press, but some minor details in the steps and the way the websites look are likely to change. For major updates related to the book, you can also check out this book's web page at www.dummies.com/go/kickstarterfdupdates.