Kickstarter For Dummies®
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introducing Kickstarter
Looking at the Concept of Crowdfunding
Understanding How Funding on Kickstarter Works
Recognizing the Advantages of Kickstarter
Knowing What Kickstarter Does and Doesn’t Fund
Reading the Fine Print Before You Start
Going to Kickstarter’s virtual school
Following Kickstarter’s guidelines
Discovering the Crowdfunding Process
Chapter 2: Laying the Foundation for Your Kickstarter Campaign
Transforming Your Passion into a Kickstarter Project
Prepping to Start Your Project
What Makes Your Project Unique? Writing a Short Project Description
Creating the Long Project Description
Choosing media to support your description
Outlining the content for your video
Choosing tools to make a great video
Understanding Kickstarter Categories
iPhone Elevation Dock: Realizing a Market Niche
Chapter 3: Deciding How Much to Ask For
Figuring How Much Your Project Will Cost
Outlining broad expense categories
Trying to estimate those costs
Examining other Kickstarter campaigns
Estimating Potential Donations
Evaluate your potential reward levels
The Order of the Stick: Building on a Fan Base and Offering Creative Rewards
Chapter 4: Creating a Realistic Timeline
Creating a Timeline for Your Campaign
Experiencing Success and Then Delays
Chapter 5: Setting Up Your Campaign
Kickstarting Your Kickstarter Account
Filling Out Your Project Profile
Filling out your project description
Activating Your Payment Account
Preparing for Kickstarter Review
Double-checking your campaign uploads
Conducting a final review and submitting your campaign
Chapter 6: Managing an Active Campaign
Creating a Compelling Call to Action
Using a Facebook business page
Posting your campaign video on video-sharing sites
Contacting Your Backers through Kickstarter
Paying to Promote Your Campaign
Buying advertising on Facebook
Purchasing other Internet or newspaper ads
Using promotional events and ideas to drive backers to your campaign
iPhone Elevation Dock: Getting the Word Out
Finding 40: Learning from My Own Kickstarter Campaign(s)
Failing to use my own networks
Chapter 7: Kickstarter for iPhone
Touring the Kickstarter App Interface
Checking other projects’ activities
Managing Your Campaign from the Kickstarter App
Viewing and replying to messages
Posting project updates for your backers
Chapter 8: Seeing the Light at the End of Your Campaign
Handling a Struggling or Unsuccessful Campaign
Building a Community around Your Project
Sustaining the community after your project ends
Fostering your community offline
Delivering Rewards to Your Backers
Downloading your Backer Report
Chapter 9: Ten Unique Reward Ideas
“Cover Me!”: Featuring Backers on Your Cover
“The Shirt Off Your Back”: Offering T-Shirts
“Naming Rights”: Including a Backer as a Character
“Autograph, Please”: Signing Your Work
“Casting Call”: Rewarding Backers with Bit Parts
“Curtain Call”: Sharing Tickets to Your Show
“Hero Worship”: Making a Backer the Hero of Your Project
“Dinner Guest”: Meeting Your Backers in Person
“Sign Me Up”: Offering Subscriptions
“Fly Me to the Moon”: Bringing an Out-of-Town Backer to an Event
Chapter 10: Ten Resources to Help with Your Campaign
Finding Kickstarter-Specific Resources