Kickstarter

Success!! The Kickstarter campaign is over but you can still get your hands on a copy of the e-book when it's out. Check the FAQ section for details. A big thank you to everyone who backed this project.

Ever wonder what it takes to run a successful Kickstarter campaign? A Kickstarter’s Guide is an ebook that takes a thoughtful look at how to successfully launch a creative project online. Based on my experiences and the experiences of other Kickstarters, it will help you think through the process and decide if Kickstarter is a good fit for your project. Coming out later this fall as a free PDF, this campaign is helping me put the finishing touches on the book.

Background

In the fall of 2010 I ran my first Kickstarter campaign. I didn’t know much about launching an idea online so I made a lot of assumptions about the way the site worked and the way the project would spread. Fortunately for me, I have amazing friends and family who rallied to get my project funded. I won’t lie. I got very lucky, but I learned a lot. 

In the months following my campaign I became interested in what it takes to successfully launch projects online. Looking back on my campaign I started to think about all the things I could have done differently that would have made it better. It was from those reflections that this book was born. 

Writing the book

Over the past couple of weeks I have been busy writing down all my insights. I’m working really hard to make this more than a manual to Kickstarter. I know there are a lot of ways to launch ideas and Kickstarter is just one way to do it.  I am writing this book in a way that will help you think through a Kickstarter campaign and decide if its right for what you are trying to do. 

I realize I don’t have all the answers. After all, I barely completed my own project. So, to make this book even more comprehensive I decided to interview other Kickstarters with campaigns that were even more successful than mine. My hope is that our collective experiences will help you better execute your project and do something positive for the community.

Something for the community

I’m writing this book for Kickstarters and the creative community at large. That is why I will be releasing the book for FREE later this fall. That’s right. Even if this campaign isn’t successful, the book will still be coming out. The goal for this book is to help the community by improving the way we launch creative ideas online.

If it’s free, why raise funds?

I believe in making something of quality and to the best of my ability. I have put a lot of thought into writing this book and I want it to look as great as the content inside. This campaign is to help me raise the funds so I can put the finishing touches on the ebook so it can appear in all the online bookstores. This includes getting the book properly designed/formatted, obtaining an ISBN number and setting up a website. 

I’ve prepared some special rewards for Kickstarter backers that go above and beyond the free PDF. There will be a Kickstarter version of the book as well as other rewards. The more you back this project the more help I will give you to help your idea get off the ground. 

Love SXSW? Then show us some love.

I’m putting together a panel on the same topic for South by Southwest. If you are interested in hearing more about this subject consider voting for my proposal. Public voting goes from August 15th to September 2nd and I will provide a link when it starts.