KICKSTARTER

The Kickstarter Blog

A subcategory for everything

Michael Stewart · · 3 comments

  1. Projects on Kickstarter come from every corner of the creative universe, and we want to recognize that. As of today, you can create and discover projects in 94 new subcategories.

    We've finally added the subcategories you've all been asking for, like 3D Printing, Food Trucks, Architecture, Playing Cards and even Typography. We also added a few subcategories that no one was asking for but that we thought would be cool, like Pet Fashion, Robots and Bacon.

    If you're a creator with a live project, you can choose to have your project displayed under one of these new subcategories immediately. Just visit your project page, select Edit Project, and make the change on the Basics tab. Your project will appear under both the subcategory (Restaurants, for example) and the parent category (Food) in Discover. If you're a backer, you can find these new subcategories in our advanced search right now. (Try searching for R&B Music projects on Earth sorted by Magic.)

    We hope you're as excited as we are about these new subcategories, and we can't wait to see the weird new ideas that they inspire. (More are on the way, so drop your suggestions in the comments!)

  2. Starting a Project Just Got Easier

    Sam Hockley-Smith · · 1 comment

    Thinking about starting a project? It’s now easier and more fun than ever.

    Before you log in, you'll now see a page that lets you play around with keywords that might help you figure out where your project fits in the Kickstarter universe. The design was inspired by one of our favorite childhood games: Mad Libs. Can you tell?

    You can use this to refine your concept, or to help you find a perfect category fit. Or maybe it’ll just be a fun distraction as you take the necessary steps to begin creating.

    After that, you'll be directed to our project builder, where you can describe your project, add media and rewards, and even generate a preview to get feedback from your friends. Feel free to click around and start building. Don't worry, your draft will be saved as long as you need.

    Get started!

    1 comment

  3. Kickstarter in the Netherlands!

    Michael McGregor · · 24 comments

    Earlier this year we announced that Kickstarter would soon open up to Netherlands-based projects for the first time. Today we're happy to announce that that day has finally come! 

    Beginning today (like, right now!), people in the Netherlands can start building their projects by clicking on the "Start a project" button on the Start page. Starting April 29, people in the Netherlands will be able to launch their projects. We'll send an email that day letting everyone know when they can click the launch button. If you'd like to be notified, leave your email address here. 

    Let's run through the basics on how things will work. 

    So Netherlands-based creators can start building their Kickstarter projects as early as today, and launch them beginning April 29? Yes. We thought a few weeks would give everyone plenty of time to build and tweak their projects before launching. Beginning April 29, they can launch and share their projects with the world. 

    Will there be a Netherlands-specific Kickstarter site? Nope. Netherlands-based projects will be listed alongside all the other Kickstarter projects. 

    Can people outside the Netherlands pledge to Netherlands-based projects? Yes! As with all other projects on Kickstarter, backers can pledge to Netherlands-based projects no matter where they are. 

    What currency will Dutch projects be listed in? All Netherlands-based projects will be listed in euros.

    Will backing projects based in the Netherlands be similar to backing US projects? The mechanics of Kickstarter (all-or-nothing funding, rewards, etc.) are identical for all projects. When pledging, however, backers of Netherlands-based projects will enter their payment information directly on Kickstarter rather than through Amazon Payments, as backers of US projects do. All pledges will be processed securely through a third-party payments processor. 

    Are the fees for Netherlands-based projects the same as those for other projects? Yes, Kickstarter will charge a 5% fee to successfully funded projects and no fee to unsuccessfully funded projects in the Netherlands. Payment processing fees for Netherlands-based projects are similar to those for UK projects. For Netherlands-based projects, the processing fees are: 

    • Pledges less than €10 are charged 5% + €0.05
    • Pledges of €10 or greater are charged 3% + €0.20

    If a project is not successfully funded, there are no fees. 

    Will Kickstarter host workshops for creators based in the Netherlands leading up to the launch? We're glad you asked! Yes, we will be hosting several online meet-ups in the coming weeks. The first one is tomorrow, 8 April, at 7pm CEST. Join us for an introduction to Kickstarter followed by a live Q&A via Google Hangouts. Watch this page for information about future events.

    UPDATE, April 11: We've received a lot of great questions about launching projects in the Netherlands this week, and we thought we'd share answers to some of the most common ones. Read on!

    What are the requirements for launching a project as a Dutch creator? You need to meet these requirements:

    • You are 18 years of age or older. 
    • You are a permanent resident of the Netherlands, and either creating a project in your own name or on behalf of a legal entity with a KvK number. 
    • You have a Dutch address, Dutch bank account, and government-issued ID (driver's license or passport). 
    • You have a major credit or debit card.

    Can my project page be in Dutch? Yes, do what works best for your project! However, so that we can best serve our community, we ask that all projects also include an English version of the description, rewards, and other elements. If your project page has videos in Dutch, please include English subtitles or a transcript.

    What payment methods are accepted? Pledges can be made with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card.

    What about VAT? We are required to charge and report Value-Added Tax on our service fees (but not on the total amount of funds you raise). If you are a Dutch creator who launches a project as an individual or a legal entity without an active VAT number, we will apply VAT at the UK standard rate of 20%. No funds will be withheld from Dutch creators who launch their projects as a legal entity with an active VAT number, but the amount of our fees will be disclosed to tax authorities. Please keep in mind that Kickstarter cannot offer tax advice. Any additional questions about taxes should be handled by a tax or financial advisor.

    24 comments
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