The Kickstarter Handbook: Real-Life Success Stories of Artists, Inventors, and Entrepreneurs

by Don Steinberg

Overview

So you want to produce a short film. Or design a new line of jewelry. Or manufacture a revolutionary solar-powered garden sprinkler. There’s just one catch: You need $100,000 to bankroll your dream, and your checking account has barely enough to cover the rent.
 
Enter Kickstarter.com—the phenomenal “crowdfunding” website launched in 2009 that brings venture capital to the masses. At Kickstarter, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to raise $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, or more. All you need is a great idea—and The Kickstarter Handbook.
 
Business journliast Don Steinberg has interviewed dozens of artists and inventors who launched their passion projects online. Through their voices, you’ll explore all the strategies of a successful Kickstarter campaign. You’ll learn the elements of a compelling Kickstarter video, innovative ways to market your projects, tips for getting donors onboard, and the secrets of irresistible Kickstarter “rewards.” You’ll also discover what to do in a best-case scenario—when your project goes viral and the cash starts flowing in. On Kickstarter, it happens to a few lucky visionaries every week. Here’s how to be one of them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594746086
Publisher:	Quirk Publishing
Publication date:	09/18/2012
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.48(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Don Steinberg has written for New Yorker, GQ, Harper’s, the Wall Street Journal and a host of other national publications. He has also worked as senior editor for Inc. magazine and a staff writer for the business section of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He lives in the Philadelphia area.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What Is Kickstarter 7

…and do people really give you money?

Chapter 1 Are You Ready for This? 19

What you must know before you start to Kickstart

Chapter 2 Choosing Your Magic Number 31

How to pick the right financial target for your Kickstarter campaign

Chapter 3 Pledges and Rewards 51

The calculated art of choosing rewards for your backers

Chapter 4 Who Gives? 71

The backstory on backers

Chapter 5 How Long Will This Be Going On? 85

A brief chapter on duration

Chapter 6 Lights, Camera, Action 91

Making the all-important Kickstarter video

Chapter 7 The Kickoff! 105

Build your project and launch it

Chapter 8 Build the Buzz 119

How to get attention via mass media and social networks

Chapter 9 The Finishing Kick 147

It's time to cross the goal line, plus four frantic finishes

Chapter 10 After the Loving: Tales of Fulfillment 161

Delivering the goods to your generous backers

Chapter 11 Learning from Failure 179

Kickstarter misfires, redemptions, and second acts

Chapter 12 Resources and Kickstarter Alternatives 193

More ways to get it started

Appendix 207

Your Kickstarter Campaign Prelaunch Worksheet

Index 219

Editorial Reviews

Business journalist Steinberg takes readers through the in’s and out’s of succeeding with Kickstarter.com (launched in 2009): from the emotional investment through to the creation of a Kickstarter video. Numerous case studies highlight what could go wrong in this new world of “crowdfunding.” Steinberg, who interviewed artists and inventors, doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties. As he notes, “Kickstarter isn’t a magical honey pot.” With an extended discussion about pledges and rewards and calculating an appropriate number as a fund-raising goal, Steinberg details possible pitfalls. For many budding entrepreneurs who are often in the dark, it comes as a great relief to find a book that explains impending dangers. Kickstarter is playing an ever-larger role in the business world, and Steinberg’s book meets a growing need. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

...a quick-to-read reference that will help any reader gain a fairly deep understanding of the world of crowdfunding.”—Deseret News

From the Publisher

Steinberg (Jokes Every Man Should Know) offers a largely uncritical exposition of the crowd-funding website Kickstarter. His tone has more in common with an enthusiastic self-help book—"What are you waiting for? Let's get this dance party started!"—than impartial how-to guide. He addresses the mechanics of running a Kickstarter campaign but maintains a thematic focus on the marketing and promotional aspects. Steinberg emphasizes the advantages of having experience building publicity and especially of having an existing fan base to bring to a project. The vagaries of whether a project submission will be approved by Kickstarter staff and a rundown of the associated fees get short shrift and are barely covered. The book includes anecdotal advice throughout from a small set of Kickstarter participants; although some will appreciate this vertical approach, others will wish Steinberg had drawn from a broader base of projects and personalities. VERDICT Readers willing to supplement their research by consulting either the wealth of online material on this subject or another book (such as Brainard Carey's New Markets for Artists) may find this title an adequate starting place.—Steve Wilson, Galen Coll. of Nursing, Louisville, KY

Library Journal

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