The Kickstarter 3+1 Special Edition Omnibus project I talked about last week is live. I was worried about launching and getting nothing but cricket sounds, but as I write this, the project is 30% funded already and it’s only been up for a few hours. I’m just floored, y’all!
You can go to Kickstarter right now to see how it’s doing, and even back it for as little as a dollar if you so desire.
I’m going to help it along by offering early bird perks to everyone who backs the project in week 1, by giving every backer four (4) ebooks from other fantasy authors who write stories with Badlands Born sensibilities: dragons, monster hunters, zombie westerns, and heroes with attitude. You can find out more about them at the Special Edition’s project page.
Hold on a second, what’s all this Kickstarter talk?
This is was all new to me too, once. If you’ve never head of Kickstarter, here’s a quick overview.
What is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is a funding platform directed toward helping creative projects get off the ground. It’s entirely driven by crowdfunding, so donations from the general public fuel these dynamic new ideas.
How Kickstarter Works
Kickstarter is driven by creators and backers. Creators present creative project ideas, and backers fund those projects.
Creators set up a page to display their project’s details and prototypes using text, video, and photos. Project creators set a funding goal and a deadline. The creators also create reward levels for backers who pledge specific amounts. The more a backer pledges, the bigger the reward.
When enough backers have funded the project, the creator can develop and produce their vision. Depending on the project’s complexity, backers may have to wait months to see the finished product.
Kickstarter’s All or Nothing Rule
A creator can collect their funds only if they reach their funding goal by the deadline. If they don’t reach the goal in time, no money changes hands.
Kickstarter put this rule in place to minimize risk. If a project can’t generate enough funds and can’t deliver to current backers when creators didn’t raise enough money, it can be tough on everyone. Creators can always try again at a later time.
All Backers Have the Opportunity to Receive Rewards
Kickstarter requires creators to offer some kind of reward to their backers, no matter how simple or elaborate. When people fund a project, they choose one of the predetermined awards the creators present. Usually, there’s also a way to contribute a small amount without an award, an option that’s labeled “Back it because you believe in it.”
Backing a Project
Pledging money to a project is easy. Select the green Back this Project button on any project page you choose. Select a donation amount and a reward. Kickstarter’s checkout system processes your information.
Credit cards aren’t charged until after the project deadline passes. If the project doesn’t reach its funding goal, your credit card is never charged. Whatever the outcome, Kickstarter sends all backers an informational email after the project end date.
Why Badlands Born?
Kickstarter is the best platform for finding new fans of niche worlds like the Badlands, it’s easier to get the books noticed, and it allows me to do something I’ve always wanted: swag. Small things like pins, bookplates, and custom art that brings the Badlands out into the real world. It’s something I just can’t do within Amazon’s ecosystem.
Happy Reading!
