Kickstarter for Writers

Name: Kickstarter for Writers
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)

Plan, Launch, and Fund Your First Book with Confidence

Created byThomas Leveen

Last updated 6/2025

English

What you'll learn

Plan and launch a successful Kickstarter campaign for your book, even if it’s your first time.
Set realistic funding goals that cover production without scaring off supporters.
Understand fulfillment logistics: from printing to shipping to digital rewards.
Navigate common mistakes and red flags that sink book Kickstarters.

Course content

9 sections • 25 lectures • 3h 32m total length

Introduction5:38
A quick tour of why Kickstarter might be a good fit for your indie author career. Take a look at how much funding people are making on the platform.

Why You Should Use Kickstarter6:54
There are many reasons to consider crowdfunding your book or novel. These are just the biggest.
IMPORTANT ADVICE!
It will make your life and campaign much simpler if you finish your book FIRST.
Write, revise, edit, and polish the manuscript before you launch your campaign.
You will want to order a test-print from Amazon.com or other fulfillment website in order to calculate your budget and funding goal.
We'll talk more about this during the course. Just know it will be best if your book is finished and ready to print.
What is Kickstarter? What is Crowdfunding?5:27
Learn the difference between "crowdfunding" and "Kickstarter."

What To Offer Your Kickstarter Backers18:00
Your best bet for your first Kickstarter campaign is to keep things simple.
Offer an ebook, a paperback book, an option for bulk purchases, and a virtual author visit.
Keep it simple!
How To Estimate Your Pledge Goal1:40
Your PLEDGE GOAL is the amount of money you hope to raise for your campaign. Here is a shortcut on how to estimate what you are likely to raise depending on your social media presence and email list (if you have one).
How To Budget Your Campaign2:29
Budgeting for your campaign includes figuring out how to set reward price levels.

Crafting Your Kickstarter Story21:09
Your "Story" is the backbone of your campaign.
How To Make a Great Kickstarter Video11:12
You are not required to have a video on your Kickstarter campaign, but most successful campaigns do. Here is a primer on making a campaign video, even if you don't like to be on camera.
Should You Create "Stretch Goals"?3:26
Stretch goals can be great, but maybe not for beginners.

Requirements

Familiarity with Amazon KDP is a plus, but not required.
A finished book project is recommended to launch a campaign - it is not necessary to take this course.

Description

Course Description

Kickstarter can help you fund your book, connect with readers, and take control of your writing career—no publisher needed. This course shows you how.

If you’re a writer with a finished (or nearly finished) book but no idea how to pay for editing, printing, or marketing, this course is for you. Kickstarter for Writers is a step-by-step guide designed to walk you through your very first crowdfunding campaign—from planning and building your page, to launching, promoting, and fulfilling your promises.

Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, memoir, or poetry, this course gives you the tools, templates, and confidence to run a professional, successful campaign even if you’ve never used Kickstarter before.

Created by an award-winning trad+indie author and seasoned crowdfunder, this course includes:

Bite-sized video lessons with clear action steps
Downloadable PDFs
Real-world examples from book campaigns that worked
Tips on reward tiers, pricing, goal setting, and promotion
Advice on what to do after the campaign ends—so you don’t get stuck or overwhelmed

By the end of this course, you’ll have a fully built Kickstarter campaign and a clear plan to launch it with confidence.

Let’s turn your book into a fully funded reality using the power of crowdfunding!

Who this course is for:

Indie authors who want to add Kickstarter to their publishing toolbox
Writers with little or no crowdfunding experience.

Kickstarter for Writers

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 6min

What Is Kickstarter? And Why Should You Use It?2 lectures • 12min

Create Your Kickstarter Account1 lecture • 3min

Kickstarter Rewards3 lectures • 22min

Building Your Kickstarter Campaign5 lectures • 55min

Building Your Kickstarter Campaign3 lectures • 36min

Getting Ready To Launch3 lectures • 26min

Launching Your Campaign3 lectures • 23min

After Your Campaign Funds and Ends4 lectures • 29min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: