By GILBERT DELTREZ - As an Indie comic creator who has a 66% successful Kickstarter percentage, I probably wouldn't take what I say too seriously, but please, heed this warning!
My first foray onto the crowdfunding spectrum with UNDER THE FLESH was met with success, my followup endeavor however, fell flatter than Rubio in Florida. Okay, maybe not that flat, but let me explain.
There seems to be this crazy notion that you can just pitch any crap on Kickstarter and get funded. Potato salads aside, you must learn to treat your brand as a business, and doing so equalizes to tons of prep-work that should be done before launching your project first-time-around. In fact, if you're somewhat clueless on what this entails, please read my buddy J.L.'s meticulously informative article he wrote amidst our first Kickstarter campaign.
After the preparations conclude, and your Kickstarter hopefully meets with success, you must not make the same mistake I did which horrendously tripped up my second Kickstarter, that I was all but a butt-crack away from giving my failed comic a second chance. Ask J.L., he'll tell you how I feverishly wanted to smash the final nail in the UTF coffin with a passion.
A little over a year later, and all it took was an outsider's belief in my project to bring it back Romero style! I reassessed the pro's and con's of my first Kickstarter campaign, and on my third attempt, I was able to crowdfund in one day.
Here's my three tidbits on launching or relaunching a successful Kickstarter campaign...
1. Timing...
Everything revolving around a successful Kickstarter is ratified by this concept. You need TIME to prepare and promote your project, ample TIME to run your Kickstarter (my third KS is only a two-week campaign, I'd say anything more than 30 days will impart major bouts with depression), TIME to solidify credibility by disbursing backer rewards within a reasonable time frame, and TIME for your backers to enjoy your rewards before launching your next issue. A lesson I learned the hard way. Also factor in the TIME of the outside world. Launching your Kickstarter comic project on the eve of SDCC or NYCC may not be the best approach, doubly so if you plan on crowdfunding in the shadow of the world's largest spending Holidays like Black Friday and Christmas. A facepalm moment I also tragically endured.
2. Money...
Time is also money, but the best money spent aside from helping the less fortunate, is to invest in yourself and your brand. You can't expect the world to give two tiny tits about your project. In a world that's choking to death on mass media products, indie projects are about as attractive as a portable eight track player to our contemporary youth who jam on iPhones powered by Beats headsets. The more "pro" the quality behind your work looks, the slighter your chances of getting noticed to a particular fan, which means you may need to curb your spending habits and utilize your resources in ways that build your product and availability. Lastly, launch with the lowest goal amount possible be practical and realistic, keeping in mind that you will still have to factor in out-of-pocket expenses that go beyond just packing and shipping, if you truly want success. Backers are just a Google search away from realizing shipping expenditures, so no need to balloon your goal amount.
3. No Fear in Failure
It's all about the power you see inside yourself. It all starts with a dream. Then the vision. To make it all worthwhile stems from the hope of success. Let it fuel you. Even when you fail, because you will. No success story is ever without failure, even the overnight ones are underlined with blood, sweat, and tears of countless hours of hardwork. If you're looking for a free ride towards success, then you haven't been paying attention. The right track begins with determination. Just a sliver of it will help you override failure on a way to becoming a better self. It's not easy to put yourself out there so remember you can't please everyone. Stick to what you love, and in doing so, you may find a fan who digs your work so much that it gives you that second chance to believe in yourself.
Keep an open mind, put in the time, invest in yourself, and do not fear failure, even in the darkest times, and good fortunes will come your way!
Hope this helped you guys in any way, shape or form. If you care to take a gander at the lovechild of J.L. and I, click the link!
