Kickstarter for Writers

  • Creative Writing
Zoom
Feb 23 2025
Kickstarter for Writers
$75.00
  1. Mon 
  2. Tue 
  3. Wed 
  4. Thu 
  5. Fri 
  6. Sat 
  7. Sun1:00 - 4:00 pm (EST)

Description

Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform, grabbed the attention of traditional publishers after bestselling novelist Brandon Sanderson used it to raise over forty million dollars. While Sanderson's example is exceptional, he's not alone: many writers are now turning to Kickstarter to fund their books. But what exactly is Kickstarter? And how can the average author—meaning someone without Brandon Sanderson’s ginormous fan base—use it? In this no-holds-barred half-day presentation and workshop, author Kris Waldherr will share her experiences running three successful Kickstarter campaigns. Via PowerPoint presentation and personal narrative, she’ll cover the three stages of a Kickstarter: 

1. Prelaunch: setting up and marketing your Kickstarter campaign for success
2. Campaign: what to do and what to expect from your backers
3. Fulfillment: getting paid and getting those books to your backers
 
Kris will discuss which book genres do well on Kickstarter, marketing best practices, deciding funding goals, timelines, and options for printing and shipping books. She’ll also cover the surprising reason writers should consider crowdfunding: to build pre-publication buzz for a book. Case studies of successful and unsuccessful campaigns will be shared, along with frank insight into what worked and what didn’t and why. 
 

Finally, Kris will lead participants through shaping a proposal for their own Kickstarter campaign. By the end of this workshop, participants will leave with a targeted list of actionable items and have a clearer idea of what Kickstarter can offer their publishing goals. Workshop includes handouts and worksheets.

Kris Waldherr is an author, illustrator, and designer. Her most recent novel is Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women, which was named a Reader's Digest Top 25 Book for Halloween, Historical Novels Review Editors’ Choice, and a Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite Book of the Year. Waldherr's nonfiction books for adults and children include Doomed Queens, which The New Yorker praised as “utterly satisfying.” As a tarotist, Kris is the creator of The Goddess Tarot, which has over a quarter of a million copies in print, and the author of Tarot for Storytellers: A Modern Guide for Writers and Other Creatives. She is also the creative force behind Muse Publications, a boutique publishing house devoted to producing books that are beautifully designed and thoughtfully written. Through Muse, Kris has run three successful Kickstarter campaigns and has two in development. To learn more, visit ReadMuse.com.

Class dates

02/23/2025

Restrictions

Participants must be 18 years to 120 years old when the program starts.

Program enrollment capacity

Minimum: 6

Maximum: 100

Registration period

Registration starts on 11/01/2024 and ends on 02/22/2025.

Online location

Zoom

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