My first Kickstarter…how’s it going so far?
My first Kickstarter is set to launch mid-June. I spent weeks working on the design and text of the campaign. I found artists to create character art, and I even had someone make a book trailer for me.
Here’s a sample of the character art:
And a sample of the reward tiers:
I think the campaign looks great, and this YA Thriller is the best book I’ve written so far. Independent Book Review called it, "Just plain enjoyable: a fast-paced, constantly engaging young adult thriller with likeable and well-intentioned characters."
So... how's it going so far?
The pre-launch page has been up for maybe two weeks now. Kickstarter’s info and everything else I read stress the importance of having followers before the campaign launches. So, I’ve been emailing my list (800+) asking for a follow, and I have a Facebook ad running (that I just started last week), and I'm posting, of course.
Every time I check, not more than once a day, I promise, I still have two adorable and wonderful followers. I don’t know who they are, but I love them. But, not gonna lie, it would be really nice if that number were growing.
I’ve been working on mindset lately. Talking myself out of believing that I am not the kind of person who can succeed, that things like successful Kickstarter campaigns and consistent book sales are for other people. Now I’m telling myself I can succeed, and if I don’t give up, I will succeed. It doesn’t have to take a long time. I am in control.
This is what I’m telling myself every day, and I’ll say it until I believe it. And what I really do believe is that those words won’t come true until I believe them.
Whew, is it hot in here?
Failure is hard. Growth is hard. I could give up. I could keep that pre-launch page up for six months and keep checking every day, or I could stick with the plan and launch in two weeks, because that will keep everything else on schedule. The release on my site, Amazon, and other retailers would stay on schedule, and the campaign would still be able to say early release. So, I’ll stay the course, and maybe this will be a great learning opportunity. Kickstarter is a viable part of my strategy for operating a successful book business. I am confident the rest of the world will catch up to that realization; I can feel it.