Is Kickstarter the new way to launch books?

Easy answer? Yes. And no.

No, it isn’t actually new.

And it didn’t happen overnight. It had a few heavy hitters like Brandon Sanderson to pave the way. 

But it is becoming one of the best ways I’ve seen in a long time for indie authors to launch their books.

The Kickstarter phenomena is intriguing to me, as someone who came from a traditionally published background—with books by HarperCollins, Entangled Teen, and Walter Foster, plus a long career working in publishing, first as a graphic designer and illustrator, then as an editor for both book and magazine publishing companies.

What I’ve seen with Kickstarter book launches rivals what I’ve seen done by the “Big Five” publishers. My writing career was starting right about the same time as Leigh Bardugo and Marie Lu, and I still consider them both friends. Their book campaigns were fabulous!

Except for personal appearances, what I’ve seen some authors achieve on Kickstarter comes pretty darn close to what the big publishers do for their top books.

But sometimes, Kickstarter authors take it to a higher level. 

Hardbacks with a dust jacket, interior illustrations, and custom chapter headings are only the beginning. Sometime they offer book boxes and books with sprayed edges.

These are what I would call top-notch, book boutique campaigns. And when the author has the right project, the right book, and the right campaign, the sky isn’t even close to the limit.

The limit is outer space.

A friend of mine, Russell Nohelty, knows the ins and outs of this platform, and he succeeds with his campaigns on a regular basis. He even has a book (Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter, co-written with Monica Leonelle) for those of you (like me) who want to learn more about launching your own Kickstarter campaign.

I asked Russell about his background and experience with Kickstarter and this is what he had to say:

“I started on Kickstarter in 2014, but I launched two Indiegogo campaigns starting in 2011. I have been using crowdfunding since the early days, even though I didn’t have my first big success until 2017. 

“Still, even in those early days, crowdfunding kept me in business and allowed me to produce more books. 

“I have always used Kickstarter to test new lines of product, and even if you are very successful using KU and have no interest in launching books on Kickstarter, you can expand your business through comics and games, both of which are stronger on Kickstarter than anywhere else.

“I just worked with a board game publisher to launch a card game for one of my series, and we even did a licensed deal last year for a coffee line that launched on Kickstarter.

“There is unlimited potential to grow your audience and expand your product line using crowdfunding. No matter if you are just getting started or an old pro, I bet dollars to donuts there is a way to use crowdfunding that is perfect for you.”

I personally love his last paragraph because I believe it’s true. If you’re an indie author and you’ve been wondering how to take your work to the next level, I suggest you start studying successful Kickstarter campaigns. Maybe consider joining the Kickstarter for Authors Facebook group, created and run by another friend of mine, Anthea Sharp. 

And, yes, I'm joining the crowd of authors who are launching their books on Kickstarter! My campaign for Valiant is here. 

"The end of the earth is just the beginning."

This campaign includes a color illustrated hardback book and a black and white illustrated paperback book, a set of Space Arcana cards, bookmarks, stickers, digital computer wallpaper, and more.

Reviews & Endorsements:

“Breakneck adventure, high stakes, kickass heroine, time- twisting narrative—seriously captivating sci-fi!.” —Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Progeny

“Edge of Tomorrow meets Terminator in this riveting, post-apocalyptic adventure from Merrie Destefano.” —Paul Regnier, author of the Space Drifter series

if you want to check out my Kickstarter campaign, it just launched today!  And if you want watch to my book trailer for Valiant, here it is!

USA Today Bestselling and Multiple Award-Winning author, Merrie Destefano writes lyrical tales of magic, mystery, and hope. Her books include Valiant, Lost Girls, Shade, A Place of Magic, and Fathom. You can learn more about her work by visiting her website and you can get a free short story by signing up for her newsletter.

Russell Nohelty:

You can check out Russell Nohelty’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign here. 

Brandon Sanderson:

You can check out Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter campaign here. 

Also, Russell and I both have articles in the April issue of INDIE AUTHOR MAGAZINE. Click the link to check them out!