Can Kickstarter actually work as a marketing tool for your book—or is it just another shiny object authors chase while ignoring their email list?
Let’s dive into the mess, shall we?
What Even Is Book Marketing?
Before we start arguing over ad spend, plushies, or whether your mother will back your campaign (hi, Mom), let’s get one thing straight: Marketing is not just running a few Facebook ads and praying for sales. It’s not even a single strategy.
You can read how to make your Email List More Effective Here!
It’s an umbrella term that covers everything from telling a guy on a plane you wrote a book, to investing thousands into airport banners (don’t do that, probably). Marketing is simply this: getting eyes on your work. And that looks different for every author, every book, and every budget.
There’s no plug-and-play. If anyone tells you otherwise, back away slowly while clutching your royalties.
Campaigns vs. Long-Game Marketing
Marketing is a long-term relationship. A campaign is more like speed dating.
Campaigns (like Kickstarter) are short, focused bursts with a clear goal—usually to build momentum, raise funds, or both. But they’re not meant to carry your entire career. That’s where your long-game strategies come in: newsletters, social media, reader groups, networking, and showing up consistently even when your sales dashboard looks like a desert.
Kickstarter? It’s a campaign tool. Let’s not confuse it with a marketing plan.
Kickstarter 101 for Authors
Kickstarter isn’t new, but it’s trending in author circles. Why? Because it allows you to:
- Fund special projects (illustrators, limited editions, swag)
- Engage your superfans in fun ways
- Test demand before going full print-run crazy
- Raise visibility through built-in urgency
But here’s the key: Kickstarter is a tool, not a magic wand. You need an audience before you launch. Kickstarter doesn’t hand you readers—it lets you activate the ones you already have.
Think of it as your hype platform, not your discovery engine.
Who Should Consider Kickstarter?
Not every author should run a Kickstarter campaign. Let’s be blunt: if you don’t have an audience yet, the platform won’t magically build one for you.
That said, Kickstarter could be a great fit if:
- You’re working on a high-cost project (illustrated books, hardcovers, custom art)
- You want to offer cool reader perks (plushies, bookmarks, annotated editions)
- You already have some reader engagement (email list, social following, etc.)
- You enjoy planning and executing detailed launches
Children’s authors, fantasy authors, and series authors often do well here, especially when they have a built-in fanbase and a clear reward structure.
What Kickstarter Can (and Can’t) Do
Kickstarter can:
- Help fund production costs
- Add a sense of exclusivity and fun to your launch
- Serve as an event to rally your readers around
Kickstarter cannot:
- Do your marketing for you
- Build your audience from scratch
- Replace the need for ads, emails, or outreach
In short, it’s a good layer in your marketing lasagna. Just don’t expect it to be the whole dish.
Budgeting, Planning, and Promotion
You still need to market your Kickstarter. You need an email list, a launch plan, social media posts, and maybe even some ad spend. Your audience won’t magically know it’s live.
Some key prep steps:
- Set realistic goals (not everyone is Brandon Sanderson)
- Choose meaningful rewards that your readers will want
- Line up your launch promo before the campaign begins
- Know what it’s costing you—time, money, and sanity
Want help figuring out if Kickstarter is right for you? Hit us up at Print to Pro or The Plot Abides. We’ll help you determine if it’s genius… or premature.
Real Examples: When It Works
We’ve seen it firsthand:
- A children’s book author used Kickstarter to pay for high-end illustrations—and it worked. She hit her funding goal and gave away plushies like a storytime Santa.
- Another author is using it to launch his own murder mystery game line. Yes, seriously.
The key in both cases? Clear goals. Engaged audience. Realistic expectations.
The Power of Collaboration
Want to increase your odds of success? Don’t go it alone.
Bundle your book with another author’s. Cross-promote. Share audiences. Build a mini-network of creators who lift each other up. Publishers do it all the time—that’s how they scale authors and build buzz. Indie authors can (and should) do the same.
Stop viewing each other as competition. Readers buy more than one book a year. There’s room for all of us.
The Expectation Check
Let’s end on a loving but direct note: don’t expect to go viral. Your first Kickstarter is unlikely to make you rich. But it can teach you valuable lessons, connect you to readers, and fund that next project if done well.
Your author business isn’t built on one campaign—it’s built on consistent effort, learning from mistakes, and refusing to quit.
Want to be a professional author? Just keep going.
Resources We Mentioned
Add these to your to-read and to-watch list:
- Russell Nohelty — The go-to expert for Kickstarter success
- Monica Leonelle — Master of crowdfunding method and strategy
- Print to Pro — Personalized publishing help
- The Plot Abides — Troy’s site for plotting, coaching, and caffeinated wisdom
- Want a Kickstarter prep worksheet? Stay tuned—we’ll be dropping it in the next post
Subscribe to the podcast Pros Talking Prose for more no-fluff, all-fun author business advice. You can find us on your favorite podcast platform or you can watch the episode on Kickstarter and Marketing on YouTube.
