10 Tips to Make Your Kickstarter Project Page Stand Out

By Emily Trevithick

I helped launch a Kickstarter Campaign for Dr Sarah Pye, author of ‘Curious Kai Asks Why’ a middle-grade chapter book that follows the adventures of Kai, a young Australian girl enamoured by weird and wonderful wildlife. We exceeded the goal of $2,500, raising $3,006 within two months with 55 backers, plus a ‘Projects We Love’ spotlight gifted from the official Kickstarter team. 

Based on our experience, here are ten tried-and-tested tips to make your project page stand out, and give your book the attention from backers it deserves.

Please note that this blog's tips are aimed at creators with a book that has already been edited and illustrated prior to a Kickstarter campaign.

1. Understand your project before launching...

The most crucial step before launching a Kickstarter Campaign is to iron out the basics. Heading straight into a campaign for your product without a plan will not only ensure you don't meet the funding goal, but you won't likely attract any pledges. 

I would recommend checking out Kickstarter's tried-and-tested pre-launch checklist for more tips, plus research what funding goal suits your ambitions for editing, manufacturing and shipping your rewards. 

2. Study successful Kickstarter Campaigns 

The Kickstarter Publishing projects page allows you to narrow down a book's genre or type, sort by location and filter campaigns based on popularity, the most funded or new launches. Here, you can view an assortment of completed projects, plus see how close others are to their funding goal and how many days their campaign has left.

We'd recommend performing an audit of funded Kickstarter campaigns that are similar in genre, target audience and funding goal to you. These projects act as successful case studies to gain inspiration from, so ask yourself these questions:

• How did they layout their project page? Did they start with the synopsis of their book or delve straight into why they are creating a Kickstarter project? 
• Did they include a video?
• What elements in the video, title image, or introduction attracted your attention or would you want to emulate in yours?
• Did they display any images, what types of images would you want to include?
• What sections or elements did they include on their page that you liked?

3. Optimise your title page for SEO

Above is an example of how your campaign will appear on the projects page. Note that your title and description lean on the shorter side. Most viewers will notice the visual before your words, so create an engaging and colourful hero image that not only stands out but clearly displays what the project revolves around, in our case, a book. 

Always include your book's name for the title, plus a concise tagline that describes your project and target audience, such as 'a middle-grade chapter book', or 'fantasy adventure for children'. Again, browse the project page to see what other campaigns did.

Undertake keyword research before launching, and understand what terms are crucial for your target audience and genre, for instance, environment and wildlife for a nature-orientated project. Insert these keywords into your description to increase visibility and attract the right audience to your book.

Check out this blog for more SEO x Kickstarter tips.

4. Craft a compelling video

Did you know that 75% of successful Kickstarter Campaigns include a video? Your video not only introduces your project to potential backers, but it also serves as a first impression and introduction to you. Sharing your backstory and what inspired you to write your book is crucial in connecting your audience with your vision. We'd recommend including these key elements: 

• Keep it short, aim for a 1-2 minute length
• Include a hook in the first few seconds to grab attention, like a rhetorical question
• Keep your language engaging, simple, and direct 
• If you're not face to camera, substitute a voiceover instead
• Add in images or videos rather than face to camera the entire time
• Reinforce your book's value by mentioning its target readership, plot, and themes 
• Include a call-to-action at the end, such as 'pledge your support today', or 'find out more on my campaign page'

5. Connect emotionally with your audience

You can write a children’s book that has engaging prose, appealing characters or compelling visual elements, but emotional resonance from backers is key. Backers want to support your project and YOU! 

Dedicate a section early in your project page to yourself, who are you and why did you write this book? What are you hoping people will takeaway from your product? A short bio and image works well, and help your backers connect with your project on an emotional level. I would also suggest writing in first-person for the project page for an extra emotional impact.

6. Include reader testimonials for social proof

Displaying book reviews on the campaign page is a powerful inclusion to engage potential pledges, especially if they are from your target readership. Reviews operate as a stamp of approval and social proof, and if your project connects to a particular interest or topic, such as wildlife conservation, ask for reviews from children who are passionate about that area. 

I would recommend 3-4 short paragraphs with a profile picture, the name of the reviewer and age attached, see below from our campaign.

9. Be transparent with budget and timeline

When potential backers view your project page, they want to feel certain you can deliver on your promises. Including a budget breakdown of where the crowdfunding will be allocated can not only build trust, but also demonstrates that you have carefully planned your project. A pie chart breaking down the cost is a popular option for many creators. 

Similarly, a visual timeline builds transparency with backers who can comfortably support the project knowing the main milestones, fulfilment processes, and expected delivery dates for their rewards. 

There is always the chance of error with your campaign, your manufacturing company falls through or a family emergency becomes a financial strain, but your supporters will appreciate your transparency. Ensure to update anything on the project page after launching to reflect current dates and times.

10. Protect yourself from scams

Upon launching your Campaign, you might notice a gradual influx of emails or messages from accounts identifying themselves as a marketing or advertising agency, or an individual who has worked on several successful Kickstarter projects before. 

These emails may come across as professional in tone with minimal spelling errors, and provide a link to a website with the results they promise in their pitch. However, most if not all of these promotional messages are scammers. 

Do not under any circumstance, hand over your log in and password or account details to a stranger, even if they appear a legit professional. Once they have access to your Kickstarter they can remove and change anything on your project page or message backers, basically undo all of your hard work. Make sure you:

• Look up reviews, see if you can find the projects they worked on and directly message the creator before responding.
• Don't click on any links or reply with sensitive information.
• Check that their email address they messaged you from matches the one or their name they list in their pitch or footer.
• No offical Kickstarter team member will offer you personal mentoring or rush you to make a decision. The offical Kickstarter email domain name is @kickstarter.com. 
• Some red flags in their pitch include: account issues with your campaign which need fixing, requests for passwords or payment information, or guarantees to maximise your reach and funding goal.

When in doubt, reach out to support@kickstarter.com if you are unsure about a message, user or offer.

Unsure if a Kickstarter Campaign is the right pre-launch approach for your book? Check out my previous blog which delves into how children's authors can utilise Kickstarter to build hype for their book's debut and establish a committed audience.

Want to read the result of our Kickstarter Campaign? Check out Curious Kai Asks Why on my website.