Newpub Novel Crowdfunding Guide
Crowdfunding has been gaining popularity with newpub authors lately. And with good reason: More and more of us are discovering that Kickstarting each book is an effective way to meet production costs and replace oldpub advances - all without ceding creative control to publishers.
Yet a great deal of essential crowdfunding knowledge still eludes many authors. This post will endeavor to fill in many of the most common skill gaps, helping more authors to crowdfund with confidence and success.
Without further preamble, here is your newpub novel crowdfunding guide, presented step-by-step.
Important note: No crowdfunder is an overnight success. Preparations should start at least one month (preferably three months) before launch.
1. Validate Your Idea
Before launching, confirm there’s interest.
Actions:
Write a short summary (hook) of your novel.
Identify the genre and target readers.
Share the concept with:
writing groups
social media
newsletter subscribers
Goal: Make sure people actually want the book before asking them to fund it.
2. Prepare Your Book Content
Recommended preparation:
Finish at least the first full draft.
Write a full synopsis.
Create a compelling book blurb.
Commission:
Cover mockup
Character art
Campaign banners
These assets will power your Kickstarter page.
3. Set a Realistic Funding Goal
Your goal should cover production and fulfillment.
Typical costs for a typical 60K-word novel:
Editing ~$2,000
Cover design $150+
Printing depends on quantity
Shipping varies widely (research rates for every country you will ship to)
Kickstarter fees ~8–10%
Tip: Add ~10% buffer for unexpected costs.
4. Design Reward Tiers
Backers fund projects because they receive exclusive rewards.
Example tiers (all include Digital Art Pack [phone and desktop wallpaper versions of all novel art assets]):
$5 - Bookmark, pin, other small, inexpensive-to-produce item
$10 - eBook
$20 - Paperback
$40 – Signed paperback
$45 – Hardcover
$65 - Signed hardcover
$150 - Character named after backer
Good rewards make backers feel special but are easy for you to deliver.
5. Build Your Kickstarter Page
Your page should quickly answer:
What is the book about?
Why should people care?
Why are you the right person to write it?
Key sections to include:
Hook / tagline
Short synopsis
Author introduction
Reward tiers
Stretch goals
Timeline
Shipping
Risks & challenges
Important: Have a 1–3 minute video introducing the book.
6. Build an Audience Before Launch
The main reason some campaigns struggle is because they’re launched too early.
Starting 4–12 weeks before launch:
Grow an email list.
Post progress updates.
Share character art or snippets.
Run a Google Ad targeted for clicks (starting 1 month before launch).
Aim to have 30–40% of funding pledged in the first 48 hours.
7. Launch the Campaign
Typical campaign length: 30 is days (21-24 days is better).
Launch on a Tuesday or Thursday at 10 AM US Eastern (remember that Kickstarter’s review process can take 2-3 business days).
During the campaign:
Post updates every few days.
Answer backer comments quickly.
Announce new stretch goals as each is unlocked.
Update ideas:
Excerpt reveals
Character introductions
Livestream Q&A
Promote on:
Your social media
Newsletter
Guest spots on blogs, YouTube channels and podcasts with 10x more subscribers than your platform
Consistency is key (have newsletters, blog posts, or live stream/podcast guest spots scheduled at regular intervals during the campaign).
Important: Have all stretch goals ready to go before launch. Stretch goals keep people excited once you reach initial funding.
Stretch goal ideas:
Bonus interior art
Book enhancements (sprayed edges, cover foiling, etc.)
Nothing that requires creating a new product (failing to meet such a goal reduces future opportunities to earn income from that product).
That about covers the basics. Of course, there’s much more to learn. If you’re interested in crowdfunding your next project, you can join the many authors who’ve benefited from my crowdfunder coaching. Please note that initial queries should be made/consults scheduled no later than one month before your planned launch date. After that point, coaching yields rapidly diminishing returns as campaign details are necessarily locked in.
One early success story from my online writing fellowship the Court of Kairos was the first Kickstarter by dynamic writing duo The Brothers Krynn.
With the Court’s help, the Steelhearts project nearly tripled its initial goal.
Following their success, the Brothers Krynn have now launched their own Patreon. There, you can get insider looks at their works-in-progress, YouTube shoutouts, exclusive Discord access, and more!
So support up-and-coming newpub authors. Claim your membership today!