I Talked To Kickstarter's Head of Book Publishing

Today, I'm interviewing Oriana Leckert - Kickstarter's Head of Publishing. She's worked behind the scenes on some massive campaigns - including Brandon Sanderson's $40m game-changing 'Secret Project.' But it's not just big authors who are winning on Kickstarter, and in our conversation today, she shares principles that any author can use to find success on the platform.
⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:05 - Working with Brandon Sanderson
02:24 - How Sanderson changed Kickstarter
04:29 - The power of scarcity
05:08 - Are publishers threatened by Kickstarter?
08:08 - How Kickstarter helps niche authors
10:30 - The biggest mistake new authors make
12:04 - Picking your funding target
14:41 - How to market a Kickstarter
15:51 - How many book Kickstarters succeed?
18:10 - Oriana's #1 tip for success
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[@themightypen1530]

$41 million frickin` dollars?! Yeah that should just about cover the cost of writing a book. Good for him.

[@m.j.johnsonbooks7856]

Fascinating interview! I’m curious to do some of the research she mentioned even without any plans to launch a kickstarter. She made the entire process sounds incredibly interesting.

[@Jed_Herne]

Cheers Michael!

[@3dchick]

Some friends of mine ran a Kickstarter for their zombie series and did well. (for normal people versions of well).

[@ZackArgyleAuthor]

Great video, Jed! And best of luck with your upcoming campaign!

[@mikevoss4894]

Great interview, Jed, and a nice prelude to your plans to do your own Kickstarter project with KoD, which I'm certain will be very successful!

[@Ohemaamary]

Wow that’s amazing that people are able to raise money on kickstarter. I’ve been trying for a while with no success and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong.

[@deanmuscat2681]

Fascinating interview Jed! Can't wait to see your next project launch on Kickstarter.

[@SandyButchers]

Fantastic interview! It's a great look behind the scenes. Yet deep inside, it makes me sad, because these sort of kickstarters are only possible when an author already has a huge established platform. This isn't really for people who are just getting started, however, at the same time, it gives a sense of hope... something to grow towards 🙂

[@themightypen1530]

The most epic of journeys begins with a single step.

[@SandyButchers]

@@themightypen1530 I 100% agree. That said, it can be very disheartening for starting writers to see that the most successful tactics are simply still out of reach for them. Persistance is key! Growth is the goal 🙂

[@christopherdriscoll1697]

"Harper Collins was just N board." 16 no kidding. They have the authors doing their fundraising and marketing for them. Whoever reads this, please stop allowing traditional pubs to rob you or authors. Leverage Kickstarter and other spaces but publish yourself!

[@leolightfellow]

This was great. Very helpful. :)

[@jaauerbach_author]

Great interview! Oriana is awesome and super helpful if you are running a fiction Kickstarter.

[@ElaaraWylder]

Awesome interview with some really interesting information. Thanks!

[@nhmcazenav6874]

Great interview!

[@UltraLaidback]

First! love your content man, awesome as always.

[@Jed_Herne]

Thanks!

[@a_blaser]

Loved this interview, Jed!

[@Jed_Herne]

Thanks!

[@evilgenius97]

"Its not threatening, its a whole new way"
what one word is it then?