Are you a first-time backer on Kickstarter?
Cool! Welcome to the worldās largest crowdfunding platform!
Kickstarter has helped thousands of indie; ultra-cool projects find their way into the world! Go on, dive in and take a look around... you will definitely find a project that tickles your fancy!
Ok, here you are, you just bumped onto a project that you want to support! And now, what?
Take your time and look carefully at all the details of the campaign that you liked! You will notice that every campaign has a story section, dealing with what is this project, how it came to be...DO study the campaign you plan to support! The most important thing in a campaign is the number on the top right of your screen. This is the funding goal. In simple words, this is how much money the creator needs to get the project through production. If the campaign is live, you can see how much money has been collected up to now, how many backers does this campaign have, and how many days are left for completion.
Right below the funding goal is where things get interesting... These are the pledge levels, different levels of support, that the project creator chooses to offer. But, beware! Kickstarter is not a marketplace, it is a funding platform. Meaning, you do not buy anything, you support a creator! In exchange for your support, you get something back. This is why pledge levels range from a mere 1 $ or 1 ā¬ or 1 Ā£, to vertigo-inducing heights. For each pledge level, the creator commits that you will get something back after the project reaches its funding goal. This āsomething backā can range from the creatorsā gratitude, a finished product, or ...Who knows, creators are strange creatures...one might promise to erect a huge mural in the center square of his hometown with your face on it! Every project is different, so what you get in exchange for your support is very clearly defined right below the pledge level alongside the delivery time of that specific pledge.
So there you go, pledge away at the level you prefer... A mere euro or your lifeās savings, this is entirely up to you. If you think the mural is a good idea, who are we to judge! And donāt forget, even the lowest pledges mean so very much to creators! Someone believes in them and their vision... and this is priceless! Kickstarter will help you complete the process in a few steps!
Congratulations! You are now a first-time backer!!!!
Oh, my dear first-time backer...Kickstarter is a big family... Take your time and study the campaign that interests you. Look carefully at the team members, search their websites and profiles. DO NOT support a project that fails to convince you of its viability. Soon, you will notice that most of Kickstarter campaigns are not faceless! There are real people behind each and every project, and all of them are determined to turn their idea into reality!
The more money past the funding goal, the more goodies seem to come my way? Why is that?Ā Ā
Oh, dear first-time backer...We, creators, tend to love our projects, we would never ever take money away from them...What we do with the extra cash, is use it to improve on our core project. How is this possible? Simple, by making more pieces, manufacturing costs go down, and all the extra money are put into delivering a much plusher product! This is why, the more money is collected in a campaign, the better the product you are going to get delivered, on the very same pledge level you chose!
Ī¤his calls for attention! Most projects (but not all) charge shipping after the campaign ends. Shipping costs are explained in the campaign, BUT in most cases these are estimates. No one can know beforehand how many stretch goals will be reached. That is why most projects use a pledge manager, a very useful tool, which will inform you of the exact shipping costs, post-campaign! And yes, if you do not like what you hear, you can draw back anytime! Yes, cool, we know!
But the most important of all is that Kickstarter, in contrast to other crowdfunding platforms goes for the āall or nothingā motto. If the funding goal is not reached, you donāt get charged, and the creator goes back to the drawing board. Practically, that means that you donāt support a project in the hope that it gets funding and you will get something back in return. YOU KNOW that if a project succeeds, then what was promised will be delivered to you. If not, you will not be charged a penny! How cool is that?
Now you know why we are so excited! Kickstarter has finally opened up to creators from Greece, Slovenia and Poland, so we canāt wait to see what neat projects will come through!
And of course, our very first project, Trivia Obscuraā¢ +Do you know Darkness?+, the board game that allows you to bask in the glory of your dark existence andā¦ rub your poser friendsā noses in it, will be live on the 29th of October!Ā
You can support our campaign here
...and we hope that if you choose us for your very first Kickstarter pledge, it will be the first of many many - many campaigns and beautiful ideas that you helped to make a reality! It is a really nice feeling, isnāt it?
