Don Steinberg

The Kickstarter Handbook, by Don Steinberg, should come in very handy for anyone planning on funding a project through the crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter. It takes you through the steps needed for a successful fundraising project, and I believe it actually would be wise to read this handbook before beginning a Kickstarter project. It also has interesting information about the beginnings of kickstarter, offering insight into the reasons behind the crowd sourcing phenomena that has helped thousands to realize their dreams. This is a great book for those endeavoring to raise funds for a project, as well as those interested in the crowd sourcing movement.… (meer)

This is really two books in one, please do not see the page count (224 pages) and worry that you need to process through that much material to even start a campaign. Well, you do and it's not going to be easy, but this volume is interwoven with both practical lists and worksheets and tips from those who have succeeded and failed on Kickstarter.

The lessons drawn from both the worksheets and the tips are universal and applicable not just to Kickstarter projects, but most any business or project I can think of. The primary and most important lesson is that if you want to succeed you need to do the work and that it's not going to magically happen overnight.

The other lessons all build upon the need to Do Work. That's not a bad thing! Success is rarely achieved through passive endeavors. There are tools to help you, but they will not do it all for you, you need to do the work.

The other large lesson I felt was prevalent through out is the reminder to be yourself and tell your story. Asking for money isn't easy for many and doing it in a way that isn't slimy may seem impossible. I had a light bulb moment when I read Musician Nano Whitman's own realization: "Oh I can just sing my request to people? I was okay with it." (p 96).

Is there anything missing from this book? There is, however it is something I am as yet unable to put my finger on. I suspect it might be the speed in which social media and the online world changes. In a year, will any of this book still be useful? Yes. I think the stories of successful (and unsuccessful) projects could stand the test of time.

Overall this is an enjoyable quick read and nice concise guidebook for Kickstarter. I also appreciated the resource list of other programs similar to Kickstarter. I recommend this book even if you're just curious about what's involved in a Kickstarter campaign.

Disclaimer: I received this title through my participation in the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program.… (meer)