Sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe have cropped up in the
last few years, supposedly allowing the community to back projects they find
worthy of funding. It sounds great, right? Create a profile, a video, an explanation
of your project, and then submit it to Kickstarter. Kickstarter will approve or
deny your application. Once approved, your project has a certain length of time
to amass “Backers” and the funding you need.
This idea appeals to me. I love the idea of putting my book
out there and having it funded by people who fully support the idea.
Kickstarter even has a “Publishing” section! That’s perfect for all us unpublished
souls who know what it’s like to eat mac and cheese or Ramen every night just
to pay the rent.
Only, I get concerned when I read their Terms of Use. They
can suspend your account at any time for any reason, and they don’t have to
tell you about it (whether a Bakcer or a “Creator”). They can stop or suspend a
campaign at any time, for any reason. If your project is not 100% funded, you
get nothing (unsure, based on my reading, if Kickstarter keeps it or the Backers
get it back). If you are 100% funded, also know that Kickstarter keeps 5% off
the top, plus Amazon (who you must use to get paid) charges a 3-5% fee for
credit card processing. You will be taxed on what you received in funding.
Also, the accountability is limited. If I get $10,000 funded
for my project, there is NOTHING in place to guarantee that I will complete my
project. Absolutely nothing. Kickstarter states that the Backers and the
Community are responsible for keeping the Creator on track, but how much can
you do with a few emails? Kickstarter makes no guarantees to Backers, but does
state that “launching a Kickstarter is a very public act”, so fail to follow
through on commitments could be damaging to the Creator’s overall reputation.
This might be something that works for you. As for me, I won't use it; I’m just not convinced…
Have any of you used Kickstarter (or tried) to fund any
projects? What was your experience? Can you convince me otherwise?
