Kickstarter advice, tips, and info

[emma11]

Hi all! I know I've seen a few people conduct successful kick starters for their tail. I just got hired to create a large tail for a short film next summer, so I have enough time to make it. Money however, totally isn't happening with a senior thesis that's costing me 1000 dollars.

Anyways, has anyone finished a Kickstarter, or know any tips of the trade?


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[Seatan]

Best kick starter advice (just in my opinion): hit up people who know you and ask them to hit up people that they know. I've watched several friends have campaigns flop because they expected people who don't know them in RL to just give them money. Now if you are trying to start a business and already have examples of what you are going to do, a business plan, etc then strangers may donate--especially if its cool or a good cause. But mostly I've found that people you have real relationships with are the most likely to give.

[PearlieMae]

The main problems with Kickstarter is that they are moderated, and they choose who gets to start a campaign, and if you don't hit your goal, you don't get anything. At least with indiegogo or chipin, if someone donates, you get that money, minus the site's chunk.

[Mermaid Momo]

Since I've never done a kickstarter I'll list a few things that made me donate to them instead:

-cool prizes. Because if I'm going to hand over my money for you to do something I better get something neat out of it. For example: I donated to one kickstarter for an art book specializing in monster boyfriends and girlfriends and at first I didn't have enough money for the tier that actually gave you a copy of the book but I donated a little to a tier that offered an awesome sticker pack and mini comic! And I came back to donate to get the book before everyone else.

- advertisement
This may seem obvious but advertise to the right market. Continuing with the first example. The book advertised on blogs that posted monster drawings and monster bf and gf blogs and nsfw blogs including monsters and in turn more blogs reblogged that (usually the artists themselves or artists who draw the Same thing) and they tagged them and kept people updated. ( so basically tumblr and social media will be your best friend )

- a nice video or explanation
I like to see what my money will be going to, sketches of what they want to achieve, why they're doing it, what can this do for me, etc.

- also the deadline. Longer deadlines get more donates in theory because if I don't have to money now to donate but I really want to donate I'll be able to save up instead of a really close deadline where I dot even try to raise money.

Hope these help :)


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[AniaR]

my advice is don't do one. Too many mermaids have tried, and I think finfolk are the ONLY ones to have had one work in all mermaid history? Too many mermaids are asking for handouts online, when there are LOADS of business grants (free money) that people can apply for with their local government, local entrepreneurial groups, local women's groups etc. My company is up for a HUGE grant. Way more than I'd dare to ask through kickstarter. You can invest all that time in a kickstarter, or invest it all in writing applications for grants that you're liklier to get, and more money. It's like applying for scholarships. There's loads of money out there if people just ask. It's becoming too much of a trend for people to do kick starters for their business, and it's not really intended for business startups.

[emma11]

Oh this isn't for a business! It's a one time deal, one tail for a film. I have a fx company, I don't need a second tail company haha.

[AniaR]

I don't mean to be a debbie downer, I'm just trying to be truthful with you, they rarely work because so many people do them and ask for money, and mers are getting a bad reputation now for asking for handouts :(

[emma11]

It's just too bad. Any type of quality special effects makeup takes a lot of money, but the effect is stunning. I mean look at once upon a time. They use cgi cause it was cheaper than a tail, and they spend so much money on those costumes. And they couldn't spend it on a tail?

People just expect cgi at this point. Oh well, I'll see what I can do around here though there are very few film grants. Well see!


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[Jessica]

Hi Emma,
I know nothing about kickstarters (other than I see a lot started but not many hit their goal) but I wish you luck! Your first tail turned out great so I can't wait to see the next one :)

Raina,

awesome tip about applying for grants!

[Mermaid Momo]

I don't mean to be a debbie downer, I'm just trying to be truthful with you, they rarely work because so many people do them and ask for money, and mers are getting a bad reputation now for asking for handouts :(
Mers typically aren't getting bad names outside of the community for starting kickstarters and asking for donations. For people outside the community who looks at the page, It may seem like a cool project or a good idea. It's mostly just with the community that problems start to emerge.

[AniaR]

Mers typically aren't getting bad names outside of the community for starting kickstarters and asking for donations actually, they are. I know 3 mers currently using kickstarter and go fund me. All have gotten nasty comments and replies from people outside the community. They've all gotten nasty comments from people inside the community too. If you do a bit of searching on it you'll see the general consensus is that (and I'm paraphrasing here, these are in NO way my thoughts, simply what I've read from user comments/facebook comments/ and had friends tell me) "Mermaids all seem to ask for handouts, why can't anyone actually just save for a tail" "I don't support kickstarter/Gofundme projects for people who want to start a business, that's what a business loan is for." etc. The general negative comments I see from people outside the community are disgust at people asking for handouts to start a business. Which honestly, the way I've seen some attempts- I think that's fair. That *is* what business grants, business loans, credit, and sponsorship if *for* Kickstarter and gofund me are intended for creative projects, collaborations, etc and they have really been putting the kibosh to ones that are trying to use it to jump start their business. The ones that do get through, are the ones that are using the funds to create proptypes etc so then they can follow the usual routes. A lot of art projects (films, radio drama, books etc) seem to get through as well. Keep in mind I put a significant amount of research into this to be included in my book as well.
There's nothing wrong with asking for funding, I just think she'd have a million times better luck in other ways, and I think the community does have to be aware that we're gaining a reputation so now isn't exactly a great time to be asking.

I have one friend specifically, who lost a merfriend, because that person tore a strip off them.


I have successfully fundraised for a mermaid tail, years ago, before any of these sites existed. I have also received business grants. I can say from my own experience, grants are the way to go. It took me a year of fundraising to get a mermaid tail, and it was fundraising along with saving my own money. Grants? It took a week of working my ass off on an application. And you can actually hire someone to do that for you for cheap if you don't want to do it yourself.