If you’re considering a Kickstarter project, then it’s important to look at other projects to see what creates the conditions for a successful project. Two great resources are posts by Craig Mod, who funded a book project, and Jason Brubaker, who funded a graphic novel.

Both are excellent posts about what makes a project successful. Just a few highlights include:

• Reaching out to your network, via social media, email, blog, and more. Having a following ahead of time really helps, as does having an opt-in email mailing list for your blog. Just as important is arranging press coverage (social media or traditional). In other words, you need a marketing plan associated with your kickstarter project.
• A good video that plays to your highlights. Both blog posts shared tips.
• Make sure people know who you are. They aren’t just backing a project, they are backing a person who is doing the project. They need to feel confident that you’ll use the money wisely.
• Give thought to pledge levels. Don’t make them complicated, but do use the levels where people tend to contribute (usually $25, $50, $100, $250, $500)
• Kickstarter projects tend to have high initial contributions, then lull, then are high again near the end. Expect this, and plan to build early momentum. If you don’t get substantial contributions in the first few days, don’t expect to make it up later.