Never Backed a Kickstarter? Here's How It Works

In the past few years, Kickstarter has become my favorite place to find new-to-me authors, weird and wonderful books, tarot decks and more. I've found everything there from an ergonomic work desk to a coffee advent calendar to gorgeous special-edition books, classes, and book-related experiences. Kickstarter is a platform that supports creative endeavors and gives authors like me a way to go beyond the standard paperback or ebook experience.

I'm something of a Kickstarter evangelist. No surprise that I've leaned into launching my new creative works on the platform. However, most of the time when I mention a Kickstarter, people tend to say either: "That's like GoFundMe, right?" (It's not) or "I've been meaning to try that, but I don't really know how it works."

Oh, my friends, if you're new to Kickstarter, please allow me to bring you into the fold, so you are no longer missing out.

What Kickstarter actually is

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform specifically for creative projects: books, comics, games, films, music, board games, gadgets.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform specifically for creative projects: books, comics, games, films, music, board games, gadgets. It is not a fundraiser and it's not a charity. It also isn't a store.

The closest thing I can compare it to is a pop-up event where you get to interact with the creator and get access to something new and exclusive. A creator says: here's the thing I've made, and all the cool added things you can get here, some you can't get from a bookstore. Here's a choice of things you get if you back the project at different amounts to help me make it.

Every project has a minimum funding goal and a window of time when the project runs (often around 15–30 days). If enough people back it before the deadline, the project goes forward and everyone's card is charged.

Kickstarter funding is all-or-nothing. This means if the project doesn't meet its minimum funding goal, no money or products change hands.

How backing a project works, start to finish

1. Make a free account

Go to Kickstarter.com and sign up with an email address and a password. Backing is free. There's no subscription and no fee for being a backer. You'll choose a payment method when you pledge, and most major credit and debit cards work.

2. Find projects worth backing

If you're a booklover, start in the Publishing category, where the novels, poetry collections, craft books, and journals live. Comics & Illustration is worth a browse too. Or skip the categories and use the search bar the way you'd use it anywhere else: type an author's name or a topic you love. "Tarot for Fiction Writers." "Cozy mystery." "Jessica Arden Cline."

One button is worth pointing out: Follow. Following a project (or a pre-launch page, which is the teaser version that goes up before a campaign opens) tells Kickstarter to email you the moment it launches. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. It's the low-stakes way to keep an eye on something you're not sure about yet.

3. Back a tier

A tier is a bundle. Each one lists a price and exactly what you get. Campaigns usually offer several so you can pick the version of the project you actually want. For a book or course campaign, tiers often look something like this: a digital tier with the ebook or PDF, a paperback tier with the print edition, tiers that bundle several items together, a class or course tier, sometimes a consultation or coaching tier at the top, and a small “back it because you love it” tier for people who just want to be part of it.

You choose the tier that has the things you want, pledge, and those items are now reserved for you. Some campaigns also offer add-ons, which are extras you can attach to whatever tier you picked, so you don't have to jump up to a bigger bundle for one item.

You'll enter your card information here. Nothing is charged yet.

And you're not locked in. While a campaign is still running, you can raise your pledge, lower it, switch tiers, or cancel entirely from the "Manage your pledge" button on the project page. (One exception: during the final 24 hours, you can't decrease or cancel a pledge if doing so would drop the project below its funding goal.)

4. Wait for the finish line, then watch your email

When the clock runs out and the project has hit its goal, Kickstarter collects the pledges. Payments process over the following days rather than all at once, and if a card fails you get about a week of reminders to update it before the pledge is dropped. If the project didn't hit its goal, nothing is collected and your card is never touched.

Then the creator sends a backer survey to the email on your account. This is where you confirm your shipping address, pick a format or a size, and claim any bonuses that got unlocked along the way. Digital rewards usually arrive by email, as a download or an access code. Physical rewards ship after production. Creators list a fulfillment estimate on each tier.

When backing projects, make sure to keep an eye out for the survey email. A creator can't send you a book they don't have an address for.

Other frequently asked questions

When does my card get charged?

At the deadline, and only if the project funded. Never at the moment you pledge.

What happens if the project doesn't fund?

Nothing, financially. The campaign closes, no money moves, and the rewards don't ship to anyone.

Can I change my mind?

Yes, any time before the deadline (see the 24-hour note above). After a campaign closes and payments are collected, changes are between you and the creator, so message them rather than assuming.

Do I pay shipping?

Depends on the project and the tier. Digital rewards don't ship, so they usually have no shipping cost at all. Print and physical tiers will say how shipping is handled, sometimes added at pledge time and sometimes collected later in the survey. It's always written on the tier, so read that part before you pledge.

When do I get my stuff?

Every tier lists an estimated delivery date. Digital rewards tend to arrive quickly. Printed and shipped items take longer, because production starts after funding is released to the creator (usually 2 to 3 weeks after a campaign ends and funds are collected). Treat that date as a good-faith estimate from a working creator, not a guaranteed ship date from a warehouse.

Is it safe?

Kickstarter uses a secure payment system. One thing to be aware of is that when you back a project, it's not the same as making a purchase from a retailer. Rewards are not guaranteed, and Kickstarter gives you a little checkbox that you have to tick to acknowledge that with every pledge you make. Most creators act in good faith and do deliver on their project promises. Even so, there can be extenuating circumstances that cause delays or non-fulfillment. I've backed over 100 projects over the years, and every one has been fulfilled eventually.

If you're concerned, it's good practice to read the project's Risks and Challenges section, see how much of the work is already done, and use that to set your comfort level with a pledge. A project that's 90% made and needs funding for their special edition print run is a very different bet from a dreamer drafting their first manuscript.

Why authors run campaigns at all

Making a book costs money before a book makes money. Editing, cover design, printing, video production, all of it comes out of pocket months ahead of the first sale. A campaign might pay for the making while it's being made. Authors often run Kickstarter campaigns to test the waters and see if there's a market for a new idea, or to fund a print run for a deluxe special edition that only makes financial sense if they have a bulk order.

There's a better reason, though, and it's the one that keeps me coming back. Backers aren't just customers who bought early. They become part of the process and the reason the thing exists. 259 people backed the Tarot for Fiction Writers book in 2024, and it funded in a single day. I'm still grateful for each and every one of them and for the way Kickstarter allowed me to directly reach out to every new backer and thank them — something that isn't possible on Amazon.

That's what backing a creative project actually gets you: a spot in the origin story of something, and a connection with the creative community.

Want a practice run?

My next campaign, Tarot for Fiction Writers 101: Self-Paced Course & Workbook, opens October 13, 2026 and closes October 29. It's the video class version of the method, with an optional companion workbook, and the tiers, rewards, and delivery dates are all laid out on the campaign page.

If you're curious but not ready to commit to anything, hit Follow on the page. You'll get notified when it opens, you'll get to see how a campaign works from the inside, and you can decide then.

And if you'd rather bookmark this post for the next time a project you love shows up with a countdown clock on it, that works too.

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