Why I like Kickstarter
Kickstarter isn’t anything new but it’s worth a second look because of what it could mean for an ambitious journalist or artist.
The Kickstarter concept combines aspects of the long-tail, crowdsourcing, e-fundraising and micropayments. An artist writes up a pitch and the amount of cash they’ll need to complete it. They then solicit funds for the project. No money changes hands until the target amount is met. Kickstarter takes 5% of the funds to cover their costs.
Kickstarter is focused on creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. We’re a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, athletes, adventurers, illustrators, explorers, curators, promoters, performers, and others to bring their projects, events, and dreams to life.
The projects are wildly creative. Here’s a few I found from a quick scan of the site:
Finding a home for a group that puts on collaborative classes on a wide range of topics (cooking, fixing stuff, making your own birdhouse). They call it a “book club on steroids”
2. The Pie in the Park cookbook
Pie + Park = awesome. A cookbook would just spread the love.
A group in L.A. wants to turn a gumball machines into a seedbomb dispenser!
It’s a great hybrid model: part patronage, part crowdsourced granting body, part creative incubator. The implications for freelancers are pretty positive. If you need the cash to fund that web documentary, publish that graphic novel or write that book of essays, Kickstarter might be worth a look.
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