Kickstarter

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Working On It: Mastering the ask

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Asking for support for your work can feel scary—but it doesn’t have to be. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Working on It

Illustration by Qiong Li

One of the most daunting parts of launching a Kickstarter project is “the ask”—asking friends and strangers to financially support your creative work. It can stir up feelings of self-doubt (“Surely there’s someone else out there whose work is more worthy”) and self-defeat (“There’s no way anyone will want to support me”).

You’re not alone in feeling this way; most creators go through it at some point. The successful ones work through it, and you can too. That’s what this edition of Working On It is all about.

On seeking community support

Illustration by Qiong Li

In a recent article for The Creative Independent, Siena Oristaglio of the artist support network Void Academy shared these tips for getting over the fear of asking for support:


Notice how you feel when you give.
“Remind yourself that it feels good to give. Giving builds community, strengthens relationships, and makes people feel impactful. These are things that all of us need in abundance right now.”

Reframe the ask as an opportunity.
“So many people feel helpless right now, and giving small amounts to artists they care about is something they can do to make an impact.”

Provide context by telling your story.
“Answer the important questions that provide context for your ask: who, what, when, where, how, how much, why, and why now?” (The Creative Independent also has a great guide to help you answer these questions.)

Make it personal.
“Reach out to people in your community. Show them that you care about them and value their support.”

Offer incentives.
“The best asks feel like an exchange that everyone can walk away feeling good about. What does the person you are asking get in return if they choose to give to you?” (Keep reading for some Kickstarter reward ideas.)

Read the full article for more tips. To go deeper, this piece from the Void Academy team shares even more advice on asking for emotional and financial support.

Narbi Price, The Lockdown Paintings

Inspired rewards

Kickstarter creators offer rewards as a thank-you to backers supporting their work. This might be the thing they’re making, like a book, a game, or the product they’re designing, or it might be related to the thing they’re making, like a postcard featuring an original artwork or a digital download of a song from an upcoming album.

Some rewards, like in-person workshops and tickets to events, just aren’t feasible right now. But this list of 70 ways to support yourself and reward your backers in lockdown offers some clever virtual alternatives to IRL incentives inspired by our creator community. Think digital sketches, PDF zines, custom playlists, online cooking classes, printable coloring books, and a whole lot more.

Keep reading