The Kickstarter Handbook: Real-Life Success Stories of Artists, Inventors, and Entrepreneurs

So you want to produce a short film. Or design a new line of jewelry. Or manufacture a revolutionary solar-powered garden sprinkler. There's just one catch: You need $100,000 to bankroll your dream, and your checking account has barely enough to cover the rent.

Enter Kickstarter.com-the phenomenal "crowdfunding" website launched in 2009 that brings venture capital to the masses. At Kickstarter, it's not uncommon for entrepreneurs to raise $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, or more. All you need is a great idea-and The Kickstarter Handbook.

Business journliast Don Steinberg has interviewed dozens of artists and inventors who launched their passion projects online. Through their voices, you'll explore all the strategies of a successful Kickstarter campaign. You'll learn the elements of a compelling Kickstarter video, innovative ways to market your projects, tips for getting donors onboard, and the secrets of irresistible Kickstarter "rewards." You'll also discover what to do in a best-case scenario-when your project goes viral and the cash starts flowing in. On Kickstarter, it happens to a few lucky visionaries every week. Here's how to be one of them.