Oriana Leckert – How to Fund Your Book with Kickstarter: From First Campaign to Six Figures

Oct 7, 2025

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Oriana Leckert is the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, a public benefit corporation dedicated to bringing creative projects to life through crowdfunding. As both a writer and publishing industry expert, Oriana oversees one of Kickstarter's most dynamic categories, working with authors ranging from emerging indie writers to major bestselling authors who have raised millions of dollars. She has helped guide campaigns that have generated hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars in funding, and she's passionate about connecting authors directly with their most dedicated readers.

In this episode:

How Kickstarter's crowdfunding model works specifically for authors and book projects
Difference between Kickstarter and traditional book funding or pre-order platforms
Why all-or-nothing funding actually protects authors from financial risk
How Kickstarter's algorithm amplifies campaigns based on engagement and attention
Setting realistic funding goals that match your audience reach and book production costs
The importance of building your author community before launching a campaign
Common mistakes authors make when planning their first Kickstarter
The 30-day campaign timeline and pre-launch preparation strategies
How to use stretch goals to maintain momentum after hitting your initial funding target

Featured Kickstarter Campaigns:

Book recommendations:

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Diniman - https://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Crawler-Carl-7-book-series/dp/B08BX5D4LC

Connect with Oriana:

Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kickstarter
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kickstarter
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/kickstarter
Kickstarter Publishing newsletter: https://www.kickstarter.com/newsletters
Kickstarter Publishing Category: https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/publishing

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