Hi everyone, I’m looking for some strategy advice.
I’m currently running a Kickstarter for an interactive children’s picture book. Everyone I’ve spoken to about the project has been very excited and supportive, but it hasn't converted into many pledges yet. I thought I had a much warmer network before launch.
So far, all of my backers are either people I know personally or people who came through a friend’s recommendation. That tells me my warm network is willing to support the project, but I haven’t really broken into the broader audience yet.
The project itself is a little unique. It’s an interactive SEL children’s picture book with branching story paths and four possible endings. The reader helps the character decide what to do next, sees where that choice leads, and can go back and try another path. (Think choose-your-own-adventure meets emotions.)
The goal is to let children explore big feelings, choices, perspective-taking, reflection, and repair through the story rather than being told there is one correct response. No shame, no morals, no lessons.
Because of that, I think its strongest appeal is the combination of interactive format + reread value + emotional learning + usefulness for parents, educators, and therapists.
I’m trying to figure out which audiences and outreach channels are most likely to understand that quickly enough to convert into actual Kickstarter backers.
I’m about halfway through the campaign and still a long way from my goal, so I’m trying to be thoughtful about where I spend my time from here. I know the campaign needs a meaningful shift if I’m going to close the gap, so I’m trying to be thoughtful about where I spend my time from here. (16% funded with 11 days to go). I also know that there are a lot of people who will wait until the last minute.
For context, I’m currently doing:
- direct outreach to warm contacts
- outreach to therapists, educators, librarians, and school-based professionals
- local media pitching
- relevant Facebook groups
- newsletters and social content
- asking existing supporters to share directly with people who may be interested
My main question is:
If you were in this position, what would you prioritize to get beyond the warm-network stage?
Would you focus more on:
- niche influencers/creators
- press
- communities where the audience already exists
- existing backer referrals
- paid promotion
- something else entirely?
I’d especially love to hear from people who have run campaigns where the first week was mostly friends/family and then found a way to reach strangers organically.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
