Kickstarter 2012 Stats

[Aaron Walther]

Originally Posted by Steven Forbes

Lennon, McCartney, Yoko Ono... Does it really matter?

Now you're just trying to make me mad.

[DaveyDouble]

The Beatles were a load of turd.

*pokes embers*

[Steven Forbes]

And everyone who's anyone knows the band spelled their name wrong...

Beetles! BEETLES!

(Yes, I go for the low hanging fruit...)

[russbrett]

Besides, everyone knows Ringo was the most talented Beatle.

[iRacingRyan]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Check out the new FUBAR kickstarter - Mother Russia:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-mother-russia


Great, as always.


:M:

Jeff and I went to the same high school, although never really talked to each other as I graduated a year ahead of him. Seeing all this FUBAR success is quite awesome and I'm incredibly happy for him. Certainly a self-published success that I'd be happy to emulate.

Except I can't draw.

And with a campaign that is something around 1100% funded...that's just EPIC.

[crognus]

Hi Everyone,

I have some questions as far as costs for a Kickstarter. I was running some numbers and I am running into some concerns. Most of them revolve around physical rewards.

The cost to illustrate an issue of my comic is around $3850, and digital distribution doesn't cost anything. This seems like a reasonable goal for a 24 page issue. However, all successful Kickstarters I see require physical rewards.

I've been looking around and physical prints (including shipping) range from around $1875 for 500 prints and $3100 for 3000 prints (which is more cost effecient). If I also want to print a few dozen posters and postcards that's another $100 or $200.

The average successful Kickstarter, for a comic issue, tends to net around 150 backers as well. Flat rate shipping envelopes in the US tend to cost around $6 a piece. That's another $900. Not to mention shipping original art and larger posters add to these costs as well. Then there's a Kickstarter tip of 5% and up to 10% if the backer uses Amazon to pay.

This gives me a goal of $9000, which may not even cover ALL of the shipping.The problem is that's extremely high compared to other goals of around $3000 an issue. What are other people doing to drive down costs?

[crognus]

Just to give clearer breakdown, these are the numbers I am coming up with.

Illustration Costs
Pencil/Ink: $1,920.00
Color: $1,200.00
Letter: $168.00
Editor: $480.00
Kickstarter Tip: $420.00
Sub-Total: $4,188.00


Printing Costs
Prints: $2,660.00
Shipping: $450.00
Shipping to Backers: $900.00
Kickstarter Tip: $445.00
Sub-Total: $4,455.00

Goodies Costs
Posters: $120.00
Post Cards: $35.00
Kickstarter Tip: $17.00
Sub-Total: $172.00

Totals
Illustration: $4,188.00
Print: $4,455.00
Goodies: $172.00
Grand Total: $8,815.00

[Steven Forbes]

I'm going to make a sticky out of a discussion where Renae deLiz gave some very good advice, and then I'm going to merge this into that.

[Steven Forbes]

Too much good info in here to let it go to waste. I'd rename the thread if'n I could.

So here it is. I don't want to close it, and I don't want to move it to the KS section because I think it would be missed there. Please keep it relatively sane in here.

Thanks.

[russbrett]

Crognus,

First off, your print and shipping costs seem way too high. You might want to shop around a bit more.

We have a thread around here somewhere about printers and costs, but I think the best price for the quality was Greko Printing (formerly ComixWellSpring). At 501 copies, Color, with their ad on the back cover is $1.92 per copy.

http://www.grekoprinting.com/

I also don't know why you would ship with the flat-rate mailers. A single floppy should only cost around $3 shipped First Class. That would cut your shipping budget in half.

Now, why are you assuming a print run of 500 copies? Are you just trying to have enough for Kickstarter backers, or are you looking to have enough to sell in local shops or at conventions?

If you're only concerned about filling Backer rewards your math is skewed. You need to do it on a per issue basis and then back into your Funding Goal and Pledge Tier numbers.

For example:

For my Kickstarter, I needed $1000 to complete the artwork for the book.

I knew the Pledge level that would yield the lowest amount of "profit" would be the Physical Copy reward.

The costs for that level were projected as follows:

$2.45 per copy to Print plus $3.00 to ship.

$5.45 rounded up to $6.00 to account for the mailers I would need to buy.

At $10 to Pledge at that level would mean $4 to go toward the Art.

$1000 divided by $4 is 250 (or the number of Backers I would need at that level).

250 Backers times $10 (the Pledge level) is $2500 (the base for my Funding Goal).

Add the 5% Kickstarter fee and the 5% Amazon Payments fee brings it up to $2750.

Then round up to $3000 to cover bad math, lost packages, and unknown costs.

Hope this helped.

[crognus]

Originally Posted by russbrett

I also don't know why you would ship with the flat-rate mailers. A single floppy should only cost around $3 shipped First Class. That would cut your shipping budget in half.

Good to know. I didn't know First Class was cheaper.

Originally Posted by russbrett

Now, why are you assuming a print run of 500 copies? Are you just trying to have enough for Kickstarter backers, or are you looking to have enough to sell in local shops or at conventions?

The price I listed was for 3000 copies from http://www.jakprints.com. The per issue price gap between printing 100,500, and 3000 is insane! (100=$1385, 500=$1505, 3000=$2660)

I would like to have enough for local stores and Comicons. SLC, where I live, has a Comicon every 6 months with attendance of around 100,000 people. I want to have enough for a couple conventions.

Originally Posted by russbrett

For my Kickstarter, I needed $1000 to complete the artwork for the book.

Your art is so much cheaper than mine -_-
Unfortunately, I'm quite attached to my artists, and I want to get them the wages I think they deserve.

So basically I need to find a supplier that charges less for smaller print quantities? And print only enough to supply backers?

[russbrett]

Originally Posted by crognus

Your art is so much cheaper than mine -_-
Unfortunately, I'm quite attached to my artists, and I want to get them the wages I think they deserve.

My art actually costs about the same as yours.

I spent the year leading up to the Kickstarter selling my personal comic book collection to pay for as much of the art as I could.

So basically I need to find a supplier that charges less for smaller print quantities? And print only enough to supply backers?

If the goal is to keep the Kickstarter funding Goal as low as possible, then yes.

[maverick]

Originally Posted by crognus

Just to give clearer breakdown, these are the numbers I am coming up with.

Illustration Costs
Pencil/Ink: $1,920.00
Color: $1,200.00
Letter: $168.00
Editor: $480.00
Kickstarter Tip: $420.00
Sub-Total: $4,188.00


Printing Costs
Prints: $2,660.00
Shipping: $450.00
Shipping to Backers: $900.00
Kickstarter Tip: $445.00
Sub-Total: $4,455.00

Goodies Costs
Posters: $120.00
Post Cards: $35.00
Kickstarter Tip: $17.00
Sub-Total: $172.00

Totals
Illustration: $4,188.00
Print: $4,455.00
Goodies: $172.00
Grand Total: $8,815.00

Don't forget about the shipping costs for the books and all the physical 'goodies'.

[studio_hades]

First of all why are you paying creative people? We all know creative people need to stop being interested in money and do it for love. At least thats what i've been told 100s of times.

[outlawhue]

Originally Posted by studio_hades

First of all why are you paying creative people? We all know creative people need to stop being interested in money and do it for love. At least thats what i've been told 100s of times.

Luv dont pay bills amigo


Great thread ...I like the cost breakdown opinions