UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

To explain, my PC bunred out a short while ago and I have borrowed this crappy notebook for a short while. It has to go back after xmas.
I want to carry on writing books for the new year and subsequent years (I enjoy writing) thus I'd need a new PC to work from. Because I am unemployed and unable to find a job (the amount of application forms I'd sent out is ridiculous) and the work as an extra is few and far between, I thought that perhaps I could raise funds for a new computer via kickstarter. Has anyone here had experience of using this and if so, what are the benefits and pitfalls? As well as that people who invest in the projects expect a form of a reward, a signed book and the like. Since I will be using the kindle and soon smashwords for my books I cannot do that. So can anyone think of a good reward to give?

The success of your Kickstarter campaign will ultimately hinge on your ability to publicise and promote it, and keep the momentum going.

So you'll be dividing your time between promoting the campaign, writing your book, and promoting your book... which will be tricky.

Michael's right, successful kickstarter campaigns are based on having a good web presence to start off with.

you can offer Mobi versions of your book to send to donors who own kindles if you get their email addresses. You can download a Mobi file when you preview you book for Kindle.

You can offer a big donor to be a character in your future book.

I prepared a Kickstarter but never went through with it. I think you end up only appealing to your friends for donations, not strangers who will likely never see your pitch. The reason I didn't go through with it is that there are just so many competing pitches. You really have to flog it every day for a month and let's face it, why not just use that time and energy to flog a book? Except that you'd probably just end up pissing people off and maybe being seen as a spammer. I also suspect people like to give for actual product, be it film, video or book. I think sadly they''ll be less inclined to give for a computer in order to write a book.

Sorry to be negative on this, but I think the chances of it being successful are slim, which is why I didn't go ahead with mine (it was for a video of one of my short stories).

Sounds like a rock and hard place if your comments are to be judged! I guess I will have to scrimp and save until such a time when I can afford a new one. I am fervently hoping that the casting agency get more work for me if that's the case :-)
If you have been watching Atlantis recently, then you will have seen my ugly mug in some of the background scenes. Unfortunately they won't starting work on a new series until June...but there may be other work on other shows.

Best of luck that everything goes your way, Steve!

You need to be a main character in Rosen's sitcom...

Thanks Patti for the well wishing!

Rosen's sitcom?

Yep. Our Rosen has written a pilot for a sitcom.

I think she mentioned it on her author thread. Facebook, for sure.

sit.com?