10 Things About Breaking Into Comics (That No One Tells You)
3. If Crowdfunding, Don't Forget The Incidentals
Many a crowdfunder has been sent for a spin by the simplest of things: postage.
One of those resources we mentioned before were crowdfunding sites, with the most obvious culprit being Kickstarter.
Now, remember when you are doing the Kickstarter for your project - if that is what you plan to use - that you can't make your goal amount simply what you need to pay the printers etc. At the end of a successful campaign, Kickstarter will take a small percentage of the end amount, so you need to consider this when deciding your final goal amount.
It's also important to consider the incidentals - the things that will also be necessary when the rewards (i.e. your comic) needs to be sent out to your backers, and this is a part which really knocks a lot of Kickstarter users back: postage. You will have to ship your books out, and potentially to every country in the world. So look into postage costs and consider your potential audience - will most of your backers be in your home country? Or will you likely see a lot from further afield? What are the most reliable methods of postage to ensure the product actually arrives?
Because that's the other thing you need to consider: some of what you post out may get lost in the mail. Especially if you shipping a lot and especially internationally, you will likely find that a number will be lost in the process, and you will have to either offer your backer a refund or a replacement copy.
All these unforeseeable circumstances need to be thought about and taken into consideration, which can be difficult. But if you take the time to work out every possible thing that could go wrong, as much as the things that could go right, and use that information to properly plan your goal, then crowdfunding can be an incredible useful resource.