Running a crowdfunding campaign can be a bit overwhelming, so let’s make sure you know where everything is when setting up your campaign on PubLaunch. Take a look at our guide below for a quick lesson on what buttons to press and when. And remember to check out our FAQ for any lingering questions.

Getting started

There are two ways to run a crowdfunding campaign on PubLaunch: you can fund a marketplace project you’ve created through our Build a Book workflow (in which case you’ll have a predetermined minimum budget) or you can create a crowdfunding campaign from scratch.

To create a campaign from scratch, click here.

If you have chosen to fund a marketplace project, you will set up your campaign from your dashboard by clicking on the “Campaign” link beside your book project. (For a full dashboard orientation, read the writer dashboard user guide).

Step 1: Your campaign page information

The first step to creating a campaign is to fill out the information for your campaign page.

The following is a list of the information you will need to provide during Step 1:

• the genre your book project falls into
• the title of your campaign
• your campaign’s minimum goal (i.e., your all-or-nothing target)
• your campaign’s maximum goal (i.e., your ideal target, displayed on your campaign page)
• your top-up amount (i.e., how much you’re willing to contribute to your own campaign in order for it to reach its minimum goal)
• your name
• a tagline for your campaign
• a social-sharing comment (used when sharing your campaign on social media)
• the summary/description of your book project and the campaign in general
• your campaign’s banner image (the displayed image size is 1170 x 360 pixels)
• your location
• an excerpt from your book
• the length of your campaign (i.e., 15, 30, 45, or 60 days)

This can take some time, so if you need a break, you can save your information and come back to it at any time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whether you are ready to move on to Step 2 or you want to leave your draft for the time being, click the “Next Step” button. You can return to Step 1 at any time, but your draft will not save until the “Next Step” is clicked.

You’re then redirected to a draft preview of your campaign page. Step 1 has been saved, and you can now use the tabs on the left to navigate the remainder of the set-up process.

Step 2: Rewards

Next, use the second tab (Step 2) to add your campaign rewards.

Click the green “Add New Reward” button. You can create as many rewards as you’d like.

Each reward you create must have a title and a monetary contribution amount. You can also add an image and description to each reward, and you can limit the number of contributors (i.e., backers) who can receive the reward.

Click the green “Create Reward” button to save your reward.

Step 3: Payment settings

In Step 3 (the third tab), you need to create and/or connect a Stripe account with PubLaunch so that we can send you the funds you’ve raised.

Click the blue "Connect with Stripe" button. You'll be prompted to fill out a Stripe account form and then asked to authorize us (PubLaunch) to connect to your Stripe account.

From the Stripe form, you’re redirected back to your campaign setup. The Stripe Access Token and User ID will autofill.

Remember to click the “Save” button at the bottom of your screen before moving on to the last step.

Step 4: Campaign status

Until PubLaunch has approved your campaign, Step 4 (Campaign Status) includes two options. The default status is “Save as Draft,” meaning your campaign will be saved to your dashboard but is not yet ready for review.

When you have completed the first three steps and feel ready to launch your campaign, change your status to “Submit to the PubLaunch team for review” and then click the blue “Save” button at the bottom of your screen.

PubLaunch will review your campaign. During this process, you are unable to make changes to your campaign.

If you are missing information, you’ll receive an email from PubLaunch with notes on what’s missing. Your campaign will be bumped back to draft mode, and you will again be able to add to or edit your campaign page.

If your campaign is approved (congrats!), your campaign status options (Step 4) change to “Launch your campaign” or “Cancel your campaign.” When you are ready to set your campaign to live, choose the “Launch your campaign” option, and then click the blue “Save” button at the bottom of your screen.

Viewing changes and returning to a campaign draft

You can access any of your live or draft campaigns from your dashboard. (Note: when you log into PubLaunch, you’re automatically directed to your dashboard.) Campaigns are located at the bottom.

As you complete the set-up process, you can view changes to your campaign page by clicking on the “View” tab.

To return to the set-up process, click the “Edit Draft” tab to the right of “View.”

Navigating your live campaign page

Once your campaign is live, you can view a list of your backers and their contributions. Click the “Backer Report” tab to view this list. You can also download this information as a spreadsheet by clicking the red “CSV” button below the list.

You can also add updates to your campaign once it’s live. Under the “Campaign Updates” tab, click the green “Add Update” button to add a new update, or to edit or remove previous updates.

Happy crowdfunding!