This post outlines how a Project Creator can create a new crowdfunding project on Champion This Project!
Let’s begin.
1) The Project Creator should set up a Champion This Project! account and connect his Stripe account as detailed in the previous Project Setup post.
2) Click the CREATE PROJECT menu item in the Project Creator menu.
Add the name of your book in the PROJECT TITLE. Ideally, your PROJECT TITLE will be between 30 and 60 characters long. Any longer, and it may be truncated in the search engine results.
(This online character counter can help you determine the number of characters in your title.)
Next, fill in your GOAL AMOUNT for your crowdfunding campaign, rounding up to the nearest dollar.
In the example below, we’re hoping to receive $500.
Following this, pick a PROJECT CATEGORY from the dropdown.
You cannot create a new PROJECT CATEGORY, but we can. So, do not hesitate to contact us if you can’t find an appropriate genre in the list for your project.
3) Scroll down and choose a START DATE and END DATE for your crowdfunding campaign.
According to our Terms of Use, your campaign can be up to two months long. However, most creators find one month campaigns are generally more successful.
Click the radio button for EXPIRES ON END DATE. (In theory, never-ending Patreon-type campaigns are possible, but the Site will not permit those for the time being.)
4) Continuing on to PROJECT DETAILS, add a PROJECT SHORT DESCRIPTION for your project.
Project Short Description
The PROJECT SHORT DESCRIPTION is the short snippet of text that search engines often use to describe a search engine result. Keep in mind that the search engines will truncate this text if its length exceeds 150 – 160 characters. (Again, use an online character counter to check your short description’s length.)
As for the content of this field, try to consider what would appeal to a typical search engine user.
Personally, I think a simple plot summary of your book is the best approach. For example, here is the 154-character META DESCRIPTION tag of the official Dark City movie web page:
Separated from his wife Emma, amnesiac John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to learn he is wanted for a series of brutal killings.
On the other hand, if you think that the writer and/or artist of your book have so much experience and appeal that that’s the main draw for search engine users, then perhaps that should be your PROJECT SHORT DESCRIPTION instead. Here’s the 122-character META DESCRIPTION from the official Oppenheimer movie web page:
Watch the trailer for Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy and written and directed by Christopher Nolan. In theaters now.
Project Video
If you have a PROJECT VIDEO (perhaps on YouTube), add its URL to this field. Your video will serve as your Featured Image for your campaign.
(If you don’t have a PROJECT VIDEO, don’t worry. You can add a FEATURED IMAGE for your project in Step #7.)
5) The PROJECT LONG DESCRIPTION will be the primary content on your project page, describing your book to prospective Patrons. This description can be as long as you like, within reason.
Make sure that this description has a few images showing what the final work will look like, and remember to add ALT text to these images so that the search engines will index them (Search Engine Optimization, aka SEO). Simply click the ADD MEDIA button to upload, add your ALT text, and add your images to your description.
Also, make sure to add your main FEATURED IMAGE somewhere in this section. (It may seem strange that this should appear twice on the page, but its importance for SEO shall be explained in Step #7.)
Finally, consider adding your biographical information towards the bottom of this text. (Unfortunately, the ABOUT THE AUTHOR section on the Project page doesn’t display BIOs, so this is the next-best location for this information.)
Visual Editor
If you don’t know HTML and CSS, the VISUAL EDITOR is the best editor to use. Simply click the VISUAL tab at the top-right of the editor, and then the TOOLBAR TOGGLE icon to expand your formatting options.
When the TOOLBAR TOGGLE icon has been clicked, additional formatting options are presented:
To format text, select the text you want with your mouse. You can then click any of the formatting icons to format your text.
The VISUAL editor allows you to:
- Convert to various Heading sizes
- Convert to Boldface
- Convert to Italics
- Arrange text into an unordered list (bulleted)
- Arrange text into an ordered list (numbered)
- Convert to a Blockquote
- Justify Left, Right, or Center
- Add an HTML link
- Insert READ MORE tag (NOTE: hiding text may not be good for SEO)
- Strikeout text
- Add a horizontal line
- Change text color
- Paste text
- Clear formatting
- Add special characters
- Increase / Decrease indent
- Undo / Redo
Text Editor
Users who know HTML and CSS can click the TEXT tab at the top-right of the editor to engage the TEXT editor. Here, users can use almost any HTML tag they like, and can use inline CSS to style their text.
Try to follow good design principles, and remember to always close your tags.
6) The PROJECT FAQ text area also has VISUAL / TEXT editors.
Project Creators must outline their refund policy in the FAQ section of their project page.
(Of lesser importance is a matter of style on the FAQ page: It might be helpful to format your questions with boldface to differentiate them from your answers.)
7) Add your FEATURED IMAGE.
Click the gray CHOOSE FILE to add the featured image for your project. The FEATURED IMAGE should be 800 px wide X 450 px high (or have a similar aspect ratio), and will be displayed as an HTML background image.
You should add a FEATURED IMAGE even if you’ve already added a PROJECT VIDEO in Step #4. (This is a failsafe: If the Site is ever unable to access YouTube, your FEATURED IMAGE will display instead of your PROJECT VIDEO.)
Note that since the FEATURED IMAGE is a background image instead of a regular image, the search engines will not index it. That is why you should add it again in your PROJECT LONG DESCRIPTION in Step #5.
8) Set the NUMBER OF (reward) LEVELS for your project.
In the example below, there are two reward levels (Paperback and Hardcover).
Level Title
Add the title of the reward level or tier to this field.
It is crucial that your spelling and grammar are correct. As an anti-fraud measure, the LEVEL TITLEs on the CHECKOUT page cannot be changed once your project has been submitted. (Not even by us.)
Level Price
Round up to the nearest dollar; the Site software does not save cents.
If you add the price of the reward here without a base shipping cost, you will have to contact Patrons to ask them to pay for shipping off this Site. (Patrons should be clearly informed of additional shipping fees in the LEVEL LONG DESCRIPTION in Step #5.)
However, you could instead add a base shipping cost to the price of the reward for your most-likely Patrons (hence, giving them “free” shipping). Patrons outside the shipping zone of your most-likely Patrons should be informed in the LEVEL LONG DESCRIPTION in Step #5 that they will be charged extra shipping fees off this Site.
Level Limit
Enter the number of items available at this reward level. (“0” = unlimited quantity.)
Level Fund Type
At present, Champion This Project! utilizes only one LEVEL FUND TYPE: IMMEDIATELY DELIVER FUNDS.
As the name suggests, Patrons will be charged immediately for their donations, and Project Creators will receive their funds immediately as well.
There are two LEVEL FUND TYPEs:
- IMMEDIATELY DELIVER FUNDS = you immediately receive all Patron donations
- 100% THRESHOLD = you only receive your funds after you meet your funding goal
If you are reasonably confident that your crowdfunding campaign will meet your goal, then choose IMMEDIATELY DELIVER FUNDS. (A dollar today is worth more than a dollar next month.)
But if you’re unsure that you will meet your crowdfunding goal, then choose 100% threshold. (That way, if your project fails its goal, Patrons are not charged and you don’t have to send them refunds.)
9) Fill in the LEVEL DESCRIPTION and the LEVEL LONG DESCRIPTION.
The LEVEL DESCRIPTION is a short description that appears only on the checkout page.
The LEVEL LONG DESCRIPTION appears on the public project page. Add your estimated fulfillment date for the reward somewhere in this description.
10) Proceed to fill in the particulars for all subsequent reward levels.
In the example below, the second reward level is a hardcover priced at $60, for which there is a limited supply of only 100.
(Remember to add your estimated fulfillment dates for each reward somewhere in their LEVEL LONG DESCRIPTIONS.)
11) At the bottom of the page are the navy SAVE DRAFT and SUBMIT FOR REVIEW buttons.
If you run out of time and cannot complete your project page setup, simply click the navy SAVE DRAFT button to save your work. That way, you can always come back later to complete it.
If you click SAVE DRAFT, you will receive a green message reading, “Your project is currently saved as a draft. (etc)”
However, once you’re satisfied that you’ve filled out the project completely and accurately, click the navy SUBMIT FOR REVIEW button. Once this is done, you will receive the following green message, “Your project has been submitted and is awaiting review. (etc)”
We will then review your submitted crowdfunding project and decide whether to publish it on the Site.
12) NOTE: After Project Creators have added their first project, the CREATE PROJECT menu item will be replaced by MY PROJECTS in the Project Creator menu.
To add projects in the future, simply click MY PROJECTS and then the navy CREATE PROJECT button that appears under the Dashboard menu.
