Raising money
How do you write a crowdfunding pitch?
Say what you're making and what a backer gets in the first two lines. Then show that it exists, say what the money buys and by when, and tell people who you are. Keep it short: most people read a campaign on a phone and decide in about 30 seconds.
What goes in the first two lines?
What it is and what backers get, in plain words. "A pocket guide to Lisbon's old bakeries, printed in March" tells a stranger more than "Join us on an incredible journey".
If the first two lines don't say what the money buys, people scroll past. Everything else on the page is there to back those two lines up.
How do you show it's real?
Evidence beats description: a photo of a rough prototype, a short video of the thing working, a sample chapter, a first song. Backers have learned to tell a prototype from a polished render.
Then say who you are, with a link to somewhere people can check you: earlier work, a shop, a portfolio. We don't verify identities, so this is how backers do it.
How do you explain what the money buys?
Break the goal into its parts: making, shipping, fees and the rest. The goal planner gives you that breakdown. Then put dates on the big steps.
Name your risks too. A line like "our printer can do March, and April is our fallback" reads like someone who has thought it through. Specific plans can turn out wrong, and backers trust them more for it.
How do you write the rewards?
One line each: what the backer gets, when, and whether shipping is included. Two or three tiers are easier to choose between than seven.
Write the way you'd talk to a friend who asked what you're working on. Warm and specific beats loud: no countdowns, no "last chance", and no promise you can't keep.
Your next step
Write your first two lines now, or start with the pitch outline builder, which puts your answers in the order backers read them. Then read your first two lines to someone who has never heard of the project. If they can tell you what it is and what they'd get, you're ready for sharing your campaign.