Setting Up a Digital Presale on Curios

Sell today, deliver on launch day—no spreadsheets, no third-party apps.

1. Why run your presale on Curios?

Curios Presale Kickstarter Campaign
Creators keep 100% of the list price Kickstarter keeps 5% + Stripe fees (3–5%)
Funds arrive twice monthly—no "goal" required Funds only released if campaign goal is met
Instant, automated delivery on release day Manual file delivery or paid tool required
Buyers’ emails are exportable any time Backer emails available only after campaign ends
Launch in minutes—no approval needed Requires pitch page, tiers, and approval queue

Perfect for authors, comedians, musicians, and all digital-first creators: sell ahead of time and fulfill automatically when your work is ready.

2. Quick-start checklist

Have Ready Notes
Cover image or placeholder Helps fans recognize your listing
Compelling description Include “(Presale)” in the title and release date in the first line
Target price Can be changed anytime in Sales & Pricing
Calendar reminder for release day Upload your final file(s) then

3. Step-by-step setup

Step Action Where in the UI
1 Create a Project (e.g., "Dark Horizons – Presale") ➕ New Project in left menu
2 Add a Collection for the presale item + New Collection inside project
3 Leave “Private Files” empty This signals a presale
4 Fill in Title (with "Presale"), Description (what buyers get + release date) Collection Information section
5 Set Buy Now or Free (Claim) under Sales & Pricing Same as standard listings
6 Click Create Collection → Publish Project Live with a "Buy Now" or "Claim" button

4. Promoting & tracking your presale

  • Marketplace URL: Copy it from your Project page and share it.
  • Download buyer list: Go to Studio → Statements → Orders → Download CSV (includes names, emails, order IDs).
  • Send updates: Use CSV with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc. to engage fans.

5. Release-day fulfilment (zero hassle)

  1. Open the same collection.
  2. In Private Files, upload the final EPUB, MP3, MP4, etc.
  3. Click Update Collection.
  4. Curios delivers files instantly to every purchaser’s library.
  5. Re-export Orders if you want to email those marked "Delivered".

6. Pro tips

Goal How-to
Early-bird discount Add a second Buy Now listing at a future start date to auto-swap price on launch day.
Sneak-peek sample Upload a short teaser file in Preview Files.
Staggered content drops Upload new files later—each update delivers automatically to all purchasers.

7. Why this beats Kickstarter “digital rewards”

  • No goal to reach—start earning from sale #1.
  • No blackout period—deliver instantly upon upload.
  • Full revenue—keep the 8–10% usually lost to Kickstarter + Stripe.
  • Permanent page—keep selling post-launch from the same link.

Curios works for everyone: authors avoiding 70% cuts, comedians bypassing gatekeepers, and musicians escaping tiny stream payouts.

8. Need help?

Questions on scheduling, pricing, or mass emailing? Email [email protected] or open a ticket in Studio—we're here to help your launch go smoothly.