# Crowdfunding Writer Project Websites Beacon is Kickstarter for Writers Working on Passion Projects By Meghan Young | Published 2014-03-22 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beacon References: [psfk](http://www.psfk.com/2014/03/journalism-kickstarter-beacon.html) & [beaconreader](http://www.beaconreader.com/) Leading the life of a freelance writer can be disillusioning and even disheartening as they compromise their own dreams to focus on projects that further the success of someone or something else; [Beacon](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/traffic-beacon-concept) is a solution to that problem. Essentially, Beacon is [Kickstarter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-2025) for writers. A writer posts their passion project on Beacon so as to gain [crowd-sourced funding](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indiegogo). Essentially, Beacon allows these freelance journalists the opportunity to earn a salary while exploring topics that the funders themselves are interested in following and learning more about. Instead of one lump-sum donation, however, Beacon encourages each person to fund writers a minimum $5 a month until their project is completed. This allows them the time needed to collect as much data and information as possible. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.2/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 87% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Internet](https://www.trendhunter.com/internet) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Freelance Writer Crowdfunding:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a platform that connects freelance writers with crowdfunding opportunities for their passion projects. - **Passion Project Funding:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a crowdfunding platform specifically designed for individuals to fund passion projects of writers. - **Subscription-based Support:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build a subscription-based model that allows supporters to contribute a minimum monthly amount towards a writer's project until completion. ### Where This Applies - **Crowdfunding:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce new crowdfunding platforms and services tailored to the needs of freelance writers and their passion projects. - **Freelance Writing:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop specialized platforms and tools that empower freelance writers to fund their passion projects and connect with interested audiences. - **Platform as a Service (paas):** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create PaaS solutions that enable writers to efficiently manage their crowdfunding campaigns and engage with supporters throughout the project lifecycle. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Crowdfunding Platform Improvements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-2025.md) - [Writing Productivity Toolkits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/writer-dashboard.md) - [Crowdfunding Feedback Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feedfund.md) - [Creator-Friendly Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/creatorcentric-billboard.md) - [Simple Creator Support Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buy-me-a-beer.md) - [Upgraded Crowdfunding Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-late-pledges.md) - [Private Writing Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/writerr.md) - [Creative Journey Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contentcraft.md) - [Community-Focused Startup Leaderboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indiepage.md)