Many thanks for your detailed response.
To be honest, the way you found my game is the way I find all my games. When I want to buy a new one, I just search on itch or Steam under the relevant tags. But I understand that this approach is not going to work for everyone - I guess I just got lucky with The Rose of Segunda ^_^
Thank you for the two blogs you mentioned - I'll certainly check them out and see how they are doing things. I have a few things planned along the lines of character profiles/interviews, showcases for fanworks etc to run over the course of the Kickstarter campaign should it come to it. I'll be asking for input from people who are interested in contributing once I know a Kickstarter is actually going ahead.
That said, I've already begun working on Kickstarter campaigns for both games in the survey, doing research into which other games did well and what they offered in terms of rewards, stretch goals etc. Many people here on itch have helped with links to guides and other successful campaigns - I honestly think I have looked at every VN kickstarter since the platform launched now. ^_^
I agree that backer updates are key and I really wouldn't dream of keeping people guessing as to the game's status. I hope my record of replying promptly to any questions/comments on itch would vouch for me on this front ^_^
Many thanks again for your support (and for spreading the word - every little bit helps)