Fantasy Author Brandon Sanderson Breaks Kickstarter Records
Best-selling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson made the news by breaking the record for the most successful Kickstarter campaign. He broke that record in just a few days.
As of today, it’s at $31,901,493 with eight days left to go! So if you want to pledge, act soon!
How It Happened
It all started on February 28 of this year, when Brandon Sanderson posted a YouTube video dropping hints of a secret. He told fans he was going to make an announcement about his writing career the next day. He sounded grave. Some people worried he was going to say he was very ill. Others believed he was going to take a break from writing for mental health reasons. Or retire early. So fans and fellow authors were worried.
Along came his next YouTube video, It’s Time to Come Clean. In this, he admits that he “accidentally” wrote several extra novels in secret during COVID. In the video, he plopped manuscript after manuscript on his desk. Some writers thought he was being smug when he did this — but I think he’s just a prolific nerd.
In the middle of the video, he announced he was going to publish four of these books through a Kickstarter campaign — Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson. All four books (titles and details not revealed at first) would be published — in eBook, audio, or hardcover. Three of them were standalone books set in his popular Cosmere setting, the universe where most of his fantasy novels take place. The fourth one would be “something completely different.”
It would happen as long as the Kickstarter hit $1,000,000 within 30 days.
It hit its goal within 35 minutes.
That wasn’t the end. Sanderson’s Kickstarter hit $14,000,000 within the first day. That was fast! You could see the counter move as you watched!
By the next day, it was up over $15,000,000.
Within days, it broke the Kickstarter record for the most-funded project when it hit above $20.3 million.
Sanderson and his staff members keep updating the information with sneak peeks, as well as outright humble joy over the sucess of his Kickstarter. He also posts updates on his YouTube channel, such as I Am Flabbergasted! and sneak peeks.
What Do You Get If You Pledge?
If you pledge to support this campaign, you can pledge $40 to get four eBooks. (Not a bad price as new Sanderson eBooks are usually priced at $15!) At the $60 level, you will get the eBooks and audiobooks, which is a bargain. (Sanderson’s books are long!)
Do you want the physical books? If so, you’ll have to pledge $160 to get the four premium hardcovers. But Sanderson is known for printing gorgeous hardcover editions of his books.
Some of the more expensive pledges include swag boxes created for Sanderson fans. The most popular pledge is $500 for A Year of Sanderson. Here, you get the premium hardcovers, eBooks, audiobooks, and eight swag boxes with products made for Sanderson fans. Eight!
Who Is Brandon Sanderson?
Brandon Sanderson is a very popular fantasy author. He was already popular when he was picked by author Robert Jordan’s widow to finish the “Wheel of Time” series after Jordan died. Not long after, he also published The Way of Kings, the first book in his Stormlight Archive series. He has published about a dozen books in that series as well as other fantasy novels, some young adult novels, and more.
Sanderson has a very dedicated fanbase. Besides his official website, Sanderson has a company called Dragonsteel Books. Most writers don’t have enough fans to support their own publishing company. Through this site, he can sell things like Stormlight Archive socks, posters, and plushies. T-shirts and patches. Even leatherbound editions and playing cards!
What Does This Mean for Publishing?
That depends on who you ask. Authors and publishers have used Kickstarter to fund projects before. So have indie publishers and small-circulation magazines. But while some have had success, not everybody can get enough pledges.
Some have suggested that other popular writers, like Nora Roberts and James Patterson, could pull off a hugely successful Kickstarter like this. But most fans of Nora Roberts and James Patterson don’t want to pay extra for a fancy copy. (I could see Stephen King trying this, but he already sells limited editions through publishers like Cemetery Dance Publications.)
What Does This Mean for Writers?
Some people are urging other writers to try this. Hold on, folks! Not every writer can pull off a huge Kickstarter. Brandon Sanderson can do this because he owns a small publishing company, employs 30 people, and has his own warehouse.
Author and publishing expert Kristine Kathryn Rusch addressed the Kickstarter in her article, Business Musings: Brandon’s Kickstarter. She explored several great points. While Sanderson has millions of fans, just a relatively small percentage of them backed his Kickstarter. She also explored issues such as traditional publishing versus self-publishing and whether this Kickstarter could bring new readers to similar projects.
Some Criticisms
Many think this project is cool, even if they’re not fans. However, some have been critical. While these critics have been labeled as “jealous authors,” that’s not entirely true. The earliest issues came about because of the way Sanderson initially made fans think he was about to share grave news and instead wound up cheerfully “confessing” to writing extra novels. Some people dealing with physical and mental illness felt insulted.
Others are annoyed because they think Sanderson is taking advantage of his fans. (Never mind that the fans will sign up for this only if they want the items.)
For the Mary Sue, Alyssa Shotwell wrote, Let’s Talk About Why Brandon Sanderson’s Getting Mixed Reactions to His Record-Breaking “Secret Novels” Kickstarter. She points out that most writers could not get this kind of success with Kickstarter or any similar platform.
On Slate, Laura Miller asked, How Angry Should Other Writers Be About Brandon Sanderson’s $22 Million Kickstarter? That was a trick question. Miller addressed some of the “grumblings.” She pointed out that much of the money Sanderson makes will go to pay his staff, printers, shipping, and so forth. She also pointed out that we shouldn’t “scold” readers for loving and supporting their favorite author.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, “They could be buying books by disadvantaged authors instead.” But people can buy books by both Sanderson and other authors.
Postscript
Brandon Sanderson might look like an overnight success, but he’s one of those “overnight successes” who has been publishing for many years. (As John Scalzi points out, Sanderson has been publishing for 16 years.) He worked hard to win over fans, and he has a close relationship with those fans.
Before COVID, Sanderson toured often, meeting fans at conventions. He also “meets” fans online a lot, with frequent YouTube videos, a newsletter, and the like. Besides writing books, he also spent his own money to create Dragonsteel Books and to manufacture products he hopes fans will love. He knows not every fan will want a plushie or a T-shirt, so that’s a risk he was taking.
Additional Sources
Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube Channel
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