Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter
Now that we are approaching the end of the year, let’s talk about something that’s been weighing on my mind for the last couple of weeks.
Brandon Sanderson’s kickstarter.
Back in March, a long, long time ago, Brandon Sanderson announced that he wrote five extra novels in secret.
That’s right.
Five.
The moment he whipped out five thick manuscripts and plopped them on the table, I lost my absolute mind. You can ask my brother – I went feral. I remember having the TV on while I cleaned my room. I picked a Brandon Sanderson video. Why not? I enjoy his writing and his approach to writing. I was hoping some of the wisdom he has would rub off. It has yet to do so, but I can hope.
When the words kickstarter left his mouth, I pulled the video up on my phone, scrolled down to the description, and clicked on the link.
New Sanderson books? Quarterly?
Yes, please.
I immediately backed it. I chose to get the premium hardcovers. I did not choose to get all the swag boxes. It’s not because I don’t want the swag; of course I do! At the time, I was still in college and was feeling the pressure of my looming student loan repayments. Plus, how could I impulsively spend almost five-hundred dollars?
The answer is: very easily. But that’s a story for another time.
My decision to back the kickstarter was easy. I love Brandon Sanderson’s vibes. And the announcement that went out shortly after the kickstarter gained momentum only reaffirmed this belief.
A little bit of kindness, small kind words, support, go a long way. I’m pretty sure their goal was around five-hundred thousand dollars but I can’t remember for sure. Either way, they surpassed it. By a lot.
I will be receiving a new Brandon Sanderson novel in January, April, July, and October. Woah. I will be reviewing each of these books. I will be reading them as soon as I get them. My phone will be going on DND and I will be ignoring the world, as respectfully as possible. And I won’t be the only one doing this.
Over one-hundred-eighty-five thousand people backed this kickstarter. It raised over forty-one million dollars.
He raised the money to self-publish these books. He essentially challenged traditional publishing all because he wanted his fans to have a book club-esque type of experience next year with books that he has written. I’m sure he had other motives at the time but that was the one he shared on the video.
I am not implying that the face of publishing has changed. Not at all. But the nuances from this kickstarter will definitely be felt throughout the industry.
I know that Sanderson has released a lot of teasers for each of these books. I have not read them. I do not plan on reading them. I tried; I read some of the first book and then promptly closed the page. It felt like cheating. I want to go into this blind.
Here is what I do know.
One book is not in the Cosmere universe, while the other three are. And one of the three Cosmere books is about a character that is in another one of his series.
That’s it.
Isn’t it great?
The fifth book is a middle grade story that he wrote for his children. It is not included in this campaign.
I am eager to get my hands on this first book in… a week? And share my thoughts. Until then, I’ll be reading the Mistborn series.
Have any of you backed this kickstarter? What did you think about this format of publishing, or how quickly it gained momentum?
If you have, checkout my Instagram. I’ll be updating my progress there.