In 2022, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson surprised readers by revealing that he had secretly written four new novels.
Instead of releasing them through a traditional publisher, he launched a Kickstarter campaign with an initial goal of $1,000,000. However, because he has one of the most loyal fan bases, this project quickly became one of the biggest crowdfunding successes ever, raising an astonishing $41,754,153 from 185,341 backers.
The four secret novels—three of which are part of the Cosmere universe—are as follows: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man.
Brandon Sanderson Earned Fans’ Confidence by Always Delivering
Brandon Sanderson / Credits: @BrandSanderson on YouTube
The success of Sanderson’s Kickstarter campaign did not happen overnight—he earned his fans’ trust after years of hard work and discipline, building a reputation for consistently finishing and releasing books on schedule. While many fantasy series experience long delays, Sanderson became known for his reliability, transparency, and constant communication with readers about his writing progress.
This is why, when he announced that he had secretly written four extra novels, readers believed he could actually deliver what he promised. That trust became one of the biggest reasons why thousands of fans were willing to support his Kickstarter campaign.
Apart from Sanderson being a reliable author, the campaign also offered backers exclusive items, such as premium hardcover editions, audiobooks, ebooks, and monthly collector “swag boxes.”
One can say that they definitely got their money’s worth with all these rewards, especially since the project was designed to feel like a year-long celebration for fans rather than a simple book preorder.
More importantly, the campaign created a sense of community, making supporters feel like they were directly participating in one of the biggest events in modern fantasy publishing. Sanderson is one of the few authors who proved that Kickstarter works, especially for writers who wish to take a different publishing route.
How A Record-Breaking Kickstarter Shifted Publishing Forever
The Stormlight Archive / Credits: Tor Books
Tress of the Emerald Sea / Credits: Dragonsteel Entertainment
The Sunlit Man / Credits: Gollancz
What we can get from here is that independent publishing could operate on the same level as major entertainment franchises when backed by a loyal fanbase. Sanderson’s campaign proved that a bestselling author can self-publish on a massive scale and even outperform traditional publishing launches. In fact, they may not need traditional publishing companies to finance, market, print, and distribute major book releases.
Instead of relying on bookstore sales and publisher-controlled promotion, Sanderson used direct-to-consumer sales, social media, and fan communities, enabling him to generate over $41.7 million before the books were even released.
This Kickstarter campaign also helped grow Dragonsteel Entertainment into something much larger than a regular author business. It now holds massive conventions, produces merchandise, and supports huge crowdfunding projects.
This record-breaking campaign shifted the future of publishing as it pushes toward a more direct-to-reader, author-controlled system. Books are now becoming more productized with special editions and collectibles instead of regular paperbacks sold in bookstores.
Perhaps the biggest long-term effect of Kickstarter in the industry is that it provides a real-time measure of demand, showing which projects already have strong audience support before they are published. Franchises with loyal, built-in communities are more likely to succeed because their popularity is determined in advance.
Four Secret NovelsYear PublishedPart of CosmereTress of the Emerald Sea2023YesThe Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England2023NoYumi and the Nightmare Painter2023YesThe Sunlit Man2023Yes
What are your thoughts on the success of Sanderson’s Kickstarter campaign? Let us know in the comments!
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