If you follow book news, there is no doubt that you have heard of the Kickstarter being run by Dragonsteel Entertainment, the company founded and owned by Brandon Sanderson to publish his works and manage his intellectual property. It seems that Sanderson was quite busy during the pandemic and lockdown, and wrote a number of secret books. Four to be precise (well, five, but the fifth isn’t being counted in the Kickstarter, because he’s not sure how he is publishing it, though he is thinking a graphic novel).
Watch Sanderson’s reveal video here, if you’re interested!
Long story short, Sanderson has gone to Kickstarter to fund the publishing and distribution of four of the secret books, and a bunch of swag of course. I find the concept of using Kickstarter to get books published to be fascinating, and I know that some are critical of this move, but truly, if movies and video games can be crowdfunded, why not books? And yes, Sanderson is a big author, so some are critical of him using crowdfunding, but at the end of the day, he isn’t strong arming anyone into backing this project, so I personally don’t see the problem here.
Anyway, opinions aside, this Kickstarter is, as Sanderson himself named it, ‘The Year of Sanderson’. Throughout the year of 2023, these four books will be released to backers in the format they choose (eBook, Audiobook, Hardback, or all of the above). And if they so desire, they can also pledge more money in order to receive a swag box in the months a book isn’t being released. So, this is great for fans of Sanderson’s expansive works to get their hands on some Sanderson approved goodies!
Full disclosure, I have backed this project. Twice. I haven’t read a lot of Sanderson’s novels, but my best friend has read some, and has shared his passion with me. So we shall be enjoying the Year of Sanderson together, with eBooks! The rest is just much too expensive for me, especially living in Australia (the shipping man… the shipping).
You can check out the Kickstarter yourself here, and don’t worry too much about it not being funded. It has already blown over its goal by about AU$26,000,000. You have until the end of March to be a part of this crowdfunding project if it is of interest to you.
Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on Sanderson’s YouTube channel for livestreams in the near future detailing more about each of the books!
So, are you backing the Year of Sanderson? What is your opinion on crowdfunding books?
Keep following your fancy, wherever it goes!
Rebecka O'Malley 