Lessons in Leveraging Platform + Sanderson's Success, Book Production, News & Workshops
Learning from Brandon Sanderson; leveraging audience & platform; upcoming marketing workshops; book production insights; writing prompts; book rec; news & awards; almond rooibos tea.
Greetings readers & writers,
If you are a Brandon Sanderson fan and you have, I don’t know, been on a gadgets-free retreat for the last week and have not been on the internet, stop and watch this video. I’ll wait.
*
*
Last week, a friend sent me that video of SFF author Brandon Sanderson confessing his publishing sin: he wrote five secret novels during the pandemic. Four of those books, which he is self-publishing, have gone on to be part of literally the largest Kickstarter campaign in history. But my friend wanted my reaction to the “I had some extra time during COVID… so I wrote FIVE NOVELS” part and the very visual proof of several heaping manuscripts piled on his desk.
I am very happy for Mr. Sanderson. I have not yet read his books, but my husband is a fan and I regularly listen to the podcast he co-hosts. He’s been in this business for years, has a very capable team, solid business and marketing acumen, and, from what I’ve heard, he’s a damned good (and copious) storyteller. If his COVID coping mechanism is excessive writing, more power to him. May we all be so fortunate.
But also… gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
So rather than wallow in the futility of comparing my own word count to to his, let’s focus on how Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter is a masterclass in leveraging one’s platform. What can we, mere mortals, take away from his example?
Write well and provide content reliably: Sanderson’s first published novel released in 2005. Since then, he has published multiple works a year. He also has a robust YouTube channel, a podcast, a touring schedule, and regular project updates on his website. This consistent churn of output builds reader trust: there’s always something good to read.
Obviously not many of us can maintain this pace (see my slow tendencies) and he’s at the point in his career that he can afford a support team, but the lesson is a strong one. Consider: What kind of schedule/support do you need to write the best book you can? What can you provide your potential readers in the meantime?Find ways to “borrow” audience: Sanderson’s launch into the public eye happened when he was selected to finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, which already had an intense fanbase waiting for the final installments. Sanderson finished the series in a satisfying way which earned him new fans. He also publishes in multiple genres, which expands his audience further. Consider: What other writers/experts/influencers would be effective partners in your work or marketing? How can you cultivate those relationships?
Know your audience, know your hook: Sanderson often describes his brand as “the magic-system guy.” A huge part of his audience is readers who adore elaborate magic systems and much of his career has been convincing them he can deliver. So to market this Kickstarter to those fans he sets up an elaborate publication plan involving: playful misdirection; building anticipation; surprise content (*tada!* FIVE BOOKS! Swag! LiveStreams!); and the shared excitement of seeing the moving parts. He’s using what his audience loves about his books to market to them directly: a whole lot of magic. Consider: What links your works together? How can you leverage those themes/interests to reach readers?
Want to dig into these questions further and brainstorm how to build or further develop your own readership? I’m teaching a deep-dive 3-hour seminar on Audience & Platform on March 25th! I can’t promise the millions of dollars Sanderson is raking in, but I can promise we’ll find you ways to reach readers who are as excited about your work as you are.
Coming soon! A guest post from debut author, Lisa Stringfellow, who will be sharing marketing insights and enthusiasm for her new Carribean-folklore inspired middle grade novel, A Comb of Wishes*.
Finally, an archives page! Check out all the 2021 and 2022 BMN interviews in one place!
(SO MANY!) Upcoming Seminars
All events are virtual and require registration unless otherwise noted.
March. 16th (*7:30 PM*): Speculative Fiction Variety Hour* - FREE! (email for link) *actually 90 minutes of exploring topics in speculative fiction, genre, and writing
March 25 (10:30AM): Marketing for Writers Series: Audience & Platform
April 8th (10:30AM): Marketing for Writers Series: Publicity
April 27 - May 1: Presenter at Muse & the Marketplace!
Coming in May! Writing Like a Parent, Parenting Like a Writer (Grub St. - TBA)
Not available these dates? Connect with me for one-on-one coaching that fits your schedule!
Writing/Marketing Resources:
Still wrapping your brain around Sanderson’s success?
Katie Curtis of Inspired Video Marketing gives a detailed breakdown of the visual and marketing techniques that make his Kickstarter video announcement so effective.
Gwenda Bond sums up what this means for authors and publishers.
A very cool photo essay on the book production process {The New York Times - free link} following Marlon James’s newest fantasy novel, Moon Witch, Spider King, from ink and paper to finished copies.
Learn about the contentious and complex history of the book index {LitHub} in this excerpt from Dennis Duncan’s news book Index, A History of the.
The Time Is Now is a series of free, thoughtful, weekly writing prompts and book/article recs from Poets & Writers Magazine. You can subscribe to their weekly email or check back during the week for new prompts.
Reading Corner
Book Rec: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo* has been on the NYT Bestseller list for 52 weeks and I honestly knew nothing about it until it was selected for my bookclub. In short: an unknown journalist is presented with the scoop of a lifetime: an interview with the elusive, aging, bombshell actress, Evelyn Hugo.
I expected a fluffy historical drama, but this book is more incisive than that. It doesn’t let you sit comfortably with your feelings about the characters or their actions. It takes a hard look at identity: how we see ourselves, what we show others, what society expects, especially of women. I read this book in one fell swoop and was transported. Also, the last line is *chef’s kiss* but don’t read it until the end!
Industry News
Amazon announced that it is closing all of its brick and mortar stores {Reuters} to focus on grocery and department store concepts.
Texas Library Association Forms Coalition to Battle Book Bans {Publisher’s Weekly}
The PEN Literary Award Winners were announced at the end of February. Daisy Hernández won the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award for The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation’s Neglect of a Deadly Disease.
Maryland officials have been blocked from enforcing the state's new library e-book law {Publisher’s Weekly}. A preliminary injunction, filed by the Association of American Publishers, was granted on the grounds that “the Maryland law is fatally flawed because it is preempted by federal copyright law.”
Tea
My current go-to is this relaxing rooibos from black-owned, St. Paul-based tea curators Heritage Tea & Beverage. Their Sweet Bourbon in NOLA is a blend of rooibos, almond, calendula, and vanilla, with just a hint of spice, making it a warm evening drink or a refreshing iced tea (yes, we’ve had a few “spring” like days that have me craving iced tea!) You can order their teas through Target!
Even if you can’t raise millions of dollars on Kickstarter like some people, you can kickstart your own writing. Jot down a single sentence. Read something that inspires you. Listen to a poet read their work. Submit a piece to a literary magazine. It’s almost the first day of spring. Every little step counts. YOU count.
~Allison
Writer & Marketing Coach
Keep Writing, Keep Connecting! Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
*Bookshop.org affliate links! Check out our Bookshop for other recommendations.
Like what you read? Thanks so much for your support! Continue to show the love by hitting that heart button, subscribing, leaving a comment, and/or passing it along!
