Brandon Sanderson — Building a Fiction Empire, $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, and Unbreakable Habits
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Brandon Sanderson's interview on Tim Ferriss's podcast, where he reveals the strategies behind his prolific writing career and multimillion-dollar publishing empire.
1. Starting with sustainable writing habits
Brandon Sanderson emphasizes the importance of consistent writing habits for professional authors. He aims for 2,000-2,500 new words daily, which amounts to roughly 10-20 pages. This consistency allows him to produce around 300,000 words annually after accounting for revision time, which takes up about a third of his work schedule.
Sanderson structures his workday into two four-hour blocks. He finds that an eight-hour continuous writing session quickly becomes mentally exhausting, while splitting it provides sustainable productivity. He typically works from 2-6 PM, takes time with family from 6:30-10:30 PM, and then returns to writing from 11 PM-3 AM, with the late-night hours being particularly productive.
2. The power of clear boundaries between work and personal life
Early in his career, Sanderson discovered the importance of setting firm boundaries between writing time and personal time. He intentionally designates 6:30-10:30 PM exclusively for family, even if his wife is away, to prevent creative work from consuming every available moment.
This boundary-setting came after a pivotal moment when his wife pointed out that during dinner with friends, he hadn't looked at her once. Sanderson realized he had become so consumed by writing that his wife had become "invisible" to him. By creating strict time boundaries, he found it much easier to be fully present with his family while maintaining his creative output.
3. Magic systems as a unique storytelling and branding tool
Sanderson has become known for his innovative approach to magic systems in fantasy writing. He distinguishes between "hard magic systems" with clear, consistent rules that characters can understand and manipulate (like his metal-based magic in Mistborn), and "soft magic systems" where abilities remain mysterious (like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings).
His approach combines fantasy with scientific principles, creating magic that characters can study, test, and develop like a branch of physics. This intersection creates engaging narrative possibilities, particularly for combat scenes that become "puzzle boxes" as characters must cleverly apply magical principles. Sanderson deliberately focused on this aspect as part of his personal branding, helping him stand out in a crowded genre.
4. Entrepreneurial approach to publishing
Sanderson, describing himself as "an artist raised by an accountant," approaches his writing career with strong entrepreneurial instincts. When Amazon temporarily removed access to books from his publisher during a contract dispute, he recognized the vulnerability of depending on a single distribution channel. This prompted him to develop direct sales channels to his audience.
He noticed successful models in other creative industries offered products at various price points, from inexpensive options to premium collectibles. When traditional publishers resisted his ideas for special editions and merchandise, he reclaimed those rights and launched his own premium leatherbound editions. Originally publishers doubted there was a market, selling only 250 such copies, but Sanderson now sells initial print runs of 50,000.
5. Building a publishing company around creative work
Sanderson has built a significant company, Dragonsteel Entertainment, to support his writing career. Starting with just one employee in 2007, the company now has departments handling editorial work, creative development, publicity, merchandising, events, and facilities. This structure allows Sanderson to focus primarily on writing.
The company follows a philosophy of "let Brandon cook" - taking away anything that might distract from his creative process. This includes having staff handle logistics, production, shipping, and various business aspects. The organization expanded significantly after their Kickstarter campaigns, with each department head building out their team to manage increased production and distribution needs.
6. The record-breaking Kickstarter campaign
In 2022, Sanderson launched a Kickstarter campaign that shattered records, raising $41 million officially (and $45 million including add-ons). The campaign revealed four secret novels he had written during the pandemic when his travel schedule was canceled, giving him back approximately one-third of his time.
The campaign's success came partly from its innovative announcement video, which playfully pretended to be an apology video before revealing the surprise books. Sanderson's understanding of narrative and "escape velocity of attention" helped the campaign break through the noise of today's media environment. Surprisingly, the highest-priced tiers were the most popular, including a year-long subscription box of books and related merchandise.
7. The challenge of knowing when to abandon projects
Despite being highly productive, Sanderson has occasionally abandoned projects or completely rewritten them. He once wrote an entire 300,000-word novel before realizing the main character had the wrong personality. He discarded it and rewrote it eight years later with a different approach.
Sanderson attributes his ability to abandon work to seeing himself as the art, not just the finished product. He believes the time spent writing improves him as a writer, making the book almost a side product of that growth. This mindset helps him overcome the sunk cost fallacy that keeps many writers struggling with projects that aren't working. Professional writers, he notes, are much more willing to discard chapters and start over than amateurs.
8. The Wheel of Time opportunity as a career inflection point
Taking over Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series after the author's death was a major turning point in Sanderson's career. He received an unexpected call from Jordan's widow asking if he'd be interested in completing the series. At the time, Sanderson had published only three books and wasn't well-established.
Sanderson believes he was chosen because he occupied the middle of a Venn diagram between "pretty good fantasy writers" and "big Robert Jordan fans." While others might have been better writers or bigger fans, he combined both qualities. The opportunity dramatically increased his visibility and readership, opening doors that would have otherwise remained closed and cementing his place in the fantasy publishing world.
9. The value of extensive beta reader feedback
Sanderson uses an unusually large group of beta readers (25-100 people) to provide feedback on his manuscripts before publication. This approach helps him gauge how his books will be received by actual readers. He asks readers not to suggest fixes but to describe their experience: where they're bored, confused, excited, or engaged.
His team collects this feedback and distills it, incorporating only about 10-20% of comments directly into editing notes. These are presented as interstitial comments in the manuscript, highlighting key discussions. Sanderson primarily focuses on end-of-part summaries and major trends, using this collective feedback to spot patterns and ensure plot elements are landing as intended with readers.
10. The importance of finding your unique approach in creative work
Throughout the interview, Sanderson emphasizes the need for writers to find their own methods rather than rigidly following others' advice. He describes giving his students a "toolbox" of techniques, acknowledging that not every tool works for every writer. He points to contrasting advice from Stephen King (who advises against outlines) and Orson Scott Card (who relies heavily on them) as an example.
Sanderson's "zeroth law" of writing is to "always err on the side of what's awesome." Sometimes he breaks his own rules when he encounters an idea too compelling to ignore. This flexibility allows him to prioritize creating engaging stories over rigid adherence to formulas or systems. He encourages writers to try different approaches, learning when to follow advice and when to forge their own path.