How Brandon Sanderson’s Dragonsteel Used BackerKit to Drive Pre-Launch Pleasure

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How Brandon Sanderson’s Dragonsteel Used BackerKit to Drive Pre-Launch Pleasure


On the heels of launching the most-funded crowdfunding challenge of all time, writer Brandon Sanderson and his firm, Dragonsteel Leisure, are bringing their highly-anticipated Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign to BackerKit on March fifth. Phrases of Radiance, a New York Instances bestselling fantasy novel initially printed in 2014, is the second installment in Sanderson’s epic collection, The Stormlight Archive. Dragonsteel has come to BackerKit for the discharge of the leatherbound version of this beloved ebook with their followers in thoughts.

“We’ve already had a terrific relationship with BackerKit, utilizing their Pledge Supervisor to meet our final two campaigns,” the Dragonsteel workforce says. “As soon as BackerKit launched their crowdfunding platform, we felt a streamlined course of on the identical platform would supply the very best expertise for our followers. And BackerKit has executed a terrific job innovating their platform to convey our imaginative and prescient for the marketing campaign to life!”

By no means lacking a chance to thrill and shock, Dragonsteel hasn’t waited till launch day to ship particular treats to their devoted following. Within the lead-up to March fifth, they’ve been utilizing BackerKit to attach with their followers and construct pleasure months forward of the marketing campaign.

Bringing neighborhood along with BackerKit Launch Social gathering

In a current video, Sanderson explains that one motive why he has continued to crowdfund through the years is as a result of it’s a enjoyable approach to convey his neighborhood collectively.

Crowdfunding is by definition a communal endeavor. However that interaction between creator and backer doesn’t need to be restricted to a creator launching a challenge and a backer pledging. There are such a lot of extra alternatives for interplay, collaboration, and relationship-building. Probably the most memorable campaigns take their communities on a journey. The creators ask their viewers for suggestions, share cool issues they’re engaged on, and discover methods to please followers alongside the way in which.

The Dragonsteel workforce retains their neighborhood on the forefront of what they do. The truth is, the concept of neighborhood is one in every of their core values. Within the weeks main as much as the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign, the workforce has been utilizing Launch Social gathering on BackerKit to start out a dialogue with their neighborhood and introduce them to their new challenge.

Launch Social gathering allows creators to show a crowdfunding launch into an occasion. It permits them to faucet into the power and pleasure that occur on day one and lengthen that all through the marketing campaign and past. Creators can host a Launch Social gathering web page and expertise and use it to collect and activate followers earlier than launch, arrange dialog starters like polls, and livestream the countdown to launch.

As you would possibly anticipate from an writer identified for creating engrossing fantasy worlds, Sanderson and the Dragonsteel workforce have engaged their neighborhood like storytellers, week by week, constructing extra anticipation for the launch. For the previous two months, they’ve launched follower-exclusive content material by their Launch Social gathering web page. Followers got early entry to this new content material as soon as they logged into BackerKit and adopted the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound challenge.

A screenshot of a project update from Dragonsteel's Launch Party page indicating that the update includes follower-exclusive content

While you’re a crowdfunding creator who needs to unfold the phrase about your challenge, utilizing Launch Social gathering on this manner not solely lets you nurture your neighborhood but additionally incentivizes individuals to observe the challenge whereas giving them one thing particular in return. “We’ve got a historical past of transparency and engagement with our followers,” the Dragonsteel workforce says. “And BackerKit offered a manner for us to simply proceed that with this marketing campaign.”

Since January, Dragonsteel has used these content material releases to share movies concerning the world of the Stormlight Archive and the characters that exist inside it. They begin conversations by asking their neighborhood questions thematically linked to the content material. For instance, when sharing a video that delves into the lore of the Dustbringers — an order of magic customers with harmful powers — they ask “what bodily merchandise would you ‘uninvent’ in the event you may?”

Every content material launch is sort of a new chapter in an unfolding narrative, providing the neighborhood glimpses into the upcoming marketing campaign. The Launch Social gathering web page supplies a platform for the neighborhood to actively take part on this new crowdfunding journey and creates an area for them to rejoice a shared ardour. Because the Dragonsteel workforce engages their neighborhood on a weekly foundation, they get invaluable insights into what excites their followers and are in a position to deepen the connection they’ve with them.

A screenshot of a project update from the Dragonsteel Launch Party page that describes the Dustbringer order.

With the discharge of the follower-exclusive content material main as much as the launch, followers have been given a style of what’s to come back. However the Dragonsteel workforce assures us that the journey is much from over. “As one in every of Brandon’s characters famously says, there’s all the time one other secret! Discover out on March 5, 2024.”

Try the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign right now!