Lessons learned attending Brandon Sanderson's Dragonsteel Nexus
Takeaways from the world's biggest Fantasy author for anyone building a creative career
There’s a reason Brandon Sanderson is the biggest fantasy author alive right now. And it’s not just talent and luck.
Last weekend, I hung out at Dragonsteel Nexus, aka Brandon Sanderson Con. We sold books, met readers, talked to old friends, made new ones, and enjoyed the incredible atmosphere fostered by Brandon and his amazing team.
A new favorite hack I practice (hat tip: Shaan Puri) is “unpacking” lessons learned when you get home from an event or conference. Attending in-person gatherings with the goal of collecting takeaways keeps you on the lookout for new ideas and opportunities.
So, without further rambling, here are my top lessons learned from Dragonsteel Nexus 2024. Written for authors, there are gems for anyone building a career.
Everybody needs a network.
The author community, especially the indie/self-published community, is full of supportive, helpful people looking to pull the person behind them up the next step. There are decades of wisdom and lessons learned the hard way for authors at any step of their career, if you ask. Don’t be intimidated, but also know how to read the room and when or when not to approach someone. It’s not cool to ask for writing/publishing advice when there’s a line behind you or a bunch of people looking at the author’s books. Get their email or try again at a less busy time.
Watch and learn.
Even if you don’t get a chance to introduce yourself, you can learn a lot by listening to how authors pitch their books, paying attention to their booth setup, and the way they speak to people walking by. Events are about the only place you’ll find multiple publishers and authors in the same place, so watch, learn, and take notes.
Selling stuff in person is hard (and an underrated skill).
This one isn’t only for authors. Speaking to random strangers to convince them to open their wallets can be terrifying. If you push through that initial discomfort, the things you learn about yourself (and whatever you’re selling) are incredible. This goes for introverts too. You don’t need to become the Greatest Showman or a used car salesman, but you should practice and work at this until you can pick up and carry on a normal human conversation with complete strangers. When you’re at an event, use common ground to break the ice. (For example, no one would be at Dragonsteel if they didn’t like fantasy books.)
Take advantage of direct/instant feedback.
Another reason to sell in person. You learn right away if your product (book) is appealing to readers. The cover art, back cover description, and your elevator pitch all contribute to someone wanting/needing or passing on your book. You’ll see them brighten up or watch their eyes glaze over. This can hurt, so take it with a grain of salt. It’s not personal, it’s business. Your self-worth and creative worth are not tied to how many people buy from you. Look for ways to learn and improve with each interaction. Because, in the end…
Be in the ring.
I've already talked about how selling books in person is hard and uncomfortable. You probably won't be any good at it at first. You might even suck. That's okay. By showing up, you're among the 1% of authors learning, practicing, meeting readers, and building a fan base. Never forget: there are millions of people who want to write a book but never will. There are thousands of authors too scared or insecure about their writing to talk to strangers about buying their books.
“The journey from starting to write to actually getting published was long, frustrating, and difficult… It took about eight years of dedicated writing and being rejected.” - Brandon Sanderson
Finish what you start.
Whenever I sell books at a convention, hopeful authors-to-be ask me for my best advice. My answer is always this: make a habit of finishing things, even if you they suck. You'll learn more by completing a crappy book than revising the first chapter a hundred times or starting on a new “better idea” every few months.
Brandon famously wrote 13 books while working the night shift at a hotel before he became a published author. I promise you, finishing 13 books will teach you more about writing than revising one book 13 times.
Don't compare.
The downside of seeing so many authors in one place is you can feel discouraged about how few books you have out, or how many less you're selling. This line of thinking takes you nowhere helpful. If you have to think about stats, think of the people in the paragraph above who wish they had the discipline and courage to be where you are now.
During Dragonsteel, Brandon Sanderson talked about a book signing in 2005 where three people showed up. Let that sink in. Twenty years ago, Brandon could count on one hand the people interested in showing up to see him in person. And last week, he held an event for 7500 people that sold out in an hour, seven months in advance.
Everyone's career is unique and at different stages.
Never get too big to be classy (and grateful).
After the exhibitor hall closed on the final night, Brandon took the time to visit each and every vendor to sign books, take photos, and thank us for being there to help create an amazing event for his fans.
This was an extra hour and a half of time at the tail-end of a three day, non-stop event for him. Nobody expected this and it was an amazing gesture. Throughout the weekend, the entire Dragonsteel team showed this same level of world-class hospitality.
Being humble and grateful is underrated. Never forget the people that support you, especially the ones that supported you in the beginning.
Don't underestimate your intellectual property.
“The Final Empire” is the first book in Brandon's Mistborn series. It came out 18 years ago, yet Sanderson mania recently launched it onto the USA Today Bestseller charts for the first time ever.
This almost never happens. Algorithms and bestseller lists typically favor new releases. It goes to show how a creative career can snowball and why your backlist matters long after launch.
Aside from old titles, there are also the near limitless ways you can make your intellectual property work for you.
A perfect example of this is Story Deck, “a collectible trading card game, full of stories, art, and secrets from the many wondrous worlds of Brandon Sanderson.”
Billed as the world's first trading card story, the premise is simple: three new short stories from Brandon's Stormlight Archives broken into 54 sections each, with each section on a separate numbered card so you know what order they go in. When you arrange the cards in order, you can read the story. Every nine cards forms a panorama illustration on the reverse side. Each pack has a random holographic card in it, further driving the collectability factor.
As far as I know, everyone (including vendors) received two booster packs at registration. You could trade with others, buy additional boxes, or earn packs by participating in certain activities throughout the convention to complete the sets.
These things sold like CRAZY. They had a separate store inside the convention just for Story Deck. The line never slowed down from opening hour to close. Attendees sat around tables with stacks of cards and piles of empty wrappers to complete their collections. Aside from the social value, I can only imagine how much money Story Deck brought in.