For Jenny fans following the latest Evermore news who don’t know much about Brandon Sanderson, I thought I’d give some context. I’m a big fan of both, and I honestly know a guy who works for Brandon, and I told him 2 years ago that he had better get everyone at the office to watch the Jenny video if there was even a chance that Brandon was going to have interest in buying the property. 😂
But yeah, Brandon is one of the most successful and prolific fantasy authors working today. He’s spent the last 20+ years building many of his books into a huge interconnected universe called the Cosmere, but the more relevant thing here is that he has always been well above the curve in building a great relationship with his fans and finding way to expand on the fan experience outside of his books.
He’s unusually transparent about his work. He posts book progress bars, gives regular updates, and publishes an annual “State of the Sanderson” explaining what he’s working on and where each project stands.
As he’s become more successful, he’s also made a clear effort to bring other people along with him. His company Dragonsteel commissions original art and works with artists, writers and other creators. Brandon teaches a science fiction and fantasy writing class at BYU, the same class he once took from author David Farland, and has made years of his lectures available online for free.
He’s also willing to use his influence when he thinks the publishing industry is treating authors unfairly. The clearest example is Audible. He criticized its terms for independent authors, especially those who didn’t agree to exclusivity, and withheld some high-profile audiobook releases.
Brandon didn’t need to do that. He was successful enough to negotiate a good deal for himself and move on, but his argument was basically that he was one of the few authors who could afford to pick a fight with Amazon, so maybe he should.
He worked with competing audiobook companies and pushed for arrangements that could benefit other authors. Audible eventually changed its policies, and Brandon later said the improvements were sufficient for him to return.
That’s a big part of why his fans like him. He’s obviously running a profitable business, but he also seems to think seriously about how to use his position to help other writers and artists.
Anyway, the part that’s most relevant to Evermore is Dragonsteel Nexus. Nexus is Brandon’s annual convention in Utah, and Dragonsteel has become increasingly interested in turning parts of his fictional worlds into physical experiences. The best example is the Worldhopper Ball, an elaborate immersive production built around the wedding of two characters whose actual wedding happened off-page in the books.
There were sets, actors, music, themed food and scripted scenes. Brandon described it as an “experiential novella”: what attendees were watching and participating in was a canonical event in the story.
So Dragonsteel already has a track record of letting people physically experience parts of a fictional world.
Which brings us to Dragonsteel Plaza.
The project was already being planned on the property next to Evermore. Dragonsteel needs office and warehouse space, but Brandon has also described a permanent public destination with a major bookstore, event spaces, outdoor gathering areas and spaces focused on books, art and creators.
This guy has spent years building alternatives to an industry dominated by a few enormous companies. He sells directly to readers, produces Dragonsteel editions, works directly with artists, and challenged Amazon over audiobook distribution.
Dragonsteel Plaza feels like a physical extension of that: not just a Sanderson gift shop or corporate headquarters, but a locally owned, book-and-art-focused place where readers, writers, artists and fans can gather.
So putting Dragonsteel Plaza on this particular piece of property feels weirdly appropriate.
Evermore basically failed because their big ideas overwhelmed their ability to actually execute.
Brandon Sanderson is almost comically the opposite. He’s famous for project management. We get progress bars, schedules and annual reports explaining what he finished, what was delayed and why.
This is also the guy who once announced that he’d accidentally written five extra novels without telling anyone, because apparently even his procrastination has deliverables.
He’s a giant fantasy nerd who loves ambitious ideas, immersive storytelling and finding new ways for people to experience his worlds.
But he’s also the giant fantasy nerd who checks the spreadsheet.
After watching the entire Evermore saga play out, I honestly can’t think of many people I’d rather see end up with that particular piece of property.
