# Eragon

> Eragon reached 864,253 reported hardback sales in Knopf’s first publication year.

- Owner: Christopher Paolini; Paolini International (self-publisher); Knopf (publisher)
- Kind: Book
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: Feb 2002
- Milestone date: By end of 2003
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 60 (Viral, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Underdog, Maker origin, Platform jump, Fandom mobilisation, Controversy

## Summary

A family tour sold the self-published Eragon through schools and bookshops. Carl Hiaasen referred it to Knopf, whose edition reached bestseller lists. National profiles and later fan campaigns carried it into new audiences and adaptations.

## Timeline

- Feb 2002 — Paolini International / Christopher Paolini (Retail) — The Paolini family self-published Eragon and began selling it through school visits and other appearances.
- 2002-10-24 — Michelle Frey / Knopf (Open web) — Knopf editor Michelle Frey emailed interest in Eragon while the Paolinis were at Northwest Bookfest.
- By end of 2002 — Knopf (Retail) — Knopf signed Paolini after Carl Hiaasen recommended the self-published book to his publisher.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/eragon-novel

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Eragon.” Case HIS-01293. Spread Score v1.2: 60/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01293