June Update
almost 3 years ago
– Sat, Jun 03, 2023 at 06:25:42 PM
Test Batch Results: ✅
I've been receiving reports over the last few days as the first test batch of backers opens their paperbacks, and the reviews are stellar! 🥳
Next: Test Batch of Hardcovers ✉️
My next step is to send out a test batch of hardcovers. I will send out shipment tracking links via Kickstarter messages.
Once the first hardcover recipients let me know they are happy with the copies they receive, I'll schedule sending out all of the physical copies.
Darkest of Dreams, Volume 2: New Cryptids, New Artist
Work has already begun on Volume 2. This time I've already found the artist, and he's already working on the cryptids for the stories that have been accepted. I can't wait to introduce you all to him! 🤩
Volume 2 Submissions: Since I've been working so hard on the first volume, I haven't had time to share much about the submission window for the second volume, so I've extended the submission deadline to June 30th. This is the one and only extension though, as we won't be repeating the situations that contributed to last year's delays.
Status Report
Status Legend:
- 🟢 The reward is completed and shipped, or in your Backerkit and ready for you to claim
- 🟡 The reward is in progress
- 🟠 The reward is stalled or awaiting another step
Rewards Ready and Waiting for You
- 🟢 Cryptid Club Invite: Sent - check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
- 🟢 DoD Anthology Spotify Playlist: check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
- 🟢 Darkest of Dreams eBook: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account 🥳
- 🟢 Darkest of Dreams Digital Wallpaper Bundle: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account
- 🟢 The Complete Sundown Series ebook Boxset by Courtney Konstantin: Ready and waiting in Backerkit for eligible pledge levels
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 2 - Fence Rail Dog story by Russell Nohelty: Already completed and included in the anthology
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 3 - Audio Commentary: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 4 - Custom Wendigo Sticker and REJECTS ebook by Alyanna Poe: The eBook is ready and waiting for you in Backerkit; the sticker will be distributed after book proofs are ordered.
- 🟢 Week 1 Bonus B - Immortal Blade eBook by MT Decker: Complete and uploaded to Backerkit
- 🟢 Week 2 Bonuses - CLOWN audiobook by Rod A. Galindo and Hunting the Undead eBook by Tina Glasneck: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Week 3 Bonuses - Alone eBook with new cover by Courtney Konstantin and Burning Bright eBook by Nan Sampson: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Week 4 Bonuses - When I Wake From Dream eBook by M.T. Decker and Insanity eBook by Andre Gonzalez: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Individual Cryptid Wallpaper Bundles: Designed the trios, bundled, zipped, uploaded, distributed in Backerkit.
- 🟢 Backer Credit: Completed as part of the formatting process
- 🟢 Darkest of Dreams full-color PDF: Complete and uploaded to Backerkit
Rewards in Progress
- 🟡 Darkest of Dreams paperback: Test batch successful; will continue after test batch of hardcovers
- 🟡 Darkest of Dreams hardcover: Test batch in progress
- 🟡 Wendigo Pin: In production
- 🟡 Cryptid Party Crashers Guide PDF: Re-designing for optimal sizing.
- 🟡 Bookmarks - Designs complete, digital versions uploaded and available in Backerkit, physical orders in progress
- 🟡 5x7 Art Prints - Design completed, digital versions uploaded and available in Backerkit, physical orders in progress (includes Stretch Goal 7, additional prints)
- 🟡 DoD T-shirts for Master Summoners - awaiting custom art
- 🟡 Stretch Goal 5 - Author Chat Logs: Assigned to a team member for further editing
- 🟡 Stretch Goal 6 - Cryptid Hunter's Creature Files: Two team members are working together on finishing this.
Rewards in Queue
- 🟠 Creepy Cryptid Sticker Set - ordering and fulfillment should be quick and easy on this part.
- 🟠 Week 1 Bonus A - Disappearance at Sleepy Creek audio edition by AK Hughey: Production
- 🟠 Bonus 'Thank You for Your Patience' Surprise Gift: Production
Have a great week!
I'll report on another update again as soon as I hear from the first test batch. I can't wait to finish all of this up! 😁
~ Audrey & the DoD Team
😻 Proofs Received - But we're not through the forest yet...
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 12:49:21 PM
Proofs!
To my surprise, I received the hardcover and paperback proofs yesterday -- that's only 8 days after inputting the order! 😱
They look beautiful, but there is a slight problem with both, which I'll have to sort out with the printer: the spines are slightly off.
Here's a video to show you how gorgeous they are, but you'll also be able to see the spine issue in both.
I'm going to work with the printer and possibly the cover designer (although he did everything on his end correctly) to fix the spines, order the second set of proofs, and then we'll start sending these sweet babies out!
What do you think of these physical copies? 😻
Proofs have been ordered!
almost 3 years ago
– Sat, Apr 08, 2023 at 07:30:52 AM
My fiendish friends,
I have great news! The formatting, as terrorizing as it was, is now finished, and the proofs have been ordered!
As soon as I receive them and ensure there are no printing errors/issues, I will send the hardcovers and paperbacks in batches to everyone who ordered them. Both editions have black-and-white art, but the hardcover has larger versions of the artwork.
We'll be over the finish line in no time! For the hundredth time, thank you all so much for your support and patience.
I even had a few days to grieve with my family. It still comes in waves, but I find purpose in my work and am inspired by it.
Status Report
Status Legend:
- 🟢 The reward is completed and in your Backerkit, ready for you to claim
- 🟡 The reward is in progress
- 🟠 The reward is stalled or awaiting another step
Rewards Ready and Waiting for You
-
🟢 Cryptid Club Invite: Sent - check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
-
🟢 DoD Anthology Spotify Playlist: check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
-
🟢 Darkest of Dreams eBook: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account 🥳
-
🟢 Darkest of Dreams Digital Wallpaper Bundle: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account
-
🟢 The Complete Sundown Series ebook Boxset by Courtney Konstantin: Ready and waiting in Backerkit for eligible pledge levels
-
🟢 Stretch Goal 2 - Fence Rail Dog story by Russell Nohelty: Already completed and included in the anthology
-
🟢 Stretch Goal 3 - Audio Commentary: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
-
🟢 Stretch Goal 4 - Custom Wendigo Sticker and REJECTS ebook by Alyanna Poe: The eBook is ready and waiting for you in Backerkit; the sticker will be distributed after book proofs are ordered.
-
🟢 Week 2 Bonuses - CLOWN audiobook by Rod A. Galindo and Hunting the Undead eBook by Tina Glasneck: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
-
🟢 Week 3 Bonuses - Alone eBook with new cover by Courtney Konstantin and Burning Bright eBook by Nan Sampson: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
-
🟢 Week 4 Bonuses - When I Wake From Dream eBook by M.T. Decker and Insanity eBook by Andre Gonzalez: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
-
🟢 Individual Cryptid Wallpaper Bundles: Designed the trios, bundled, zipped, uploaded, distributed in Backerkit.
-
🟢 Backer Credit: Completed - acknowledgments in paperback and hardcover
-
🟢 B&W Art for Print Editions: Edited images to improve black-and-white printing quality, inserted into paperback and hardcover editions during formatting.
Rewards in Progress
-
🟡 Darkest of Dreams paperback: Formatting completed, proof ordered
-
🟡 Darkest of Dreams hardcover: Formatting completed, proof ordered
-
🟡 Darkest of Dreams full-color PDF: Now in formatting
-
🟡 Wendigo Pin: In production
-
🟡 Cryptid Party Crashers Guide PDF: Our graphic designer is working to reduce the file size as it's currently gigantinormous.
Rewards in Queue
As soon as I've finished formatting the paperback and hardcover editions in the new program and ordered the proofs, I will finish the following rewards and complete fulfillment and distribution. I'll keep you updated as these things ship out.
-
🟠 Bookmarks - Most were completed before the end of the campaign, so this part will not take long once I'm back on it.
- 🟠 Creepy Cryptid Sticker Set - ordering and fulfillment should be quick and easy on this part.
- 🟠 DoD T-shirts for Master Summoners - awaiting custom art
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 5 - Author Chat Logs: In formatting
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 6 - Cryptid Hunter's Creature Files: In formatting
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 7 - Additional Art Prints: Digital are awaiting upload and distribution to Backerkit; physical need sizing then ordering
- 🟠 Week 1 Bonus A - Disappearance at Sleepy Creek audio edition by AK Hughey: Production
- 🟠 Week 1 Bonus B - Immortal Blade eBook by MT Decker: Revisions
- 🟠 Bonus 'Thank You for Your Patience' Surprise Gift: Production
April
As mentioned previously, My intention for April is to focus solely on getting all of these yellow and orange status items to green. Every. Single. One.
Volume 2
Are you an author - or do you know one? We're accepting submissions for Darkest of Dreams Volume 2 until 31 May. Head HERE to read the submission requirements and submit your story. I'd love to see a Yowie or Mongolian Deathworm. ;)
I hope you're all having a wonderful spring so far!
~ Audrey
Anthology Rewards Update
about 3 years ago
– Sat, Mar 25, 2023 at 08:29:48 PM
Hello, my fiendish friends.
Quick update tonight to keep you appraised of the progress since last I wrote in February.
Beyond my own battles with my health and trying to get my immune system back up to speed, a beloved member of my family had a sharp decline in health a few weeks ago and then passed away last Monday. This person has always been a crucial part of my life and influenced me greatly. I can't say anything now, not until all of our family and extended family are made aware first.
And my poor mom had a heart attack, and they kept her in the hospital until they could get her under the knife again, on the same day my loved one passed.
When it rains, it pours, so they say. Hopefully, it won't rain frogs soon.
Three days of nasty strep kicked my tail Tuesday through Friday morning, but I still managed to make some progress while continuing to fulfill only the most important commitments I'd already made to the writing community.
Cryptid Wallpaper Bundles
Before the strep, I finished designing the trios of cryptid wallpaper, bundling them based on creature, zipping them, uploading all 18 zipped trios to Backerkit, and distributing them to all backers. Please check Backerkit to download yours.
Physical Copy Formatting
I had to go back to the drawing board to get the custom art into the books and edit the photos to be suitable for black-and-white printing. Here is a sample of how they'll look:
I'll be traveling 12 hours with four kids on Monday to mourn with my family and attend the funeral, so this week, one of our authors -- the fantastic Rod Galindo -- will take over getting these images into the paperback edition for me and finalizing that formatting.
Status Report
Status Legend:
- 🟢 The reward is completed and in your Backerkit, ready for you to claim
- 🟡 The reward is in progress
- 🟠 The reward is stalled or awaiting another step
Rewards Ready and Waiting for You
- 🟢 Cryptid Club Invite: Sent - check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
- 🟢 DoD Anthology Spotify Playlist: check the updates here on Kickstarter, and I've also distributed the link to your Backerkit
- 🟢 Darkest of Dreams eBook: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account 🥳
- 🟢 Darkest of Dreams Digital Wallpaper Bundle: Ready and waiting inside your Backerkit account
- 🟢 The Complete Sundown Series ebook Boxset by Courtney Konstantin: Ready and waiting in Backerkit for eligible pledge levels
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 2 - Fence Rail Dog story by Russell Nohelty: Already completed and included in the anthology
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 3 - Audio Commentary: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Stretch Goal 4 - Custom Wendigo Sticker and REJECTS ebook by Alyanna Poe: The eBook is ready and waiting for you in Backerkit; the sticker will be distributed after book proofs are ordered.
- 🟢 Week 2 Bonuses - CLOWN audiobook by Rod A. Galindo and Hunting the Undead eBook by Tina Glasneck: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Week 3 Bonuses - Alone eBook with new cover by Courtney Konstantin and Burning Bright eBook by Nan Sampson: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Week 4 Bonuses - When I Wake From Dream eBook by M.T. Decker and Insanity eBook by Andre Gonzalez: Ready and waiting for you in Backerkit
- 🟢 Individual Cryptid Wallpaper Bundles: Designed the trios, bundled, zipped, uploaded, distributed in Backerkit.
Rewards in Progress
- 🟡 Darkest of Dreams paperback: Edit images to improve black-and-white printing quality
- 🟡 Darkest of Dreams hardcover: In formatting, see above
- 🟡 Darkest of Dreams full-color PDF: Formatting after ordering physical proofs
- 🟡 Backer Credit: Part of the formatting process
- 🟡 Wendigo Pin: In production
- 🟡 Cryptid Party Crashers Guide PDF: Our graphic designer is working to reduce the file size as it's currently gigantinormous.
Rewards in Queue
As soon as I've finished formatting the paperback and hardcover editions in the new program and ordered the proofs, I will finish the following rewards and complete fulfillment and distribution. I'll keep you updated as these things ship out.
- 🟠 Bookmarks - Most were completed before the end of the campaign, so this part will not take long once I'm back on it.
- 🟠 Creepy Cryptid Sticker Set - ordering and fulfillment should be quick and easy on this part.
- 🟠 DoD T-shirts for Master Summoners - awaiting custom art
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 5 - Author Chat Logs: In formatting
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 6 - Cryptid Hunter's Creature Files: In formatting
- 🟠 Stretch Goal 7 - Additional Art Prints: Digital are awaiting upload and distribution to Backerkit; physical need sizing then ordering
- 🟠 Week 1 Bonus A - Disappearance at Sleepy Creek audio edition by AK Hughey: Production
- 🟠 Week 1 Bonus B - Immortal Blade eBook by MT Decker: Revisions
- 🟠 Bonus 'Thank You for Your Patience' Surprise Gift: Production
April
My intention for April, after I return from mourning with my family, is to focus solely and getting all of these yellow and orange status items to green. Every. Single. One. Aside from caring for my 18-month-old and occasionally sleeping 😂, this will all be completed and shipped and delivered along with the bonus surprise gift.
Our Authors
J.R. Frontera
Many of our authors -- who obviously had more experience than I at getting things streamlined ahead of time 🤦♀️ -- have amazing things going on.
J.R. Frontera, author of our Banshee story "Paid in Full," has only 5 days left in her campaign for a special illustrated hardcover edition of her SciFi Western book Bastard of Blessing. These books are SO **** good!
Not only did she and I connect over our mutual love for writing and RDR2, but then this woman actually hired Roger Clark, the voice of the game's main character Arthur Morgan. 😱
I have the audiobooks for this entire series, and they are incredible. His voice lends such an atmosphere to the story and characters, and his voice-acting ability is just mindblowing, of course.
I met this lovely woman on a 20Books Vegas 2019 cosplay thread. She wanted to do something from Red Dead Redemption II but not alone, so I signed up to be (an all too pale) Sadie, and we kicked off our friendship outlaw style.
Russell Nohelty
Russell is the author of our Fence Rail Dog story, "Don't Lose the Thread." He has a bunch of comics, novels, and Cthulu-themed projects, so you should definitely check him out. Speaking of which, he has a reprint campaign for Cthulu is Hard to Spell, Books 1-3, and an Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter - Card Game project active right now!
Russ is excellent at delivering beautiful products (on time), and that's why he's my role model (even more than before) for improving the way I operate my campaigns.
Thank you all so much for your support and patience. Our authors are just as excited for you to receive the rest of your anthology rewards.
I will make another update as soon as the next item is complete and/or moves farther along in the process.
Your favorite zombie,
Audrey
