Welcome to Booktopia 2024! 📚 a literary extravaganza of creativity and collaboration from a diverse group of writers and artists collectively running book crowdfunding projects from September 5th toSeptember 26th.
The more Booktopia projects you back, the more limited FREEBIES you will earn ✨
⚔️ 2 FREE Cross Collaborative Freebies for every Cross Collab Project Pair you support!
📚 1 FREE Limited Edition Booktopia 2024 reward if you back FIVE [5] or more projects at a reward tier*
*Only pledges to physical reward tiers or main digital offerings qualify towards earning these FREEBIES. Please refer to individual campaigns for unlock requirements.
Join the fun - Back Booktopia 2024 📚 projects to qualify for
free rewards!
Things are coming together piece by piece! I got my final proofs in which means I can do my bulk order of the book copies... That also means that I can start sending surveys! Yaaaayyyyy!
Look at our little robot we built together!
I can't believe how well these bookmarks turned out too... Look how cool they are! They're not too heavy or sharp either. They're just right! You have NO idea how excited I've been to show these to you folks. I got a pic in from the manufacturer and was like AHHH but wanted to make sure I had a good substantial update before showing them off and then, boom, here they are, already in my hands.
Sterling is ready to hold your place no matter the book!
If you missed out and didn't go for a bookmark tier, you can also add it on during your survey for $5. Quantity is limited on this fab guy.
Oracle cards are here too if you backed me and Lesbians in Space for physical tier books. And they look so good as well!
Some of you may have also gotten the smoke test survey in your email, so make sure to fill that out! I'll be sending surveys out to everyone very, very shortly. Can't wait to get all of this to you!
It’s Canadian Thanksgiving today, so I’m wishing a day of comfort to everyone. Sometimes circumstances can make this day a challenge so I only hope that it is a quiet, calming day for everyone whatever that looks like for you. It’s also a good day to reflect on something to be thankful for and for me I’m so thankful for this project and the community that has connected us during this time. I’m also thankful today for my life such as it is. I’m here to live it and I’m grateful to be where I am. 💕💕 Happy Monday to everyone else without a holiday today lol 🤗
Most of you have returned the surveys...so thank you!!
As soon as we receive those final few, we can add the acknowledgments and send out the ebooks.
Paperbacks can then be ordered (with those acknowledgments) and we can get those to you as soon as possible.
If you have NOT filled out and returned your survey, please do so. I know we're all busy on the weekends, but we are really excited to send out those books...and see what you think about our final story in the Enchanted Fairytale series.
Have a wonderful Sunday! Lorri Moulton/Lavender Cottage Books
Surveys for Weave Of A Thousand Lies went out TODAY!!! You have 15 days to fill it out. I know this is quick after the campaign but the book is written, edited, and ready to go to the printer as soon as I have all your information!
On Oct 27th, I will lock orders so I can send stuff out. Cards will be charged. (Don't worry you can always update your address later). I will send out ebooks shortly thereafter! I've started ordering all the add-ons. I'll post pictures as they come in!
Once I get the physical books back, I will ship them ASAP! I'll keep you updated and ensure addresses are up to date!
If you pledged toward a character name add-on, I'll be reaching out to you as soon as everything is locked in a private email to discuss options!
THANK YOU AGAIN for all your support in me! I can't wait to get this ball rolling!
We've read all of your comments, have looked at the back-end data with BackerKit, and have reached the following conclusions for the trivia challenge:
First of all, a total of 859 participants qualified for the free Loremaster patch. Congratulations to all of you!
Second, 299 participants answered all eighteen questions correctly and qualified for the Loremaster credit in the book. An additional 228 answered seventeen out of eighteen correctly.
Based on the unexpectedly high number of backers who aced the trivia challenge, as well as your overwhelming number of comments advocating for changing nothing, we will keep Loremaster credit as an exclusive for those backers, rather than extending it to the next 228 backers.
HOWEVER –
We do now have a process to check data for individual trivia participants. If you think that a technical error occurred with your answers, or if other circumstances interfered with what should have been a perfect score, please email [email protected]. We believe that being fair extends to offering grace when something out of your control goes wrong.
There will be a survey question where you can share the name you wish to be credited under. Please plan on filling out surveys as soon as possible when they're released, as we'll have a fair amount of work to integrate all of your names into the book before it goes to press.
If space permits we may still add the 17/18 backers to the book as Loremaster Apprentices (or something similar), but we will have to see if we end up with enough extra pages.
LATE PLEDGES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
If you applied for a scholarship and weren't able to redeem it before the campaign closed, please email [email protected]. We will honor every scholarship application received during the campaign, but you have to let us know if you missed pledging on time!
Late pledges remain open on the main page for at least another couple of weeks. If you're following this project and haven't pledged yet, we'll extend that window as long as we can, but we definitely wouldn't recommend delaying.
OTHER HOUSEKEEPING
We are finalizing quotes and tech specs with our manufacturer, based on the number of units that we'll be producing. Artists continue to submit excellent process updates for their pieces, which we look forward to sharing with you as they are completed. We've also confirmed logistics with our fulfillment partners in Los Angeles and have begun building shipping tables.
Our current plan is to send surveys later this month. While we won't calculate or charge shipping yet, we're confident that we'll be able to provide close estimates for what you can expect to pay. This should give you enough information to plan for that expense when it arrives.
International backers, we will be defaulting to including pre-paid VAT in your survey charges. While this number can be high, it's usually cheaper (and more convenient) than what carriers charge you at the door or at the post office. If you're an international backer who wants to risk not pre-paying VAT, we hope to have a method for you manually request that we change your shipping profile.
Yes, there is an official Discord server coming, but not quite yet. First we need to get the final elements (names and art) added to the book, and the book off to the printers.
Happy Indigenous People's Day to all my American backers.
This is just a quick update to let you all know that all surveys have now been sent. If you had issues with your pledge payment previously, you are able to pay through the survey so you can still snag all of your pledge items!
Digital Rewards
For all backers who filled out their surveys already (thank you!) digital rewards have been delivered. You'll get a email from BackerKit with the links to download all of your goodies!
Survey Closure Reminder
In order to get add-ons ordered, surveys for those who did not use a payment plan are due by November 1. I believe we only have a handful who have payment plans. You'll get access to your surveys once you've made your last payment.
Print Progress
I received confirmation last week that the printer received the signed tip-in pages for the hardcovers and they're hard at work getting the order printed. I expect the books should be ready to ship sometime in mid-to-late November.
...the mystery that is Backerkit Questionnaires lol 😜
I just wanted to give you a wee update and let you know that I haven't forgotten you!
In the past I've used a different Pledge Manager and it's taking me a while to get my head around the Backerkit version. But one thing I've realised is that, once I send out the questionnaires, the digital (eBook) fulfilment should happen at the same time, as they appear to be integrated...
Up until now when I've run a campaign I've done the questionnaire, finalised all the reward items, and then started fulfilment.
This way around the finalising is happening first but then fulfilment should start sooner. I think. If I'm understanding it right! 🙃
Thanks to our successful 'smoke test' all the surveys have now been sent. I appreciate some of you getting those initial surveys back so quickly!
Remember, if you're only getting digital goods, we're asking for your physical address for the postcard.
And for those of you with paperbacks, PLEASE send those surveys back so we can get your name in the acknowledgments. After one week, I will send out the ebooks without those names if the surveys are not returned by then. (Hopefully, we'll get them back much sooner).
Everything but the hardcovers for Thread of a Spider have been delivered. If you didn't receive something that you pledged for, please email me and let me know!
Hardcovers are in the process of being made. They will be delivered to me Oct 30 if all goes as planned. I'll pack them up and send them to as soon as I get them so you can expect your books the first week of November if you're in the US, otherwise it might take more time. You will get tracking numbers so you can keep an eye on your delivery. Please do. Sometimes customs expects further communication if you're International.
In the meantime might I invite you to take a look at the Sword of Cho Nisi series I have on Kickstarter. There are only 3 days left as it ends Tuesday the 15th. Whereas this is book 3 in the series, and all three books are available in this campaign, there are 2 more spin off novels. Those campaigns will be launched next year.
All the books in the series have leather covers, gold stamping, and textured gold foil dust jackets. The audio book is narrated by Erik Franklin, a Seattle film producer and actor. We just reached a stretch goal for Curse of Mt. Ream that puts select chapter illustrations in the book, and there are word art cards that have been reached with the stretch goal too. But what I mostly want you to know is that this is an award winning series that I believe is one of my best.
Read the editorial review by Independent Book Review
"The entire series is a rising star in a universe of fantasy favorites such as The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and even Tad Williams’ The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy.
Gardner really knows how to write epic fantasy. Hopefully, she has more adventures, worlds, and legends to bring to life for us after this one. "
