Just a short update to share that orders with the trade hardcover of The Preferred Dark Thorn and NOT containing special editions or a slipcase have shipped. It was about 700 orders. But after shipping about 8500 Matt Dinniman books last week, the 700 books this week felt like a simple breeze. haha
The bindery has the materials for those special editions. The slipcases and clamshells are being made right now, so that's good. Just gotta wait on both of those companies to finish and ship the items to me. Then I'll get the rest of the orders out! No idea how long that will be but hopefully sometime in July.
The printer sure took their time -- I approved proofs way back on February 5th, if I recall -- but I received two editions of The Preferred Dark Thorn in the warehouse this last week. I received the trade hardcover, as well as about 250 trade paperback copies that I also had produced.
What does this mean? First, the "bad" news: the Signed & Numbered, Signed and Lettered, and Rare editions of The Preferred Dark Thorn are not done yet. Their elements have been printed, and those materials were shipped to the bindery who then puts the book together. This is something the printer can't do up to my standards, so I use a bindery to add the bells & whistles. In short, I'm still waiting on those editions to arrive in the warehouse. I'd imagine they might be finished by the end of July though. Fingers crossed on that.
The "good" news: I will start shipping orders that only have the trade hardcover of The Preferred Dark Thorn. This will help when the special editions arrive as I will be able to just jump in and begin shipping them out.
If you are one of those people who only ordered the trade hardcover, I need you to look at this:
1. Mailing Address: If you have moved, this is your chance to change it. I imported orders yesterday into my shipping software, so whatever address is locked on your Backerkit order right now is the one I'm shipping to. Send updates to [email protected].
2. Personalizations: In one of the updates, I offered everyone personalizations. If you want me to personalize your trade hardcover copy, do send me an email at [email protected] with the name on the order and the personalization that you are requesting and I'll make that happen.
I'll be sure to share an update when the Signed & Numbered, Signed & Lettered, and Rare editions get the warehouse.
A quick note today because it is going to be a crazy week. More on that in a bit.
But I thought I'd share that I received proofs for The Dark Thorn. The printer is a bit behind on this but I received them, I approved them, and now the project can move forward at the printer. Below, there are two pictures so you can see what proofs look like. I'm especially excited about the Map of Annwn being folded and placed into upper tier books in a unique way. More on that when I receive copies.
Some of you have been buying my tarot card series. The first tarot card came about because I was at lunch with author Robin Hobb and her daughter Kat, and they asked the title of the book I was writing. I told him "The King-Killing Queen," and Kat immediately said, "Wow, that's a tarot card right there." I thought it such a good idea, I've done 8 of them so far! The last three on this Backerkit, actually.
Well, tarot card IX -- Master Librarian -- will be part of the Unbroken anthology Kickstarter which launches tomorrow at 8AM PT! If you pledge to a physical tier in the first 48 hours, you get the tarot card for free. So definitely keep that mind. The Master Librarian tarot card is based on my Sir Bevalor short story series and it features a man who may or may not be Mr. Terry Brooks. Ha.
Author line-up for Unbroken is below as well. The book is finished and we just need quantities from the Kickstarter to put it into production. I'm not ashamed to say it will be the SF&F anthology of the year.
If you have questions about any of this, do let me know! Have a great week, everyone!
About two weeks ago, the printer responsible for the trade hardcover of The Dark Thorn said they needed the signature pages for the book. I hadn't signed them, so I went right to work. Even with Robin Hobb signing in The Signed Page warehouse, I sat nearby in the office signing the sheets. Took me two days but I completed all signature pages. And the artists finished signing already. So whew.
So those pages went to the trade hardcover printer. The limited/rare signature pages went to the bindery. And so that's done.
I've been informed that trade hardcover books will be finished at the end of April. The bindery will be a bit behind though because their main machine went down for three weeks -- resulting in a backup for their projects. I'm not sure if this will affect The Dark Thorn's limited and rare editions yet. Will update you once I know.
As I've said before, all other merchandise is finished and at the warehouse.
In other news, Ingram Book Distributors twisted my arm and asked for hardcovers of the book for books in the US and Canada. I decided to only give them trade paperbacks. That cover is below. Thought you might like to see it.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm always around!
I hope you all have a wonderful last day of 2025. Here's to a more magical 2026!
Just a quick update here as it is an important one. This last week, my book designer and I managed to complete our print estimates with the printer. This is an important part. The printer completes all book blocks, full-color interiors, endpapers, and dust jackets. The printer also binds the trade hardcover as it has fewer binding requirements and they are capable of doing it.
All elements not with the trade hardcover -- like the full-color interiors that will be tipped into the book, printed endpapers, etc. -- get shipped to the bindery for their two month queue. The special editions of the book get completed there. When the printer finishes the trade hardcover and book blocks/print elements, they will ship me the trade hardcovers on three pallets. The book blocks/print elements will be shipped to the bindery where they get put into the bindery's queue. That queue is usually two months.
What does this mean for timing?
I think the trade hardcover will arrive in my warehouse in March. I will ship out backer orders with the trade hardcover in them because it's been so long and getting some orders out the door is better than not, in my opinion.
The special editions will arrive in my warehouse likely sometime in May, all things going to plan. They require the speciality bindery to make them as beautiful as possible and that takes time sadly. I'll do what I can to speed that up though. Maybe it won't be two months.
All merch (the two bookmarks, the tarot cards, the coin, etc.) has already been created and is in my warehouse. And I sent out the EPUB a few weeks ago.
So at least those things are done.
My book designer did say last week when we were finalizing things and looking at the art that this is going to be one of my best looking books. I couldn't agree more. I hate it's taken this long but I think the end result will be worth it.
