Fantasy Novel: Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan

Poster, Puzzle, and T-shirt Graphics Files
over 4 years ago – Sun, Nov 03, 2019 at 12:23:32 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

More short stories sent, and other updates
over 4 years ago – Fri, Nov 01, 2019 at 10:08:30 PM

Hey all, Robin again. Just wanted to let you know we are still hard at work, and to update you on recent events:

• I distributed the last two of the short stories (Autumn Mists, and Little Wren and the Big Forest). You can find them in your Backerkit digital download area.
• In addition, I wrote up an instruction sheet that should help people who have had problems downloading the files or getting them to work with their phones, tables, or Kindle devices. If you've had problems, refer to it first before reaching out for technical support.
• I continue to hound the 13 people who have physical rewards but have yet to answer their surveys. You have already paid for your stuff - but we won't be able to send you your books without a mailing address. So, please fill those out ASAP.
• I have proofed about half of the book, and hope to have the other half done by the end of the weekend. This is an essential step. Between that, the typos people are reporting (thank you for those) and the gamma reader feedback, we have squashed a lot of little nits. If you have been collecting typos and not mailing them in, the deadline for reporting is November 15. That's when the gamma readers must have their changes in, and after that, it's off to the presses! Again, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to send in a typo correction! And here is the list if you want to check if your typo has been reported.
• Which leads me to the next item...when will the printed books be ready to ship? Well, I have no idea. I can't schedule the press run until I have the book finalized, and the number of print jobs already scheduled at that time will determine when we can get on and then off the press. But as soon as I know more, I'll let you know.
• Michael has signed about 500 bookmarks. So for people who ordered extras, I'm going to try to get them out next week (right after I finish with my final readthrough for book proofing).
• We have had a number of people join the Kickstarter "after the fact" either through pre-orders or our"manual add" process. Specifically, we've added 201 new backers (3,308 total). And between their funds, and the BackerKit "add-ons" we've raised another $17,055. This brings our total funds to $136,037!  How amazing is that? You all are THE BEST!
• We've continued to add names to the acknowledgment list. Come November 15th, we'll be freezing it and that's what will be in the printed book (although the ebook can be updated past that date) So, check for your name, and make sure it is correct. 
• We've locked down and charged credit cards in BackerKit. Some of you received a credit (or had your pledge level upgraded) either because you were being overcharged due to multiple book shipping, or you were an overseas customer who had a tote bag and book that could ship together. Bottom line we adjusted about 40 orders and gave between $2 and $20 back depending on each order. If you have any questions about changes made to your order, you know where to find us!
• I've heard from the printers, and the out-of-stock tote bags should be shipped to them by mid-November. US people will have their tote bags mailed out as soon as we have them all in hand. Likewise, overseas people who aren't also getting a book will have theirs mailed at the same time. For overseas people with books, your tote will be mailed at the same time as your book to save shipping costs.
• I'm compiling the list of questions for the Q&A and it may take us a few videos to get them all addressed, but we'll try to start recording those next week as well.

Now that the short stories are delivered, I'm going to try and get the screensavers and audio files distributed. That will leave only the videos left as far as bonus content. Things are moving pretty quickly on this end, even if you aren't hearing much from us.

Typo List
over 4 years ago – Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 09:17:12 PM

Hey all, Robin again. Just a really quick update because we have a guest over and I'm about to cook breakfast.  I've started doing my proofing of the final book, and I've found a number of errors that my overworked (and sleep-deprived) brain added as I was combining changes from Michael, Laura, and Linda. What's more, you all have been finding them too!  So, thank you, thank you, thank you to all the people who are reporting them.  I've decided to start a running tally -- both to ensure I can check the places where the changes were made before the presses roll, and to make sure the retail version of the ebooks are free from these errors.  

If you are curious, or just want to check the list before emailing me about something that may have already been reported, you can see the list of typos from this link. 

Each time I see one, I'm embarrassed because I know it was me who added it to the book. But I'm really glad we are finding them now rather than after the presses roll.  So, please keep them coming! It'll make the final book that much better!

Age of Death ebooks sent out!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 03:00:00 AM

Okay, all, so last night I sent out the ebooks.  A few things.

• They are accessed from your Digital Download area of BackerKit.  If you don't know how to get into Backerkit, you can use this link and your email address to gain access.
• If you need "memory refreshers" there are recaps posted on the Age of Legend website. These will remind you of events that occurred in the previous books.
• These are pre-gamma, which means that there may be a few minor nits that will be addressed before we go live on the presses, so there will be another version that will also be distributed to you when it is updated.
• If you find a typo, please send an email with the subject "Age of Death Typo" to [email protected]
• The version being sent out is missing a few things because I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. Again, these items will be in the final official release version.  They include (a) an afterword (written by Robin) (b) an updated Names and Glossary (right now this is the same glossary as in Age of Legend) (c) our acknowledgments, (d) additional names that may come in from people who have been late in filling out their surveys.
• We want the book to be on "full signature boundaries" -- which probably means nothing to you but it means a lot to printers. Basically the book is cheaper if the number of pages is an exact multiplier of the # of pages in each "grouping" -- I think the printer we will use has a 32 page boundary which would mean 416 pages would be ideal. The "pdf version" we sent out are missing some "blanks" that would normally exist and is currently 406 pages.  If we have some extra space (after adding the afterword and updating the glossary, we may include a free short or a sample chapter from Riyria.
• While we think we have all the names included, we haven't done a final "cross-check" but Robin is working on that now.
• We've done only a "quick" layout review on the file and will be doing our proofing while you are reading, so if you see any layout issues (blank pages, orphans or widows), again, let us know by email.

Well, I think that's it. Robin and I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review on Goodreads. Good, bad, or indifferent, all we ask is that you give your honest opinions.

Really quick update
over 4 years ago – Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 03:31:30 AM

Hey all, Robin here.  This will be quick because I'm really busy, but I'm getting emails and people are anxiously waiting for the book so I need to update you.

• We have the copy edits back from both Linda and Laura and I've been combining them (along with edits from Michael from his final read of the book).  This has been a challenging process and I've been "just barely" in front of the recording schedule...getting Tim and Frank (the engineer) chapters just hours before recording.
• We were in New York Monday through Wednesday for the recording. We took Tim out to dinner on Monday and on Tuesday night Sarah and I went to Hamilton, which was AMAZING -- Sarah loved it as well.  Also, she and Michael did some birding in Central Park during the day (while I monitored the recording). And Michael got 12 new birds (currently 172 - I think).
• The trip home was long - after a full day of recording we had 4 hours on the train and then 2 hours driving, then I stayed up for another 3 hours to get chapters for Thursday's recording. I was understandably exhausted.
• At the end of Friday's recording, we have 17 of 24 chapters "in the can" - the recording will start again on Monday and I suspect we'll be wrapping up on Tuesday.
• Because we find "little things" during the recording, I want to have it finished before I send out the book, which means I anticipate ebooks on Thursday. 
• Now, that book I send on Thursday will be pre-gamma readers.  Which is a team of people who give the book one last "look" before presses roll. But any errors they find are usually VERY minor -- a missing comma here or there, or a typo that crept in. Once they have gone through it and their changes are added, we'll release the "retail" version which will be the same one that people get in February. 

With a few sleep-deprived mess-ups aside (one paragraph with a REALLY bad copy/paste in it), things are going smoothly and the book is really solid.  Now I have to go work on combining the edits for the last few chapters so we are all set for tomorrow's recording which will start on Monday at 10:00. It won't be much longer now!