We did it! THANK YOU ALL! I know I know this is like a day late in celebration, but without going into too many details, I got a nasty virus Monday night. I felt horrible. By Tuesday I was just trying to push through it all to send out last minute emails and social media posts etc etc. Mentally I felt like I was crawling to the finish line. Ahh, the joys of being a creator and doing conventions meeting and shaking hands with thousands of people.
Still not feeling 100%, but I am excited for what's to come. I'm excited we hit our goal to upgrade to the leather cover binding. We even unlocked the Bone Dragon Species sticker! But we didn't quite hit the mark for the textured paper upgrade. About that...
...we were so close, and I want it so bad, I believe I can still pull it off. I am considering switching from a foil inlay on the cover to an emboss pattern design, more like a real sketchbook. That may save me a few dimes. Plus, I’m doing another convention in December that will be pulling in some extra funds. I still have a few numbers to check, but I would rather push the boundaries and create a book how I’ve always envisioned than miss the opportunity because of a few dollars. I will find a way.
More details and timelines to come, but for now, a moment of celebration setting this book in motion!
As the campaign draws to en end i'm facing the reality of not reaching the Slipcase stretch goal. As much as I wanted to include it with every book, it's looking like I need to change plans and offer it as an add-on item. It's always better to order in larger quantities, but for now I can order a smaller volume, and make it available as an Add-on item for an additional cost.
So check out the Add-on items if you would like to purchase a slipcase to go with your book and bundle. It will be the perfect storage companion that will look great on your shelf.
We hit the stretch-goal to unlocked the Freshwater Dragon Species!
Wow, this has been a crazy journey so far. Somehow I had like every significant deadline in my life hit in September. But this campaign has been the excitement that has helped me get through this month. One of the things I was hoping to do with each Dragon Species stretch goal was to get input from all of you.
I want to include an illustration of a Freshwater Dragon inspired by you. What sort of job might this dragon have, or where might we see him in the world of Hallador. Does he work on the docks along the river? Is he a fisher? What sort of unique personality trait might this dragon have?
I'm always curious to know wha tyou all think, and what you might want to see in Theo's sketchbook.
Thank you to everyone we are making steady progress! You have helped me believe in the power of imagination.
It took me a minute to figure out a couple of possible production upgrades, but I now have them posted in the Stretch goals section. I am never done pushing the boundaries with the quality of my products and ways to create authentic products. I want my books to FEEL a certain way when you pick them up. I finally found an option to print books with a softly textured paper. This will give Theo’s sketchbook a truly tactile authentic feel when you flip through the pages. If we can hit this goal, we can upgrade the paper stock of the book, and give you an elevated authentic product.
Slip Case design is temporary. I'm considering other possible design options.
With the collection of Story Artifacts that I created to go with my stories, a slip case is an obvious solution. So I created a stretch goal in my campaign to make this art book something truly special and a new standard of quality for my Art Book Series.
If we can hit this goal, each copy of Return to Hallador will be shipped with a slip case at no additional cost. This included add-on will only be available to those supporting the crowdfunding campaign. Just a way to show my appreciation for supporting this project early on. After the campaign ends, the slip case will be a separate add-on with an additional cost.
A slipcase will also give me more flexibility in my design. I can push the authenticity of Theo’s sketchbook to another level, reducing how much “book title” information is on the book itself, preserving an authentic sketchbook experience.
Imagination deserves to thrive again. If you're like me, I'm tired of the same stories and same characters in all our media. It's time for a new world of wonder.
Let's share this campaign with as many as possible, and make this a reality!
We are making great progress! We are well on our way to our stretch goals. Thank you all, this has been so exciting! I have been scrambling to line up some production plans to finalize my stretch goals, and I'm one step closer.
My vision is to create products that feel authentic to the world they come from. I’ve always dreamed of creating a leather version of my book because I want this book to feel like Theo’s sketchbook from the world of Hallador.
This is the campaign for me to make that leap. If we can hit the 10K stretch goal, I plan to upgrade the Return to Hallador art book to a PU leather hardcover. (It is a faux leather for sustainability reasons, and I love the way it looks and feels.)
This will give Theo’s sketchbook the vintage elegance I’ve always dreamed of. This is how I want his sketchbooks to look; this is the vision of the sketchbook series.
These photos are from a similar book, so I don’t have actual photos of a prototype yet, but it gives a sense of the quality I have in mind. I plan to use a brown leather, which will pair beautifully with the gold foil stamp.
So please share this campaign with as many people as possible, and we can get there!
I am also currently updating all my stretch goals because some were influx until I got some numbers back.
