If you want to get your hands on one of these first editions, we have extra! You can pre-order the Mystic Storyteller: A Writer's Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration and the Mystic Storyteller Tarot on lapantherestudio.com! Pre-orders will go out next week, once all the pledge orders have shipped.
It's me, Stacey, from La Panthere Studio and I have some news to share with you about the Mystic Storyteller: Book and Tarot deck! There is so much going on behind the scenes with the Mystic Storyteller, I thought I'd collect all the info here and make a little video explaining it all.
Please click on the link here to hear my message, and then also have a read-through of the FAQ we made below. Hopefully this will give you a window into what we're doing over here to get the books and decks to you soon.
(Although, no one has asked us any questions at all, ha! Thank you all for being patient. But these are the questions I bet you'd like answered) 😉
Q: When will we get the books and decks? A: That's the big question right? Well, if you've watched the video, you'll know we are caught up in the trade war. The decks and books are finished, they are beautiful, but everything regarding international shipping is in a tangle right now, so we have to navigate carefully. I will say: If our plan works, and we get the decks by late May, we can get them to you in June and July. But that assumes we pass customs.
Q: Why are the shipments running late? A: Well it's not really that late, the issue is more about uncertainty. The tariff war hit only after we sent this project off to printers we know and trust, and with whom we already have an established process. But that was 2024 and here we are. The threat now is the danger of confusion and unexpected tariffs at the border. We simply do not have the funds to pay thousands of dollars in tariffs, nor should we have to (I talk about this in the video).
Q: What's the plan? A: I explain it in the video, but basically we have learned that printed matter such as books, leaflets, artwork and even cards are supposed to be exempt from all taxes, due to laws protecting the free flow of information. We are living in times of such great uncertainty and chaos... but at the end of the day, we're just going to GO FOR IT, we are asking them to ship in the next week or so. May The Odds Be Ever In Our Favor, as Katniss would say.
Q: Will we have to pay more in shipping? A: I don't think so, and it is nowhere in our intentions to ask for more money from any of you. We are over budget, however, and if we end up with shipping costs that we never dreamed of,—nor could ever have budgeted for— Well, if that happens in a major way, a discussion will have to be had. But no, we will not charge anyone's card without permission. I would never, ever allow that to happen.
Q: Stacey! How am I supposed to write this novel without Mandy's book on my desk? A: I feel this, believe me. I have a novel in progress too, actually, and I'm simply dying for mine as well. I hope all of you saw that Mandy has made her Substack blog free for all? Which is so awesome... Please join her community and enjoy all the tidbits she has been sharing to help authors along on their journeys.
They will go out in waves... so yours may be Monday, or later in the week.
This is by far the most important update, and one that we hope reaches every single one of you.
Remember, the surveys are the way you communicate your address to us, which we do not have, and also pay for shipping, based on your location. Note, the international orders may have new tariffs or rates that we didn't anticipate in 2024 (how could we have?) so do your own research on that, please.
Why do we send surveys early if the products aren't ready?
We send surveys within a month or two of shipping so we can ensure that we have your info locked and loaded, and also to ensure that if there are payment issues with shipping etc, we have time to get them resolved.
Moving soon?
If you know that you will be moving to a new address in the next couple of months— say, before March 31— please give us the new address instead.
2. The products are being manufactured as we speak!
We are so pleased to say that thanks to you, the Mystic Storyteller products are IN PRODUCTION! We had to pause for a solid month to allow for delays at the factory that were out of our control, but the machines are humming again.
All of the card illustrations were completed by Roz Kazaz in December, as promised. One of my favorite "new" cards is our Devil...
All 3 of these folks are real people, by the way. Two of them have paranormal podcasts... can you guess?
The Mystic Storyteller Book looks amazing
She's a biggie!
In case you missed the last update... Here's a sneek peek of the book. Honestly I dunno ho he's holding it with just one hand.
This sample weighs almost 2 pounds, y'all. Wow!
One correction we're working on is increasing the inner margins, which were too tight.
The books are expected to be complete by the end of February, and by then we should have a sample of the decks, inner booklet and box by then as well. Once we approve those, they will take a few weeks to produce and ship by surface freight as well.
I know, the wait is excruciating! But we'll have them in our hands by Spring. When the birds are singing.
We are so pleased to say that thanks to you, all of the Mystic Storyteller products are complete and IN PRODUCTION!
The Mystic Storyteller Book and Tarot Deck are on press
As mentioned in the campaign, we already have a great relationship with our printing house; the same printers who have manufactured The Southern Gothic Oracle and many of our other decks as well. We selected the highest-quality card stocks and papers and we're feeling really good about how lovely it's all going to be.
Here's a sneek peek of the book... it's a whopper!
At over 520 pages... we had to opt for the extra-heavy binding :)
This sample weighs almost 2 pounds, y'all. Wow!
We are so proud to say we also have the opportunity to upgrade the box from a "tuck box" (you know, the ones with a tuck flap on the top, like poker-playing cards have) to a rigid, two-part box. This made both Mandy and me very happy, as it will give the tarot deck more protection in the mail and on your shelves for years to come.
This is just a mockup, as the box has not yet begun production. So pretty!
If you have not yet pledged for the Mystic Storyteller, we have a Pre-Order page! Please have a look and make your orders ASAP so we can have final numbers!
