Just a quick note to say that we still have a few stragglers straggling in with surveys. If you haven't completed your survey, please do it today. Your book is sitting right over there ---> waiting for your address and shipping.
Also -- I've launched the official website for Swords Against! magazine. Go check it out and share it with your peoples.
We also have our newsletter. Lo about next week, I'll be sending our our first major newsletter with a flash fiction story, an essay, and a bunch of sword & sorcery news you can use. So, sign up if you haven't.
Remember that it's you that makes a small press magazine like this exist. I appreciate all of you. We had someone share their excitement upon receiving the book on r/SwordandSorcery on reddit. I got 10 orders from that post. I've gotten a few from Bluesky and Facebook posts.
I make the joke: share us with your friends, your enemies, and your frenemies, but seriously -- sharing is what keeps small press publishers in business.
If you want to see more Swords Against! and other small press sword & sorcery publications, be sure to share early and often. Keep the creator community going!
Many of you already have your books (thank you so much for posting on social media and discord!). As of this morning, I've shipped everyone that's completed their surveys and paid their shipping.
I also updated Pledge Manager with tracking numbers (and set you to fulfilled). If you don't have a book and think you should, check Pledge Manager for your tracking number. If there's a problem, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly either here or via e-mail: [email protected].
Swords Against #1 is Widely Available
If you want another copy, you want to recommend the book to your friends, or otherwise want to help get the word out, you can share this link, which goes to a landing page and links to buy the book from the Mystic Bull Games website (that's my TTRPG imprint).
By the end of September, I'll be accepting submissions for the next two issues to be published in early 2027. We'll also be running a subscription drive running up to a crowdfunding campaign at the beginning of 2027.
How Can You Help?
If you enjoy Swords Against!
Contribute! This is a magazine that is intended to spread the love of sword & sorcery and celebrate the community. Be ready for our submissions window coming up in September.
Consider subscribing. There *will* be 4 issues in 2027. The less we have to crowdfund, the more that can go into the magazine (crowdfunding campaigns are expensive!). More news on how to subscribe is coming.
Spread the Word! We're on Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok. We have a Newsletter site (expect to see some activity on that this week). Working on a dedicated Instagram, but either way -- Share us widely!
Finally, I want to thank all of you again for your support. It means to the world to me and my team.
I've received the physical books and they are beautiful (and heavy!).
All the shipping materials are here and staged.
I'm waiting on two things:
Addresses to Lock (I believe that happens tomorrow. If you're address needs attention, be sure to take care of it!)
Shipping funds to hit the bank (Wednesday, I believe. There are still a few outstanding folks that need to either update their cards or finish their surveys).
This means, most likely, I'll start shipping on Wednesday, with an intention of having every book on its way by the weekend! Electronic versions of the book will be distro'ed directly after that (one man shop, here, so I gotta stay focused).
I've said it a lot, but I really appreciate the ya'll's support. After this week, I'm updating the website and newsletter site to have some regular features on sword & sorcery, so look for that. Already have an article from Moira McMahon (author of Baby Mama in our magazine).
Submissions for the first two issues for 2027 open around the middle of September. Maybe a bit before. Funding for those will likely be in February (still planning).
Stay tuned for other news (especially if you reside in Los Angeles or points around it).
Here they are -- hot off the press. (Ignore my paint splattered ottoman... I started painting tank miniatures last week and now I'm obsessed with that).
I'm still waiting on my printer to give me that sweet sweet notification that I can come pick up the physical books (expecting that goodness on Friday), but today I finished up the draft of the electronic version of the magazine. I was wondering how it would look in paperwhite, but I think Rick's cover still looks pretty amazing.
That's all I really have to report. I've got all the mailing materials staged up. The order/pledge manager is locked. I'm not nervous, you're nervous.
I'll update when I get the physical books. In the meantime, I'm reviewing this and the FlipZine digital epub. Everything should go out at the same time....
I just submitted a print order for 520 copies of Swords Against! Ya'll are the reason this thing exists, and it's finally done.
I also picked up the FlipZine collaboration we did with New Edge Sword and Sorcery. Unboxing below!
I don't currently have an ETA from my printer on when I'll have the actual magazines in my hand, but it's usually 7-10 business days, so I'm expecting to start fulfillment on or about the 14th of August. I'll update when I do!
Thanks again for backing this magazine. As for future plans, I'm getting all the infrastructure together to both accept submissions and to launch a 2-issue Backerkit around the end of the year. I hope you will stay with us on this journey!
Apple for Scale
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In the meantime, check out some other sword & sorcery projects that we love:
