In which the seeds we planted thrive and the flowers that grew from them yawn open; we have diverged from the timeline I mentioned last update, but for good reason (see Wretched Domains).

It seems unlikely that anyone missed these, but they were issued in September. We have received a tremendous amount of very pleasing feedback, which is almost fully implemented. The feedback form is now closed, but those who filled it out were very thorough, and I believe have caught everything it is possible to catch. We’ll find minimum five typos after we send the files to print, because we are the stars’ tennis balls.

Incidentally, if you’ve never read any Jacobean revenge plays, they make tremendous inspiration for Hollows. Highly recommend.

You are wonderful. Genuinely. It’s sometimes easy to be flippant about backer feedback (I have used the words “let them rip it to shreds”, and will almost certainly do so again), but it really is so helpful. We’ve all been neck-deep in Hollows for two or more years at this point, and readers with fresh eyes reminding us that we could do things like better signposting for the character creation process are invaluable.

We are now past the point where I can keep calling it “manuscript”!

Maz is, literally now, finishing their run through of backer feedback, including turning it into actionable changes to the book. Graphic Designer Par Excellence, Mina, will finish layout next week. Then it’s ready for the printer!

This remains ready to go.

Editing is complete! We’re in the middle of a robust sensitivity reading process for The Enlightened Alain Cooke, in which the villain is (broadly) Orientalism.

Once Mina’s completed the changes to the core book, she’ll lay out all nine of these in rapid succession. We will then share previews of these for your perusal and feedback. We’ll do a shorter feedback period here - two weeks, or a little under - but given how useful your feedback on the core has been, we think it’s worth delaying print by a couple of weeks to make sure we get your thoughts here.

Speaking of Alain, here’s what artist Kolokomiks has done with Samuel Mui Shen Ern’s text. This is one of our most beautiful Hollows, and one I would be proud to display art from on the walls of my home.

With the addition of a feedback period for Wretched Domains, it looks like we’ll go to print in November - but as a silver lining, you’ll have PDFs sooner. Any further delays should be measurable in days, rather than weeks. For any project other than Hollows I’d say I was feeling optimistic, but hope has no place within these putrescent walls so I’ll close with: I have no reason to be concerned. 

- Chant