Backerkit surveys emailed
Over the last two days, you should have received an email from Backerkit requesting that you complete the Stories from the Slip survey. This survey...
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worlds by watt
about 1 month ago
Shrimp-mouse patches arrive + editing is near complete
Hey, Stories from the Slip backers, I've got several positive updates to share with you today!
Shrimp-mouse patches arrive
The most exciting news---the fabric shrimp-mouse...
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worlds by watt
2 months ago
Sold out! (and project next steps)
With 6 hours left, we sold out of Cloud Empress Stories from the Slip! As a reminder, the campaign was limited to 1,000 copies to ensure a quicker turnaround from crowdf...
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0
2
worlds by watt
3 months ago
One week later and project origins
Hello! It’s been a heck of a week—only 222 copies of Stories from the Slip remain! Thanks so much for you support and making this campaign a success. It’s never clear how c...
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worlds by watt
3 months ago
Funded! 18K and counting!
Stories From the Slip is funded, three times over! Thank you so much for your financial support. The success of this project will help me keep creating strange worlds fille...
Over the last two days, you should have received an email from Backerkit requesting that you complete the Stories from the Slip survey. This survey will ask you for your shipping address and payment information for shipping. Credit cards will be charged on a rolling basis every few days.
Most of the shipping prices are fairly close to the amounts quoted in early May. There was a $7 increase in EU shipping (from $10 USD to $17 USD), which I'm not thrilled about. I think I neglected to factor in some service charges from Iglootree, so apologies for the misquoted amount. The actual shipping total will be closer to $20-22 for each package, so I'm trying to take on some of the costs by offering shipping at $17.
Please complete your Backerkit survey by Wednesday, September 3rd, to ensure the timely delivery of your pledge.
Production complete
Stories from the Slip zines
Ballad of the Blooming Blade Interior
Ballad of the Blooming Blade back cover
Since my last update, editing has been completed, I've received pre-production proofs of all three zines, and final production has been completed. I expect to have all the zines delivered on Tuesday, Aug. 12th.
I'm thrilled with the quality of the pre-production and very happy with my writing on the projects (with the tremendous help from editor Walton Wood).
One minor misstep, I hope to rectify in future Cloud Empress newsletters—I didn't leave myself enough space to fit the original 20 sword spells planned due to page limit/layout constraints. I fit 5 sword-spells on the back cover, but I plan to add 15 more in future Cloud Empress newsletter pages.
Anyway, I think you'll be thrilled with the zines when you get them. Ballad of the Blooming Blade and Bodyhopping in Polite Society turned out to be wonderful experiments.
Timeline review
Project estimated completion: September 2025
Looking at our overall timeline, the project is still on track to be completed in September, with many backers receiving their pledges in August.
If you have any questions, put them in the comments and I'll try and get them answered!
Hey, Stories from the Slip backers, I've got several positive updates to share with you today!
Shrimp-mouse patches arrive
The most exciting news---the fabric shrimp-mouse patches have arrived and look fantastic! I'm always worried about how details will come out in the embroidery process, but all of the mouse's details came out crisp.
Shrimp-mouse patch sitting in the sun.
Editing is near complete
Copyediting is complete, and I received back the first round of proofreading edits. I should have the layout updated by the end of the week. Then we'll likely have a final pass to catch any last mistakes.
Project map
Stories from the slip project map, estimated completion September 2025
So let's look at the overall project map. I think we're in overall good shape. There could be unexpected delays in the printing process, but Print Papa (our US printer) has been very quick and responsive during the first Cloud Empress zine project.
You should expect the pledge manager to go live in early August, around the time I hope to have the zines printed.
That's it for this update. Let me know if you have questions, and I'll get them answered to the best of my ability!
With 6 hours left, we sold out of Cloud Empress Stories from the Slip! As a reminder, the campaign was limited to 1,000 copies to ensure a quicker turnaround from crowdfunding to fulfillment.
Thanks to everyone who backed, commented, and shared the campaign on social media!
What happens now?
We'll be finishing writing and editing for Ballad of the Blooming Blade and Bodyhopping in Polite Society through June and July. Ideally, printing and fulfillment will be completed from August to September. The pledge manager will open in July to enter your address and pay for shipping.
In the meantime, you can expect monthly updates on Backerkit about the project's progress.
Thanks again for all your support! Like most of my projects, I treated the campaign as an experiment (running a campaign on Backerkit for the first time, no stretch goals, reduced advertising, etc.). Thanks so much for making Cloud Empress: Stories from the Slip a success!
If you have questions, post them in the comments and I'll get them answered.
