Goblin Queen

Kickstarter Rewards Status

As of this afternoon, almost all of the Kickstarter rewards for Goblin Queen have been mailed out!

There are only 8 people left for me to take care of, and I’m waiting on them to check and respond to their email. In most cases, these are folks who didn’t complete the Kickstarter survey, so I don’t know where to actually send their rewards.

I also have a bunch of donated copies to mail out. I’ve sent the first three, but the bulk of those may end up waiting until post-surgery.

Having signed and mailed 300+ books, all I’ll say is that I’m very much looking forward to letting my publisher worry about distribution for whatever book I write next 🙂

Updates: Goblin Queen and Hand Surgery

Let’s start with the book stuff. Happily, the bulk orders for Goblin Queen were printed and shipped more quickly than the proof copies. These twelve boxes arrived last week from IngramSpark, and since then I’ve also received the order from Amazon.

12 boxes of books

So I’ve been spending most of my free time signing and shipping books. As of this afternoon, I’ve gotten a little over half of the backer rewards dropped off at the post office. My goal is to get the rest of them done before October 12, because…

…on the morning of October 12, I’m going in for surgery to try to fix the Dupuytren’s contracture in my right hand. This has been developing for years in both hands, but it’s still relatively minor in the left. The right, on the other hand (heh), well, at this point I can only extend the pinky about 30 degrees from the palm.

We’d originally planned on me getting this taken care of back in 2019, but other family medical issues took priority. At this point, the surgeon doesn’t think I’ll get full motion back, but hopefully I’ll get most of it. If nothing else, after I’ve healed from the surgery, I should be able to type more easily, put gloves on, reach into my pocket, etc — all things that have become increasingly annoying in recent months.

I’ve also been playing with a pitch for my next book. I’m still pulling the details together, especially the ending, but the plan is to do a standalone contemporary fantasy. No goblins at this time, but a lot can change between the pitch and the finished book 🙂

And now I suppose I should get back to signing and packing these books…

Happy GOBLIN QUEEN Day!

It’s Tuesday, September 15, and that can only mean one thing: 3rd Quarter Estimated Taxes are due today for me and my U.S. author friends!

Goblin Queen Cover ArtBut also, Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen is out today!

This is my first Middle Grade book, as well as my first Kickstarter project, and I’m so happy with how everything turned out.

The audio book editions are in production, and I’ll let the world know as soon as those are ready. But in the meantime, you can order the ebook or print version online or from your local bookstore.

Unlike my original goblin trilogy, this one is set in the “real” world — in a mid-Michigan town, where three kids have gone missing, including 12-year-old Tamora Carter’s best friend Andre. When Tamora bumps into a couple of goblins after roller derby practice one night, she gets caught up in the magic and mayhem of two worlds and sets out to save her friends.

Here, have some reviews:

“The characters in this book are so wonderful that you can’t help but root for them to persevere. They’re smart and clever, but they’re also kids, a fact that the book doesn’t lose sight of.” –History that Never Was

“This was so much fun! A fierce roller derby-playing heroine in modern-day Michigan meets up with goblins, pixies and more after her best friend is sucked into another world. I loved the twist on standard portal fantasies (as this heroine is the one left behind when three Chosen Ones are taken through the portal to fulfill an ancient prophecy – but she is NOT about to let her best friend be lost to any elven prophecies). I also loved the clever twists on fairy lore and the combination of very real-feeling (and funny!) goblins with modern life and the equally real-feeling Michigan setting. (And OMG I loved the dragon!)” -Author Stephanie Burgis

“No matter what age he writes for, this is one author who never fails to enchant me. I loved this book. The characters read like real kids, which isn’t always easy for an author to achieve.” -Author Deborah Blake

You can read the first chapter if you’d like to get a feel for the book, or jump straight into these convenient order links:

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement along the way!

 

One Week to Goblin Queen

Goblin Queen Cover ArtI guess it’s September now? I’m not sure how that happened, but according to the calendar, there’s only one week left until the release of Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen!

Things are on track for the launch so far. All  the pre-order links are ready, with the exception of iBooks. (We’re working on that one.)

Contracts have been signed for an unabridged audio book adaptation from Recorded Books as well as a dramatic audio adaptation through Graphic Audio, which is pretty dang cool. No release date on those yet, but I’ll announce them as soon as I know.

For anyone who wanted to preorder, here are the links so far. I’ll also have at least one more link for the ebook next week, where you can buy the .epub, .mobi, and .pdf in a single zip file directly from me.

On the Kickstarter front, I’m still waiting for the proof copy I ordered back on August 5 from IngramSpark. It’s been printed though, so as soon as it makes its way through the mail to me, I can hopefully approve that and put in my bulk order. I’ll be posting a longer update about this soon over on Kickstarter for supporters.

I’ve got a bit more work to do between now and the 15th, including an interview about the book that’s been sitting in my inbox for more than a month. D’oh! I’ve been so focused on Terminal Peace, a lot of other things have gotten pushed back.

I think that’s it for the moment. Tune in next week to see Jim perform the traditional New Book Freakout Dance of AAAAAHHH!

Win a Proof of Goblin Queen

I’m still waiting for IngramSpark to ship my proof copy of Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen. But in the meantime, I’ve got a couple of the Amazon proof copies sitting here taking up space. So…

I’ll give one copy (autographed, of course) away to a random newsletter subscriber.

I’ll also give a copy to a random Patreon supporter. This one will also be autographed, but there’s more. See, this is the copy I printed before I had the interior artwork from Leanna Crossan. To make up for that, I’ll illustrate those pages myself. It will be … well, it will probably be terrible. There’s a reason I do prose, not drawing. But I guarantee your book will be unique!

I’ll pick winners later this week, so you’ve got a few days to sign up if you’re interested.

Updates: Goblin Queen and Terminal Peace

Let’s start with Goblin Queen. I’ll be posting this to the Kickstarter site as well.

I’d been hoping to start mailing out books this month, but that was before I dealt with IngramSpark’s customer support and printing delays.

Today I received an email response to my trouble report about being unable to upload the cover file. A report I sent in on July 29. On the bright side, I was finally able to resolve the problem myself last week. With everything uploaded, I reviewed the electronic proof, then ordered a physical proof copy.

That’s when I got a pop-up informing me that due to COVID-related staffing and other issues, printing could take 2-3 weeks, and I might not be getting my proof until near the end of August.

Assuming there are no problems, I’ll be able to put in my big order at that point, and would hopefully get the rest of my books a few weeks later.

The alternative is for me to go ahead and order through Amazon’s KDP print-on-demand service. Amazon was much easier to work with and set up. I went through three rounds of changes, and have three different physical proof copies I received during the time I was fighting with IngramSpark.

But from what I’ve been told, IngramSpark prints a slightly higher quality book than Amazon, and I’d prefer my Kickstarter supporters get the best I can give them.

Everything else is ready. I’ve got the stickers, bookmarks autographed and ready, padded envelopes, labels, and an account at Pirate Ship that will let me print media-rate mailing labels from home. All I need are the books…

#

Meanwhile, I’m hoping to turn in the manuscript for Terminal Peace to my editor by the end of the month. I’ve gotten through about 75% of this hopefully-final rewrite since early July, so I’m on track. But this part of the book has required a lot more reworking to get everything to fit, which has made for a frustrating and less productive couple of weeks.

This is part of the reason I’ve been scarce on the blog and social media and such. I know there are valid and legit reasons this book has taken me so long, but I really want to get it finished. I’m at that point where I’m close enough I can see the finish line off in the distance, which makes me want to sprint the whole way.

Unfortunately, I also need to do things like sleep and eat and all the rest. But I’m getting there.  I just need to remember not to sprint so fast I take a spill…

Goblin Queen Updates and Pre-order Links

Goblin Queen Cover ArtTamora Carter: Goblin Queen is up for pre-order, with a tentative release date of September 15, 2020!

These links are for the ebook only. The print edition is coming, but it will take longer to get those links ready.

For everyone who backed the Kickstarter, my plan is to get your rewards out before the official release date. I’ve got the Smudge stickers, and the bookmarks have been ordered, so all I really need is the finished book and lots of envelopes.

The manuscript and cover art are pretty much finalized. Leanna Crossan is working on the interior artwork, which will take a little more time. While she does that, I’ve started sending out a few review copies. (So if you happen to be a SF/F MG reviewer, let me know?)

I’ve got one more announcement, but I’m waiting for contracts on that piece before I share the details.

I think that’s it for Goblin Queen news. Which means I should probably get back to work on Terminal Peace…

Kickstarter Numbers

Now that the Goblin Queen Kickstarter is over and I’ve had a few days to recover, I thought I’d look at some of the numbers.

Let’s start with the big one. The Kickstarter raised $14,825 from 358 backers. It’s likely that a few of those pledges will fall through, but no matter how you look at it, that’s an amazing total.

Of course, Kickstarter takes 5% off the top, which comes to about $741. Payment processing takes another 3-5%. Let’s call it 4%, or $593, leaving about $13,491 for the book and book-related stuff.

With all the different rewards, I’ll be shipping out and donating a total of 351 print copies of Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen. I’m gonna need to buy a lot more envelopes and mailing labels…

How much will shipping cost? If my estimates were right, envelopes and postage should come out to about $1400 total. Everyone who supported the Kickstarter should be proud — you’re also supporting the U.S. Postal Service!

Sitting to my left is a box that arrived today, containing 1000 two-inch diameter stickers of Smudge the fire spider 🙂  I’ll also probably get about 500 bookmarks, but that has to wait until I’ve got finished cover art.

All five critique rewards were snatched up fairly quickly, which is flattering. This means I’ll be critiquing up to 37,500 words of fiction at some point in the future.

The most popular reward level was $25. 174 backers pledged at this level, for which they’ll receive an autographed copy of Goblin Queen, along with the ebook. They also get stretch goals, including a Smudge sticker, autographed bookmark, and an ebook copy of Goblin Tales.

Two people donated at the $1,000 level, which blows my mind. And makes me wonder what would have happened if I’d kept my pie-in-the-sky $10,000 reward listed…

The first day was the biggest fundraising day, bringing in 153 backers who pledged $5,557. Days two and thirty were pretty close to tied for second place, coming in around $1,900 each. Days 3-28 were more of a slow-but-steady increase.

I was excited to see Goblin Queen listed as a “Project We Love” on the Kickstarter site very early on. Looking at the stats, a total of four people clicked through the “Projects We Love” link to contribute. Definitely better than nothing, but not really a make-or-break boost.

I think that covers most of the interesting stuff. I haven’t been tracking the hours I’ve put in, either writing the book itself or organizing the fundraiser. I doubt I’ll bother tracking the time it takes to sign and pack and ship everything, either. Let’s just call it many hours.

Hopefully this will be interesting/useful to some of you. Feel free to ask questions. I enjoy sharing data.

Goblin Queen: Update and Extra Stickers

Eleven days left in the Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen Kickstarter, and we’re currently 300% funded! I’ve been working on this side getting the ebook set up, talking to the artist about cover and interior art, and working with author and artist Jenn Reese about one of the stretch goal rewards.

Many of you have already seen the delightful fire-spider sticker design she created, but I think it’s worth sharing again. I love happy Smudge and his candy corns!Smudge StickerEveryone who supports the Kickstarter at one of the levels that includes a print copy of the book will also get a Smudge sticker.

If you want extras, or if you donated at the ebook level but still want a Smudge, I set up an add-on option today that lets most folks get up to five additional stickers. Because who doesn’t need more Smudge in their life?

In all seriousness, thank you to everyone for your excitement and enthusiasm for this book. With everything else we’re facing in 2020, this is a nice bright spot.

 

 

Kickstarter Progress Report

I think it’s safe to say the Goblin Queen Kickstarter is going well!

This is my first time doing a Kickstarter, so I tried to keep things relatively conservative. I set $3500 as a base goal that would let me cover the expenses of getting the book published.

Well, we raised that in the first four hours. We hit the first stretch goal later in the first day. Stretch goal #2 on the second day, stretch goal #3 on the third, and goal #4 on the fourth.

I don’t actually have a fifth stretch goal…

As of this afternoon, 215 people have pledged almost $9000 in total, which is amazing. Thank you all so much!

Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ll be $9000 richer 25 days from now. I don’t have an exact breakdown yet, but here’s where that money will be going…

  • Kickstarter’s cut: 8-10% total, if I’m reading everything correctly. Call it 9%, or $810. Oof…
  • Cover art
  • Interior art (stretch goal #1)
  • Bookmarks and stickers (stretch goals #2 and #4)
  • Copies of Tamora Carter: Goblin Queen – 215 books so far
  • Additional books for other reward levels – about 20 books
  • Envelopes and postage

There’s also a significant time investment. I’ve got a lot of books and bookmarks to autograph. Then there’s printing out address labels, getting everything packed up and mailed… And all five of the critique rewards have been claimed, so I’ll need to do those as well.

I know there are services that can help with reward processing and fulfillment. (They’ve been sending me messages every day.) For now, I’m planning to handle this myself, but we’ll see how it goes.

From everything I’ve learned, Kickstarters get most of their funding at the very beginning, with a second spike near the very end. Things will probably slow down a lot for the next three weeks. I have no idea what I’ll be looking at when we finish. One of the Kickstarter projection sites estimated we could be looking at anywhere between $9000 and $21,000. I’m guessing it’ll be closer to the $9000 side of things.

In the meantime, I’ve got an artist working on the cover, and I’m going through the book to try to pick scenes for the interior artwork. I’ve asked an artist about doing the fire-spider sticker art. I’m slowly getting the manuscript ready for printing and ebook conversion. And of course, I’m doing the live readings every Friday night at 8.

I’m happy with how it’s going. Reaching the goal the first day helped a lot with the anxiety, but there’s still a certain level of stress. But it’s more than balanced by the excitement of seeing how many people want to support the project, and of moving forward on publishing this thing.

Thanks again to everyone for your help and support!

1 2