Work has begun!
almost 5 years ago
– Thu, May 02, 2019 at 12:23:39 AM
We're just over two weeks from the end of the Kickstarter campaign and about two weeks away from the opening of the pledge manager, and we're both really excited about where we are at.
Following the hectic pace of the campaign and all the international travel, Mel and I needed a bit of time to get some proper rest, some deep sleep, and some relaxation. It has taken us almost two weeks to recover, but it did us the world of good. We have emerged refreshed and energized and raring to get stuck in.
The First Pages
Mel has finished the first bit of writing, and taken the first few photos, while I've done the first bit of editing and the first couple of spreads of layout. I have to say, we're thrilled about where we are at, and the process that is evolving. I'm also going to say that Mel really knows his stuff, and I'm chomping at the bit to get stuck in to a bit of terrain building using some of the methods he has described in the Warping section that we'll be revealing to you all in the coming weeks. You can catch an early glimpse of the pages down below (we're still fiddling with the layout a bit, so we have a few slightly different options we're deciding on).
The Pledge Manager
We've had a few people ask when they pledge manager will be open, and the answer to that is mid-May. We still have a couple of quotes for fulfillment that we are waiting on, and we want to be able to set the best prices for you for shipping that we can. We thank you for your patience and understanding on this, soon we'll be ready to open it for you to add your Add-Ons, adjust your pledge levels, and get squared away for shipping.
When we do open it up, you'll receive an email from BackerKit, we'll make an update announcement here, and we'll be shouting about it on our social media pages too :)
Weekly Communication
Don't forget that not only does Mel do two livestreams each week - one on Thursday at 7:30pm UK time and one on Sunday at 9pm UK time - but he'll also be putting out a "Terrain Essentials Update" vlog every Sunday too. So make sure you head over to The Terrain Tutor on YouTube, and (if you haven't already) subscribe and click the bell to get notifications and follow Mel's week-by-week progress in writing the book.
Cheers
Dave
What a ride! And now, down to the real work.
about 5 years ago
– Thu, Apr 18, 2019 at 01:33:26 AM
Mel and I (and the rest of our friends and family) would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our teammates who have helped bring this dream to life. Thanks to you, we're going to be able to create a fantastic book that will be incredibly helpful for thousands of people for years to come.
Thank you all!
What's next?
Mel and I have taken a couple of days to decompress (I'm almost over my jet lag and Mel's back is starting to behave), but we are now back to it. This afternoon we'll have our first post-campaign meeting and nail down details on things like the bookplate, the page planner for the book, preparations and materials needed, and the general rhythm we'll be following. We'll also be finalizing things like the shipping costs over the next couple of weeks - we're still receiving quotes in from various fulfillment houses.
In May, Mel will start the writing in earnest, and I'll be initially focused on getting the BackerKit pledge manager set up and ready to roll.
The Pledge Manager
For those of you who are new (or relatively new) to Kickstarter, the pledge manager is the place where you get to assign the dollar value that you pledge to the items you would like - including the various add-ons and extra physical copies - as well as settling up for the shipping costs. Whether you have pledged for $1 or for $95, you'll be able to increase your pledge amount and get the book and add-ons that are right for you.
Additionally, the pledge manager also acts as a pre-order store. If you have friends who missed out on the campaign, they will be able to join in and purchase the book (physical and/or PDF) and the campaign add-ons as well.
If you are receiving this Update as an email, you will also receive an email survey from BackerKit. It is very important that you complete this survey as swiftly as possible so that we make sure that it is as easy as possible to get your books to you once they are ready to ship.
Communication with us
During the course of the production of the book, if you have any questions or kind words for us, you can either leave a comment on an Update, on the main campaign page, or send a message to the campaign, and we'll get back to you as swiftly as we can.
We also expect to be putting out two of these Updates per month, AND Mel will be posting a "Progress Vlog" each Sunday.
And the most direct way to ask a question is to jump in on Mel's weekly Sunday Nighter livestream (9pm UK time) where you can also ask him questions about terrain projects you are working on.
We are both very excited to bring you the best book on building tabletop terrain that we can!
Thank You!
about 5 years ago
– Mon, Apr 15, 2019 at 02:15:38 AM
The campaign has come to an end, and we are so thankful you have taken this journey with us!
Another amazing day!
about 5 years ago
– Mon, Apr 15, 2019 at 12:05:38 AM
With just over 10 hours to go, we wanted to say another quick “Thank You!” to everyone. We are now well over 5,000 teammates strong, we have the funding to make you all the best terrain book we can, and there’ll be a nice PDF treat for all backers (currently at 32 pages).
Today will be the day for thanking people and companies that have shared the campaign for us. Keep an eye out on The Terrain Tutor Facebook page for those posts full of tags (we discovered last night, after Mel had spent a couple of hours crafting a wonderful post, sadly with more than 50 tags, that FB will simply delete a post with too many).
We’ll keep the rolling stretch goal going throughout the rest of the campaign, and Mel and I have decided another great way to say Thank You is to add TWO ribbon bookmarks to each book once we reach 10 minutes to go in the campaign (whatever point we happen to be at then).
Not long now.
We’ll see you all during the livestream tonight (starting 7pm UK time) for the final send off!
Cheers
Dave
What a day! NOW we have a book.
about 5 years ago
– Sun, Apr 14, 2019 at 02:37:03 AM
It has been another wonderful day! After making sure that Mel had all his pages, you have now all made sure we can bring you the best quality book we can. We’ll be upgrading the paper from great to awesome and it’ll provide a difference in the final quality. Mel and I thank you so much!
Rolling Stretch Goal
We’ve spent this afternoon talking about what to do next, and we’ve come down to this...
You’ve helped create an amazing book that will help everyone build fantastic terrain! We’re going to stick with the rolling stretch goal - adding another 4 pages to the FREE Show Tables PDF that all backers will receive when we start shipping in February for every $4,000 we reach.
Wrap-up Livestream
Tomorrow night (7pm UK time) we’ll be having a little get together here at Mel’s place to celebrate the close of the campaign. We invite you to join us. Head to The Terrain Tutor YouTube channel and jump in the chat. It’s going to be fun!
Thank you all for your support!
