PDF Release, Cards Charged, Check Your Email!
4 months ago
– Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 12:02:37 PM
Hello Backers!
BackerKit is currently charging all of the cards on file for any add-ons, adjusted pledges, and shipping fees. Once your payment is confirmed, you should receive a link for digital downloads of the finalized PDF and a folder containing the Character Sheets, Item Cards, and Maps in print-ready U.S. Letter grey-scale format.
For some reason, BackerKit has distributed both digital downloads twice, I don't know why this is the case, but they are identical files!
If you haven't received any files and your payment went through please be patient! BackerKit is still distributing all 700+ links. It is also very possible that your card was declined, I know that it has happened to me many times on a BackerKit project that gets flagged as potential fraud from my credit provider. The charge will show on your statement as DELDON, LLC. Please confirm with your bank and retry the payment so that you can receive your rewards!
itch.io keys will be distributed at a later date when the page goes live, after physical distribution has begun.
Thank you all for your extended patience, we are beyond proud of the game in this final form!
Orders Locking Now!
4 months ago
– Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 03:40:40 PM
Hello backers!
You should receive an email today from BackerKit explaining that your order is being locked. In 48 hours, all cards will be charged for any add-ons, shipping fees, or adjusted pledge levels. The charges will come through as DELDON, LLC on your statement, and may be flagged as fraud by your card company.
If you had selected the stretchfunding goal of a physical cassette tape, unfortunately we did not meet the minimum number of pre-orders to meet the goal, and that item has been removed from your cart. You will not be charged for the tape.
Be on the lookout for the funds being collected on Monday.
Thanks!
-deldon
Surveys Due, Orders Lock on Friday, January 26th
4 months ago
– Wed, Jan 24, 2024 at 03:42:40 PM
Hello backers! This is a reminder that the BackerKit Pledge Surveys are closing on this Friday, January 26th and cards will be charged at that time. We are ordering the print run for the zines soon afterward and will keep the addresses unlocked for any changes until we have the prints in hand, some time in March. This means that you will have until that time to double check and edit your address. Likewise, BackerKit will send out an email when we are ready to lock addresses.
Thank you all for your continued patience as we grow ever closer to the finish line!
-deldon
January Update: Layout Wraps Up, Print Date Set, Updated Shipping Prices and Timeline
4 months ago
– Tue, Jan 09, 2024 at 02:04:07 PM
Hello backers! We have exciting news this month about when you'll be getting the zines!
Layout moves into final revisions
For the last month, Cenza and I have been trading the zine back and forth, tweaking the layout to make sure that it is as easy as possible to use at the table. This last round of revisions has begun and I know that the zine will look fantastic by the time it is done. We're about a month out from printing, which also means we're only a month away from a digital release! The files will be uploaded to BackerKit first, so make sure that you are registered there and have filled out your survey (even if you only backed at the digital tier) if you want the game as soon as possible. The itch.io keys will be sent out when the page goes live some time after fulfillment concludes.
The shipping conundrum has reached a close!
We are happy to announce that Sam at FloatingChair.club will be handling US fulfillment! I've received many games from Sam over the years and I know that the services provided will be top-notch! Additionally, Marx Sheppard from the Far Horizons Co-Op will be handling UK, EU, and all other fulfillment outside of the US and Canada. This does mean that we are no longer able to offer any DDP to our EU backers. We searched high and low for a solution but unfortunately, our number of EU orders is far too low for any fulfillment partner to offer DDP. Drago over at Ratti Incantati is still on board to handle Canadian shipping.
We are, as always, trying to keep shipping costs as low as possible. However since originally launching the BackerKit Pledge Manager and Pre-Order store, pricing has gone up around the globe. I've updated the price of shipping to match the new quotes that I have from our fulfillment partners. No one has yet to be charged for shipping, and once again, you can edit your shipping address after we have charged for shipping, all the way up to the point that we are ready to lock shipping addresses and begin fulfillment. I will be making multiple notices when that is about to happen, so rest assured you will have the time to do so.
Printing Date Set & Card Charge Date
We're marked down to begin the printing production on February 1st with our printer, Risolve Studio. They've given us a quote of a 3 week turnaround, subject to change based on anything that may come up in the printing process. We're not expecting any issues with them however, as they're pros! In order to have the funds clear for the print run, we are going to Lock Orders and Charge Cards on January 26th.
We're expecting to have all of the zines boxed up and ready to send out to our fulfillment partners by February 26th. Once the zines leave our hands, we'll lock addresses.
Real Timeline, with Dates and Everything!
I know we've been vague in the past about times, but now that we're in the final stretch and setting timelines with other businesses, these dates are much more accurate. They can be pushed further back, if, for example, there is a delay in the printing or shipping of the zines, but expect this timeline to be the most accurate thus far.
January 26th we are locking orders and charging cards. This means you have until then to change any add-ons or update payment and billing information. One month later, February 26th, we are locking addresses, which means you have until then to update your shipping address. If you have not yet filled out your Pledge Survey, January 26th is your deadline!
Thank you again for your continued patience and support! As always, we will update you again when we reach the next stage of the fulfillment process.
Thanks!
-deldon
Layout Progress, Fulfillment Changes, & Printing Updates
6 months ago
– Fri, Dec 01, 2023 at 05:12:24 AM
Hello Backers!
The last two months have shown incredible progress on the zine's layout, and the production continues on.
Layout Persists
Cenza and I have been busy passing the document back and forth making corrections and tweaks to the layout. We're at the final stages of this now, hunting typos and making sure everything is aligned on the page. There's a lot of content in these 48 pages (well really 46 the covers don't count) and we want to make sure its not only legible but easy to scan and reference at the table. We're at the limit of how many pages a staple binding can reliably hold, so we're looking at every inch of space – rewording phrases, consolidating sections, and shifting the order of content.
I've had to cut one page in order to make room for the player rules: "Shops & Services". This single page contained a list of items with prices broken up by the type of shop you'd find them in. I'm still going to use this information and make it available for free as a supplement to TDLBY on the itch.io page after launch.
Fulfillment Partner Changes
If you follow the Indie TTRPG space, you may have already heard that our fulfillment partner, Peregrine Coast Press, is sun-setting their fulfillment services. If you're interested, you can read their explanation of this situation here: https://peregrinecoast.press/en-us/blogs/articles/so-why-is-fulfilment-going-away
I'd personally been working with Hugh and can only say great things about how helpful he was. I've reached out to them as well as other folks in the scene to see if anyone is able to pick up our project for any or all of those regions.
Additionally I've made the decision to seek out a fulfillment partner for US orders as well. At this point I feel much more comfortable finding someone with the experience to tackle this project, instead of setting up a distribution center in my basement for 2 week.
No one has yet been charged for shipping fees, and this is part of the reason why. Postal rates across the globe are inconsistent now, and we want to be able to offer the best rates. Once I have all of the fulfillment partners lined up I'll update here with the new rates, as well as updating the rates in BackerKit. Shipping addresses will be able to updated up until the point that we are ready to ship, which will be after cards are charge and the print is ordered.
Printer Pending for January
Now that the calendar year is winding down, a lot of businesses are closing their books for 2023. I've been in communication with our sales rep at Risolve Studios for all of 2023 and we're looking towards January now for booking a printing date. As I mentioned above, we're close to finishing the layout, but not quite done yet. I'll update here when we have a contract with them for a printing date.
PAX Unplugged
I'll be at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia this weekend, handing out some slick business cards that Cenza designed.
If you're tabling or attending and want to meet up let me know! I'll be bringing a small amount of materials to run the sample dungeon from the zine, but don't have anything booked. If there's interest I can try to snag a table in Free-Play. Any interest should go through the discord: https://discord.com/invite/UcK2ZmeHgv
As always, thank you for your patience. Every week the zine is better than before, and we're so excited to get this out the door and see it in the wild
- deldon
