Shipping starting this month! We swear!
21 days ago
– Sat, Jul 06, 2024 at 12:16:10 PM
Hi everyone!
I'm sure you've all been patiently waiting for the next update where we happily exclaim that shipping is complete, or at least verify that it has started... I'm sorry to say that will be the NEXT update...
Here's what's up:
In full transparency, when we provided the order data and item list to our current fulfillment warehouse, they were caught a bit by surprise and unprepared for the sheer scope of this campaign: 3487 backers, on top of the other campaign we're coincidentally fulfilling at the same time (NO FUTURE, with 2619 additional backers). They have done a great job with our other, more modest campaign shipments, but looking at over 6000 packages of more than 34 different items, 12 of which need to be pre-assembled into 3 different bundles... their assessment of the situation (eg. their quoted price) was far more than we had anticipated (or raised). So we immediately engaged an experienced fulfillment service more suited for a project of this scale.
That unexpected change in plans took a couple of weeks to lock down, but the inventory is traveling between locations this week. The new service fully expects to be able to have domestic orders out by the end of this month (or the first week of August at the latest).
International orders will take a few more weeks because of their (MUCH) more cost-efficient pipeline: they will forward inventory to hub warehouses in the UK, Australia, and Asia to complete the packing and final postal delivery for those global regions. This keeps the per-order cost closer to what you actually paid (and what we actually collected). Still, it does require an additional number of weeks for that freight to reach those warehouses and another couple of weeks for those orders to then get packed and sent to those regional customer addresses. So International orders might not arrive until the end of August or so. We will, of course, keep you posted.
I know that it may be slightly disappointing for those of you abroad to have to wait an extra month, but I assure you that this is the best mutually beneficial process available to us. Your items will arrive from (relatively) local origins, and we won't go bankrupt having to pay fulfillment fees that cost almost double what we collected during the campaign (even as high as some of you felt those rates already were...)
International shipping -- and shipping in general -- continues to be the biggest challenge in running a publishing business (or any business dealing with goods, for that matter). Fortunately, we're small enough to stay nimble so that we can find the most affordable solutions available. The one-two punch of back-to-back successes like FRONTIER and NO FUTURE have admittedly forced us to evolve and evaluate our options to maintain that efficiency, and we're lucky enough to be able to act quickly to meet your satisfaction as best as possible. But we understand how that relies on your patience and understanding. And we appreciate it! We know you'll love these items when they arrive! Trust me, it'll be worth the wait (and the wait is almost over)... 😊
Address lock initiated
about 2 months ago
– Wed, Jun 05, 2024 at 02:25:20 PM
Hi everyone!
We're a little behind schedule from what we reported in the last update, and failed to initiate the address lock over the weekend. We have, however, initiated that process this afternoon.
You will soon get a notice from Backerkit offering you one more chance to update your address if necessary. In 48 hours, however, your addresses will be locked into the system so that we can export all of the final shipping data next week.
That's right, we're starting the shipping preparation next week! The warehouse will require some time to process the labels, pre-assemble the stretch goal bundles, and pack the boxes, but we're pushing to have everything out the door by the end of the month if possible!
We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, make sure you update your address now based on shipping by the end of June. If you need help making that change, message us here on Kickstarter or send an email to [email protected] and we'll help you out.
Thanks, everyone! We're near the finish line! Christmas is gonna come early this year! 😁
Digital Files are distributed! Locking addresses this weekend!
about 2 months ago
– Wed, May 29, 2024 at 04:11:40 PM
Hi everyone!
We emerge from the silence bearing good news: while we still wait for 4 final items to reach the warehouse, we're confident shipping will be ready to begin very soon. So in the meantime, we're doing two things:
1) We distributed the digital files!
You may have already received an email notification from Backerkit earlier today, but if not, check your inboxes or check your Backerkit page directly. You will find all of the links and instructions on your personal Backerkit page (which you can access at https://frontier-by-guillaume-singelin.backerkit.com/). Once logged in, you should see a big blue button in the middle of the page that says "Get Your Digital Downloads" -- click on that to see your personal links for each item ordered.
The books are hosted by Gumroad -- you will have to follow the (simple) instructions to use your unique codes to download your files from Gumroad for free. 😊
If you have any trouble or questions about the process, feel free to email us at [email protected] -- we're happy to help!
2) We're locking addresses this weekend!
On Friday, we will start finalizing the order data for shipping, and you will have one last chance to update your address on Backerkit if necessary. You will get a final notification email from Backerkit once we initiate that phase, at which point you'll have 48 hours to make any necessary changes to your shipping address. If you aren't sure where you will be in July, email us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to help you out.
That's all for now -- we'll be back on Friday once the address lock has been initiated!
Thanks, everyone!
Still aiming for late June/early July
2 months ago
– Mon, May 13, 2024 at 04:02:07 AM
Hi everyone!
A number of you have requested an update, which I'm writing from abroad during a much overdue holiday:
Things are still on track as of the last update, looking good for a late-June/early-July fulfillment.
The books are still crossing the Pacific Ocean, and the various swag items are still on their way from their respective factories as well. No new photos to share yet, but there may be a few advance copies waiting for me when I get back from travel later this week.
Don't worry, we'll keep you posted! If you're not sure where the current target dates lie, please check the previous updates! We'll be sure to post once something is either confirmed or changes.
Have a great week, everyone! Stay excited! :D
Just a few days left to check out our current Kickstarter, MONTE CRISTO!
4 months ago
– Sun, Apr 07, 2024 at 11:08:27 AM
Hi everyone!
As hinted at in the last update, we wanted to share this link to our current Kickstarter for MONTE CRISTO by Jordan Mechner (creator of the PRINCE OF PERSIA video game series) and artist Mario Alberti. If you are interested in slick, contemporary political intrigue, tales of revenge, or have an interest in video game history, you'll probably find this campaign intriguing!
Imagine the perfect life, a booming career, and a beautiful spouse.
Imagine all of that taken away in an instant as you're accused of a crime you didn't commit.
Imagine spending 20 years in a distant prison compound with nothing but time...
...to plan your revenge on those who framed you...
This modern reimagining of Alexandre Dumas's classic novel THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is brought into post-9/11 America by writer JORDAN MECHNER, the creator of the hit video game franchise PRINCE OF PERSIA, which has spawned over a dozen spinoffs across 40 different video game platforms, and even became a Jerry Bruckheimer Disney film starring Jake Gyllenhaal!
Not only are we showcasing some rather premium editions of MONTE CRISTO, but you can add video game history to your pledge with two CAMPAIGN EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT DIARIES written by Jordan in the 1980s during his making of the trend-setting video game classics KARATEKA (the first fighting game that inspired STREET FIGHTER, MORTAL KOMBAT, and more) and the very first PRINCE OF PERSIA!
These personal journals shine a light on what it was like being a video game developer in those nascent days of technology long before the first PlayStation or Xbox was even a pipe dream... (Tiny bit of trivia: I began my career as a video game artist and designer in 1992, and one of my very first projects was the Macintosh "high-resolution" edition of Prince of Persia... at an astounding 640x480 pixels!) 🤩
If you haven't checked out the campaign yet, please give it a look before it ends on Friday! We're excited to bring MONTE CRISTO to readers as well as these limited-edition historical journals!
Thanks!
