Reminder - Backer Surveys Lock on November 1st
over 4 years ago – Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 11:13:27 PM

Happy Halloween, heroes! Today's update is just a very brief reminder that we will be locking backer surveys on November 1st in order to finalize item counts for books, pens, cloths, and dice and begin preparing for shipping. If you have an outstanding balance on your pledge from add-on items, your card on file will be charged within 1-3 business days. If you would like to add items to your pledge or modify your order, you must do so before November 1st! You can access your pledge via the original survey email, or visit this link to send yourself a fresh one. 

I will be leaving shipping addresses unlocked a little while longer in order to minimize the number of address changes necessary once we move into the shipping phase. If you need to update your shipping address, you can do so via your backer survey in the same method as described above. I will be sure to provide at least 2 weeks of notice via a backer update once we are ready to lock shipping addresses. 

I expect manufacturing to be nearing completion within the next month, so I will be back with another update as soon as I have more news to share. 

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Progress Update - Printing Phase Complete & Important Reminders
over 4 years ago – Fri, Oct 04, 2019 at 02:35:41 AM

Happy October everybody! I return with some good news and a couple of reminders for you. Let's start with the good stuff:

The first stage of HeroBook GM manufacturing is complete! I have in my possession, as you can see above, a final printed version of the book without the binding. The black-on-black cover is subtle but striking - at certain angles, it looks featureless, but upon closer inspection, the design catches the light beautifully and really jumps off the page. When I decided on the black-on-black/gloss-on-matte design, I wanted it to represent what I think a good game master's world should be: functional and inviting on the surface, but teeming with thoughtful details upon closer inspection. I am thrilled with how it looks and hopefully you can see why. It's actually a pretty difficult effect to capture in a photo, so hopefully this GIF gives you a better idea of how it looks in person - if you don't see it animating right away, give it a sec as it's pretty big.

The printing stage is now essentially complete, and the paper signatures that make up the book have been cut and folded into what you see above. The unassembled books are now on their way from Vancouver to a facility in Los Angeles to receive their Smyth sewn binding, shrink wrapping, and packaging. While manufacturing is actually moving a little faster than predicted, I'm not quite prepared to adjust our March 2020 shipping estimate, as the delays we experienced our last project did occur after printing was completed. I've included ample time in the estimate for possible delays, so we are definitely on track to meet that deadline. Of course, I'll keep you updated right here as we continue the march towards fulfillment.

By special request from one of our followers on Instagram, here's a little sneak preview of a handful of the NPC generator tables you'll find inside - click for a high-quality version!

Reminder of Survey Lockdown Date

Backer surveys will be locked down on November 1st! If you need to make changes to your pledge, such as adding more books or any of our add-ons (including the new dry-erase pens!), it must be done by this date. I will be finalizing shipping addresses shortly thereafter, but I will let you know through another backer update in advance of this happening so that you have time to update your address if needed. To make changes to your pledge or update your shipping address, you can use your original backer survey email, or go here to send yourself a new one. 

HeroBook @ SHUX

For all our hometown friends in Vancouver, I will be hanging out at the D6 Publisher Resources booth at SHUX all weekend long, so make sure to drop by and say hello! We will have HeroBooks and accessories for sale, and I'll have the unbound HeroBook GM proof on hand for anyone who'd like to get a sneak peek. I hope to see you there!

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Progress Update - Printing Begins, Survey Lockdown & More
over 4 years ago – Fri, Sep 06, 2019 at 12:24:11 AM

Time for a very exciting update - printing of HeroBook GM has begun right on time! I was fortunate to be invited down to the printer yesterday to watch as the first sheets came off the presses. I snapped a bunch of photos and video to share with you, so let's get right to it. 

First of all, I finally got to see the finished cover! It's really hard to capture on camera how awesome the black-on-black looks. The glossy details really catch the light and leap off the page. It's exactly what I was hoping for. Trust me that it looks even more amazing in person! Sorry for the vertical videos, I was so excited!

Here's a clip of the black ink being rolled onto the printing plates.

Here's a look at what those printing plates look like before the ink is rolled on. We're using a reticulated matte effect for the covers - this means the whole page is initially printed with a glossy surface, and then a matte varnish is applied onto everything except the graphic details. 

The books come off the press in these big uncut sheets, which are then cut and folded into 16-page signatures and stitched together. 

Everything is still right on schedule. After the printing is complete, the sheets will be cut and folded here in Vancouver before being sent to Los Angeles to be bound and shink-wrapped. Our timeline is getting shorter as we check off these major milestones, but just in case you need a refresher:

SEPTEMBER-FEBRUARY: Manufacturing, packaging, add-ons arrive, shipping everything to distribution centers.

MARCH 2020: Shipping HeroBook GM to you!

I also have three other important updates to share related to add-ons, the backer survey, and conventions!

New Add-on Available: Dry-Erase Pens

I have added a new add-on option to the backer survey: dry-erase pens! They have the same great fine point tips as our awesome Staedtler wet erase pens, but you can wipe them off without moisture - they even have a small eraser nib on the end so you don't end up with ink on your hands! If you want to add a dry-erase pen to your order, or switch from a wet-erase to a dry-erase pen, you can do so via your backer survey. To access your backer survey, use your original BackerKit email, or go here to send yourself a new one. HeroBook GM backers will be the first to get their hands on these new pens, but we'll also make them available in our online store once we finish fulfillment of the campaign. 

Survey Lockdown & Charge Dates

I have finalized our survey lockdown date for November 1st. On that date, backer surveys will be locked so that we can finalize item counts for distribution and shipping, and we will be charging your card for any outstanding balance on your order. If you'd still like to make changes to your survey - for example, adding extra books, dice, pens, or cloths - you need to do so by Halloween. If you need to access your survey, you can use your original email from BackerKit, or go here to send yourself a new one. We will be finalizing shipping addresses right before we begin fulfillment, and I'll be sure to give you plenty of notice in case your details have changed. 

Upcoming Conventions

I'm very excited to announce that we have two convention appearances coming up in the next couple of months. We'll be at the D6 Publisher Resources booth at SHUX in our hometown of Vancouver in October, and will also be returning to PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia in December! Can't wait to meet you there!

Material Components on Social Media

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Progress Update - Print Proofs
over 4 years ago – Thu, Aug 08, 2019 at 11:20:46 PM

Hi everybody! HeroBook GM production is proceeding smoothly. I have a quick but exciting update for you today.

Progress Update

I received the first set of proofs from our printer last Thursday and have spent a few days going over them to make a couple of minor corrections to text alignment and colors. Up next is a quick round of digital proofs for the revised pages, and then it's off to the printing press for manufacturing! I'm very excited to visit the printer again in the next couple of weeks to see the first covers come off the presses, as these proofs don't demonstrate the gorgeous gloss-on-matte covers we've all been dying to see.

Here's a couple of photos of the first set of proofs:

This means that we're right on schedule. I've also begun the process of ordering all of our add-ons (pens, cloths, dice) to make sure they arrive in time for fulfillment. Here's a recap of what the next few months looks like:

AUGUST: Final proofing, manufacturing begins, add-ons ordered.

SEPTEMBER-FEBRUARY: Manufacturing, packaging, add-ons arrive, shipping everything to distribution centers.

MARCH 2020: Shipping HeroBook GM to you!

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Progress Update - Page Previews
almost 5 years ago – Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 02:11:01 AM

Hello backers! I have just a quick update for you today as we move closer to printing. 

Progress Update

HeroBook GM is moving right along on schedule. All of the rule and table/generator content has been written and laid out, and I'm currently working on completing the last few bits of the book such as the session log, stat blocks, and quick references. Next up will be a round of proofreading by myself as well as an independent proofreader to catch any typos or errors. I am aiming to finish everything up within the next two weeks and get the files off to our printer, and we'll then begin a few rounds of print proofing to make sure everything looks great. Then it's off to the presses! 

There are still around 150 backers who have not completed their backer survey. You must fill out your backer survey to receive your rewards. If you haven't received your backer survey email, or you're not sure if you completed it, please message me by clicking my Kickstarter profile at the top of the campaign page. 

As everything is on schedule, there is not much new to report in our timeline, but here's a refresher of what the next few months should look like:

JULY: Completing the book and proofing.

AUGUST-FEBRUARY: Manufacturing, packaging, procuring add-on items, and shipping everything to distribution centres.

MARCH 2020: Shipping HeroBook GM to you!

Page Previews

Here are a couple of completed spreads for your previewing pleasure (all content subject to change):

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