Logistics update
over 4 years ago – Tue, Oct 08, 2019 at 11:19:56 AM

I'm going to keep this quick. Gotta get the kids to school.

International Fulfillment

I've been informed that 100 copies of each book were shipped to Kixto sometime in the last week. The die-cut counters and card decks should already be there. I'll reach out to Mark and get him a list of all the international backers with their information today.

International books should start arriving real soon now, then: maybe as early as next week, with many in hand by the end of October.

Domestic Fulfillment

As always, the ocean freight is the slow part. We have one customs form to fill out, and there have been a bunch of emails about that this very day. The card decks should be at Studio 2 now, and I received word that the die-cut counters, which were delayed, were starting to ship and should be there by week's end. We have at least 2-4 weeks of "on the water" to wait for the books, so there's no delay there.

So the US books and physical orders are poised for a November delivery.

Card decks arrived in the UK!
over 4 years ago – Sat, Sep 28, 2019 at 01:37:03 AM

I heard from Kixto this morning that two boxes of card decks (that's all of 'em) arrived in the UK last night.

I was working for a bunch of yesterday and the night before on approving the counter chits over in China. Some of the art was a bit beyond the "safe zone," and they were reluctant to proceed. I adjusted some, others the bleed-over was intended, and I have gotten word that packages were ready on the dock yesterday. The US orders got done at the same time (I thought they'd have been done already, but no), and will have the same art fixes as the international ones. 

So the physical stuff is on the way to fulfillment centers, and the books should be ready to ship in a week. This is good.

International Counter Issues Resolved
over 4 years ago – Sat, Sep 21, 2019 at 02:20:22 PM

I have worked with my overseas partner and we believe we have resolved the issues with the counter chits and card decks. I just placed the order and secured shipping such that the physical goods will arrive more or less at the same time as the books.

So: all is well - at least as well as international shipping CAN be - and no delays are currently forecast in getting international customers your stuff: November or so should be most probable arrival date.

And we have a print-complete date!
over 4 years ago – Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 06:00:04 PM

I received word from Livonia this morning that all five files made it through pre-press. I approved four yesterday, and Belladonna, the fifth, was approved last night, and I'll see PDF layout proofs shortly. I expect these to be fine, just like the others.

That means that the books will be ready for international shipment on October 4. 100 copies of each will go to Kixto in the United Kingdom. The balance of books (I've ordered 1,000 of each, but there's some slop there) will ship directly to Studio 2 in TN. 

For the US books, That means they'll arrive in TN more or less the first week in November if things go well. The physical stuff arrives in the next week in TN. So fulfillment should maybe happen in the second week of November, with books actually in your hands by the first week in December. Canada books will ship with the US books this time for the physical-containing orders, but from the UK for books-only.

For not-the-US, I'm still working on the CE Mark thing. The crux of the matter is whether these extras, which are not available for sale (they've already been bought), and only bought on a platform that requires a minimum age of 18, even require CE Marking. I think not, and if my fulfillment partner agrees . . . I'll get those on the way. It's getting close to the point where NOT shipping them will be a day-for-day delay in packing things up, but I still have maybe a week before that happens. So for those 50 folks (international orders with physical goods), it's crunch time. Everyone else is on schedule.

So for that "everyone else," it only takes about a week or so to get things from Latvia to the fulfillment center, and  (second or third week in October), and then they get sent out. Again: maybe 75 total orders there, so not many. So most folks should have their stuff in November, but international shipping being as variable as it is, could push into December as well.

That's what I have for you. I do apologize for the international/physical order uncertainty. This sort of thing is one of the reasons I was nervous about "Stuff" rather than "Books" other than the shipping cost, but one way or another, I'll work it out for  you.

Four of Five Files Approved
over 4 years ago – Tue, Sep 17, 2019 at 09:48:42 PM

I got word today from the printer that the four 16-page files have been approved and proofed. I looked over them - they're very nice - and approved the files. So they go to print immediately.

I'm still working the CE Mark question; I'm having trouble finding someone who will speak authoritively on the subject. Will keep looking.

In other Gaming Ballistic news, if you're interested in my Norse-inspired Nordlond setting, a new project, the Nordlond Sagas, is currently 98% funded after the first week on Kickstarter. 

I'm going to go full court press on the CE Mark thing this week. This has eluded me too long.