May 30, 2015
Well - shit.
We're in 5th place with just over 36 hours to go. A month and a half of promotion, begging, pestering, wheedling, and putting every best scrap of the book forward have all come down to this. We have the second highest reader total of any campaign in the top ten. But we don't have the deep pockets of our competitors.
Brass tacks: It is okay if we lose. This was never about whether or not Asteroid Made of Dragons would be completed. It was never about whether or not you all would get a copy. I self-published my first two novels, and I can do the same with this one -- if we lose, I'm making a spreadsheet of every backer, and I will get a free ebook of AMOD into your hands when it is completed.
Ultimately, winning only benefits me. It's a big step forward for my career, I really want a shot at being the Sword & Laser Grand Prize - it would mean getting my writing in front of a larger audience than I've ever been able to before. It's an amazing opportunity - I completely understand why everyone in this campaign is so determined to win, so invested in succeeding by any means necessary.
So - DO NOT run out and pre-order 20 copies. If you have 20 friends you can convince in the next day, that's great. But you have all done more than you should have. The number of my friends that are sitting on 3, or 5, or 10 copies of this book staggers me. The number of my friends that have shared the campaign around humbles me - a ceaseless wave of support. And all of you backers are my friends now, by the way - I'm not just counting the personal ones. If you plunked down your money on a book as silly as Asteroid Made of Dragons - well, then you are my boon companion.
I seriously considered not saying anything at this point. The die is cast - just let the last day roll by and wait for the inevitable. But you paid yer money, as they say - it's your campaign too. We stand, Wild Mages and Squires, on the bow of a ship - and we are taking on water. If the wind is with us, we may still make port. If not, then let us dine with the sea-elves. I hope you brought your finest garments, as their dress code is severe. No cummerbunds! Sea-elves don't truck that tacky High School Chorus bullshit.
Noblesse oblige - but lightning works on anything.
G. Derek Adams