News news news! 

It’s much sooner than I expected, but I’m ready to rock your world with an amazing update. 

As many of you know, the hardest part of this whole funding campaign has been, well, asking for help. I’ve often said that I wish this had nothing to do with money, because the monetary value is of little significance to me. Yet it feels a bit like asking for handouts when I’m trying to gather support. 

So, after talking with the crew at Inkshares and a lot of research and pitching, I’ve got great news. 

Proceeds from The Traveller’s Cup will now be going to BuildOn—a charity that focuses on education and world literacy. 

I’ve partnered with BuildOn’s adult literacy program, which helps adults in developing countries learn to read and write. We as avid readers often take the skills we have for granted. But imagine what your life would look like if you couldn’t decipher words, or even letters—if you were never expected to learn something our society considers essential. BuildOn is working to change that, and it’s a movement I want to be a part of. 

Once the Quill goal is met (250 pre-orders) 25% of the proceeds that would normally go to me will be given to them. At 750 orders I’ll increase that number to 50%. The reason for the different scale is because until I get to 750 orders I am responsible for my own editing and marketing, and there are fees associated with that to make sure you readers get something of quality. 

Funding on Inkshares to me was never about the money—it was about making sure this book gets into as many hands as possible. By partnering with BuildOn we’ll be able to do something good with these funds and make that happen sooner.

If you’d like to find out more about BuildOn, their website has information on their various programs.

And remember, every order counts. Your bulk orders will have a huge impact. 

Thanks for being a crew I can count on.  

Your Elatedly Eager and Enthusiastic Captain,
-AC 

Top of the Monday, Space Crew!

Today I am surprisingly awake and uncaffeinated. I know I’ve been staying on the DL a bit longer than expected. The upside is that your inboxes are no longer exploding with updates. And I’d rather not bother with downsides today, because I’m bracing myself for a lot of good news. 

I’ll start with a few things I can let you know about, but there is much more to come.

First: I’ll be making a guest appearance on the SciFi Geeks Club Podcast on April 7! It’ll be airing live at 9:45pm EST, and will be available for replay after that. These guys are fantastic and well-connected with the science fiction community at large, so I’m really honoured to be a part of it.

Second: For FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this year I’ll be doing a 5-page digital issue of The Traveller’s Cup. 

You know how much I like to doodle, so I figured I’d put that to some better creative use. I’ve always wanted to give something away for FCBD, and it looks like this will be the year. The scene will be one of the most iconic in the story. Hint: you’ve already read it. 

Between now and May 7 (FCBD) I’ll give you sneak previews and let you know where it’ll be distributed. 
 

Third: New Backer Prizes Coming

I wanted to announce them by now, but I’ve been waiting for something to fall into place. Regardless, I will get this information to you by the end of the week, because incentives are good, and you deserve recognition for your undying support. 

For rewards outside my control, did you know that recommendations via Inkshares earn you credits? When someone snags a copy of The Traveller’s Cup using the official recommendation links on the book page, you’ll end up with credits you can then use to purchase other books (or more copies of this book). Your sharing goes a long way, and we have a long way to go. If you’re part of a nerdy community or know someone who’d like a copy, use the recommendation links to spread the word!

I have so many other things I want to do and tell you about, but this will have to suffice for now. 

Your Chill and Scheming Captain,
-AC

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!