Faerie Queene Update
over 2 years ago – Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 04:33:12 PM

Apologies if this is the second update you've received from me today! I was almost finished with a post when it vanished into the ether. So, similar notes might be hitting twice. :)

At present, most of our energy is being spent on editing. Though all of the text has been rendered, and though all of it has been checked, I'm still obsessing about getting every word just right. It's always hard to know when to quit tweaking a writing project--but perhaps hardest to know when to quit perfecting something so big and so important as a 400-year-old epic poem. 

Thankfully, a dear friend of mine who also happens to be a specialist in Renaissance lit has agreed to work back through the entire text. I trust his brain and his heart, so this extra set of eyes is providing a great deal of pre-launch comfort for me.

My primary focus is now on the footnotes. It's a challenge knowing what information to include and what to omit. Spenser's stories are so packed with layers, it would be possible to fill half of every page with bonus information. However, that would take away from the story focus we want for these books. In this final stage, we are looking for the perfect balance here.

A.C. Hamilton's highly annotated version of Spenser's original text contains a gold mine of footnoted information, and it remains the best source for new scholars wanting to dissect the original text. We won't have room for that level of information in our books. However, we do want to include enough to help new readers along their journey.

How then do we decide what footnotes are needed for this project? One option would be creating a hard-and-fast standard that makes the footnote decision for us. However, I am a bit more inclined to treat footnotes like a teacher walking students through a new text--nudging here and there where instinct tells me a bit more information felt helpful. In the next week, I hope to collect a bit more advice and make that call, then work back through the footnotes in all three volumes to add and subtract as needed. 

My publisher has been wonderful about assuring me that we can collect feedback after our first print and then integrate changes before a second printing. So, if you want to send any insights you have after you receive your copies, I'll be taking your ideas seriously as we develop future editions. 

Hannah Weston has sent me sketches of her illuminated manuscript for this project, and it is astounding. I knew she was brilliant before we asked her to do this, but she's outdone everything I've seen of her work in the past. I'm so thankful we reached that stretch goal. 

The enamel Gloriana pins have been created, and they are lovely. I hope those of you who ordered them will love them as much as I do!

Mostly, we are in the "long hours of quiet work stage" of this endeavor. We are editing in three different places of the text right now, and it's wonderful watching readers with a heart for Spenser join together to make this work ring.

Thank you again for helping this project come to life. We are working hard behind the scenes to send you a treasure. 

With gratitude,

Rebecca Reynolds

Faerie Queene Update
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Apr 07, 2023 at 07:20:49 PM

Faerie Queene Fans,

‘Just a quick update on the progress of our endeavor. Over the last month or so, our team has been nailing down production details. We have decided on a printer, and we are thrilled with the company we have chosen. It’s going to be amazing holding these books in our hands after so many years of work!

Unfortunately, Covid has hit a couple of folks on the writing/editorial team, slowing our our progress a bit. All are on the mend now, however, and we are hoping the brain fog clears quickly so we can make up for lost time.

We also had a Zoom with calligrapher Hannah Weston about the illuminated manuscript she is creating for our project. She has some wonderful ideas, and we can’t wait to see what she designs.

Thanks again for supporting our work! We will keep you posted as the long, quiet stage of meticulous, stanza-by-stanza editing passes and we are able to charge into the exciting world of proofs and previews.

Take care,
Sky Turtle Press

Watch for your BackerKit Survey Arriving Soon Via Email
about 3 years ago – Mon, Mar 06, 2023 at 03:32:13 PM

On behalf of the entire Sky Turtle Press team, thank you for the support you offered our The Faerie Queene book project. It has been wonderful to encounter such excitement over a project in which we have invested a great deal of time and energy. 

We will send more details about our process as we progress, but this email contains answers to questions some of you might be asking about your investment.

Can I still order?

Yes. Our Backer Kit pre-order store is now open for your friends and family who did not have a chance to back the campaign. You can visit the store now and have a look around here: https://faeriequeene.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

What's a BackerKit survey?

BackerKit surveys are coming! If this is your first Kickstarter, a survey is the second part of the order process. Here, we will receive any mailing address updates, size information for t-shirts, etc. You can also order extra add-ons here if you would like. This survey will arrive in an email, and there will be an embedded link for you to click to fill out your information. It’s essential to respond to your survey as quickly as possible since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.

Do I need a BackerKit account to complete the survey?

No. You do not need to create a BackerKit account to complete your survey. When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you like. (Just to be clear, you do not have access to this survey link yet, but it will arrive very soon via email.)

Can I add to my order after completing the survey?

After you respond to your survey, you can still go back and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts.

What about my shipping charges?

We haven’t forgotten about them. :) Due to the current volatility of global shipping prices, shipping fees for this project will be calculated once we have the best estimates for everyone. We plan to enter & charge backers for shipping a month or two before fulfillment, when we have better estimates of what it will cost to ship backers rewards. We will alert backers when shipping costs are finalized and  before we charge your cards in your BackerKit survey. We will keep you informed all along the way!

But I was already charged for shipping.

A few levels were mistakenly charged for shipping through Kickstarter during the campaign. We tried to work with Kickstarter to correct this during the campaign, but unfortunately, they didn’t resolve the issue in time. SO, those of you who have already paid shipping will not be charged shipping twice. BackerKit has agreed to remedy this situation for us, so unless you add to your order, you will not receive a second shipping charge if you’ve already paid for shipping.

I used Facebook to access Kickstarter. Where will my survey arrive?

If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. 

Again, thank you for helping launch this incredible project. You're helping us do something that hasn't been attempted in over four hundred years. We're making history together--what a journey!

Onward and upward!

The Sky Turtle Press Team

The Finish Line. Backer Kit. Arthur Mugs.
about 3 years ago – Thu, Feb 16, 2023 at 09:41:54 AM

The Finish Line

I used to notice dollars raised in Kickstarter campaigns. After participating as an author, however, another number matters to me even more: two thousand and three. Two thousand and three individuals (or families) invested in this project.

As the final moments of our campaign wound down, I wasn’t desperate to hit three-hundred thousand dollars. But as our investor number approached two thousand, I felt a knot in my stomach.  When we crossed the 2K line with minutes left to our deadline, I cheered like crazy.

Estimating conservatively, I’ve already spent five to six thousand hours on this project. Most of those hours have been completed in isolation. I’ve sat in libraries or at my desk with stacks of reference books, working line-by-line through 400-year-old poetry. While doing this, I wasn’t sure if anyone would care about a piece of literature this old. I knew The Faerie Queene was unique, worthy, even intoxicating—but the state of humanity has seemed pretty grim of late. I didn’t know if a world as crazy as ours had enough heart left to sit before the hearth of old magic. As our investor base grew, however, it all became real. People do still care about old stories.

Sure, a few of you bought these books because you know me. Close friends and family would have bought my in-depth analysis of banana pudding, if it existed. But most of you don’t know me. You bought these books because you have managed to remain curious in the midst of a cynical and arrogant culture. So, with this update, I want to salute you for guarding a pilgrim heart. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the journey we are about to take together in these pages.

A Few Words of Thanks

I also want to thank my work cohorts. Steve Smith listened to a tired teacher after a long day of class as she sighed, "Someone out there really needs to create a prose rendering of The Faerie Queene." He believed me when I insisted on an uncommon format for the books: a combination of gorgeous illustrations and footnotes that pointed toward critical research. Usually, a book has one or the other; I wanted both. Steve helped make that happen.

It took Steve two years to convince me to launch with a Kickstarter. I didn’t understand the platform. I didn’t know the sort of dreamers and inventors who rally here. I didn’t understand the publishing industry at large or why it has become critical to connect authors/small publishers with readers in direct ways. After showing up here, I've grown to love this community. Thank you Steve, for all of this.

Jon Morris, our company owner, also helped provide critical resources for marketing. All my hard work would have gone unnoticed had Jon not been willing to make sure that we were seen on social media. He took that financial risk and helped us evaluate strategies for spreading the word, and I will always be grateful for it.

Finally, r/Fantasy on Reddit, I’m in awe of the support you’ve provided. Until the past week or two, I mostly watched Reddit from afar. It seems to be a zero-BS platform, and criticism can be intense. Yet, when the moderators of r/Fantasy allowed me to post about this project in the eleventh hour, I was met with instant encouragement, support, and welcome. Members jumped in to help however they could, not just purchasing the books but also sharing with friends. I’d heard r/Fantasy was a special group. Now I know for sure.

Updates and BackerKit:

I’ll try to keep you updated as we progress without flooding you with emails. As you can see, I’m a bit behind on personal emails myself, so I know nobody needs more junk. We are in the process of getting a blog going on www.faeriequeene.com, and I’ll share textual information there.

Also, within the next week, we hope to have the BackerKit page set up. I found out today that this will allow us to receive book orders indefinitely. Bonus items like the mugs, swords, crowns, and t-shirts will have a stricter final deadline, as we are ordering those in bulk from other companies. I’ll let you know those deadlines dates soon.

Prince Arthur Mug

Finally, we are going to be offering a “Semper Gloriana” Prince Arthur mug to match the Gloriana. You might have seen my Arthur sketch for the new sticker. After I get the line art in a bit better shape, we will add the “Semper Gloriana” heading above this image and send our final design to Sunset Hill Stoneware. These new mugs will be the same shape as the Gloriana, but glazed with the color root beer. The blue highlights of this glaze will complement the blue of your Gloriana mug. These will be sold in sets with Gloriana or solo, so you can add a single to the one you have already purchased. BackerKit will carry these once we get it running.

Again, thanks to everyone for jumping in. We are so grateful for your investment in this journey!

Onward and upward!

Rebecca K. Reynolds

Free slipcases now added to all standard sets! (And a new free reward announced.)
about 3 years ago – Sat, Feb 11, 2023 at 09:06:15 AM

Congratulations! We crossed the $200,000 stretch goal mark yesterday! This means that everyone who has bought a standard set will receive a free printed slipcase along with the books!

With this update, we are also introducing a surprise reward that you can earn for free. So if you want to find out how to qualify, scroll below for the details.

REMANING GOALS

Two remaining mystery stretch goals have now been revealed. If we reach $250,000, gifted calligrapher Hannah Weston will create a historically-inspired illuminated manuscript rendering the first stanza of the first canto of Book One of The Faerie Queene. Everyone who has purchased an order that will be mailed will receive one of these art prints, if we reach this next goal.

At $300,000, renowned fantasy illustrator Mark Nelson will create five character sheets featuring characters from The Faerie Queene to use in RPG.  These will also be sent to everyone who has purchased an order that will be mailed.

FREE GIFT: A 3" VINYL PRINCE ARTHUR STICKER 

Arthur chases after his love Gloriana throughout the entirety of The Faerie Queene, so give love a hand, and help these two finally find one another again on your water bottle.

TO QUALIFY FOR THE FREE GIFT, you will need to do complete one of the following tasks.

1. Tag at least three friends on one of our social media posts explaining this project (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

OR

2. Write your own post about this project on your own social media account and tag Sky Turtle Press.

OR

3. Slay a dragon with your bare hands and send us a picture to prove it.

If you've completed one of these tasks, just let us know in your final Kickstarter survey, and we will send along your sticker with your order

Just three days left! Let’s make them count. What good company you’ve been! We’re so grateful.