Okay, so maybe I’m a bit biased in my assessment of this project’s relative importance in the world. Either that, or I’ve discovered that the more sensational the title, the more clicks my website gets. (Spoiler: it’s the latter.)
Either way, the objective truth is this: with fourteen days left to go, The Kairos Mechanism‘s Kickstarter campaign is sitting pretty at 102%. This is outrageously cool, and I’m hugely indebted to everyone who’s helped out.
In these last two weeks, I have a lot of web appearances set up in the hopes that with the help of the very generous folks who are hosting me, I can really make the most of what time I have left. Because it isn’t over until it’s over, and I still have really high hopes of being able to commit to a second volume in the Arcana series before the campaign ends. And I really, really, really want to start planning for Arcana #2, because (as I may have mentioned last week) my next two books have been scheduled for spring and fall of 2014. That leaves a year between The Broken Lands and the next traditionally-published title, which seems like a perfect excuse for another novella.
To commit to Arcana #2 now, I need to hit $9500, which will cover most of the paperback costs of that next novella. A much more modest stretch goal for these last two weeks is this: at $7500 I can bump up the paychecks of all of the young artists working on The Kairos Mechanism. I’d kinda really like to do that most of all.
So, to sweeten the deal: at $7500, as a thank you, I’ll post the complete text of The Devil and the Scavenger, a crossroads story I wrote for the students of Deer Hill School in Cohasset, where I spent this past Monday and Tuesday. It’s set in the world of The Boneshaker and it includes a character referenced for the first time in The Broken Lands, but who will return to play several very important parts in the books to come. It’s about 13 pages long, and I’ll send it as a PDF to every backer on the books when we hit $7500. Oh, and (Kate says with as much modesty as she can muster) it earned me the honor of being dubbed “the creepiest writer I’ve ever met,” in the words of one of the fifth graders to whom I told the story during my visit. If six classes of fifth graders thought it was awesome, don’t you think you’d better not miss out?
So, although the goal’s been met, I would still love your help. If you’d like to become a backer but haven’t yet, now’s the time! Follow this link to The Kairos Mechanism‘s Kickstarter page. It’s easy, you can pledge any amount you’re comfortable with, and there are all sorts of fun rewards for you, above and beyond the satisfaction of supporting (er…) literature and (very seriously) the young and eager artists who are going to illustrate it. Friends and family, if you feel comfortable forwarding this on to your friends and family, I will be forever grateful if you would pass the word.
One sad announcement: this weekend’s fundraiser at the Three Sisters Sanctuary has been cancelled due to technical difficulties and one sickly author, but I heartily encourage everyone to go and visit if you can. It is truly an amazing place, and if you’re lucky you can chat with Richard Richards and his daughter, Sara the Stove Princess, and have them tell you the story of the garden. You will not be disappointed.
Also, coming this week on the Novellablog, we’ll talk tools; specifically Outbrain, the service I’ve been using during this process to drive traffic to my previously-undervisited website, and McNally Jackson’s Espresso Book Machine self-publishing services. Should be fun!
Hope all is well where you are, and, as always, thank you.
*Another explosive title for Miss Natty Chan.
