One week Delay Needed
New release Date set for The Mutant Epoch Expansion Rules of October 22nd 2024
Wait, a delay? What the hell? What’s the deal?
Short Version
After careful proofing and play testing, we need to tweak a few things. The primary author is doing a total last minute read through of the whole 530 page book, while several involved Epochians are also looking things over. This edit is daunting and hard on Mutant Lord’s eye. Shit. We probably can’t get it wrapped up by October 15th. Bumping release day a week to October 22nd to complete extras, make web content groovy, and ensure things are done right all along the publishing chain. Apologies and thank you all for your patience. Just a few more days! WM
Full Version
Last weekend at Kamcon24, a local Kamloops game convention, we did more testing of the new book using 3 proof copies. While doing so went great, there were a few issues that came to light that needed clarification, ;last minute rules tweaks and layout modifications. There were also a very few sentence structure changes and here and there, the odd typo or word choice substitution. By the end of the weekend, I decided I would do one more cover to cover, fine-tooth comb, no-distractions, ultimate final edit pass. I thought, no worries, dude, it’s only 530 pages. Surely I can read that in a week and be good for release the next Tuesday on the 15th. I used to read 500 page fantasy epics quicker than that, right? Now it is Saturday afternoon. I edited and inserted changes for 14 hours yesterday and about the same every day for the last week. I’m about halfway through and it’s going great, except we’re running out of time! Crap, I need a few more days. Also, I need a full day after it’s all wrapped up to finalize the marketing graphics and get the PDF version locked down. I think we can dispense with another print proof, as that will add five days of shipping time for it to arrive here at the studio — but you can bet your polyhedrons that I’ll get the first copy to make sure I’m happy with the gray sale density of the interior art (the first proof was a bit too light, and the second, sometimes, too dark, so am fixing that along with any issues that we’ve identified).
Then there is the issue with my one operational eye. 14 hours of reading and looking at a screen is gonna blow lefty out. I have other books beyond this one, many of them written and ready to edit and illustrate, and if I have a retinal detachment in my last eye, then everything creative I will ever do beyond this is not gonna happen. It’s oblivion for me. And so I got to go a little easier. And heck, you’ve all waited 7 years for this book, surely you can wait 7 days, right? Alas, I’m targeting October 22nd as the new releases date. By then, We’ll have the web content ready, sample PC PDFs and the promo materials loaded.
Now for the good news…
For the foreseeable future, we will release this book at a lower price of 39.99 print instead of $42.99usd, and the PDF will be 19.99. Also, like with some book release in the past, we will offer a promo ‘double barrel deal’ for fans. This means if you order the print book directly from me via PayPal, I’ll have the physical book shipped to you from the printer, and get you the PDF for free via a link from our PDF seller.
The soft cover and hardcover will be available at drivethrurpg in a month or so after release. Why the delay? Because the print copies from drivethru come from the UK and the entire process is very slow. We need to sign off on the sample copies before they can be authorized for sale at drivethrurpg. The paperback is pretty rugged, though, and hell, I’ve been very rough with my 530 page softcover over the last two weeks, and it held up great. I'll add tabs to my copy to make flipping between major sections a breeze.
Anyhow, I’m sorry for the 1 week delay. I’ve dreaded making this announcement and hate to delay the release for even a day, but I've bitten off more than I can chew, fret about my eye, picked up a bug at the convention, and just don’t want to rush this last, highly focused proof read before the release of such an important, long-awaited book. This is the big one. It needs to be as perfect as we can make it.
Stand by for a progress report on our discord server, X, Instagram, our blog, home page, and TME forum. Links to these and all our social media hang outs at our webpage www.mutantepoch.com
Kindest regards, and back to the editing desk with me,
William McAusland
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