Is it February already? Wow, did January fly by! We had all the best intentions of getting a newsletter sent out last week, but unfortunately shipping got in the way...and that's a good thing, right?
After a nice family holiday (Lawsons + Speakmans) we started off the second week in January with thousands of copies of books that needed to be shipped. That included Grimoire I, Warrior, Prince of the Blood, and The White Dragon. And trust me, we needed to get those books moving so we could make room for more incoming titles! Clear space on those shelves folks...
Q1 Project Release Schedule Update
Unfortunately, we had another delay with our bindery receiving corrected print materials with Servant of the Empire. This is pushing the delivery into late February and brushing right up against our scheduled pre-order date for Mistress of the Empire. As much as we want to get that book moving, we have always promised not to put a sequel up for pre-order until customers have received the prequel. Thus, our new Q1 Project Schedule will look like this:
January 8th, The Wounded Land (complete)
January 22nd, Book of the Ancestor (complete)
February 5th, The Elf Queen of Shannara (on schedule)
February 19th, NO RELEASE (removed)
March 5th, Dune: House Atreides (on schedule)
March 19th, Mistress of the Empire (new schedule)
As you can see, this removes a book in February and pushes The Darkest Road into Q2 (and forces us to do a little re-shuffling). Hopefully no one is overly frustrated, but we want to be open and honest about projects and ensure we get you quality for every title.
Shipping Policy Updates
Moving forward, Grim Oak Press will have some new shipping policies in place. The goal of the new policies are to ensure books are delivered on time and undamaged. Unfortunately, over the last 3 months we have seen a rash of lost, stolen, or damaged books via USPS Media Mail. All of you understand when these things happen we ALWAYS do our best to make it right and get you a replacement, even when we are not at fault. Small press publishers like Grim Oak Press run on slim margins, and each time we ship a replacement, it impacts our bottom line. We do not want to increase prices to cover it, so we are going to try and "hedge" our bets by enforcing some shipping rules moving forward.
Domestic USA
Lettered and Rare Editions will only have Priority Mail as a shipping option.
Limited Editions will have USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Priority available as the shipping options. Both of these services provide quicker delivery times and insurance for lost packages, where we can at least recover some of the cost to replace. Ground Advantage has proven to be only slightly more than Media Mail in price and twice as good a service.
Trade Editions (soft and hardcover) will still be able to select USPS Media Mail, Ground Advantage, or Priority and we will stand by each service as usual.
International
We will no longer offer USPS First Class Mail, no matter the weight. Our data has proven it can take up to 3-4 weeks for delivery and the outcome is likely bad. Instead, we have negotiated an excellent rate with DHL Worldwide Express (2-3 day delivery) and will continue to stand by USPS Priority International if you choose not to use DHL. We are also being audited on value declaration, so we will no longer be able to put in lower amounts than what you paid, so please do not request it.
30-Day Return Window
We always want you to be happy. However, we have had quite a few emails lately about inspecting your book and wanting a replacement/return MONTHS after the book was delivered. While we will absolutely do our best, you may have put yourself in a precarious position as we have limited numbers of books for each print run. In some cases, we may not be able to send you a replacement because we just don't have it. Had you reached out immediately, we would have. Please take a look at your book upon arrival and let us know if there are major issues.
Project Updates
Let's get this party started! Please remember all dates our estimates and may change.
Grimoire I, Warrior, Prince of the Blood, and The White Dragon are complete! We still have copies left, but are selling out fast.
- All Collector Bundles are being remarqued by Nate Taylor
- We have been told he will be done with all 26 by end of February
- Our apologies for this, but you will not be disappointed with the work Nate is doing in your Rare Editions
- All editions have arrived in the warehouse
- Initial quality inspection is good
- All cases should arrive in warehouse by mid February
- Shipping of all orders should begin in mid February
- All corrections for printing issues received by bindery
- All editions should be in the warehouse by mid February
- All cases should be in the warehouse by mid FebruaryÂ
- Shipping of orders estimated to begin in late February
- Dust jackets were incorrect and required reprinting
- Bindery is ready to case in once new jackets are received
- All editions should be in the warehouse by early March
- All cases should be in warehouse by late February
- Shipping should begin mid March
- Received completion notification from bindery
- All editions should be in the warehouse by mid February
- All cases are in process and should be mid March
- Shipping or all orders should begin late March
- Received completion notification from bindery
- All editions should be in the warehouse by mid February
- All cases should be in warehouse by mid March
- Shipping should begin early April
Grimoire II: Emerald City Comic Con 2025
- Bindery is on schedule for delivery prior to ECCC
- If you are lucky enough to attend, find us at booth 20607 for special in-person author signings
- Shipping of orders should begin in early April, after we have had a chance to get local contributors into the warehouse to sign
The Magicians, To Green Angel Tower, and Unavowed are all in process at different stages. Keep your eye on our Project Status page for up to date information!