October Projects Status Update

October Projects Status Update

October 2019 Projects Status Update

Dear Grim Oak Community! 

Are you all set for another round of the holidays?!?  Wow, seeing Christmas stuff out at some of our local stores is crazy!  It's only October, People!  Anyways, the upcoming holidays is looking to be a very busy time for Grim Oak Press.  Lot's of good information to share with you, including ongoing printing issues, new contracts, and publication updates.

We want every one of our customers to know that our first job is to look after your investment and bring you the quality, craftsmanship, and service you would expect from a Grim Oak Press publication.  We will not sacrifice any of it for speed.  It has meant wait times on pre-orders are higher than we want them to be and your continued patience and support is greatly appreciated.  Once again a print/bind partner has failed to deliver, and once again, we went in search of another partner to complete our projects and match our eye for perfection - and we believe we have found them.

In full transparency, we have decided to split the production of our titles and use a separate printer and specialty bindery.  This means more work for Shawn and I to coordinate, but I feel pretty good about this as it happens to be the same bindery that turned out Faerie Tale and Uprooted, two of our most beautiful books.  And the printer we have chosen has decades of experience and their service has been spot on so far.  The first title we will see published like this is Magician, which should be in our warehouse by November.  The project will have taken way longer than expected, but we had some service issues and false starts to get past.  Now that we are working a bit more smoothly with our two new partners, I expect other projects to move quicker through the queue.

So how are all the other projects going, you ask?  That is what I am here to answer.  Let's do it:

  • The Wishsong of Shannara (Lettered Editions)
    • Limited Editions and slipcases have been shipped and delivered
    • Lettered Edition owners will be waiting a few more months
    • This one really hurts.  Many of you have read the well chronicled tales on Facebook about the quality issues this whole project has 
    • We are moving forward with our new print/bind partners to finish
      • Magician
        • We are getting very close on this one
        • Our new print/bind partners are well underway
        • Printing is expected to be completed in the next few weeks and then to our new specialty bindery
        • Estimated ship date is November!
        • Lord Foul's Bane
          • Cover was revealed
          • We had a new map created and added 2 more interior illustrations
          • Quotes have been completed and it is in the queue at our new printer
          • Estimated timeline should be in the 10-12 week range for arrival in the warehouse
          • Elegy for Darkness
            • Wrapping up design and layout elements
            • Author has final files for sign-off
            • Quote requests have been sent and once reviewed we will send down payments and get the project going
            • Still expect to see this complete before the end of year
          • The Red Queen's War
            • Artwork is complete
            • Layout and design work in progress
            • Signature pages are with Mark Lawrence
            • Expect to get quotes and the project initiated later in October
            • Should be complete and shipping early 2020
          • Dragonsbane
            • Introduction by Brandon Sanderson is being edited
            • New maps completed by Isaac Stewart
            • Signature pages almost ready to send out
            • Expect this to be done and shipping in early 2020
            • Spinning Silver
              • Donato starting artwork in November
              • Hope to do a cover reveal soon after
              • Signature pages being prepared
              • Should be shipping by spring 2020
            • Song of the Fell Hammer
              • Story editing and artwork completed
              • Currently in design and layout
              • Should be at our bindery as a project in December
              • Expect to ship early in 2020
              • Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad: Book One)
                • Cover revealed on our website
                • Interior illustrations currently being worked on
                • Extremely old text files will cause conversion issues 
                • If you would like to be a beta reader, send an email to jeff@grimoakpress.com
              • Daughter of the Empire
                • Cover was completed and revealed
                • Janny Wurts is working on interiors
                • Original text files are also very old and will require beta readers
                • If you would like to be one, send an email to jeff@grimoakpress.com
              • Unfettered II
                • We are down to 3 authors remaining to sign
                • All layout and artwork has been completed
                • As soon as the other 3 sign we will start the print/bind project
              • Unfettered III
                • Signature pages were split into 2 sets and sent out
                • Working slowly through but making progress
                • Like Unfettered II, all work is complete and we will just be waiting on signatures until we can start an official project
              We are showing slow, but wonderful progress on many of our pre-order titles and as we publish, we will be putting up additional books in the series.  Keep your eyes and ears open for these upcoming titles:
                • First King of Shannara
                • Dragonflight
                • The Illearth War
                • Silverthorn
                • Servant of the Empire
                • Queen of Sorcery (Lettered)

                That concludes our wrap-up for ongoing and upcoming projects.  Your passion and patience continue to amaze us.  Feel free to reach out directly to Shawn or I any time if you have questions or concerns.

                Thanks again for all of your support and allowing us to do what we love!

                Sincerely,

                The Grim Oak Team, Jeff & Shawn

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