Got a print but no book yet? Not to worry, they're on their way!
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Dec 17, 2021 at 01:28:20 PM

Hey folks,

Since a few people have asked, I thought I'd post this info here for you all! If you get a swag reward in the mail and you're also supposed to be getting a book, don't sweat it! Those are coming soon and separately. This is what the wonderful folks at White Squirrel had to say about it in an email to me today:

"Yup, that's intentional! For domestic customers, we ship posters and/or books separately, because it's cheaper. Customers should be getting their books soon, unless they've ordered one of the ones we don't have in stock yet."

See? They're doing it that way to save you money on shipping! 

I can't say for sure when the books will arrive (delays from the printer, delays from the distributor, holiday delays) but they're a-comin!

In the meantime, I thought I'd post this video Skylight Books asked me to make here for you all to see!

XOXO

Tina

Thank you for your kindess!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 04:11:56 AM

Happy Monday, dearest Backers,

Now that I've had a few weeks to breathe after all the madness of surveys going out, I wanted to give you all a few updates on fulfillment... but mostly write to express my appreciation for everyone who has been so kind to me. I've heard from so many of you in messages and comments, on this forum and others, expressing compassion, patience, understanding, advice, and good humor. I've learned so much already about how the Kickstarter bone is connected to the Backerkit bone, and the Backerkit bone connected to the White Squirrel bone... A little bone humor for ya! And I'm sure this campaign has a few more lessons to teach me. 

Thanks to all of you who have humanized the process. And also, those of you who quietly filled out your surveys, added on last minute items (and tips!), and paid for shipping (there were literally hundreds of you who didn't bat an eye about originally paying the erroneous shipping fees that were extra high because of my data mistake!) — you've reminded me to stop and notice the people who simply keep the process moving. In fact, I took the time to send encouraging messages to all of the Kickstarter campaigns I've backed recently, including ones that have been experiencing similar delays and frustrations. Ya'll inspired me to spread the love around!

Reminder: if you haven't yet filled out your survey, please do so as soon as you can! It helps me cross all the tees and dot all thee eyes!

And now some great news! White Squirrel is hard at work with a warehouse full of SfSx swag. I know there are still some delays with some books coming from Image/Diamond/the printers, and the holidaze just making everything slow like tryptophan. So I want to prepare you that it may still be a while before your rewards arrive. BUT THE PROCESS IS WORKING! 

Other than that, the press is rolling out for SfSx: Terms of Service, and some people have some very nice things to say. I've done quite a few podcast guest recordings over the past few weeks, and I'll be sure to update you on where you can listen to me (and G!) talking about robot desire, cyberspace tragedies, and ben day dots!

Are there comics / genre fiction / queer pods, blogs, events, or anything you think I should reach out to for coverage? Lemme know in the comments!

When you start receiving your rewards in the mail, please do send messages here, post pictures on social, and tell your friends! It will be so satisfying to cycle through this entire system and know the people who believed in this book the most have it in their hot little hands!

Ok talk more soon, stay hydrated!

xo

Tina

SURVEY MISTAKES HAVE BEEN FIXED! Rewards will ship soon!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Nov 30, 2021 at 08:54:37 PM

My dearest Backers,

I’m happy to bring you a humble update on the survey and shipping situation. With the help of Backerkit, Kickstarter, and White Squirrel customer service, I was able to identify and fix a major problem! I have high hopes that this will represent a big change addressing the concerns I’ve heard from Backers over the past few days.

TLDR #1: I made a mistake, and it’s been fixed!

In setting up Backerkit, I made a mistake that affected each and every one of you. I failed to notice until today that the KS-Exclusive Digital E-Zine, which you all earned as a part of our stretch goal, was marked as weighing the same as a physical magazine, and marked as “shippable.” The result of this was that you were all was being charged shipping for an item that was never intended to be physical! This mistake has been fixed and I am deeply sorry that my human error caused you this grief! When the digital zine is completed, you’ll all be able to download it as a PDF in Backerkit, and of course you won’t be charged for shipping.

TLDR #2: Both people who have completed their surveys and those that haven’t should see an update in their overall shipping costs!

As a part of my investigation into how to rectify this mistake today, I was able to spend some time on the phone with White Squirrel. By necessity, the shipping costs in the surveys you received last week were based on weight estimates. Now that White Squirrel has all of the physical reward items in their warehouse, they were kind enough to weigh them on the phone with me and update Backerkit accordingly. In many cases I believe you’ll find that your shipping costs have changed. Some Kickstarters include estimated shipping in the reward tier itself (when you back the project). Some, like ours, charge for shipping during fulfillment (when you receive your reward). In any case, I can now personally confirm our shipping is based on accurate weight of each item.

TLDR #3: The sooner you complete your survey, the sooner you’ll get your rewards!

Now that all shipping costs are more accurate, I am going to lock orders this afternoon for those who have completed their surveys. According to White Squirrel, those packages will ship within the next two weeks! (Note: this does not mean they’ll arrive within two weeks, as this is a wild time of year for shipping, but they’ll be on their way!). Obviously, those who have not yet completed your surveys due to your concerns over my error can now complete your surveys that reflect the updated fix. From there, your information will go to White Squirrel and set your fulfillment wheels in motion!

A few more notes:

• In order to ensure you receive your rewards, keep your eyes out for emails from Backerkit and White Squirrel. If you make any changes to your address after filling out your survey, please message help at whitesquirrel dot com.
• I am one human being juggling every element that goes into completing my first Kickstarter: it’s possible that I will make another mistake, but I promise I will do everything I can to make it right.

Finally, I just want to reflect once more on what Kickstarter has meant to me and SfSx. We are published by Image, but Image does not give us any money to produce the book. Every dollar you pledged this year went to paying the art team to make the book. Without your support, the book would not be at your local comic book store or on Amazon for others to discover.It wouldn’t exist at all! I am deeply grateful to you all for that support!

Thank you made this possible!

Xo

Tina

Two notes so far on surveys (I'm sure there will be more)
almost 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 27, 2021 at 03:50:10 AM

Hi all! Thanks for your messages. I am going to do my best to address them as quickly as possible. Please keep in mind that we're in the middle of an American long holiday weekend where many things grind to a halt. For a freelancer, that meant enough peace and quiet for me to complete all the details necessary to send your surveys! But it may mean waiting a few more days to get answers to any issues. 

Two things are coming up:

1. Apparently, the surveys are charging shipping for digital tiers. That's obviously a mistake and I'm going to fix it as soon as I possibly can! I've messaged BackerKit customer service,  who have been very helpful, and I anticipate this getting resolved by early next week.

2. I'm seeing some questions about being charged for shipping. This is my first ever Kickstarter campaign, and I took it under advisement from several consultants to add shipping at the survey stage instead of making each tier pricier. (I've been transparent about this in previous updates).  As you all know, we're in the middle of a supply chain crisis on top of all the other catastrophes the world is going through. My fulfillment service, White Squirrel, calculated the shipping costs on my behalf. That's what I pay them for, because I'm an expert in a lot of things but shipping costs isn't one of them. When you support a Kickstarter, you're supporting indie creators and their projects: every cent we earned in this campaign went to paying the visual artists, and I'm already paying out of pocket for many, many costs associated with making this book and your rewards a reality.  I know you've been waiting for months for the book to be created and ready to ship, and I hope when everything arrives you feel even better about supporting indie queer art!

Thanks again to everyone!

Tina

Y'know those surveys you've been so horny for?
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Nov 26, 2021 at 07:56:09 PM

...THEY'RE IN YOUR INBOX!

Thank you to everyone for your patience and support. 

Love,

Your local indie artist 

PS: Oh yeah, and I hope you'll come to this!