US/international Group 1 shipping started yesterday! Canadian Group 1 shipping prep is underway!
about 4 years ago – Sat, Dec 12, 2020 at 09:10:44 PM

Hi everyone,

Good news to report this week!

Also before I get into the details: if anyone in any region has an address change, contact me immediately and I will do my best to get your change processed. Group 1 changes are tricky but still do-able for some region regions. Group 2 address changes are easier to make, but the window on those is closing and I'd like to be ready to ship those as the books come in.

US/International

US/international Group 1 shipping by Funagain Logistics started yesterday! I have seen a few of you leave comments that you received your shipping notifications, and I am thrilled we are finally making concrete progress!

I have not yet received an update on the book cargo, which means it's safest to assume it's still clearing customs. My guess is it will clear shortly before we finish Group 1 shipping and we can move fluidly into Group 2.

Canada

Canadian Group 1 pre-packing is underway and the decks are arriving shortly! 

I am refreshing the tracking info for our freight truck literally every hour. Assuming no disasters in transit (and I'm learning not to count on this), the decks should arrive early next week. In the meantime, the shipping team is getting ahead of the curve by test packing, constructing boxes, and importing shipping labels so they can blitz through the parcels next week. 

For Canadian shipping, we're doing all orders by UPS Canada except for those going to PO boxes, which require us to use Canada Post. We've consulted with carriers and it's clear that the Canada Post delays this year are very severe and we'll have much more reliable delivery times with UPS.

If your address is a PO Box and you'd like to change it, contact me by 7pm EST tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 12) through the contact page.

If for any reason you would like us to use Canada Post instead of UPS, you can also contact us by 7pm EST tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 12) to request Canada Post handling, but I'm recommending UPS this year as they are managing the holiday rush better.

UK/EU

I am still waiting for an updated arrival time on the books for the UK/EU for Group 2. I have sent follow-up emails and am told they will let me know as soon as we have an ETA in the warehouse.

Australia

All parcels for Group 1 and 2 went in the mail by December 2 and it's been so lovely to read your feedback in the comments!

I understand usual shipping times for Aus/NZ are 1-2 weeks, but I imagine there are COVID delays down under, like everywhere. If you don't receive your parcel by the end of next week, get in touch and I can check on it for you and make sure it gets to you.

That's All for This Week

You've been incredibly gracious about the delays, and I am so excited to be reporting progress again. Thanks for your ongoing patience!

Weekly Shipping Check In
about 4 years ago – Sat, Dec 05, 2020 at 10:56:13 PM

Hi everyone,

It’s been a week of mixed news, and I’m still waiting on a few follow-up details, but I wanted to check in anyway and give you the updates that came in this week.

Here’s the quick version:

•  US/International: Group 1 did not start like I'd hoped, but is about to start. Group 2 cargo has arrived in port, but some delays are expected.
•  Canada: We are still waiting on the US partner to freight the Group 1 decks. Group 2 cargo has arrived in the US port, but some delays are expected.
•  UK/EU: Group 1 is complete. Group 2 cargo has been delayed, and we're waiting on a revised timeline.
•  Australia: Group 1 and 2 are both complete.

Here’s the more detailed region-by-region breakdown explaining the developments.

US/International

The decks arrived in the warehouse just before Thanksgiving and l processed all change of address requests that came in over the weekend and sent Funagain the finalized backer list on Monday as planned.

Unfortunately, the warehouse was not able to start mass shipping Group 1 this week as we had been hoping, which is disappointing. I cannot tell you how excited I was for our biggest region to start making progress. 

Our partner tells me shipping will start very soon, but they haven’t confirmed an exact date. I will let you know as soon as I have one.

The good news is that this gave us time to accept and process the change-of-address requests that trickled in after the deadline this week.

The other good news is that the books for Group 2 shipping have arrived in port. The logistics industry as a whole is seeing fairly unprecedented delays this year, so I’ve been told to expect that the usual estimates of 1-2 weeks to arrive in warehouse may not hold accurate. I’m crossing my fingers it all goes smoothly and will check in when we have clearer ETA on the books in the warehouse.

Canada

The truckload of decks bound for Canada is prepared but our US fulfilment partner has not sent it out yet. Our Canadian partner is ready and waiting to go. All supplies needed to mail everything out are waiting in the shipment centre in Ontario. We are working on securing some extra help so we can get everything shipped faster when it arrives.

The Canada-bound books have arrived in port as part of the US shipment, but as mentioned in the US section above, we don’t have a firm customs timeline yet.

UK/EU

Group 1 is complete.

We’ve received bad news about Group 2 delays, and the Spiral Galaxy team is working on getting us a revised timeline.

Unfortunately, our original port of Felixstowe, England, was so backed up that our vessel had to press on toward the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. We are in the process of lining up new ground transportation to get the books moved via ground transport to Spiral Galaxy in Telford, England.

I will update the shipping page as soon as we have an ETA on the books.

Australia/New Zealand

I am thrilled to report that Group 1 and 2 are both complete. All orders were placed in the mail by 2 December and should arrive over the next week or two.

We ended up being short by 3 copies of The Story Engine fiction anthology. Aetherworks is checking to see if the error is in the count or if any additional inventory turns up. In the event that we can’t find the additional copies, we will ship your books separately from North America. We will make sure everyone receives every single reward they pledged for.

As Always, I’m Here to Help

I wish I had either clearer estimates or more progress to report. I’m watching my inbox like a hawk for check-ins from our fulfilment partners, and I’m updating our shipping page to fill in new information between these weekly check-ins.

If you have any questions or concerns, just reach out via Kickstarter DM or the contact page and I will get back to you ASAP.

Thanks for your incredible patience!

—Peter

Address updates extended until Monday + info and a special deal on postcard subscriptions!
about 4 years ago – Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 04:48:48 PM

Hi everyone (and happy Thanksgiving to my backers in the US)!

I'm just following up on yesterday's update with two more mini-updates!

To recap the good news:

• Group 1 is complete in UK/EU, happening now in Australia, about to start for the US/international, and starting next week or the week after in Canada.
• Group 2 is on track for the latest estimates as well according to the latest reports. (And it's already underway in Australia!)

There are just 2 things I wanted to add to yesterday's update!

1) I'm extending the deadline to update addresses for Group 1 US/international backers until noon EST on Monday,  November 30.

Funagain said they'd prepare to start shipping as soon as decks arrived, which happened yesterday. But as a Canadian who has been living in Europe for the past 2 years, I totally forgot to account for American Thanksgiving!

Given the high volume of update requests that came through after yesterday's update, and the fact that not much is likely to happen with shipping over the long weekend, I'm extending the address update window until Monday.

I want to give everyone a chance to update their address and make sure everyone gets their rewards delivered exactly where they want them. I've already handled the first batch of requests that came in.

Just contact me via DM or the contact page with your new address!

2) I now have details on how backers can renew their "postcards from the future" subscriptions!

For subscribers (or for anyone who didn't subscribe but wants to receive a postcard-sized short story signed by me and mailed to your door every month on premium matte cardstock), you can get a year's subscription for 10% off by using the discount code KICKSTARTER!

Click here for the renewal link.

This is actually part of a brand-new website called Nat 21 Workshop that I just launched to manage subscriptions and to make up for all the conventions I had to cancel due to COVID this year. I've also set that code to give 10% off to Kickstarter backers site-wide as a thank-you for your patience!

In addition to The Story Engine/The Shortest Story, I make comics, and a highlight of my year is doing the comiccon tour and getting to meet the creative community that's grown around my work. I also love getting to see people read my stories, comics, pins, and T-shirt designs and react, right there in front of me.

I really missed that this year! So I put together Nat 21 Workshop, a new hub for my creative designs and projects! It's not the same as hanging out at my convention booth meeting all you lovely people, but it's the next-closest thing right now, and it's a spot people can get their hands on T-shirts, dice towers and enamel pins.

If you're looking for a comfy hoodie to get you through winter, or a gift for a writer, D&D player, or something fun to give a pet owner, please consider checking it out!

You also might enjoy this fun little video PSA I made about lost dice and dice towers.

The 10% discount code KICKSTARTER is good until Monday at midnight EST, so help yourself!

That's all for now!

If you have any questions or concerns at all, reach out and I'll get back to you!

I'll continue to update you on shipping, and I'll follow up soon with an update on alternate storage options for the complete deck, which a lot of you have asked about.

Group 1 shipping progress + last chance to change addresses
about 4 years ago – Fri, Nov 27, 2020 at 07:38:56 PM

Hey everyone!

I wanted to give you a quick Group 1 shipping check-in and share the latest news, which is good news for all regions!

The US decks (also the decks for international destinations) arrived in the warehouse! They are just inventorying and packing some test boxes. Shipping in earnest should hopefully begin tomorrow. Group 1 backers have until 9am EST tomorrow (Thursday) to make any final address updates. DM me your new address or message it to me through the contact page to get your address updated. Now is your last chance before shipping starts!

The Canadian decks are being loaded now so we can ship them up across the border and begin shipping, most likely next week. Canadian Group 1 backers have until Monday 9am EST to DM or contact me with any address updates.

The Aus/NZ decks AND books (that's both Group and Group 2) are currently being shipped out!

I haven't heard any news either way re: the cargo vessels with the books for Group 2 in the US, Canada, and UK/EU, but I've got a standing order for the fulfilment partners to update me on any delays. Hopefully, that means our skilled sailors have placated mighty Poseidon with offerings, or else outwitted him with Odysseus-like tricks. 

If everything remains on course, all book cargo should land in port between now and the end of next week, taking 1-2 weeks to clear customs and arrive in warehouse,  after which we can start shipping Group 2.

I have some more news and info to share re: renewing postcard subscriptions, but it's going to have to wait for another day as Kickstarter's image uploader seems to be broken today.

Thank you all for your patience! We're making great headway and I can't wait for you all to have your rewards in hand!

Group 1 Shipping On Course + Heads Up Re: Group 2 + Postcard Subscriptions + Lessons Learned
about 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 12:40:39 AM

Hi everyone!

I wanted to provide a quick "all is well" check-in on Group 1 shipping, but also give you a heads up about some unprecedented events that will affect the start of Group 2 shipping. 

A few of days out from our port of call, our US-bound cargo ship with the books was hit by a storm that collapsed multiple cargo containers. The vessel had to make an unplanned emergency stop for repairs. As far as I know, our cargo was not damaged.

I plan a lot of buffer weeks into my schedule, and I've run into a variety of freight incidents while fulfilling multiple Kickstarters, but never in my life have I had to schedule time for the wrath of Poseidon. 

See below for the updated details on arrivals.

As a reminder:

• Group 1 is comprised of backers whose rewards do NOT include The Story Engine anthology, which may also be called "The Story Engine book" in your reward list.
• Group 2 is comprised of backers whose rewards DO include The Story Engine anthology/book

If any of these changes will require you to update your address, DM me or reach me via the contact page and I'll get that handled ASAP.

Group 1 Check-In

Group 1 shipping continues to be on track for the shipping schedule released in the last update. 

Group 1 backers in the UK and EU have been posting their pictures as decks arrive, and I could not be happier with your reactions. Everyone seems really happy with the deck, and I've been told a few times it was well worth the wait. 

With all the challenges this year posed, it means everything to me that you feel validated by the faith you placed in the project, and that you have something to keep you inspired and creative.

By the way, I love when people post pictures of their decks and prompts! Please consider tagging @storyenginedeck in your posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I look at every single one and it really uplifts my day when I see this project out in the wild, doing what it was created to do.

To recap, here's how Group 1 timelines were looking as of the last update:

•  UK/EU: In the mail, or soon to be in the mail.
•  US/International: Decks to arrive in the warehouse as early as tomorrow or as late as Nov 20, and begin shipping ASAP.
•  Canada: Decks to arrive in the warehouse as early as Nov 20 or as late as Nov 27, and begin shipping ASAP.
•  Australia: Waiting on confirmation that decks and books arrived in port on time and are either in the warehouse or soon to be. Shipping for Group 1 and 2 still expected to begin and finish in November.

Group 2 Advance Warning

In the last update, I mentioned that we were checking in with the freight forwarder to see if the US-bound books had gotten in ahead of our last projected timeline. I had high hopes.

I'm still reeling from the news we got: on its way to our port of call in Long Beach, our vessel was hit with a horrible storm, suffered the collapse of multiple containers, and had to make an unplanned emergency stop at the port of Tacoma to assess damage and repair containers.

As far as I know, none of our cargo was damaged, but it's still very disappointing. We were literally just a few days from our port of final destination. So damn close.

I also just heard from Spiral Galaxy that the UK/EU books were delayed on the sea as well, though due to less dramatic reasons: backed-up ports.

I don't know what I did to make Poseidon so angry, but it has just not been our month for ocean freight.

Obviously, these are forces of nature outside of anyone's control. If I knew the incantation for smooth seas and swift winds, I would be chanting it every day. But for now, the only ritual at my disposal is refreshing my inbox constantly, hoping better news comes in soon.

Here are the revised timelines, but please bear in mind that these are best guesses. I am deeply sorry for the disappointment this will cause. I wish I had more than words to offer.

•  UK/EU: Cargo to arrive in port Nov 28. Shipping to begin 1-2 weeks after, and continue for 1-2 weeks.
•  US/International: Cargo to arrive in port Nov 26. Shipping to begin 1-2 weeks after, and continue for 1-2 weeks.
•  Canada: Cargo to arrive in warehouse and shipping to begin sometime between Dec 10-17.
•  Australia: Waiting on confirmation that decks and books arrived in port on time and are either in the warehouse or soon to be. Shipping for Group 1 and 2 still expected to begin and finish in November.

"Postcards From the Future" Subscriptions Expiring

If you signed up for a "postcards from the future" subscription through the Kickstarter and received the first of your monthly postcards last December, then your subscription is expiring this month. November's story is going in the mail this month, and it will be the 12th and final story in your subscription.

I will soon email you instructions for renewing if you would like to do so. I hope you've enjoyed the stories so far! This last one is one of my favourites.

Lessons Learned

While shipwrecks and global pandemics are not in my usual Kickstarter planning process, I did want to share some lessons I've learned from this experience.

I don't like having to ask my backers to be as patient as you've been, and it matters to me that you know  I'm taking the lessons I can to give you a better experience next time. 

If any of you are planning projects of your own, maybe these will help as well. I back a lot of projects, and I'm receiving a lot of project delay updates from other creators right now. It seems like it's the season for it, and a lot of us are struggling with similar issues.

Lesson #1: Onboard fulfilment partners earlier. This process took longer than I expected, and because of the late start, it definitely slowed down freight arrangements. Next time I'd like to have my partners on deck 2 months before manufacturing is done, and have them coordinate with the factory 1 month before manufacturing is done.

Lesson #2: Produce everything at one facility, or plan to consolidate cargo before shipping. Communicating with two factories (decks and books), and having separate cargo arrangements for each (plus different communication streams for each cargo region) means twice as many updates to keep on top of, and more detail to communicate to all of you. It also means twice as many channels where something can get missed or go wrong. Next time I'll arrange for one factory to do everything, or for the cargo being combined at the port before freight goes out.

Lesson #3: Don't project arrival times until cargo is on the boat. I think I started sharing specific dates with you too early. While I love being transparent and sharing what I know as soon as I'm cleared to do so, I think specific dates (even when projected) set a heightened expectation that I didn't manage properly, especially given the degree of uncertainty around international logistics right now.

Lesson #4: Don't lock addresses until the cargo is in the warehouse. I pulled the trigger too early by locking addresses when we were planning the cargo split back in June/July. I was excited, and I thought we would need final addresses to arrange the counts. In retrospect, this wasn't necessary yet, and it put a bigger burden on all of you to watch the shifting dates and email me address changes. Next time, I'll lock those when the decks arrive in warehouse.

Lesson #5: Keep Poseidon happy. I'm going to keep on looking for that incantation, and maybe do a shore walk to pick some plastics out of the ocean as a sign of goodwill.

Hoping for smooth seas and swift winds,

Peter