BOOM! £1.25million!!
So team Kickstarter.. good job today - after an amazing 10 hours or so we romped home in the main Elite: Dangerous kickstarter and now the game is definitely going to be made - which comes as somewhat of a relief to all us Elite: Dangerous authors I can tell you!
I've now had quotes in for the audio book and while it looks a lot of money when I write it, to put it in perspective it just takes 468 people to pledge to £25 and we're there... I've added in some more £25 slots to cater for this, but only the first 200 get the in-story mention, so snap them up fast!!
Some people have been asking how I will name-check 200 people without ruining the story... good question. The mentions in the story itself will be subtle, like an engine part name, or a dish of the day at a space station diner.. no doubt a couple of you will become diseases, and some may actually be people (or species of insect)... as I said in the tier option text, your FULL name will be in a dedication page, and the in-story mention may be subtle, but you will know it is you :)
I have also added a cost-price run on hard backs for the £75+ tier pledgers.. that's live now.. so you'll get the same chance as the paperback people to get the hardback at cost LESS £50... whatever that is...
I have also put feelers out to my friend who has a bedroom studio and if it looks like we're going to fall a long way short of the professional recording scenario for the audio book I will add a mid-level stretch at a later date. The bedroom studio quote will still sound awesome & have music & atmosphere beds, but it will probably take around 3 months to produce as it will be happening in people's spare time around normal work... hopefully it won't come to that though, so let's see how the next few weeks go!!
Kate x
811
Backers
£17,005
pledged of £4,242 goal
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Funding period
Dec 28, 2012 -
Feb 4, 2013
- First created · 6 backed
- Kate Russell
- Website: katerussell.co.uk
Pledge £1 or more
10 backers
I've already pledged too much on ED: you're probably an Elite obsessive who has blown more than too much on getting the game funded this month. Jump in for £1 to be kept up to date with plot planning and some sample prose through campaign updates and you can chat with myself and others in the comments before hopefully upping your pledge once the next pay cheque arrives!
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £2 or more
0 backers
Big Issue Backer: you won't get anything but a warm, fuzzy feeling and if the book ever gets printed you'll probably be able to pick up a discarded copy on the London Underground eventually. Plus all of the rewards above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £5 or more
410 backers
The reader: you'll get to massively inconvenience a load of electrons when the final copy of the ebook is delivered to you. Plus all of the rewards above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £15 or more
30 backers Limited (170 of 200 left)
Self-promoter: you'll get a mention and web link (subject to it leading somewhere friendly and appropriate) on a special page dedicated to pledgers on my website, and all of the above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £25 or more
83 backers
Late to the ego-party: you get exactly the same as the limited number 'Attention-seeker' tier but without the in-story mention - sorry, you snooze you lose in this game.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £25 or more
200 backers All gone!
Attention seeker: you'll get a subtle mention at some point during the story. It might be a space-station or ship with your name woven into it, or some incidental and fleeting character not central to the plot. You might also be a disease or a deadly weapons upgrade... it's a lucky dip but you'll be in there somewhere.You'll also get a proper name-check in the credits of the ebook, plus all of the above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £55 or more
5 backers All gone!
Random input backer: you'll get to suggest a keyword, theme or object that must at some point form a central part of the plot - you know like those improvisation game-shows on TV? You will need to supply this to me by March 2013 so I can work it properly into the plot. This option is subject to your contribution not being deliberately rude or offensive, and you will take full responsibility in the credits, plus all of the above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £55 or more
5 backers
Creatively challenged enthusiast: you'd like to up your pledge to £55 and want a mention in the credits for being a super cool supporter, but you don't really want to suggest any plot devices, plus all of the rewards above.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £75 or more
21 backers Limited (79 of 100 left)
Slightly stalkerish: you get a signed and personally inscribed 'limited special edition' paperback copy of the book (not related to the stretch print run) including free P&P to the UK (overseas pledgers will have to pay additional fair postage costs), plus all of the above that are not limited numbers plot/character rewards.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Ships within the UK onlyPledge £75 or more
11 backers Limited (39 of 50 left)
Slightly stalkerish (but too far away to be dangerous): exactly the same as the other £75 tier but with international delivery charged on top of pledge amount at cost price.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £100 or more
5 backers All gone!
Digital diva: you'll get to name one of the minor characters and decide on key personality traits (up to a maximum of three). This character could be modeled on you, or be the person you wish you could be. I cannot guarantee they won't meet a gruesome end, although they might equally do rather well for themselves. You will need to let me know the name & traits by March 2013 so that I can write them into the plot properly. This option is subject to your contribution not being deliberately rude or offensive, and you will take full responsibility in the credits, plus all of the above that are not limited numbers plot/character rewards.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £100 or more
9 backers
Creatively challenged superfan: you get all of the non-plot/character input rewards above and your name on a special dedication page at the front of the ebook to show how eternally grateful I am for your outright generosity and faith in my storytelling ability.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £101 or more
15 backers All gone!
Nosy parker: you'll get invited to a private Google+ Circle (from April 2013) where you can check on my progress and give me feedback on plot & character development, as well as helping me to choose a cover design and other various fun tasks along the way. We'll probably have the odd Hangout at key points during the creative process, but only if you promise to keep all your clothes on and not be too weird, plus all of the above that are not limited numbers plot/character rewards.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014Pledge £200 or more
3 backers All gone!
Revenge killing: you get to name one of the major characters in the plot in the sure and certain knowledge that they are going to die in a very spectacular and grisly way. You will have to take responsibility for your handiwork in the credits, and I will need written permission from the intended 'victim' if a full identifiable name is to be used. This option is subject to your choice of character name not being intentionally rude or offensive, plus all of the above that are not limited numbers plot/character rewards.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
Comments
Creator Andrew Sayers on January 4
If you've got it in hand, that's good enough for me :)
Might be a fun idea for an update though, maybe when you're looking for some content to get people off the fence in the last few days?
Creator Kate Russell on January 4
ah sorry guys, I keep forgetting to lok here :)
@Michael and @Brodie it will be unabridged.. at 60k which is where I'm aiming that makes it a 6.5 hour audio book :)
@Andrew I understand your concerns, but actually I don't think it will be a problem. I am a storyteller first, always.. and my 'Click' voice is not my usual way of speaking. When I write fiction I always act out the characters and read the prose out loud as I fine tune it... What I might do if you think it will help is record one of my short stories and post it.. it will only be 'home podcasting quality' but will give you more of an idea how I would sound reading fiction...
Creator Andrew Sayers on January 4
@Kate - disclaimer: I'm making the following up as I go along. Feel free to ignore me if I'm way off :)
I like the audiobook idea, and I agree with Paul Batkin it has to be you reading, but would you want to consider cultivating a "fiction voice"? Your engaging-but-authoritative speaking pattern is perfect for making people believe you on Click etc., but might make it hard to empathise with a hapless heroine. I guess cultivating a new voice would be one of those things where there's no progress for ages before you find the perfect technique and it all slots into place, but you've got a year to look!
It might be something technical like recording without makeup or having the microphone above you instead of below; or it might be something more imaginative like making a backstory in your head for your narrator. Just some trick to get yourself out of the presenter mindset and into the storyteller mindset.
Creator Marc Goldman on January 4
@Brodie I'm the same. Of course, depending on how you've pledged, you won't be buying the audiobook!
I read a comment from Kate that suggested it would cost the price of an average 6.5 hour audiobook. Which sounds unabridged to me, unless she needs to go all Lord of the Rings to get the 200 mentions in... ;)
Creator Brodie on January 4
@Michael Rozdoba Actually thats a very important question, personally i never buy any audiobooks unless they are unabridged.
Creator Michael Rozdoba on January 2
Will the audio book be unabridged?
Creator Cristari on January 2
I'm wondering if it's my real life name you want for the book or my Kickstarter/Internet name you need. You may have an issue with Wing Commander if you use my real name!
Creator Kate Russell on January 2
@ Graham, brilliant - that's perfect :)
@ Damien - awesome idea.. noted! And thanks :)
@ Stewart, correct! :)
@ Jim & Jason - thanks so much.. this game means a lot to me and I am very lucky to have a profile that allows me to have some impact :) .. in fact it's really Elite that put me in that position anyway, so maybe it's a little bit of payback for that :)
@ Paul, yep it will be me reading it, with cameos from David Braben (agreed!) and hopefully I will persuade a couple of other vaguely well known voices I am friends with to add a little cameo too :)
Creator Paul Batkin [Hamerstein on FD forums] on January 2
@Kate
You might have answered this already, if we hit the audio book stretch, will it be you narrating the bulk of the text (I recall you mentioning a possible guest appearance by Mr. Braben), or will you get in a professional voice over artist to read it? When I say "professional" I don't mean to denigrate your presenting skills, I'd actually prefer it if you said "It's going to be me", it'd be like J.K. Rowling reading Harry Potter then. :)
Creator Jim Collins on January 2
Thanks for the great update.
I am really impressed by the new stretch goals. If we can meet they finished product should be awesome. The option of an upgrade to a hardback copy of the book also sounds very tempting…
Thanks again for locating the resources/facilities to accomplish the stretch goals, that couldn’t have been easy and what you have come up with sounds great (no pun intended).
Finally as Jason pointed out below I too believe you were responsible in no small part for ED’s success. You have made a huge contribution in many ways especially during your radio show today.
Creator Stewart Forgie on January 2
Just to be clear Kate, I am on £150 pledge at the moment so I should be good to go for a hard back at £50 off?
Creator Damien Letham on January 2
Reguarding the "200 mentions" thing, I'm reminded of the American Dad episode when they said that 100 known characters would be killed. But early on, there was a bus packed full of random cameos, and it suddenly crashed and blew up.
I say this because you could always do something similar, by having a passage that shoots off a large number of names in one go. It could be a scene where a few characters discuss where they've been and what they've encountered on their journeys.
Creator Commander Tink Founder of The Elite on January 2
Sometimes things can be a bit spooky & surreal !!! How weird it this ... SO there I am at my grandads house missing out on Elite hitting its target and trying hopelessly trying to get a 3G signal and hitting refresh. Grandad turns to me and says Graham please can you have a quick look at my cd player please because im trying to play a CD and getting no sound (hes 91 bless him) so I turn on the stereo select cd and put the disc in he gave me turns out it was a 2 disc set and one of the discs is a dvd that hes trying to play. so I take the other disc out of the case put it in paying no attention as to what it was and suddenly The Blue Danube starts playing !!!!!! someone had only gone and bought him and Andrea Riu CD for christmas and that was the 1st track not only that where i put my phone I got a 3g signal and saw total on just over target !!!! very strange moment !!!!!
Creator Jason S on January 2
Looking to reading the book very much, and Kate you really made a huge positive difference to the Elite campaign.