October 2025 - Update
11 months ago
– Wed, Oct 01, 2025 at 03:26:58 PM
It's coming together. The initial layout is done, and now we are doing the galley reviews and edits. Something we quickly learned was a change early in the document can cascade and move items throughout, so we are finalizing chapters one at a time front to back. We're looking for errors, alignments issues, and format consistency - and when there's tons of entries and tables, it means there's a ton to check and make sure we don't have either organic or electronic issues (like when InDesign decided to reformat a large percentage of the paragraphs in one chapter).
I'd love to say we'll have the PDF out at the end of the month, but I won't make any promises. As soon as the PDF is locked, we'll get it out and get the print process going.
The Four Horsemen for Earth!
August 2025
12 months ago
– Tue, Aug 26, 2025 at 04:24:07 PM
Is it done yet? Not quite. We are in the galley review process, where we identify layout issues and make the tweaks needed. The first section is the toughest, because once we find underlying issues such as artifacts created by importing the documents and fix those, those corrections propagate through the rest of the project.
I'd hope to have the PDF locked by now, but the other side of making changes early in the project is they can shift the whole rest of the book. Chapter One is the most header intensive, and Chapter Five has the most tables - two of our biggest culprits for fixes.
Hopefully the next update will have a firm(ish) date for locking the PDF, and we'll tackle the print end. Until then, keep your MACs hot and your Coca-Cola cold.
June 2025 Update
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 05:25:49 PM
What's going on?
We're moving into galley review, where we go through the layout page by page, looking for glitches in layout to fix, space that needs filled, and errors that have snuck past numerous eyeballs.
Once this done, we'll button up the PDF and get a proof print. Once the PDF is locked, it will go out to backers. The end is nigh (and that's a good thing).
We still have a couple of Colonels who never returned their TOE forms. If you haven't, please let us know if you received the email with the template and instructions.
To quote Red Leader: "Almost there..."
Tariffs? And May Update.
over 1 year ago
– Mon, May 05, 2025 at 02:22:24 PM
The game industry is abuzz over the potential impact of tariffs. Projects have been cancelled, companies have shuttered, people have jumped ship. Understandably, given all our delays, there's some concern regarding tariffs and this project.
However, from the get go, Mark and I planned to print in the US. While we did this to ensure there would be no shipping issues, a bonus is that tariffs don't impact this project. So don't worry - whatever happens in the tariff drama, it won't stop us.
Speaking of the book, it is still in layout. Work on that front ground to a halt as our layout person moved and had complications from that, but as of this week, they're back to work on the project. Once layout is done, we'll do a galley edit to see if the layout needs tweaked and to make sure no errors slipped through, then we'll finalize the e-version and go to the printer.
To quote another franchise - Stay On Target.
March Update - Inching Closer to the Finish Line
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Mar 08, 2025 at 10:44:59 AM
I was going to include a cool Pushtal picture - but every time I drop it in even after shrinking it, Kickstarter hides the Publish button, so this update is text only.
Layout work proceeds slowly. Between life wrinkles and having to convert all our tables by hand (which includes every vehicle stat block), our layout person has been bogged down. Once they're finished, we'll do a round of galley edits to make sure everything lines up as expected for the book/PDF, stomp any errors that slipped by previous edit rounds, and do any need graphic tweaks.
Once the PDF is finalized, we'll send it out. While we don't have a print timeline yet, because we're printing domestically, we should be able to get a solid estimate since we don't have to worry about overseas shipping issues and delays.
Finally, Mark and I turned in the manuscript to the tie-in novel from the Kickstarter, "Caveat Emptor."
Kill Aliens, Get Paid!
