Note from the Publisher - October 10th 2017
Hey gang, I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the journey that I AM THE ABYSS, our latest project, has taken us through. From the initial concept which sparked in my brain in 2013 to production finally starting in Q4 2017, there have been ups and downs with the formation of this epic tome to say the least.
A few years ago we put out a call for submissions for I AM THE ABYSS... and the submissions came in droves. I had the pleasure of experiencing the voices of many creative and interesting writers, but also the immense work that comes with wading through a slush pile of manuscripts. After finally filtering through most of the manuscripts, we managed to accept two of them for publication: The Bardo of Becoming by Douglas Wynne and Blacktop by William Meikle. While DRP had certainly worked with Willie in the past, I AM THE ABYSS represents the first time we've published Doug Wynne, and I was delighted by the unique tone and setting of his story. Indeed, what I was looking for as I worked through the submissions was partly a unique story and setting.. a new world for readers to explore.
That's exactly what I AM THE ABYSS is: a (massive) volume of nine unique worlds manifested by nine unique individuals. The novella by Jeffrey Thomas takes us on a giant ship through hell, Greg F. Gifune kicks our boots into the sands of a mysterious and dark western town, Steve Rasnic Tem drives us on a terrifying journey through collapsing cities and memories... these are truly nine interesting and varying realms to explore.
Les Edwards, an artist recommended to me by Daniele Serra when I posted on the Shocklines forums in 2013/2014 asking for the name of an artist talented with panoramas, has provided us with nine stunning 16"x8" original color paintings for this book. Each painting is presented as a full bleed two-page spread preceding each novella, as if you, the reader, are opening your eyes and waking up inside the same world as the protagonist. Truly thankful to Les for agreeing to this project and for the fantastic work that he has provided for it.
This project wouldn't even be coming out if not for the incredible support of our Kickstarter campaign supporters. They have been very patient as we endured some of our many ups and downs with this project, but their patience will certainly be rewarded: our campaign supporters will be the only people in the world except contributors to receive copies of I AM THE ABYSS with Menton3's stunning artwork serving as the front cover. Some extras will most likely be printed of these Kickstarter-exclusive editions, but they will not be sold by Dark Regions Press. So, if you supported our Kickstarter campaign for I AM THE ABYSS, I just wanted to say thank you. Your support meant the world, and although this project took far longer than we would have liked, we are optimistic that you will be pleased with your Kickstarter editions of the book. Campaign backers will be getting the ebook this month (October) before anyone else to read and enjoy. Stay tuned for an update on the ebook delivery to campaign backers this month.
Right now we're finalizing specs with the printer/getting the last touches done on the files, but production is starting this month. Given the scale of this project, we are estimating the books to begin shipping in the first half of 2018. This massive tome is going to come in at over 450 pages and will likely weigh over 5lbs.
Thank you to everyone who participates in preordering I AM THE ABYSS on our website. Your support goes directly toward the production of the book/DRP operations. Projects of this scale will become more common for DRP in the future with new original properties like Pirates of the Old World and much, much more. We have a lot of exciting projects in store for 2018 and beyond. Our passion for the dark arts has not waned, and the positive reception to our efforts in the past few years has fueled our motivation to continue. We truly hope you join us today for the preorder of I AM THE ABYSS and of course the 2017 Halloween Grab Bag, and thanks again to all of you for your continued support of Dark Regions Press... it really means the world.
That's it for now, but I'll be in touch again soon as we head into one of the most exciting years ever for Dark Regions Press. Hope everyone has a fun and spooky Halloween.
Until next time.
- Chris
