I want to commission about ten pieces of artwork with commercial permissions. I started a group here to organize the process.

I’m specifically looking for realistic/semirealistic, black and white (or grayscale) art for the interior of a book that I recently KickStarted (sample of the book here). These might be lineart, clean sketches, or shaded artwork. I’m hoping for a mix of full body character profiles (no backgrounds), concept art of the setting, and scenes with two or more characters interacting (with detailed backgrounds). Artists would have roughly four months to complete the commission; punctuality would be important, as would professional-looking artwork that fits the tone of the book.

Artists would be welcome to include any commissioned artwork in their portfolios, and they would be given clear credit beneath their picture in the book, as well as in the Acknowledgments. I have a set amount of money available, but I want to pay all artists a fair wage for quality work.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in taking on any or all of these commissions, please spread the word! 

If you have any questions or concerns, my ask is open.

Only 12 hours remain in the Untold Memories KickStarter!

These are samples of one of the many pledge rewards available: Letters from your favorite character! Of course, I’ll spend more time on the actual post cards and use better paper—but I need the money to order the paper and supplies before I can do that!

Remember, only 3 more backers can pledge for this reward! If you do, you’ll get a letter every month for a year from your favorite character (set in a particular point in the storyline, which will be identified in the “date” section)—each one entirely unique and customized, even if all backers choose the same character! These postcards might include drawings, diagrams, coded messages, and/or messages that give clues to the background of Untold Memories. You’ll get them in the mail AND as a high-quality scan. (I’m in the middle of moving, and my scanner is not yet set up.)

Not sure that you want the postcards? Take a look at the other rewards up for grabs! Most of these rewards are KickStarter-exclusive and will not be offered anywhere else!

The Untold Memories KickStarter ends on May 31—the day after tomorrow! It’s an all or nothing deal, so if I don’t make my goal, I don’t get a dime.

Untold Memories is a four book series; the first book in the quartet is set in a dystopian fantasy village where thinking wrong thoughts could get you killed, purity is all, and people are divided into strictly divided hierarchies based on birth. There is a latent magic coursing through the world, its various forms manifested by all, wielded by few, and mastered by none.

A review of the book: “Untold Memories is the kind of book that pulls people in. I was planning on doing homework and going to bed early that night, when I started proofreading this. And I ended up not getting much done that night, went to bed kinda late, because it just pulls people in. You know, most of the experience of reading this book is discovering more about this world Morgan has created, and you find that you care about the characters as people, with all of the virtues and flaws that make them people. It’s a good book. I would recommend reading it. It will also make you think.”

If we hit stretch goals, everyone’s prizes go up, so spread the word!

Details on how the money will be spent can be found here, a KickStarter backing tutorial can be found here, and you can contact me here with any questions or concerns!

60 hours remain in the Untold Memories KickStarter! (I know it says 62 in the screencapture; I took that when I saw that I had 130 facebook likes. I was more than a little bowled over by that!)

~

What is this?

This is a KickStarter campaign to fund the production of ebooks and/or audiobooks for the Untold Memories series. Untold Memories has been in production for almost ten years now, and has undergone a large number of revisions. At present, eight books are fully written drafts, a branch series is in the works, and a 200+ page book of character back stories is in progress. 

The premise is explained in greater detail elsewhere, so I will instead describe the series as a whole. Untold Memories is meant to be a dark, realistic fantasy. Magic isn’t a cure-all; it’s difficult to wield and nearly impossible to consciously tame. Some villages have forgotten about magic altogether, even though it hasn’t forgotten about them. Even in the most mundane settings, it leaves its mark—in some cases going completely unnoticed by those it affects.

There’s a lengthy sample here, a video with a KickStarter tutorial here, and a video explaining the project here.

~

Pledge Rewards:

$5: All of the ebooks and audiobooks unlocked by the deadline! (This is included in every other pledge reward above this, as well.)

$10:  5 trivia facts about the book-related area of your choice! (example topics: Regional Food, Regional Culture, Regional Myths; Book Production, Book Writing, Book Editing; Character X’s Quirks, Character Y’s History, or Character Z’s Relationships.)

$15 - $40, $100: Pick any character who appears in the books, no matter how obscure, and pick a moment ($15 - $40) or their entire life ($100), and I’ll write it for you! Prices vary by length. (100 words to 7~30 pages.)

$50: Postcards from your favorite character! These will be completely unique and personalized. They may include handwritten message, diagrams, drawings, coded messages, or anything else your chosen character might send to you. One a month for an entire year! (Just in case they get lost in the mail, I’ll also email you a scan of them.)

$60: The ORIGINAL Untold Memories! I still have some copies of the second draft of the first book. $60 means that you’ll get a signed copy of one with a personal note. Also, if you want, I’ll write commentary all over the interior—drawings, trivia, etc. These will NEVER be sold again if this KickStarter succeeds!

$75: You get an early copy of the ebook (to be kept top secret) and get your tweet-length review put on the back of the actual book when it’s released—pending approval, of course.

$125: You get to spend an hour talking to me over the phone, Skype, or GoogleChat. I’ll answer questions, give the dirt on minor characters, and offer details on obscure places and people in the series!

$150: A write up that details my writing and editing process, a comparison of all of the drafts that it took to reach this point, and regular (optional) updates about my writing process as I revise and publish the rest of the series.

$500: 

→ Early previews of the books before they go to print (to be kept top-secret, or I’ll revoke this privilege)

→ Paperback copies all four of the new books when they come out

→ → Signed

→ → Including a personal note

→ → Also including optional doodles and commentary on many of the pages in the books

→ → Each with a handmade bookmark (so 4 altogether)

→ → → Each of which has a handwritten trivia fact about that book

→ An hour-long discussion with me about the books 

→ The write up describing my writing process that sets the various drafts side by side 

→ → As well as the optional progress emails

→ Mentioned in the Acknowledgments section by name

→ All of the unlocked ebooks

→ All of the unlocked audiobooks

→ The 7-30 page background story of a character of your choice

→ A say in which scenes to have illustrated, since you’ll have read an advance copy of the book

$1000: 

→ The $500 reward, plus: 

→ The ORIGINAL Untold Memories reward

→ 50 trivia facts about the book in the 10 areas of your choice (example topics: Regional Food, Regional Culture, Regional Myths; Book Production, Book Writing, Book Editing; Character X’s Quirks, Character Y’s History, or Character Z’s Relationships. This can also be chosen randomly if you can’t decide.)

→ Short vignettes about 5 characters (up to 250 words each) (These can also be chosen randomly if you can’t decide.)

→ AND personalized, monthly postcards from your favorite Untold Memories character for the next year! If you opt to have all physical rewards delivered at the same time, I will send you 12 personalized postcards from each of 3 characters of your choice (rather than from a single character)

→ →These may include handwritten text, drawings, diagrams, cryptic codes, or anything else your favorite character might say—addressed directly to you!

~

Picture Credits:

The cover art as well as the character art of Raven (one of the main characters in the first book) are by Kaorien

The QR code was generated with qurify.

The original cover art was by lifewithoutdeath about five or six years ago. 

I added a $1000 reward with the following:

• Early previews of the books before they go to print (to be kept top-secret, or I’ll revoke this privilege)
• Paperback copies all of the new books AND the original Untold Memories
• → Signed
• → Including a personal note
• → Also including optional doodles and commentary on many of the pages in the books
• → Each with a handmade bookmark (so 5 altogether)
• →→ Each of which has a handwritten trivia fact about that book
• An hour-long discussion with me about the books 
• The write up describing my writing process that sets the various drafts side by side 
• → As well as the optional progress emails
• Mentioned in the Acknowledgments section by name
• All of the unlocked ebooks
• All of the unlocked audiobooks
• The 7-30 page background story of a character of your choice
• Say in which scenes to have illustrated, since you’ll have read an advance copy of the book
• 50 trivia facts about the book in the 10 areas of your choice (example topics: Regional Food, Regional Culture, Regional Myths; Book Production, Book Writing, Book Editing; Character X’s Quirks, Character Y’s History, or Character Z’s Relationships. This can also be chosen randomly if you can’t decide.)
• Short vignettes about 5 characters (up to 250 words each) (These can also be chosen randomly if you can’t decide.)
• AND personalized, monthly postcards from your favorite Untold Memories character for the next year! If you opt to have all physical rewards delivered at the same time, I will send you 12 personalized postcards from each of 3 characters of your choice (rather than from a single character)
• →These may include handwritten text, drawings, diagrams, cryptic codes, or anything else your favorite character might say—addressed directly to you!

That’s a lot of personalized content! I can’t make more than five of these sets, so this reward is strictly limited. Reward fulfillment times may change slightly if stretch goals aren’t met, but I currently expect to manage regardless—as long as I hit my initial goal!

THIS PROJECT ENDS 5/31 AT 11:59PM PACIFIC TIME! It’s all or nothing—if I don’t meet my goal, you don’t pay a dime.

Questions? Contact me! (anon is on)

(original post and more information about the book)

Who wouldn’t want a chance to have their favorite character be their penpal for a year? After Untold Memories I: Rayai is released, those who pledge for this tier will get to choose a character from said book and then have a year-long correspondence with them—one postcard a month! These postcards may include handwritten text, drawings, diagrams, cryptic codes, or anything else your favorite character might say—addressed directly to you! (This includes even minor characters or non-human characters.)

$50 gets you all of the unlocked ebooks and audiobooks, PLUS 12 personalized post cards from your favorite character. No two postcards will be identical! (Also, in case they get lost in the mail, I will also send you the digital scans of these postcards.)

If you want this reward, though, you have to hurry: only 5 backers will get this opportunity! (And this all ends in 5 days!)

INTERNATIONAL BACKERS: Please add $15 for additional shipping if you want them month-to-month. If you want them all at once, please add $8 instead. (I wish I could offer it without that caveat, but that’d put me in the red.)

Please contact me if you have any questions!

(click here for more details on this KickStarter)

To give you an idea of how different (and yet similar) the books will be, here is the old cover—and an excerpt from the middle of the book (from the same scene, no less!):

The Original

It’s coming at us! Get it! Getitgetitgetit!!!

New and Improved

Three long, snake-like tails flared around the Haubonalyr, each long enough to reach its mouth. As Ray watched, the Haubonalyr struck down a fleeing wolf with one of the bony, scythe-like protrusions on its tail. The wolf howled and became a little girl in a black dress; the Haubonalyr brought the girl to one of its three mouths. She was limp as a doll when it tore off her arm. Laenyn looked away, gulping.

I have to fight it, Laenyn whispered.

Oh, no, you don’t! Ray shouted, trying to pull back against Laenyn’s iron grip on the body. That thing will kill us!

I will never again sell the hilariously terrible original version; if you want it, there are 25 copies available—all signed, with a personalized note and optional notes, doodles, and/or commentary in many of the margins—here. But you can get them only if you pledge in the next week!

***

NOTE: The new and improved scene will probably change during the final stages of the editing process and may not appear in that form in the final draft of the book. This is just to illustrate the fact that the new draft has significantly changed and improved.

More excerpts of the original book can be found here; more excerpts from the new draft will be posted daily on this blog for the next week.

kaotome:

This is a cover that I did for a commission a couple years back and the books are finally getting published! However Morgan does need a little help to publish them, so she’s started a Kickstarter campaign to help fundraise. Please consider donating. :3 If that’s not possible, also please consider reblogging this post, the picture above will link to said Kickstarter page.

If you want to see a larger version of the image, it’s over here. 

This is the wonderful artist who did the cover art for the first book!