I recently answered a bunch of questions from three Mirabilis readers at Wilberfoss School in God's own country (Yorkshire, for those outside the UK). James T, Dylan and James W came up with some very interesting questions, and if you're at all interested in the creative process - whether for comics or other types of story - then why not click over and take a look?In other news: I'm still immersed in Frankenstein, on the final stretch now, which meant that yesterday's meeting about new Fabled Lands adventures had to be taken by Jamie on his own. And whatever he said must've done the trick, because it is looking like those might very well happen later this year. These would be solo adventures set in the FL world, at least to begin with, though we are still hoping to continue the main FL series from book 7 onwards. More news as I hear it...
The illustration btw is one of Leo's preliminary sketches for Mirabilis book 3, due out later this year.
Great news to hear some progress on the fabled lands IP.
ReplyDeleteDave have considered Kick Starter as a possible means to fund FL 7+? It has got a fair bit of attention in the past days on computer game projects etc.
The Fabled Lands board were discussing that just this afternoon, Drake. The feeling is that FL gamebooks might be rather too specialized an interest to generate the pledges we'd need. But it hasn't been ruled out altogether, just that the board are more comfortable with the private equity route for investment so it looks like we'll continue to pursue that for the next few months. If that doesn't work out, Kickstarter is plan B.
ReplyDeleteSome more details? :)
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to see books 7-12... Though I still hope there's a possibility of a print session of books 5 and 6 in the new format, are there any news about it?
More details as I get them! The emails are flying thick and fast, and there's a lot of enthusiasm from both us and the company we'd be teaming with to do this, so I have no doubt it will happen. And everything that helps spread the word about Fabled Lands makes books 7-12 more likely, so it's all good.
ReplyDeleteNo new news about printing books 5 and 6, but Jamie brought it up at our board meeting yesterday and it's still on the agenda as something we hope to do when finances and time permit.
The internet has really changed schooling. How amazing would it have such direct contact with my favourite authors when I was in school? (Actually, I really liked the Blood Sword books back then, so I guess that all worked out eventually...)
ReplyDeleteAlso, nice to see that the Wilberfoss school website places such an emphasis on books. And, uh... boy bands. But, y'know, books!
Anything I say about those two areas of interest would probably be construed as sexist...
ReplyDeleteHi Dave. Been a while since I posted here, but I'm still lurking and enjoying the positive updates on FL! I understand if you're unable to share this, but any update on how the sales are doing versus expectations for the re-released books 1-4? Just thinking they have been out a little while now and I seem to remember some sort of agreement/pledge that if they hit a certain sales target then books 7-12 would be given the green light? With the ever changing gamebook landscape though I can't help feeling that the goal posts may have moved on and there isn't now any clearly defined path to releasing books 7-12 - it goes without saying I really hope I'm wrong!
ReplyDeleteHi Colin - the sales of the print books are nowhere near high enough on their own to make books 7-12 viable. However, as you'll have seen recently, we have plans to release FL on various digital platforms, and we also have the new solo FL gamebooks in the works. The combined sales of those across all platforms including print will, we hope, justify progressing with books 7 onwards.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I said this, it got some people stamping their feet saying they were never going to buy apps, they wanted print editions, etc. And we want print editions too! But print was never the ideal medium for the gamebook, which is why app versions are performing so much better these days. By adopting a cross-platform approach, we hope we'll be able to please everyone.
I dont mind apps but they need to be on android because apple don't make anything even remotely cheap for people to have all those nice apps on. I would also buy a programme that allowed you to play the books on a PC.
ReplyDeleteIn that case, Wanderer, you are going to be very pleased with what we having coming up. Android, Kindle and iOS to start, and PC/Mac not far behind!
ReplyDeleteKindle you say? Does that work well with a gamebook? I just got a kindle and I am liking it a great deal. I am in fact currently reading Frankenstein's Legions which I got for free because you posted about it here.
ReplyDeleteHello. Prompted by the interactive readthrough of your Knightmare: The Labyrinths of Fear gamebook currently running on YouTube, I've been revisiting my cherished copy. And I had a thought about one of the characters: the kindly, gangly monk that the player finds hard at work adding beautiful illustrations to an illuminated manuscript. I'd like to ask: is it more than coincidence that the monk's name is Brother Leo?
ReplyDelete"Nice to see a children's book encouraging alcoholism..." LOL.
ReplyDeleteNo coincidence at all, David. The real-life Leo is to be found crouched over a Wacom tablet, though.