Dear Everyone –

We did it.  As of 3:08 PM EST, March 26, 2012, the Scheherazade’s Facade Kickstarter Campaign hit its goal of $5000.00.  This means that, barring the zombie apocalypse, we’re fully funded and this anthology will move forward with all due speed to see the light of day.  The authors will be paid, the art team will be paid, the editor will get a double ration of gruel, the cats will get their gold-plated litterboxes (JUST KIDDING), and everyone who’s chosen to do so will get the anthology itself.  I can’t thank you enough.  For the LJ posts and mailing list hits, the Tumblrs and Tweets and Facebook updates and the Jerry Lewis telethon and the one enterprising person who tried to get me to donate to that political party you don’t like.  This was a team effort from top to bottom, and I owe it all to friends, family, my authors, and everyone else who thought this sounded like a good idea.

So there’s a problem.  We’re fully funded… with three weeks to go.  What now?  I mean, do we roll up our publicity apparatus, congratulate ourselves on a job well-done, and move on to something else?  I mean, we have 176 backers. At least 170 of those want the book.  That’s a fair number, right?  It’s not like we have to do anything now that we’ve hit our goal.  Or….

Hey.  Just between you and me, there’s no reason we can’t continue to spread the word.  Y’know, spend the next three weeks casually mentioning this to people, and allowing as how it’s definitely a book that’s going to come out, with a dozen all-new original fantasy and urban fantasy stories by a stellar lineup of authors from around the globe.  Y’know, remind people that it’s not too late to pledge if they want a copy of Scheherazade’s Facade in electronic or trade paperback, and they can still take advantage of our fabulous deals.  Because there have got to be more people who want to read this, who haven’t pledged already.  Just because we’ve hit the goal means we have to -stop-, after all.

I know I can’t ask anything more of you guys, but why let the next three weeks go to waste?  In fact, tell you what.

If we manage to hit $10,000 before the end of the campaign, there will be a Scheherazade’s Facade 2: The Science Fiction Edition.  (Not final title.  Also not final titles: SF2: Bend Harder;  SF2: Electric Sheep Boogaloo;  SF2: I Think I’m A Clone Now.)  Now, I don’t know who’ll be in it yet – I haven’t even written guidelines, much less asked authors, pulled out my blackmail folder, or calculated whether a yacht fits in my driveway. (Hint: it wouldn’t.)  All I know at this point in time is that I’d love to do the science fiction companion to this fantasy anthology, and I’d love to get the same level talent and vision, and I’d love to pay them that professional rate.  So if we hit that next tier, I’ll find a way to put the money towards a second volume.  (And if we don’t hit it, I’ll think of something else.  And if for whatever unthinkable reason this anthology bombs, and I’m forced to move to Siberia and work as a rock farmer, at least I can afford thermal undies…)

So that’s my say.  We’ve hit our goal, I love you all, and a sequel is entirely possible if things go well.  Spread the word.  And thank you.