Alecta's Shadow
patreon
Special Announcement: Bonus Stories For Everyone, Gifts For Patrons, A Minor Delay, And Upcoming Stories (August 2022)
🕑 Added 2022-07-21 16:05:38 +0000 UTCMy dear patrons, I have a special announcement for you today.
As some of you may have realised, September will be this creator account's very first anniversary! I'm incredibly grateful for how this journey has gone so far, and I wanted to make sure that I showed you my gratitude by making it a truly special occasion.
Ever since the beginning I wanted this Patreon account to provide an exceptional service. I don't just want to be one among many, I want to give you all the very best. So, without further ado, here's what I have planned.
First of all, September will see the conclusion of my two long-running serials. But in the same month, two brand new series will begin.
That's right: you're all getting two extra stories that month. When you throw in the community story and the bonus chapter I produce every month, that means a total of six stories in September...
Except it's actually seven, because I will be publishing an extra story available for all patrons without early access, a story concept very dear to my heart and that I hope you all get to enjoy!
There will also be additional benefits for patrons based on how long they've been a part of this journey. I'm still working out the exact details of this system, so give me until the end of August before I announce it fully to you - but bottom line, patrons who have been with me for 12 months will be getting the biggest rewards, and I'll also have smaller rewards for patrons who've been here for nine, six, and three months.
These bonuses will be permanent, meaning that they will apply in the future as well, so if you're a recent subscriber, don't worry, you won't be missing out!
With the cheery bit out of the way, let's get down to something a bit more logistical in focus. Part of the reason why I'm making this announcement now is that I'm about to go on a holiday. I've now been writing stories non-stop for ten months, and both my main serials in their complete versions are basically approaching novel-size, let alone when combined with everything else I've produced.
Then consider I've been writing all this while juggling two jobs, and the recent situation with my dad and his myeloma. I'm not going to lie, I need to come up for air.
My holiday starts tomorrow. I will be back in early August, and as a result, next month's stories will come in a few days later than usual; you can find the full schedule at the bottom of this post, but broadly speaking just this once I will begin my posting calendar on the 7th of the month, as opposed to the 1st, which is what I usually do. The overall number of published material will be unaffected. Don't get alarmed if I'm quiet in early August - I'm just getting a bit of R&R :)
I might also be a bit less responsive to PMs and comments during the month of August, but I won't be completely absent. Worry not, I will get back to you!
Speaking of being late - I recently said in my personal update that there might be a few disruptions and delays due to my dad's health situation. Unfortunately one such has occurred this month. The bonus chapter (available to patrons brat and above) Thank You For Smoking will not be published in July, but in August.
Once again, don't worry - you'll get your money's worth. The chapter will be published in addition to everything already planned for August, and you will receive it even if your subscription ends in July.
To the point, if you're a patron brat and above who intends to cancel their subscription at the end of this month, please drop me a private message with an email address! I will use this address to send you the bonus chapter Thank You For Smoking as soon as it is ready. It is part of your benefits and you will receive it, no argument there ;)
Ok, one last bit: what is actually going to get published in August? The release schedule for the new month looks like this:
On August 7th, the seventh and penultimate chapter of MoS will be published in early access; chapter six will thus become available to all patrons.
On August 14th, the eleventh and penultimate chapter of TTOD will also be published in early access - and conversely, chapter ten will become available to all patrons.
On August 21st, the community story The Ultimate Price, which won a community poll, will also be published in early access; its predecessor, The Devil's Toys, will become available to all patrons.
Last but not least, on August 28th, patrons at tier Brat and above will get access to a bonus chapter, determined by a poll. The bonus chapter Thank You For Smoking, left over from July, will be published and shipped where appropriate as soon as I finish it during the month of August.
Allow me to close on a bit of a personal note. As I said at the beginning, I want this Patreon account to truly stand out, both in the quality of the writing and the service I offer you. That wish doesn't always translate perfectly into execution: my life is a bit of a mess, and even more so since my dad got sick. But thinking back to these last ten months, I think we've come a very long way already.
Well, the best is yet to come. The more this Patreon grows, the more I'll do. The things I've planned for the anniversary in September are, I think, a good indication of my attitude about this project. There will be many more such instances. I'll always try to make sure you get as much bang for your buck as possible.
I do hope you stay with me for the duration. It may sound a little incredible considering how much I've written, but I haven't even gotten to my really ambitious and cherished story ideas yet. Everything you've seen so far is a warmup. I have big plans.
But whether you do stay or don't, I'll always be grateful. I wouldn't have made it to month number ten without you.
And now... off to my holiday I go! Have a great one out there!
Comments
Alecta's Shadow
I strive for my characters to be as life-like as possible, and often base them off my own observations of human behaviour - that goes double for commissions, where the person requesting it will often be very particular about the psychological makeup of the characters involved. And there is nothing sweeter imho, than that socially connotated moment of tension, where one party realises the weakness of the other... 👌
Hominis Pulchra
I wanna say, I heard once from someone who studied the lifestyles of the rich, and they said that the rich have a sixth sense of being able to tell when someone is intimidated by them, and Alia captures that so well.
Widecrush
This looks amazing but remember to take care of yourself as well and take breaks when needed.
Faet
Be good to yourself and practice self-care. Your ambition and work ethic is great, but make sure you don't burn out!
Alecta's Shadow
I would say it's the bare minimum - they've already paid for it after all. I feel bad enough about being late, to be honest 😅
Jakitron
Enjoy your holiday, and it's good that you're still sending this month's bonus story to everyone even if they cancel the subscription.
