Mon Mar 11 '19 Announcement
almost 6 years ago
– Mon, Mar 11, 2019 at 11:55:48 AM
OK, after having our ship held in customs for a week, then the rail car being delayed by the tornadoes in Alabama, and finally, the rail yard in Chicago "misplacing" them for a day, I am happy to say that finally, finally, FINALLY, Florius has arrived!
But since a picture is worth a thousand words:
Twelve books per box and 1000 books...our warehouse is mighty cramped, but not for long! Pre-orders will be shipping this week via Media Mail or International First-Class, depending on where you live.
Thank you all for your patience. Now to get these out the door so we can move on to the next one! (Gulp)
Fri Jan 18 '19 Announcement
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Jan 18, 2019 at 09:27:50 AM
Greetings & Happy New 2019!
After a quiet fall of anticipation, I finally have some exciting news: I received my advance copies of Volume III (remember, Volume III has been completed before Volume II, for a variety of logistical reasons -- you haven't missed anything!), and as you can see from the photos below, it looks snazzy!
A few looks inside:
And seen here with her sibling volume:
Not bad, eh? Now, as always, we are at the mercy of shipping lanes and customs agents, but we are expecting to see the books in approximately three weeks! (You CAN however, pre-order right now!)
But wait, there's more! You may also recall that renowned historical fiction and fantasy author Christian Cameron (aka Miles Cameron) is a devoted student of armizare, and Fiore himself is a secondary character in his "Chivalry" series from Orion books, indeed, so much so that he has written about the process of getting into Fiore's mind. As part of our fundraiser, Christian pledged to donate a short story, showing the events of one of his novel's scenes through Fiore's eyes:
(cover by Keight McLean)
We are pleased to present this Easter egg to all Subscriber and Patron-level supporters! Please check your email for a download link -- you will receive the short-story as a PDF.
Well, that is it for now -- I will report back when the book is in our warehouse and ready to ship!
~ Greg
Mon Nov 19 '18 Announcement
about 6 years ago
– Mon, Nov 19, 2018 at 10:01:04 AM
If you follow our newsletter, you know that we had planned to have this book in people’s hands before Christmas, now it will arrive about a month after. Here’s what happened. As Volumes II – IV of the series are likely to have a smaller audience, and with the recent assessing of tariffs on paper products from China, we decided to look at having this volume printed in North America by a short-run printer. We received proofs a little over a week ago, and while beautifully done, it did not match the quality of Volume I. Our printer was able to make some changes that got them close to an identical product, but at a print cost so high that a book 2/3 the size of Volume I would have cost almost 1/3 more! While digital color printing has come a long way, it is still toner on top of paper, not ink infusing paper, creating an inferior product at a higher cost. So, Hong Kong it is!
This is always one challenge to overseas, offset printing: There are narrow print windows, and if they are missed, it doesn’t add a day or two – it adds weeks. Unfortunately, even with overnight shipping of proofs, etc., a boat can only travel so fast, and this is the quickest we can get product. As a thank you and apology to everyone who already pre-ordered, we’ll be including a Freelance discount coupon with your book.
The book IS available for pre-order at: https://www.freelanceacademypress.com/flowersofbattlethecompletemartialworksoffioredeiliberi-1.aspx
Fri Sep 7 '18 Announcement
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Sep 07, 2018 at 09:44:12 AM
https://www.freelanceacademypress.com/flowersofbattlethecompletemartialworksoffioredeiliberi-1.aspx
Building on our wildly successful Indiegogo Campaign, the third volume of this series, covering the Florius manuscript, is now complete and at the printers. Vol. III: Florius de Arte Luctandi presents a complete translation, transcription and reproduction of the chronologically last, most recently discovered, and visually most lush of the manuscripts. A posthumous work, from the moment of its discovery by translator Ken Mondschein, Florius has raised at least as many questions as it has answered: For whom was the manuscript created and why? Why was it translated into a complex, humanistic Latin, and from what prior source? Why are there clear differences between Florius and the other three manuscripts in nomenclature and instruction for some of the fundamental guards and techniques in the martial art they all describe, and do these changes reflect an evolution in the master's thinking, or errors in transmission.
The authors tackle all of these questions and more in a lavishly illustrated introduction that builds on the sourcebook provided in Volume I, seeking to set the manuscript in context, as an objet d'art, an example of Renaissance patronage, and as a practical martial arts memorial. Look for Volume III in late September.
WAIT, WHERE IS VOLUME II?
That's a good question! Our plans were to proceed with the Pisani-Dossi Manuscript as Volume 2. However, during rewrites (including, as a perk, an index with a translation of all of Novati's 1904 edition!) we realized that we were falling behind, while Volume III was essentially finished. Our concern was: stay on time by switching the order of volumes or press ahead and delay the entire project.
Since this decision impacted pre-orders, we felt it only fair to let our backers be the ones to decide.
So, with 90% of survey respondents replying, the results are (drum roll please):
74% said to switch the order of the books so that Florius comes second.
52% asked us to change their order to Florius, and 48% would rather wait for the Pisani-Dossi. We will follow-up individually with these folks, but the short answer is: you will get the book you wanted.
Here are some teaser images:
Next Announcement: An Update on the Short Story Perk: "Fiore's Battle" by Christian Cameron.
Fri Apr 6 '18 Announcement
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Apr 06, 2018 at 10:06:22 AM
Greetings!
We have located or replaced the few missing orders so everyone either has their books or are about to. Phwew!
Meanwhile, we sent out a survey to our top tier recipients asking a few important questions about what comes next. Our plans were to proceed with the Pisani-Dossi Manuscript as Volume 2. However, during rewrites (including, as a perk, an index with a translation of all of Novati's 1904 edition!) we realized that we were falling behind, while volume 3, Florius was essentially finished. So our concern was: stay on time by switching the order of volumes, or press ahead and delay the entire project.
Since this decision impacted pre-orders, we felt it only fair to let our backers be the ones to decide.
So, with 90% of survey respondents replying, the results are (drum roll please):
74% said to switch the order of the books so that Florius comes second.
Interestingly, of those who pre-ordered, 52% asked us to change their order to Florius, and 48% would rather wait for the Pisani-Dossi. We will follow-up individually with these folks, but the short answer is: you will get the book you wanted.
Since we had a captive audience, we also asked what folks thought of Volume One:
Content
Exceeded Expectations: 53%
About What I Expected: 30%
Skipped the Question: 27%
Color
Excellent: 83%
Good: 17%
Binding
Excellent: 68%
Good: 32%
Timeliness
The 3-week delay was on time for this kind of project: 62%
Unfortunate, but acceptable: 38%
Would You Do Another Crowd-Source with Us
Sure! 84%
Only for a Really Unique Project: 9%
Unsure: 7%
Overall, great results and great motivation to press on.
So, onward and upward, and Florius beckons!
