Kickstarter and Link Roundups And Donations Oh My!

Last night I talked a lot to the authors and editor of What Fates Impose about what our response to issues with Kickstarter would be.   I read a lot of backer feedback.  I encouraged all and sundry to directly contact Kickstarter with our concerns.  Thank all of you who left feedback and talked with me online.

This morning I wrote a rather long e-mail to the authors, and Nayad wrote an update to our project outlining what our response would be.   And then Kickstarter apologized rather well, making much of what was going to appear here today completely moot.  

The one thing that isn’t?   Whatever Kickstarter’s cut is of What Fates Impose is going to be matched and donated, out of my personal pocket, to the Artemis Center in my neck of the woods.  Yes, that means the more money raised by What Fates Impose, the more they get.   (Legal note:  I am not donating money raised from the Kickstarter, I’m donating my own cash.)

Still, there’s some deeper questions to ponder here.  If a tool is misused, does that mean the tool is bad?  If Kickstarter did not have community guidelines, would this have still been a problem?  If we, as authors, discover a publisher (or printer, or layout designer) has also worked on abhorrent projects, does that mean we shouldn’t be working with that person or organization?

These aren’t easy questions.  For someone like me, where ideals factor high in my business DNA, they’re tough questions indeed.

Rather than just leave you with those questions, I’m going to leave you with a mini link roundup!

Nayad is offering artwork to folks who back the project early;  check her offer out.

Peter Watts graciously allowed me some space on his blog to talk about fate, George Herbert Mead, and biological determinism.

Beth Wodzinsky writes some about why this anthology is going to be awesome!

You can get a preview of Ferrett Steinmetz’s story “Black Swan Oracle” right on over here…

And, of course, you should totally go back the Kickstarter itself at bit.ly/kickfate and help promote it in three clicks at bit.ly/sharefate

Have a great weekend, everyone!