On Tuesday, May 21st, Independent Publisher Pilum Press launched a Kickstarter for their next project, “Ursula of Lum” by author JB Jackson. The crowdfund for hopes to help pay for production expenses and offer readers a continuation of the story that began in the previous book in this new series.
Pilum Press is a publisher that releases anthologies of the bizarre and the strange, filled with short fiction, as well as projects a bit off the beaten path from the mainstream. One such book was the surprise underground hit novel “Shagduk” by JB Jackson, which was also crowdfunded.
The campaign page states the following about this new project:
"In this follow-up to the cult classic Shagduk, the mystery of Professor Sherwood's disappearance deepens. As does Steven Miller's involvement with Fort Worth's occult underbelly and with his secretive colleague, Diane. Find out what happens when impish shenanigans go too far and when doors best left closed lead the fledgling sorcerer to the world's very edge. Ursula of Ulm is the second book in the De re dordica saga."
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The book description refers to the disappearance that sets off the events of the first book in the series, “Shagduk”, a mystery that continues here in Book Two. The story promises to be a weird epic that the mainstream publishing world has long since forgotten how to create. They just need the audience to help it happen.
The first entry, set in 1977, starred Stephen and his friend Randy in their quest to find the missing Professor Sherwood. Along the way, they deal with strangeness, such as summoning a demon and facing down the potential end of the world. “Shagduk” was just the beginning, as Book Two shows.
To aid new readers, the campaign also offers “Shagduk” in various tiers, so there is no need to jump in blind to Book Two for those who desire the full story. There are ebook, paperback, and hardcover options for “Ursula of Lum.” Pilum Press is hoping to reach its goal of $2000 for production expenses so that the book can be printed as soon as the campaign finishes and sent out to the backers as soon as possible.
The Kickstarter for “Ursula of Lum” will run for one month ending on June 20th, 2024. You can find the different tiers and rewards on the campaign page.
Shaduk is the best book to come out in a long time. I am so stoked that we are getting a followup that promises to be EVEN BETTER!
I’m really looking forward to this one. Shagduk captured a specific time and place better than anything I’ve read in years.
Why does a story need a Kickstarter? I’ve written three dozen books. You write them, and then you publish them. It’s not that hard if you like writing.
@BB Shelbie. Why does a book need a Kickstarter? Fair question. Because crowdfunding is also a way of reaching new readers who might not have discovered our authors. Maybe writing is not that hard for you. For my money, writing is one of the hardest activities a human can undertake. To actually publish in a durable fashion requires professional attention to both text and the physical aspects of the book.