nickscipio

1000 Patrons! (And a Sneak Peek)

Added 2017-11-20 19:17:23 +0000 UTC

Hi. This morning we hit our 1,000th patron. I'd like to say that I'm speechless, but you know I'd be lying.

And in my dazed and semi-confused state this morning, I decided to write the Afterword for Book 4. I've needed to do it for a while, but I've been putting it off in favor of writing new chapters in Book 5 instead.

However, December 1 is quickly approaching, and I need to release the B4 eBook for VIP patrons. So it was now or never, especially since the week of Thanksgiving is always so busy with anything but work.

My fans generally fall into three categories: the awesome people, the silent majority, and the assholes. If you're reading this, you know which group you belong to. (Hint: I'm the only asshole allowed here.)

The B4 Afterword is specifically for you, to say thanks. We've had an amazing six months, and you're a large part of that. You've helped make writing fun again, and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

So now, without further ado...

Author’s Afterword

Wow! Just… wow. It’s hard to believe that I started writing Book 4 more than ten years ago. So much has happened since then. Where do I begin? Well, I split with my former business partner, went back to school full time, earned a couple of degrees, started another company with new partners, and worked my butt off for several years. I kept writing Summer Camp throughout, but at a much slower pace.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t having fun anymore. A small but vocal group of “fans” were consistent assholes about my posting schedule. It’s free dessert, people! You get it when you get it. Most readers didn’t mind, but they were the (very) silent majority. A diehard group of real fans said thanks for every new chapter, and I’m grateful to all of you. You know who you are. But still, every time I posted a chapter I felt like I was rewarding the assholes or simply feeding the freeloaders who gave me nothing in return, not even a simple thank you.

That all changed in May. I decided to leave my startup and focus on writing instead. My attitude changed almost overnight. I made plans for a Patreon, but I told myself I wouldn’t pull the trigger until I had a least six months of chapters in my buffer. I wrote more than 50,000 words in May alone. For reference, that’s about three times my output for any one of the last seven years, and I did it in a single month. Um, yeah. It’s amazing what a positive attitude can do.

I launched my Patreon on June 15 and soon had a dedicated group of patrons who love the story as much as I do. I was having fun again and so were they. I kept writing at the new pace and banged out 48,000 words in June. In addition to new chapters, I posted hints and teases and sneak peeks. I was back to my TERBish self and loving it, but I had a problem.

I was only about halfway through the story I wanted to tell in Book 4. At that point a mega-fan suggested I split the book after Chapter 28. He also suggested a new title for the erstwhile Book 4: Wren. It isn’t very clever, as titles go, but I hadn’t thought of it. Still, I know a good idea when I see it, so Book 5 was born.

Once again, I’m probably a little too fond of my own writing, but it’s such a fun story! I never want it to end. However, Book 5 will be the end of Paul’s story. You’ll find out who dies and who he marries, and I’ll set the stage for the next story. I’m tentatively calling it Summer Camp: The Next Generation. Once again, it isn’t very clever as titles go, but none of you are reading this for the title.

I started my Patreon a little more than six months ago, and more true fans have joined every day. This morning we reached 1,000. I post a new chapter installment every week, along with plenty of other Summer Camp goodies. And I’m still writing and enjoying myself. I can’t tell you how good it feels to be rewarded for all my hard work.

I understand that not everyone can afford to pay a few dollars a month for quality writing. And some people simply refuse to pay for something they once got for free. That’s fine. I don’t mind. You’ll eventually be able to read Book 5 for free, as long as you’re willing to wait. But if you want access to the latest chapters and a whole lot more, you need to join my Patreon. No hard feelings if you can’t (or won’t). If you’ve read this far, you’re still a fan, and I appreciate it.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment now that I’ve wrapped up Book 4. I’ve spent more than fifteen years on Summer Camp and written nearly two million words. Two. Million. Words. Wow! Just… wow. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my all-volunteer team and especially Big Ed Magusson. He’s been my friend, alpha reader, and official source of motivation for many years.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank you. Whether you’re a fan who’s now a patron, one of the silent majority of free readers, or even one of the assholes, you’re still reading my stories, and that’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t be writing them without people like you.

So thanks again, and thanks for reading.

Nick Scipio

November 20, 2017