{"id":284,"date":"2011-05-01T12:55:10","date_gmt":"2011-05-01T19:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/?p=284"},"modified":"2011-05-09T10:20:30","modified_gmt":"2011-05-09T17:20:30","slug":"where-the-hell-is-targets-of-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/2011\/05\/where-the-hell-is-targets-of-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the Hell is ‘Targets of Opportunity’?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From March 1, 2010.<\/em><\/p>\n

SUMMARY: The manuscript for <\/em>Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity is ready for layout after many long delays and will go to press soon. <\/em>Targets will see an ebook release\u2014a first for\u00a0Delta Green<\/a>\u2014in April for customers who ordered the hardback limited edition. The hardback book itself will appear in June. Explanations and details follow.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

The Book That Would Not Die<\/strong><\/div>\n

Way back in 2008, we launched a \u201cransom\u201d to drum up the capital for printing and releasing a new Delta Green sourcebook,\u00a0Targets of Opportunity.<\/em> We had just released\u00a0Delta Green Eyes Only<\/em> in a hardback limited edition followed by a paperback edition for retail. Eyes Only<\/em> was the first Delta Green project that Arc Dream created in partnership with Pagan Publishing, and it was a great success.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

As it happened we had a LOT of material that had been written for Delta Green over the years since the previous retail release,\u00a0Countdown<\/em>, in 2000. I worked it out with the Delta Green Partnership and the authors of that old work to polish it up and release it as\u00a0Targets of Opportunity.<\/em> Since we had manuscripts in hand and they were in fairly good shape, we figured we\u2019d have mainly editing to do and we could release Targets in short order. We launched the ransom, it passed muster with great support from the fans, and we went to work.<\/p>\n

It turned out, we jumped the gun hugely on\u00a0Targets of Opportunity,<\/em> but at the time we had no idea we were jumping the gun. We had manuscripts in hand, we’d given them enough of a once-over to gain confidence and enthusiasm that we could polish them up quickly and move them out the door . . . and then the rewrites started. And kept going. And going. And going. And going.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

In a different kind of publishing house, we could play hardball with everybody and say something like “Give me the final manuscript in 60 days or I’ll get somebody else to write it.” But this is Delta Green. We can’t just pull in a stringer to replace a writer whose day job interferes with production. We use very specific writers for very specific reasons.<\/p>\n

And I personally feel a great responsibility as project manager to NOT turn out substandard material, even if it takes way too long, because the standard was set so very high under John Tynes’ leadership 10 years ago. I\u00a0really<\/em> do not want to become the guy who steered Delta Green into mediocrity. So, in that great tradition of Delta Green \u2014 I’m not the only one around here who waited on pins and needles from 1993 to 1997 for the first DG book to finally arrive \u2014 we’d rather release an\u00a0awesome<\/em> book that’s a year late than a mediocre one that’s on time.
\nWhat we’ve learned from all this is to be a LOT more conservative about when we start the pre-release process. Right now I have a complete DG novel manuscript in hand and most of the next Delta Green sourcebook \u2014 not to mention two finished\u00a0Wild Talents<\/em> books by Greg Stolze \u2014 but we’re not doing a thing with those until the manuscripts have been thoroughly vetted, and we know exactly how long the revisions and art are going to take, so when we predict an ETA that prediction will have some weight.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

\nBut Where the Hell Is It?<\/strong><\/div>\n

Here\u2019s the schedule for the remaining work in\u00a0Targets of Opportunity<\/em> and its release dates. These dates are firm.<\/p>\n

As of March 8 we will have finished the final revisions on every chapter of the manuscript\u2014even the ones that have given us the most trouble. Most chapters are finished and are already in copyediting, but the holdouts will come in over the next few days.<\/p>\n

As of March 15, all copyediting will be finished and it will go to layout.<\/p>\n

On April 12, layout will be finished and we\u2019ll give it a once-over.<\/p>\n

On April 19, we\u2019ll do something that\u2019s unprecedented with Delta Green: We\u2019ll send a PDF ebook of\u00a0Targets of Opportunity<\/em> to all who ordered the hardback limited edition.<\/p>\n

(You may already be asking whether the PDF will be available to those who eventually buy the paperback retail edition. I don\u2019t know. That\u2019ll be entirely in the hands of Pagan Publishing, and they haven\u2019t decided yet.)<\/p>\n

On April 26, we\u2019ll send\u00a0Targets<\/em> to our printer. (Why wait a week? Because that gives readers time to read the ebook, and they\u2019ll almost certainly find typos that we missed. As copy editors, we\u2019re good, but it always happens.)<\/p>\n

According to the printer\u2019s estimates, on June 7 we\u2019ll have the hardback in our warehouse and shipping to customers.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A Moment of Recognition<\/strong><\/div>\n

Targets of Opportunity <\/em>is a fine book, and Dennis Detwiller, Scott Glancy and I\u00a0owe a great debt of thanks to the writers who helped create it \u2014 Warren Banks, Kenneth Hite, and Greg Stolze \u2014 and to artist Todd Shearer, designer Daniel Solis, co-editor Adam Crossingham and copy editor James Knevitt, for their patience and goodwill as it has slowly taken shape.<\/p>\n

We owe just as many thanks to you, the fans of Delta Green who jumped on the chance to support\u00a0Targets of Opportunity<\/em> back when we expected it to have a fast turnaround. I am personally very, very pleased to see new material for Delta Green \u2014 it\u2019s been my favorite game setting since it first appeared in\u00a0The Unspeakable Oath<\/em> 18 years ago \u2014 and I\u2019m incredibly grateful for the patience and support of its fans.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to show off\u00a0Targets of Opportunity<\/em> at last.<\/p>\n

Shane Ivey
\nArc Dream Publishing<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity will be released in a limited-edition hardcover, available for pre-orders at\u00a0www.arcdream.com<\/a>. A paperback edition will follow for retail distribution.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From March 1, 2010. SUMMARY: The manuscript for Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity is ready for layout after many long delays and<\/p>\n

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