SYRUP SOON? ANOTHER ARTBOOK!?
Reading Time: 5 Mins.
Greetings, everyone! I wanted to give out a quick, important update regarding the progress on Syrup! (Don’t worry, it’s on a very positive note.)
It’s been quite some time since I last wrote a blog update in general; juggling between working on the book, the game, and various side projects. But things have been looking up since, and I’ve been having tons of fun again! And there have been solid updates since on the logistical aspects of self-publishing for this project and in general. Here’s the skinny:
Where Is Syrup?
As you’re probably aware, that percentage on the front page has been sitting at 90% for quite some time now. A few months back, I’ve noticed a good amount of the content I’ve drawn for Syrup isn’t up to my personal par. As explained already, life was life’ing me a lot since the project’s announcement in 2023, and I felt a need to take a bit more time on polishing illustrations and refining the content of the book. The resulting energy just wasn’t 100% because of the vibe I was in during the early parts of production. I try hard not to be a perfectionist, but this (what I aptly called) “Mixbook” is very special in contrast to other things I’ve been hammering at. Because this project is 100% fresh, I had to actually create the content and art from scratch, hence the main reason for the project’s duration.
Ex.A: Scrapped preliminary sketch of an illustration from the book. (I prolly could make a “groundworks” book of all the sketches I’ve done for it, lmao.)
I never really explained what Syrup is as a project, so I wanted to take a moment to do so here. It’s an original “concept album” based on my own female characters framed in their own spicy pinup universe. In it features Xarope, Pomelo, Phoebe, Jelle, and a bevy of other (both known and new) fictional girls of mine that I don’t want to ruin the surprise with. So, it is the first in a line of themed “Mixbooks”, and I have other plans for other themed projects in the future.
I have a new deadline I’m setting for final completion, which is the end of this year. Over the next few months, I’ll start ramping up the promo stuff by sharing peeks of what I have cooked up and some cool, sparkly marketing shit. I really don’t wanna ruin the premise at all.
Lemme segue into the logistics of this stuff next.
Solo Yolo
Self-publishing has been a bit of a process getting ducks in a row. Again, I had to go thru a few potential printers before settling on one, as well as contact several 3PL fulfillment companies (vendors) for the delivery of the books when complete. But it’s been good news as the previous tariff issue has been minimized since the last update on the book’s progress, and I now have a vendor picked out specifically for my book products. Also, because of working solely on the book (and game), I haven’t been able to yet free up time to make new merch to give me more breathing room to maintain the roof over my head to power thru finishing Syrup.
So, there are two factors I needed to check at once, and I decided to release a side artbook that is already complete.
Robaato Illustration Works I
My 40th birthday is a few days from now (can you believe it!? Thankfully, I still look rather young despite everything lol…), and I decided what better time to celebrate and kill those aforementioned two birds with one stone than to drop my very first ever volume of a compilation works book!
Ex.B: I’m rather pleased with it! And Chun is filling the cover out nicely…
100 pages and features over 100 illustrations I hand-picked out from over 15 years of my art career. A4 sized (big), a third of an inch (thick), full color (front to back), with a lot of my published work, rare commissions, fan works, and break illos within. The best thing about it is that it’s already ready to ship; I printed a small batch. I and my specified vendor needed a test subject, and since Syrup is not yet finished, I decided to set a little time aside and make this book. I always planned on doing this B-tier line of artbooks, but figured I could seize this opportunity to establish my self-publishing foundation better. That way, the fulfillment kinks will be ironed out for Syrup since it’s more of a creative grail and I want to make sure that first impression is solid.
With the way time is flying nowadays, it’s not too long until I’ll be finished with Xarope and friends, and in the meantime, you all can have an entire other artbook to thumb through and share around as an appetizer. I really want to re-establish my reputation with this artbook stuff well, and the profit from Illustration Works I shall be a decent financial cushion for the rest of the year.
To wrap this up: Robaato Illustration Works I is available for purchase in my store this moment, and ships immediately upon order. These books are also in limited quantity, so be sure to get your copy before they’re all gone. It is not a preorder like Syrup was. It is already finished and in stock. There will be no need from here on out for me to hold preorders ever again, for anything. Lastly, Syrup will be finished by the end of the year and start shipping then.
That’s the new plan and I’m sticking to it! And as usual, if you can not wait further on Syrup (though, I recommend you hold on a little bit longer), I can still refund and cancel your preorder, just shoot me an email and say the word.
Back to work for me! Enjoy the Works for you!
✨📚✨
