In the self-published edition of this work the acknowledgments were about half a page long. I began with: Though writing can be a lonely voyage, few books are ever a solo endeavor. This was true for me then, even with my (very) small publishing team of encouraging friends and family, and it is ever more true now. Sharing Scout’s adventure with the world opened up my own personal world more than I ever imagined possible. I’ve met fellow authors, wonderful readers, kind booktubers and bloggers, publishing professionals, and friends who have all helped tremendously in bringing this book to you in its shiny new edition.
To start, this version of The Last Gifts of the Universe would simply not exist without my editor Kate McHale, whose first email to me about the book will forever be a cherished memory. Kate brought deft, careful attention to the book’s minor revisions to help polish it to a shine while remaining excited and supportive of the original version. What we came to is absolutely the definitive, polished edition of this story. I’m so grateful for Kate’s enthusiasm, encouragement, and care in helping the book through the entire publishing process.
Thank you also to Rose Waddilove, Gemma Wain, and the entire proofreading team for those small changes that nonetheless created huge improvements, and to all of Del Rey UK for your kindness, patience, and support along the way. Especially enormous thanks to Ing Lee, a great artist and a great person both, who designed the incredible cover for this book and made Pumpkin unbelievably cute (for which, really, we all must thank her). Thanks also to Peter Joseph, Eden Railsback, and the kind folks over at Hanover Square Press for their support and work on the North American version of Last Gifts.
All the thanks in the universe to my agent, Valentina Sainato, who has been with me for every step of this publishing journey, and without whom I would surely have lost some sanity. Your breadth of knowledge about the industry and patience in helping me through it are more appreciated than you know. Thanks also to the entire team at JABberwocky; the cheers of support mean the world.
Before my journey into traditional publishing began, there were a number of people in the industry who read the self-published edition of Last Gifts, chatted with me, supported me, and encouraged me to keep writing. These people offered their knowledge and guidance freely and kindly, making it possible to take the book to where it is now. Thank you to Laura Bennett, Sunyi Dean, and Michael Mammay for all the help, with an extra nod here to Mike for introducing me to Valentina, for which I’m wordlessly grateful.
I would be remiss to not acknowledge the SFF indie and self-publishing community for their friendliness, generosity, and role in elevating my work. It is a community absolutely brimming with talented authors, kind readers, and passionate book content creators, and I am so lucky to have found supporters and friends among them. There are far too many people who have made this journey bright to name them all, but I especially want to thank A. R. Witham and the Keymark Community, G. M. Nair, S. Kaeth, Justin Gross, Craig (of the Bookwyrm variety), Kriti and Armed With a Book, Amanda and Bookish Brews, and of course Isabelle of Shaggy Shepherd Book Reviews, Pumpkin’s first and most enthusiastic fan.
Thank you to the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), its hosts Hugh Howey and Duncan Swan, its master organizer, Scott, and especially to the many volunteer judges who selflessly give their time to reading and reviewing the hundreds of books which have been in the competition each year. I feel extremely honored that Last Gifts took first place in SPSFC2, and remain endlessly grateful for how many people cheered it through to the end.
Something I never thought I would have to do was take a professional author photo. Especially because of the time and effort that went into coordinating it, I want to shout out Rafael Rodrigues, the photographer, Charlotte, the world’s best, most talented hair stylist, and Heather Cole, Curator and Specialist Librarian at the John Hay Library, where I was honored to do the shoot. You all made that day so much more fun than I was prepared for.
Of course, I could not have done any of this without my original team, those close few friends who read the earliest drafts of this book and encouraged me to share it with the world. Thank you to Liz, Greg, Maya, and Tammy Salyer, the self-published edition’s original editor, whose suggestions and tweaks still survive today to help make this book shine. And to Conrad, for your love, partnership, and all those late-night chats helping me unravel plot holes. You’re the light of my life.
Lastly, thank you, dear reader. In a world full of entertainment options, I am so grateful to you for choosing to spend your time with this book. I hope you got something back in return.