WDF’s Patreon is Changing, Here’s What You Need to Know!

By now, you’ve had some teasers as to how Matchlock and the Embassy is going to go. So in this post, I’d like to explain in more detail how our Patreon page will connect to this new series, as well as all future published titles. I’d also like to explain how Patreon’s Xtra feed is changing, and what supporters will get to listen to as their extra content every month. If that sounds interesting to you, maybe you’re a bit curious about the whole situation, then please, read on!

Matchlock is here to stay, and patrons at the $5 level will get access to all of his e-books!

In short, we’ll be utilising the $5 History Friend tier, and the $12 PhD Pal tier, and to receive the benefits from either, you must sign up for a monthly or annual [saving 5%!] contribution.

But exactly what benefits exist? Let’s have a look

$5 History Friend:

XCLUSIVE XTRAS: Access to the XTRA FEED, which means that at least one hour of additional content every month is yours.
LET’S GO TO WAR: Britain Goes To War is returning, ETA Q1 2022, and when it does, expect an unprecedented examination of the British Empire in the High Victorian Era, as the nation stumbles from crisis to crisis, and engages with various conflicts, as its statesmen strive to maintain the national honour, even while Europe transforms before their eyes.
PREPARE ARMS: Matchlock and the Embassy is just the beginning – supporters at this level will be able to enjoy the e-books of all future Matchlock titles. This is the place to be if you want the new Matchlock instalment as soon as it’s released!
READERS’ PARADISE: But it’s not just Matchlock – you’ll get the e-book of all future books we release, whether fiction or non-fiction, and trust me, we have many studies planned! Bismarck, our PhD, a new Versailles study, a second edition of For God or the Devil, and even Britain Goes to War itself – all will be published in the future, so check in here if you want to secure access to all future titles.
UNBEATEN ON CONTENT: You'll also have access to a vast back catalogue of over 40 hours of exclusive audio content that you'll hear nowhere else, which includes such gems as the Season One of Poland Is Not Yet Lost [40 Episodes], The Suez Crisis of 1956 [21 Episodes], and an examination of the Soviet Union after Stalin, with revolutions to match [16 Episodes], in addition to some one-off specials.

Want some Matchlock merch? Be my guest! Click here to find t-shirts, hoodies, tote-bags and all manner of other things, so you can represent with this lovely logo!

$12 PhD Pal:

MATCHLOCK AMBASSADOR: If you can’t wait until the next Matchlock title is released, sign up here to get an Advanced Reader Copy at least a fortnight before anyone else gets to read it! You’ll also get access to the exclusive Matchlock Ambassadors Facebook Group where only the most rabid fans of Matchlock reside. Expect spoilers, intensive discussions, and frequent contributions by me, the author!
I’M TALKING AUDIO: Audiobooks live on this tier – get all future audiobooks, whether Matchlock related, or non-fiction related – delivered to your ears in our feed, or through alternative systems, if you prefer. You’ll never have to spend an Audible credit on me again!
HARDCORE WDF. These will be longer episodes, very much an experiment and less bound by scripts, but still chock full of glorious details! We kicked this off with Bismarck: Rise, and more instalments are on the way – but the PhD must come first by lovely Pal!
All previous perks

So now you know what those patrons can expect, but what about the stuff that brought us to the dance in the first place - the extra podcast content? Well, let’s get something out of the way first…

The fate of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a fascinating story, and I’ve loved bringing the story to you, up to the point of 1750 - expect the story to return once my PhD is done!

Poland Is Not Yet Lost is taking a break after its 40th episode

You can listen to the Patreon Update episode here to learn why this is the case, but here’s a summed up explanation:

I wrote the first 40 scripts in summer 2017, and planned to return to do the next set of scripts later.
Other jobs and then the PhD got in the way in the interim.
When I sat down to create the next set of scripts in spring 2021, I found that it was just too hard to research this project while also engaging with the PhD.
Don’t worry - we will finish this story, but we’ll be waiting until 2023 to do so. The PhD must come first!

I am sorry for this interruption, but rest assured, I have something to keep you satiated in the meantime.

Yes, there’s all the Matchlock stuff, but there’s also something else -

Britain Goes to War is returning!

Again, the Patreon Update episode goes into more detail explaining how I’ll be structuring the new series, but here’s another handy summary for you!

Thanks to my PhD’s focus on late nineteenth century, specifically on three case studies, repurposing this work for the BGTW series won’t be too hard.
These three case-studies include the Schleswig-Holstein Crisis of 1864, the Russo Turkish War of 1877-78, and the Sudan Crisis of 1884-85.
We won’t be focusing exclusively on those events; we’ll also be digging deeper
For instance, in the first case-study, the entirety of Palmerston’s final administration of 1859-65 is what’ll take our fancy, this includes Anglo-American relations during the Civil War, Napoleon III’s intervention in Mexico, and the Schleswig-Holstein crisis itself

Hopefully, this will serve as a make good for those who are disappointed. You should know that BGTW is due to return in Q1 of 2022, but however long it takes, we’ll be running weekly episodes to make up for the lack of content for you guys over the next few months. Again, the hope is that the Matchlock arrival will lessen the blow somewhat.

Are you excited for the return of BGTW?
Do you feel like the most loved patron that ever existed?
Will you be seizing those audiobooks and e-books, of fiction and non-fiction?
Are you interested in Matchlock, and what it means for the future of When Diplomacy Fails, not to mention, Zack Twamley and fam?

Remember to join the hype and discussion in the Facebook group - I look forward to seeing you there!

Thanksss!

Zack