It’s that time month of the everyone…. blog time. I give updates, you give a collective sigh. What have I been up to this month? Book publishing mainly.
I’ve had a busy month making progress on just about everything. The website is progressing nicely, and the amazing Jason Thibault is pulling together what should be a revolutionary rights transfer system. Should be September the release of this, but there will much testing needed beforehand to ensure it’s perfect before it goes live.
Regarding trips, we visited Ludlow Bookbinders this month and took some footage of the work Freya is doing on the marbled cloth for The Fifth Season. It was also time for a very pleasant catch-up with Rich from Lyra’s – I always enjoy sharing a publishing war-story with him.
As mentioned we’re trying to pull together some videos for the books and we have a bit more footage we need to film, then I can get editing down.
On to Production!
The Blade Itself
I’m very pleased to say we’re still on track with this one! Tommy has made good progress and we should be expecting all the art coming in over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be more happy to share a couple of the finished images as soon as I get them, with one particularly cheeky one.
Ludlow are well underway with their bits. I walked through a sea of slipcases, traycases and bookblocks when I visited. The plan is still very much to ship in September (hoping early Sept), so I can finally get the monkey off my back of a published book in peoples hands.
The Fifth Season
We’ve had a few snags with The Fifth Season, but nothing to push back shipping this year. I noticed there was an error on one of the finished pages of printing which needs rectifying. It’s amazing how something small can get through about four different proofers, but it can happen! Pat and Ellen at Nomad Letterpress are going to be reprinting the four page section so that the final version is as it should be. I could’ve put an errata page in, but I’d rather spend a bit more and get it right.
The Agate slices we’re using for the Lettered Edition have to be done again as the entire set wasn’t good enough quality. I have more Agate on the way and a new etcher/engraver to work through so fingers crossed these come out perfectly.
Limitation Pages should be going out to the author and artist very soon for signing. I’ll share some images once they’re on the Heidleberg. The image is being digitally printed first and the remaining part letterpress printed. So there is a bit of jiggery pokery to get it right.
Regarding the Roman Numeral, I still don’t have the final nod yet from the publisher. The prototype has been finished some time now and I literally can’t wait for you all to see it. Is it as good as Ready Player One? Not sure. But it’s got to be up there. As soon as I have the all clear, you will all get to see it. It will be done via Lottery.
Hyperion
I’m really enjoying working on Hyperion as it’s such a cool book, and the artist Jaime Jones has been pretty awesome throughout. Currently the 20 B&W sketches should be finished mid-August which means I can finish the interior artwork ready for platemaking then letterpress printing.
Work on the prototypes is progressing nicely. I pretty much have all three concepts down now and I’m really happy with them. Which is a good sign usually. Just need to understand the thickness of the final book blocks and I can get them made ready for pre-order.
Still planning to pre-order in October/November with a view to ship in H1 2024.
Future Titles
Trying to keep this section slim. Hitchhikers Guide is still in the pipeline and the incredible Gary Gianni will be starting work later this year with Marcelo and myself. I’m incredibly excited to undertake this legendary book. Can’t commit to dates, but will ship sometime in 2025.
I also have a couple of things bubbling away in the background. This is because I am now engaging artists much earlier as their work takes the most time, and I’m reticent to announce a title until I have all artwork in hand – this way I ensure more accuracy with my shipping dates. What have I got bubbling away? You’ll have to wait a while to find out I’m afraid.
Until next time.
