Making lemonade.

Making lemonade.

December 4, 2012, 11:47 am
Filed under: Art, Book Conservation, Marketing, Predictions, Promotion, Publishing, Science Fiction | Tags: art, blogging, bookbinding, Communion of Dreams, direct publishing, humor, jim downey, Kickstarter, predictions, promotion, Science Fiction

A couple weeks ago, I wrote this:

If I wanted to, I could actually bind the book so as to read ‘backwards’ like a Hebrew Bible, though the page numbers are all in the wrong location for that.

I must admit, I’m tempted, just for giggles.

And as I posted yesterday, I gave in to the temptation. Yup, I made a ‘backwards book’, one which has the spine on the right side, and in which you turn the pages from left to right. And I’m going to make a few more.

Why? Well, for the fun of it, mostly. But also because when things like this happen, I’ve learned to roll with it. It’s like a little surprise, something special the universe gives you — serendipitous art.

And for some people, such things are quite collectible. Think of philately or numismatics, where errors of one sort or another make for highly-valued stamps and coins.

Errors are part of the handmade process. In this case, the error wasn’t mine, but came from the printer. Whoever set up the print run managed to load the pages backwards, and in the process opened an unexpected door.

Now, this isn’t something that appeals to a lot of people. So I’m only going to make 15 of these books — thirteen ‘lettered’ copies (A – M), and two artist’s/author’s proofs, all covered in book cloth as shown. Those who have opted to get one of the “archive” sets will have it included in the set at no additional charge as long as the copies last. Others may opt to buy a single copy for $150.00. But there are only 13 copies, and of those four are already reserved. Meaning that there are only nine remaining, and are first-come, first served.

So, there ya go.

 

Jim Downey

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What follows is a little photo-essay showing the process by which I bound the first book (and will bind the rest). This will also be the same process for binding the ‘normal’ hardcover cloth edition.

Sheets gathered into sections, then folded.

 

Sections punched for sewing.

 

Starting the sewing onto linen tapes.

 

Sewing complete.

 

Text block trimmed, ready for adhesive & spine liners.

 

 

Gluing up the text block.

 

Checking fit of the boards.

 

Making the cloth-bound case (hardcover).

 

Case done, checking fit with text block.

 

Cover sheet next to case.

 

Me cutting the cover sheet to size.

 

Cutting the cover sheet – this is how it would normally be laid out for a conventional book.

 

Re-arranging the cover for this ‘backwards’ book.

 

Cover completed.

 

It’s a backwards book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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