Category: publishingPage 2 of 7

Rag or justified?

These are preliminary design pages for a new book about the art of Bali. The font is Garamond Premier Pro. The image is a cool piece by I…

Stanford Professional Publishing Course Closes

After 32 years, the Stanford Professional Publishing Course has permanently closed. The decision reflects the constraints of the economic recession, but it may also signal a general retreat…

It seems I haven’t been keeping up

The New York Times recently issued its list of 100 notable books of 2009 — and I don’t think I’ve read any of them! But it’s not like…

Sites we like: The Art of American Book Covers

The first post at The Art of American Book Covers, by Richard Minsky, was made on August 26, so this blog is less than a month old. I regret that I don’t remember who directed me to it, but this blog is so rich in knowledge about techniques of book production that it makes me feel like an absolute novice. The blog will apparently focus on fine books of the nineteenth century.

Book titles then and now

A lot of people have weighed in with examples of book titles then and now over at kottke.org. These are some of my favorites: Then: Book of Genesis…

Book vs. Kindle Smackdown

Green Apple Books — located right here in the Bay Area — has launched a ten-round battle between the book and the kindle. Who do you suppose wins round one?

Have the past twenty years been an aberration in the history of book publishing?

That seems to be the argument that Douglas Rushkoff is making in the August 24 Publishers Weekly. I have described previously the corporate consolidation that has caused the…

Hanuman Maximon

I have been toying with the idea of starting a little imprint to publish mainly world literature and other titles with international scope. It would be called Hanuman…

Publishers Weekly for sale

Here’s your chance to prove your commitment to print. Purchase (the increasingly pointless) Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, or School Library Journal, all of which are on the block….

Designing a book on Southeast Asian Art

Over at the Asian Art Museum blog I’ve written a post briefly outlining some of the issues involved in designing Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma, 1775-1950. I oversaw this project; the book was designed by Tag Savage of Wilsted & Taylor.

There are special issues for American designers when working with Southeast Asian subjects. This book demonstrates, I think, how they can be successfully addressed.

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Print vs. electronic technologies

I’m working on a reprint edition for another publisher of a book originally published by Mercury House sometime in the 1990s. The layout files were on a zip…

Buried in Books

coffin bookshelves

Who says you can’t take it with you? Well, you might have to leave your books behind, but at least you no longer need to be separated from your bookshelves, thanks to William Warren’s “Shelves For Life.”

Writers reading Right Reading

The image at right is a selection from my inlinks tag in Google Reader. It shows websites that have been linking to mine (these are all via Google…

Should publishing be open?

Tim O’Reilly makes some points in its favor. .

Another independent publishing company bites the dust

Ten Speed Press, a mainstay of Bay Area Book Publishing for nearly forty years, has been sold to Random House, which means it is now part of the…

Codex Book Fair

The second biennial CODEX Book Fair will be held this weekend, February 8-11 in Berkeley. The Codex Foundation promotes the art and craft of the book and strives…

What are the components of a well-made book?

Over at India, Ink., the redoubtable India is thinking about “what materials and processes and vendors to use to make books that will last a hundred years.” I…

Northern California Book Reviewers Translation Award

I’ll be on the road for a while, and posting could continue to be light until mid January. Meanwhile, I’ve agreed to be a reader for this translation…

On the devaluation of editors

Pat Holt’s take on this topic is worth reading. Here are some excerpts: I think the saddest thing that ever happened in the book industry was the gradual…

Is print dying?

Steve Rubel, one of the sharpest web marketers (and a prolific tweeter) claims that  “five years from now all media will either be completely digital or well on…

Ten Independent Bay Area Book Publishers, part 2

Yesterday I began a list of ten independent Bay Area book publishing companies, all of which are producing interesting work, though each has its own unique personality and…

Ten Independent Bay Area Book Publishers, part 1

Following the example of Kyle Semmel, I offer here ten independent presses (five today and another five tomorrow) based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Compared to the…

Progress on library

Back in September I mentioned that I was working on a couple of outbuildings that will house much of my library. I’ve been progressing on this pretty steadily,…

Shepard Fairey at Gingko Press

Here’s a familiar image: It’s by Shepard Fairey. My friend Ellen, who works at Gingko Press (currently located in Marin County but soon to move to Berkeley), informs…