“The Monster” — a duplicator used to print the poetry magazine Migrant.
I tucked into writing Chapter Nine over the weekend, and I have the day off today for Canadian Thanksgiving, so I’m heading out to finish it off now.
I also went to a small book fair at the Scottish Poetry Library on Saturday. It was great to see all these little operations with their various self-published books, which ranged from tiny, thread-bound pamphlets to big blocks bound between pieces of wood.
One speaker, Duncan Glen, talked about his history as a publisher, working with various methods from handset letterpress to gestetners, offset litho… If there was a way to print, he tried it, getting covered in jellied inks in the process. Much of the Scots poet Hugh McDiarmid’s work is known because Duncan put it out there.
I got up the nerve to show another audience member one of my books after he mentioned that he’s been doing book designs for major publishers for years. He loved it, and complimented me on my typography, the cover, and even the weight and dimensions of it. (This was especially gratifying in a twisted way because he now does cover designs for a local press that rejected my manuscript; actually, they didn’t just reject it, they sent back the hand-bound partial manuscript package I made with some kind of accounting notes scribbled on it. But had they not rejected it, my skills would never have evolved to the point of being able to make these perfect-bound books myself.
He encouraged me to show the speaker one of my books. I hestitated, thinking he might feel the ease of this new-fangled computer design was an abomination. But no, he was astounded that I could do such a thing at home. He, too, commented on my typography, the cover, and the format, saying it was a real quality product. That was a real boost.
When I attended the show two years ago, I showed one of my early efforts (the aforementioned partial manuscript package, which had a tear-off response card, a tiny envelope for postage, etc. incorporated into it) to a local book artist, and she tore into it, telling me how I got the warp of the cover-boards wrong, this was off, that wasn’t right, and what I should do is take her £800 weekend bookbinding course.
This year, I left the show having impressed venerable, award-winning book designers, and feeling like I should be a presenter, not an audience member — if these publishers, let alone the attendees, don’t know that it’s possible to reach this level with a DIY publishing effort. I swear, as soon as I finish this next book, I’m going to grab the self-promotion steer by the horns and finally learn how to do it once and for all.
In this vein, let me mention that I’m doing another presentation at this year’s Radical Book Fair. Here are the details:
Want to Publish Your Own Book? with HAMISH MACDONALD at the 11th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair
Writer and micropress publisher HAMISH MACDONALD takes you through the basics of producing books from home — not sending out manuscripts or navigating print-on-demand websites, but truly making your own books.
By the end of the session, you will have made a perfect-bound book and gained the know-how to put yourself into print without spending lots of money or asking anyone for permission!
- Sunday 28 October 2007 at 3.00PM
- Venue
Out of the Blue Drill Hall
30-38 Dalmeny Street
Edinburgh
EH6 8RG
Scotland
UK
- Admission Free! Donations welcome!
- All Welcome!
- Cafe and Bar Open!
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