TL;DR: No action items for you. I've got paper samples to show you. At the next update I'll have some layout done. I'm doing a big push in the hopes of sending the book and custom designed notebook off to print before April 15. If you have questions or concerns about anything relating to your order please email [email protected]. I'm giving you all another chapter to read. The chapter can be accessed by clicking over to Backerkit and logging in. Your next update will be the week of April 7-11. Details below.
Details
One of the things I love about the printer I work with is their willingness to send me samples and to discuss back and forth to make sure that everything is the best it can be. It is one of the reasons I'm willing to cope with international shipping despite the fluctuating tariffs. I've worked with other printers and they simply don't feel like partners in the process of making a wonderful book. For Structuring Life to Support Creativity I want the book to have a cover with some texture on it. I want it to feel like watercolor paper or a sketch book when you pick it up instead of being a glossy-covered self-help book. The folks at 1010 printing helpfully sent me a sample brick of possible papers:
A brick of paper sample cards attached with a brad on one corner. Some of the sample cards have been fanned out to be visible.
There were so many options! Most of which weren't what I want for this book, but have exciting possibilities for other books. For each texture type there are different weights and colors of paper. This allows me to zero in on exactly what I want for the book. It is so nice to be able to touch the samples and know exactly what I'm getting.
A close up on the textures of two sample cards.
I've narrowed it down to either "Elegant" or "Blanket" and I'll request an updated bid using the paper I select. They also sent me a "dummy" for both the SLSC book and the Custom Designed Notebook.
A blank book with a hand holding it open so that the pages can be seen.
A blank spiral bound notebook.
These have the exact papers and page counts that will be used, but no printing on them. Again, this is hugely valuable in helping me understand the tactile experience of the book.
One of the things I need to do before getting my updated bid is make sure I have the right page count. What is in the image is 320 pages of book. I got that number by taking my word count and dividing by 250 words per page. However there are a lot of things in layout that can affect the ending page count. So before I ask my printer to do the work of making an updated bid, I need to do the work of creating a preliminary layout to determine more precisely how many pages the physical book and notebook will have.
Doing that preliminary layout is up at the top of my list of things to do. Unfortunately it shares that top-of-the-list spot with finishing editing, shipping packages for the Mandatory Failure Kickstarter, Promotional pushes for the Function of Firepower Kickstarter (Funding now!), and helping Locus Magazine set up for their annual fundraiser. The top of the list is very crowded right now. But careful juggling helps me keep all of the projects moving. I'm planning on having preliminary layout to show you by the next time I write an update in two weeks. I'll be writing that update for you the week of April 7-11.
Thank you so much for being part of this project! Sandra Tayler
