Converting a book on a small computer screen to a physical publication has been an interesting experience. The expectation versus the reality is at fist a bit of a shock – to see something that I have spent two years working on, revising, discussing and researching in a physical form is quite a shock.
It is difficult for me to put into words why I go between feeling happy and feeling slightly underwhelmed by the quality of the test printing; the individual components work but there are elements that don’t feel right overall. The print quality needed to be addressed with the printing company and I have been assured that the images will look cleaner..
The paper stock is not the same as was requested but it is fine for a test print, The cover is much thinner than what was selected and despite asking for an uncoated finish there is a gloss to it. The paper throughout is supposed to have a matte finish on silk but again, there is a slight gloss on the pages, I have rectified this for the next (hopefully final) print.
A consideration for when I reprint the work after the initial run is the size. In the current iteration, having an A4 Landscape book is quite big when opened up. I will experiment with redesigning the book as an A5 or custom smaller size publication. Perhaps having a smaller book would work with the intimate tone of the project, but currently I am happy with the size and the layout.
Despite being initially mixed on my feelings with the book, and the disappointment not immediately being able to sell it or promote it as I had hoped, I still think that photographing and recording video of the book will be good practice for when the final version is in stock. I am going to send out spreads to bookshops to try and have the book stocked in shops when it has arrived as I wouldn’t want to be asked to provide books that I don’t currently have, I will also be submitting to sites still to promote the work once I have a working link to view and buy the book.
CRJ 