Contact
UK mobile 07929 870580
barleybooks@hotmail.co.uk
Some of the books are available to buy: please e-mail me for prices.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
UK mobile 07929 870580
barleybooks@hotmail.co.uk
Some of the books are available to buy: please e-mail me for prices.
barleybooks
I love the way you have/are making your books. Do you do them all yourself or have pages printed elsewhere? I am in the process of wanting to make some myself but not sure of where to start, I have got many poems, written work (short stories and scripts which I relate when giving shows for my table top theatre. Could you give me some pointers please? Thanks
Thank you Miriam. I’m glad you like them.
Every book is different! Obviously if the book is a one-off, or entirely handwritten (eg the books for “Holyest Erth”), I do everything myself. If I’m printing on special paper I do it at home. If I’m using a copy-shop I get a proof done because the quality of their paper varies and I can’t let a book go out with text showing through from the other side. If you have to use thin or translucent paper, consider folding it in the Japanese style, with the fold at the fore-edge, and using a stab-binding. Or make a virtue of the translucency!
The best advice I can give is to read up on book design and typography, so as to develop an eye for what looks right on the page, and just get on with it and learn as you go. Think of the book as a whole – the text is the soul and the physical book is the body. They should be in harmony. Even something as slight as widening the margins or using a pamphlet stitch instead of staples can make such a difference.
If you can find one, go to a class or a workshop and learn the basics of book-binding. This could save you from making some elementary mistakes! It’s easy to ruin a book by getting the grain direction of the paper wrong, or using an inappropriate adhesive.
Just a few thoughts off the top of my head! Good luck.