1Niurn
In addition to the recent website overhaul and a better newsletter, Arion now has a new Director :
Blurb from the website :
Video presentation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWfcb5TTFEQ&feature=youtu.be
Link to his linkedin profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolphblythe/
A new page ?
Blurb from the website :
Rolph Blythe, Director of the Press
Rolph Blythe has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. Prior to joining Arion he worked as Publisher of Counterpoint LLC where he oversaw the Counterpoint Press and Soft Skull Press imprints, publishing over 65 original titles a year. He has worked at Basic Books and Graywolf Press in marketing capacities and at the Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency as a literary agent. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
Video presentation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWfcb5TTFEQ&feature=youtu.be
Link to his linkedin profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolphblythe/
A new page ?
2MobyRichard
>1 Niurn:
Yes, I just got that announcement. Here's to lower prices?
That's really my one big complaint with Arion Press. Even when I really want a book, the prices scare me off.
Yes, I just got that announcement. Here's to lower prices?
That's really my one big complaint with Arion Press. Even when I really want a book, the prices scare me off.
3Niurn
>2 MobyRichard:
Given his past, where nothing seems to relate to fine press publishing, i'm expecting something like a new collection with a more affordable pricepoint or several tiers of offering for new titles à la Suntup or Diane de Selliers (thinking of "La Petite Collection" )
Given his past, where nothing seems to relate to fine press publishing, i'm expecting something like a new collection with a more affordable pricepoint or several tiers of offering for new titles à la Suntup or Diane de Selliers (thinking of "La Petite Collection" )
4astropi
Sounds like they're going to publish work by Patti Smith.
Not really my cup of tea.
Gogol on the other hand, sure is! However, are the illustrations going to be like this? :/ sigh...
At least the Willa Cather illustrations look simplistic, but appropriate and enjoyable.
Sea of Cortez definitely too. Although I suspect it will be well out of my price range, even the "regular" edition. I have no idea why some of you are saying "lower prices" - IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
Not really my cup of tea.
Gogol on the other hand, sure is! However, are the illustrations going to be like this? :/ sigh...
At least the Willa Cather illustrations look simplistic, but appropriate and enjoyable.
Sea of Cortez definitely too. Although I suspect it will be well out of my price range, even the "regular" edition. I have no idea why some of you are saying "lower prices" - IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
5Niurn
Not lower prices for the usual collection, no, that's not what i was saying. A contrario, a better marketer probably means higher prices for the prestige editions !
8Sorion
Sadly none of the titles they announced besides Cortez is of any interest to me. I found them quite off-putting. I’m not sure where these 50 new subscribers are going to come from at their price point?
>6 kdweber: That is my hope. I have two titles I’ve wanted for a very long time and have not pulled the trigger yet. Would love an excuse too.
>6 kdweber: That is my hope. I have two titles I’ve wanted for a very long time and have not pulled the trigger yet. Would love an excuse too.
9gmacaree
More fine press Willa Cather is great, but going for A Lost Lady seems silly when the LEC exists -- it'll be hard even for Arion to beat that production.
10dlphcoracl
>8 Sorion:
The Arion Press price points have made them irrelevant. When compared to the private presses I currently favor, i.e., the Barbarian Press, the Whittington Press/Nomad Letterpress and the Salvage Press, the Arion Press books represent poor value.
>9 gmacaree: My immediate thought as well. The LEC edition is an early Sidney Shiff book and it is done to his usual very high standard, with flawless design and beautiful execution. Of all the interesting Willa Cather works they could have published, this choice makes zero sense. The new Arion Press director clearly is out of touch with the world of private press books.
The Arion Press price points have made them irrelevant. When compared to the private presses I currently favor, i.e., the Barbarian Press, the Whittington Press/Nomad Letterpress and the Salvage Press, the Arion Press books represent poor value.
>9 gmacaree: My immediate thought as well. The LEC edition is an early Sidney Shiff book and it is done to his usual very high standard, with flawless design and beautiful execution. Of all the interesting Willa Cather works they could have published, this choice makes zero sense. The new Arion Press director clearly is out of touch with the world of private press books.
11grifgon
>9 gmacaree: >10 dlphcoracl: I think it's easy to overlook that fine/private presses are nearly always extremely personal ventures. I am sure that Arion selected "A Lost Lady" for the same reason that it has selected nearly all of its titles to date – because those who made the editorial decision love the work. Take, for example, Arion's recent Eugene Onegin translated by Nabokov. The edition must have been a nightmare to typeset, and an even greater nightmare to market. The choice makes perfect sense, though, knowing that Hoyem is a serious Nabokov scholar who has written extensively about this very work.
Comparisons to other editions, or awareness of the world of private press books, or even business considerations, seem to pale in comparison to the desire of a publisher to produce an edition of a work they love. In this way their selections make perfect sense.
But that's just my two cents!
Comparisons to other editions, or awareness of the world of private press books, or even business considerations, seem to pale in comparison to the desire of a publisher to produce an edition of a work they love. In this way their selections make perfect sense.
But that's just my two cents!
12SebRinelli
>11 grifgon:, I agree but from a business perspective it’s a poor choice and at odds with their 50 subscribers target.
>8 Sorion: I share your sentiments.
>8 Sorion: I share your sentiments.
13dlphcoracl
>11 grifgon:
Respectfully disagree.
I own a copy of the LEC edition of 'The Lost Lady' and have zero interest in the Arion Press edition for precisely that reason, a feeling I would guess is shared by the vast majority of others who own it as well. Unlike certain other works of literature, e.g., Shakespeare's sonnets, the Canterbury Tales, Hamlet, Aesop's Fables, etc, this is certainly not something where most collectors would want more than one private press copy of this work. The Arion Press has instantly wasted their precious time and resources for a book with virtually no market amongst private press book collectors.
Worst of all, it is not as if Willa Cather is well represented in private press editions. Nearly any other major Willa Cather book would have been of keen interest to many, novels such as O' Pioneers, Death Comes to the Archbishop (and no, the Folio Society edition would not have been truly competitive), and her masterwork My Antonia. Having a passion for publishing a particular work must be combined with basic business sense, which is precisely why the Arion Press has languished and floundered. Their edition of The Lost Lady will remain on their shelves for decades to come.
Respectfully disagree.
I own a copy of the LEC edition of 'The Lost Lady' and have zero interest in the Arion Press edition for precisely that reason, a feeling I would guess is shared by the vast majority of others who own it as well. Unlike certain other works of literature, e.g., Shakespeare's sonnets, the Canterbury Tales, Hamlet, Aesop's Fables, etc, this is certainly not something where most collectors would want more than one private press copy of this work. The Arion Press has instantly wasted their precious time and resources for a book with virtually no market amongst private press book collectors.
Worst of all, it is not as if Willa Cather is well represented in private press editions. Nearly any other major Willa Cather book would have been of keen interest to many, novels such as O' Pioneers, Death Comes to the Archbishop (and no, the Folio Society edition would not have been truly competitive), and her masterwork My Antonia. Having a passion for publishing a particular work must be combined with basic business sense, which is precisely why the Arion Press has languished and floundered. Their edition of The Lost Lady will remain on their shelves for decades to come.
14grifgon
>13 dlphcoracl: I also regret that they didn't pick another Cather – particularly "Death Comes For The Archbishop" which was, for me, a transformative novel. But if they decided to publish "The Lost Lady" because of their passion for it, all other considerations aside, which I suspect is the case, I certainly can't rebuke them for it.
As an interesting sidebar to what you said, Oracle, about the edition having "no market amongst private press book collectors," I wonder the extent to which Arion Press is orienting itself to the private press collecting community at all. It seems to me that they are much more interested in framing themselves as a more broadly cultural institution, and attracting the attention (and donations) of cultural philanthropists first and foremost.
As an interesting sidebar to what you said, Oracle, about the edition having "no market amongst private press book collectors," I wonder the extent to which Arion Press is orienting itself to the private press collecting community at all. It seems to me that they are much more interested in framing themselves as a more broadly cultural institution, and attracting the attention (and donations) of cultural philanthropists first and foremost.
15dlphcoracl
>14 grifgon:
This is how wonderful private presses go out of business.
The Arion Press has indeed tried to present themselves as a "national treasure" via their Grabhorn Institute - and, for the record, they ARE! - and attract monies from non-traditional sources such as cultural philanthropists and foundations but they cannot do this at the expense of making themselves irrelevant and/or unattractive to private press collectors. Selling expensive books to a very limited audience is their bread and butter and it will remain the foundation of their financial viability and ability to continue as an ongoing enterprise. Here is a brief list of how private presses fail - by publishing.........
1. .....books with cost beyond the means of all but the wealthiest and/or most avid or private press collectors.
2. .....literary works or topics of THEIR interest or passion, excluding a wider or broader audience.
3. .....a steady diet of poetry collections from their favorite local poets, whom they are certain are undiscovered gems. HINT: They aren't.
4. .....literature that has been exhausted and picked over by other private presses for the past one hundred years.
The private presses that succeed and endure are those that combine beautiful design and craftsmanship with common sense business practices and judicious selection of what they chose to publish, especially since most are limited to 2 or 3 books each year. To belabor my point regarding 'A Lost Lady', it can easily be purchased in fine condition for one hundred dollars. Arion Press will undoubtedly charge between $800 to $1,000, based upon their most recent editions, and it will probably not be as good as Sidney Shiff's LEC work. It is certainly not a work that any collector will want in more than one private press edition.
As an aside, this is the genius of Luke Pontifell at the Thornwillow Press, Suntup Editions, and in bygone years the Allen Press. They are consistently able to identify works that will excite and interest a large audience with a broad range of interests. In Pontifell's case, he is also able to publish books well represented in private press editions in original and unusual ways.
This is how wonderful private presses go out of business.
The Arion Press has indeed tried to present themselves as a "national treasure" via their Grabhorn Institute - and, for the record, they ARE! - and attract monies from non-traditional sources such as cultural philanthropists and foundations but they cannot do this at the expense of making themselves irrelevant and/or unattractive to private press collectors. Selling expensive books to a very limited audience is their bread and butter and it will remain the foundation of their financial viability and ability to continue as an ongoing enterprise. Here is a brief list of how private presses fail - by publishing.........
1. .....books with cost beyond the means of all but the wealthiest and/or most avid or private press collectors.
2. .....literary works or topics of THEIR interest or passion, excluding a wider or broader audience.
3. .....a steady diet of poetry collections from their favorite local poets, whom they are certain are undiscovered gems. HINT: They aren't.
4. .....literature that has been exhausted and picked over by other private presses for the past one hundred years.
The private presses that succeed and endure are those that combine beautiful design and craftsmanship with common sense business practices and judicious selection of what they chose to publish, especially since most are limited to 2 or 3 books each year. To belabor my point regarding 'A Lost Lady', it can easily be purchased in fine condition for one hundred dollars. Arion Press will undoubtedly charge between $800 to $1,000, based upon their most recent editions, and it will probably not be as good as Sidney Shiff's LEC work. It is certainly not a work that any collector will want in more than one private press edition.
As an aside, this is the genius of Luke Pontifell at the Thornwillow Press, Suntup Editions, and in bygone years the Allen Press. They are consistently able to identify works that will excite and interest a large audience with a broad range of interests. In Pontifell's case, he is also able to publish books well represented in private press editions in original and unusual ways.
16astropi
>13 dlphcoracl: Having a passion for publishing a particular work must be combined with basic business sense, which is precisely why the Arion Press has languished and floundered.
Definitely agree a publisher has to have business sense, but does Arion truly lack it? I really don't know anything about their finances. Still, for years now they've produced books that are largely, with some exception, out of my price range. Yet, they're still around. Maybe their subscribers continue to support them regardless of other presses.
>15 dlphcoracl: Well, as to your points
1 - books with cost beyond the means of all but the wealthiest and/or most avid or private press collectors.
Many/most of us can't afford Arion Press publications in general, but then again, many/most of us can't afford the Foolscap Press "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville" which is also over $1000 - and I'm not saying it's not worth the cost, simply that for most it's beyond affordable.
2 - literary works or topics of THEIR interest or passion, excluding a wider or broader audience
In general I definitely can't argue with that, but how do you know what they're publishing isn't of broad interest? Their last five works have been Odes of Horace, Frankenstein, Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Exit Ghost, and Eugene Onegin. Quite honestly, those are all wonderful works, just pricey.
3 - a steady diet of poetry collections from their favorite local poets
This is definitely something Arion does not do (see my comment on point #2)
4 - literature that has been exhausted and picked over by other private presses for the past one hundred years
To be fair, most fine presses do this to a certain extent. Of the past five AP releases, I would say Exit Ghost and Eugene Onegin are really exceptions in the fine press market. Again, just wish they weren't so pricey!
Definitely agree a publisher has to have business sense, but does Arion truly lack it? I really don't know anything about their finances. Still, for years now they've produced books that are largely, with some exception, out of my price range. Yet, they're still around. Maybe their subscribers continue to support them regardless of other presses.
>15 dlphcoracl: Well, as to your points
1 - books with cost beyond the means of all but the wealthiest and/or most avid or private press collectors.
Many/most of us can't afford Arion Press publications in general, but then again, many/most of us can't afford the Foolscap Press "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville" which is also over $1000 - and I'm not saying it's not worth the cost, simply that for most it's beyond affordable.
2 - literary works or topics of THEIR interest or passion, excluding a wider or broader audience
In general I definitely can't argue with that, but how do you know what they're publishing isn't of broad interest? Their last five works have been Odes of Horace, Frankenstein, Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Exit Ghost, and Eugene Onegin. Quite honestly, those are all wonderful works, just pricey.
3 - a steady diet of poetry collections from their favorite local poets
This is definitely something Arion does not do (see my comment on point #2)
4 - literature that has been exhausted and picked over by other private presses for the past one hundred years
To be fair, most fine presses do this to a certain extent. Of the past five AP releases, I would say Exit Ghost and Eugene Onegin are really exceptions in the fine press market. Again, just wish they weren't so pricey!
17SebRinelli
>16 astropi:: they have books in their stocks which have been published more than 30 years ago. Compare this to suntup and it will be difficult to argue in a different direction. And we’re taking about 3 digit print runs.
18dlphcoracl
>16 astropi:
The items I listed under "how private presses fail" were generic and not specific to the Arion Press.
The items I listed under "how private presses fail" were generic and not specific to the Arion Press.
19astropi
>17 SebRinelli: Suntup seems to have built up almost a cult-like following. Also they publish popular authors such as Stephen King, Thomas Harris, etc. If Suntup started publishing Horace, Sappho, Virginia Woolf, I doubt their books would be close to selling out. If AP started publishing Stephen King, I'm sure that would sell out - although I doubt AP would ever publish King! They did however publish Shirley Jackson's wonderful novel "The Sundial". Had this been a Suntup publication people would have raved over it, but because it's AP it seems to get little attention - which shows that building up a fanbase is perhaps the most important thing for AP.
20grifgon
Many Arion books are in the permanent collections of the New York Public Library, the Morgan, the Met, the Beinecke, the Houghton, nearly every serious university collection in the country – the list goes on and on. Their works are regularly included in major exhibits, and have been given as state gifts by the White House. I wonder if Suntup can say the same?
If their goal is to sell as many books as possible, Arion is certainly not going about it the right way. I don't think this is their only (or even their primary) goal though.
If their goal is to sell as many books as possible, Arion is certainly not going about it the right way. I don't think this is their only (or even their primary) goal though.
21jveezer
Hmmmm...I'm underwhelmed by that appointment albeit without knowing a lot about him. I would have liked someone passionate about private press books and printing and with more business savvy and less arrogance than the last director. He didn't really mention his involvement or love for these types of books at all. I fear a nosedive ala Folio Society. I'm also very confused by the Willa Cather selection and wonder if it is a business only decision based on copyright. Why has this work been done twice (already counting the AP) and no other, more recognized work? I have the LEC and am satisfied. I think it cost me less than a Grant. I would be wanting a Death Comes for the Archbishop or My Antonia.
The Steinbeck sounds wonderful but inaccessible to me. The Patti Smith will seriously tempt me if it is affordable.
>15 dlphcoracl: I'll just throw Larkspur Press out there to refute #3, although I admit that doesn't mean other could necessarily pull it off. I love their books, especially their "specials", and especially their Wendell Berrys. If only Arion would do one of his novels, maybe Jayber Crow or Hannah Coulter, I would probably sell my first-born back to the press (although she would only go kicking and screaming, and probably only the back of the house would welcome her)...
The Steinbeck sounds wonderful but inaccessible to me. The Patti Smith will seriously tempt me if it is affordable.
>15 dlphcoracl: I'll just throw Larkspur Press out there to refute #3, although I admit that doesn't mean other could necessarily pull it off. I love their books, especially their "specials", and especially their Wendell Berrys. If only Arion would do one of his novels, maybe Jayber Crow or Hannah Coulter, I would probably sell my first-born back to the press (although she would only go kicking and screaming, and probably only the back of the house would welcome her)...
22SDB2012
>19 astropi: Absolutely. Paul Suntup has, so far, put on a clinic in knowing what his customers want, giving it to them, and communicating to them in a way they find meaningful. His engagement with his customers, now fans, is highly impressive. After missing out on Misery, I've purchased every numbered Suntup Edition directly from the publisher because I love the sorts of books he produces, enjoy the designs, and want my limited, limited editions book dollars to go to living publishers, writers (for the most part), and artists. I have much respect and excitement for what Thornwillow Press is doing and they are also doing a far above average job with communication and engagement.
>20 grifgon: Arion Press is undoubtedly a special place and has produced some terrific work. My firsthand knowledge is limited to one tour there almost ten years ago and one of their lower-cost editions I own. I own the Arion Press Sundial and it sits next to the Suntup Editions Haunting of Hill House. I can't tell you from a technical standpoint which is superior but if you look at the subscriber price for Sundial, they were issued, I think, at the same price- $350. Both are nice, relatively modest letterpress editions- not artists books by any stretch. From my point of view the quality is very comparable with a slight value edge to the Suntup Editions book given that it came with a slipcase. I don't think that the average person could tell you which was an Arion Press book and which is a Suntup Edition.
>20 grifgon: Arion Press is undoubtedly a special place and has produced some terrific work. My firsthand knowledge is limited to one tour there almost ten years ago and one of their lower-cost editions I own. I own the Arion Press Sundial and it sits next to the Suntup Editions Haunting of Hill House. I can't tell you from a technical standpoint which is superior but if you look at the subscriber price for Sundial, they were issued, I think, at the same price- $350. Both are nice, relatively modest letterpress editions- not artists books by any stretch. From my point of view the quality is very comparable with a slight value edge to the Suntup Editions book given that it came with a slipcase. I don't think that the average person could tell you which was an Arion Press book and which is a Suntup Edition.
