Copperhead Press

My wife and I recently launched Copperhead Press.

We wanted to share a picture of our first book, which is now available for preorder:

“In Our Time” by Ernest Hemingway



Available in these four editions:
- Paste Paper
- Half-Cloth
- Half-Leather (Numbered Edition - Limited to 50)
- Full-Leather (Lettered Edition - Limited to 26)

Each copy is hand bound by my wife and I. We will also be making all of the paste papers, slipcases and hand sewing the Lettered Edition headbands. Ten period accurate photographs will be tipped in.

The Half and Full Leather editions are sold with rights to our future editions. Among future titles may be writers such as John Steinbeck, Leo Tolstoy, James Joyce, William Faulkner, DH Lawrence, Anton Chekhov, more Hemingway, etc.

They will be printed on white felt paper and the hard bound copies measure 9 1/4” x 6 1/8” in their slipcase. The clamshell included with the Numbered edition is larger.

As the photos in this edition will all be tipped in, we decided to go with a high-end digital four color printing. With the printing being only black text, with red page numbers and headers, it was very comparable to digital offset printing. We still hope to make the jump to letterpress someday. But with our first project we didn’t want to overextend with turnaround or pricing.

Here are a few pics of the print quality:





In the next few weeks we’ll also be posting this edition to Kickstarter.

Here is a link to a video of our books.

Here is a link to our FB page if you’d like to take a closer look or preorder a copy now.

Thanks!

It's great to see a new Press being launched. The books look very stylish. I like Copperhead's choice of authors. There is plenty of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery etc elsewhere.

I am interested to learn from other's experience with tipped in photographs. With care, do they stay tipped in over an extended period?

Ah wait are the head/tail bands meant to evoke the copperhead, or is that by chance?

>4 Pendrainllwyn: I can’t imagine tipped in photos would fair much different than tipped in art prints which are very common. The description above sounds almost like giclee printing, though I don’t know all the nuances.

The only book that comes to mind with actual tipped in photo prints is Foolscap’s Despatches, and it’s held up very well at 16-or-so years old with several readings. However, looking at the prospectus it was done with “archival pigment prints” on a fine art paper, so I am not sure if it’s comparable.

>2 Pax_Romana: I assume it's ok for me to report to the non-FBers the price points: $120, $250, $350 and $550. Shipping seems to be extra. They all come with two paste paper companions.

>6 NathanOv: Thank you.

>4 Pendrainllwyn:
Great question, and thank you!
The tipped in photos are adhered to the text block with a brush of PVA book binder’s glue along one edge. It’s the strongest glue we’ll be using and is the same glue brushed along the spine of sewn signatures in the binding process.

I would agree with >6 NathanOv: in that it will last for a number of years like other books with tipped in art. Of course, with enough force I suppose it could be torn out, but the page it’s attached to would come along with it.

>5 filox: Ah, I see what you did there! Let’s just say it was either consciously or subconsciously done…

>1 CJR93: Looking good! Love the hand-sewn headbands on the full leather issue. Nice touch.

RE: the "will the tipped in photos stay put" issue: if you're using PVA to tip them in, they'll stay. Buyers shouldn't worry about them coming loose.

Ordered half leather and got copy number one.
Pictures emailed to me look superb.

Just launched the Kickstarter Campaign!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/copperheadpress/in-our-time-by-ernest-hemin...

Git some non-white male writers in there, please. Just hopin'...

Lawrence would be tempting. Proust even more so but not mentioned. And my new holy grail, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, ha ha. Although copyright might not be up on the Irish Gaelic to English translations.

Nice bindings, have a strong Thornwillow feel to me. Not interested enough in the author though, would be a reach for me even if they were letterpress. Still, good luck!

Oh, and not looking to start a flame war or anything, but a bit disappointed at the use of AI-generated imagery in the campaign. Yeah, it's not a critical graphic and just basically a recreation of a stock image, but still, there's a fair chance the AI is ripping off one or more actual artists (having been trained on their work with no remuneration to them). So I'd rather not see possible exploitation of other artists while you are touting your own work, you know?

(And yes, I know I'm bucking a headwind and such complaints will seem quaint in no time at all.)

>15 Shadekeep: Is the resemblance to Thornwillow intentional? I was gobsmacked when I first laid eyes on these pictures. Striking similarity in style.

>17 RogerReads: I think it possible. On their background page they show rebindings of Thornwillow editions. Possibly one of them worked or apprenticed at Thornwillow for a time, it's led to other new presses before (such as No Reply Press). Whatever the case, I do think they were influenced, either directly or indirectly, by the Thornwillow house style.

I don’t think they used to work there. The KS describes a pretty modest background for the owners, with dabbling with binding on the side. It’s a nice story and I wish them well.

Thank you to all of you who have backed our first Kickstarter project! We can’t wait to start working on your books.

Our Next Title:
Discover Jane Austen’s First Novella

We're excited to announce that we will soon be launching a new Kickstarter Campaign for a limited run of the novella, "Lady Susan" by Jane Austen. The mock-ups are well under way.

This edition of 50 will be bound in Japanese cloth and feature watercolors by Caroline Maria Applebee. It will have lilac bugra end pages and soft brocade wrapped covers.

A link to the Kickstarter and pictures will be added when the campaign launches!

Now Available for Preorder

Lady Susan by Jane Austen
Limited to 50 Half-Leatherbound Copies

Click to Preorder

Now Available for Preorder

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Available in four states.

Click to Preorder

New Kickstarter Campaign:
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/copperheadpress/a-portrait-of-the-artist-as...

All listings on our website will be closed for 2 weeks for the duration of the campaign.

Package deals of all of our editions will be available through the campaign.

SALE - 15% off everything on our website!

Use discount code BLACKCYBER24
(Valid until midnight, Dec 3)

https://copperheadpress.com/discount/BLACKCYBER24

The press will be producing Notes from the Underground and Tolstoy's Hadji Murad this year.

Now Available for Preorder

- Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky
- Hadji Murad by Tolstoy

Each Limited to 50 Half-Leatherbound Copies

https://copperheadpress.com

>14 jveezer: Would love some facing-page editions of Gaeilge and Bearla (Irish and English)

>23 CJR93: Gorgeous binding!!

Notes from the Underground looks great.

>30 lestorey: Thanks!
>31 sdawson: Thanks!

Received my Ernest Hemingway In Our Time lettered and Jane Austen Lady Susan:



























For leather lovers, these books would delight. Copperhead did not scrimp on the leather quality. From a brief look, the books and enclosures all seem to be well made and in top condition. Just need to find some time to dig into them!

>33 A.Nobody: Nice! I was interested in the Lady Susan, looks quite attractive in the photos. Glad the books turned out so well.

Lady Susan arrived on Monday. It's an attractive book. I haven't bought Copperhead's last three titles but am looking forward to the release of The Sun Also Rises. For me they are still finding their way somewhat on the illustration front, exploring different approaches. Nevertheless, it's good to have a press focusing on classics. There's a lot of fantasy, science fiction etc elsewhere.

Lady Susan just arrived. The binding looks very impressive

I’ve been tempted by this press many times, but I’ve always been stopped by the lack of leather paring on the half-leather covers. It makes the separation between leather and cloth so harsh and, in my experience anyway, not an ideal tactile experience to hold. That’s a shame because, as these pictures show, they’re otherwise stellar entries.

I rather feel that at that price-point the books should be printed letterpress. Lovely bindings for sure!

>38 astropi: I think the bindings are wonderful, however would strongly prefer the printing to be letterpress even at the cost of a higher price point. It seems a little disappointing to see such a wonderful cover and then for the inside to not quite be at the same level

>38 astropi: >39 DMulvee: That's the one thing stopping be from picking these up as well. And I would pay a bit more too.

What would be considered a reasonable premium for letterpress? $100? 200?

It's probably more than just the cost of printing it. You have to figure out where to get plates made, what kind of plates, what paper is best, is it available, how to get it to the printer, where to get it printed, do they have availability even when you find them, how many weeks will it take if you find a good one that has availability, does it then have to get shipped to where it'll be bound because letterpress printers aren't as numerous as offset, what are the shipping rates and insurance, with no economies of scale to spread the initial setup print costs will it increase prices too much, how many copies to print since they all need to be printed at the same time (may be true for offset as well), if that many copies are all printed at once do we have space to store them, what's a fair premium to add to the whole project for all the additional worked hours, complexity and risk that's now been added, now the prices have gone up and we're competing against a whole other tier of subscribers.

The books are gorgeous though, remind me of the FS Divine Comedy LE.

Thanks all for your reviews and thoughts. Your comments really help us know what adjustments to make with each edition. I have a lot of respect for the collectors on this forum.

We’ve upgraded a lot of our tools and workspace since last year. I’m very happy with how our prototypes of “The Sun Also Rises” are turning out. I feel like we have definitely leveled up.

I’ve been putting a lot of research and thought into letterpress printing. It really is a staggering difference in cost for a small press to invest up front. I’ll pull back the curtain on what we’ve found.

For the letterpress printers in our part of the country, we’ve been quoted on the low end, $20/plate/page. So a 200 page book would cost $4,000 to have the plates made and print one copy of the book. From there, it’s at least $1/page for each additional copy. So each additional copy would be $200.

So a run of 100 copies of a 200 page book would cost around $23,800. You also need to have extra copies due to printing imperfections and potential damage while binding. Then you still have all other supplies and your hours to add.

I can see how bigger publishers with the manpower to produce hundreds of copies are able to do it. But for us, it’s not practical. One reason being that I much prefer to make a small batch of copies, which contributes to quality and my sanity…

That being said, we’re going to try a letterpress short story. We’ll be making an edition of “Big Two-Hearted River” by Hemingway. I’m leaning towards a full leather Roman Numeral edition in a clamshell (10 copies) and a half leather Lettered edition in a slipcase (26). We’ve hired an artist for two new illustrations. We’ll give it a go and see how it does.

Thank you again for your comments. I check in regularly for feedback and your thoughts.

>42 CJR93: Consider a letterpress Town-Ho's Story by Melville - Chapter 54 of Moby Dick, published as a short story in Harper's, for some reason it has escaped fine press treatment. Marbled cover and letterpress, could be pretty sweet combination.

>42 CJR93: Glad to hear you are experimenting, and yes, letterpress printing expenses can be a major outlay for a small press. You might want to look beyond the local, especially if a press can provide the work at a cost that makes the shipping seem trivial.

I'll look forward to your trial work in this arena! Especially if you maintain your excellent bindings and design work.

>42 CJR93: Really great to hear you're going to try and do some letterpress! Some thoughts, you may want to try Kickstarter. The advantage being that you would receive the money ahead of time so you don't have to pony up without knowing if you'll be able to make a profit. I think Kickstarter's fee is 5% (there are probably other fees too), but again, it sure beats biting your nails and not knowing. Also, since you're established, which is to say you clearly know how to make beautiful books, this will be a huge plus. Not to mention people on here know you, and I'm certain many of us would support your project. Ampersand Book Studio went to Kickstarter trying to raise $25k for their Master and Commander edition. Instead of that amount they raised over $100k -- granted, they aimed for a full novel rather than a short story. Let me also add the lower-end cost for their book was $750 -- so certainly not "cheap" but clearly many people thought it absolutely worthwhile.

>42 CJR93: That sounds wonderful!

>43 LBShoreBook: Nice idea! I’ll have to reread that chapter with an edition in mind. Thanks for the suggestion.

Everything on their website is 20% off through midnight MST on March 16 with code SPRINGCLEANING2025.

Considering picking up a copy of Hadji Murad while it is on sale, as that’s on my TBR for 2028 and I don’t know of any other nice versions of it.

>48 jsg1976:
Bummer for all the people who ordered at full price months before release.

>48 jsg1976: Hurm, that does make Lady Susan that bit more tempting...

>48 jsg1976: You have a TBR list for 2028!!

Thanks for the heads up on the sale, I picked up a copy of notes from underground.

>51 Levin40: I’ve been participating in an online book group led by an Univ. of Iowa professor, and she’s announced most of the syllabus through 2028. 2028 will be mostly Tolstoy, in celebration of his 200th birthday.

Opening for Preorder on March 27

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway with art by Juan Gris

https://copperheadpress.com

>54 CJR93: Are those hand-painted paste papers on the cover, endpapers, and clamshell? I like the effect of those. Also like the inset of what appears to be his beloved Pernod.

>55 Shadekeep: Yes! My wife is the paste paper artist. She did a great job with the design for these books. And good eye catching the Pernod reference in Juan Gris’ image.

>56 CJR93: Very nice, and kudos to her indeed for the design work!

>57 Shadekeep: Their About Us page has a lot of detail on their bookmaking process that you might find interesting.

>58 A.Nobody: Ah, thanks! I had somehow overlooked that. Good stuff indeed. I'm kicking myself a bit now that I didn't pick up Lady Susan during the Spring Cleaning sale...

"The Sun Also Rises" now open for preorders.

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/hemingway-collection

We toured a press in Salt Lake City yesterday with an Original Heidelberg 13" x
18" Press. We sat down with the printer to show them our past editions and to go over our design for “Big Two-Hearted River”. So we’ll be moving ahead with printing the signatures. They’re estimated to be finished in the next 2-3 weeks. Pictures to come when we pick them up.

As we plan future letterpress editions, are there any specific authors or short stories/novellas you would like to see as a letterpress edition?

>61 CJR93: Some novellas I would be excited to see and that might be in your wheelhouse include "Bunner Sisters" by Edith Wharton; "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville; Nella Larsen's "Passing" and "Quicksand"; and "The Aspern Papers" by Henry James.

I would second Bartleby, the Scrivener. I'd add The Old Man and the Sea, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, and The Gambler to works by authors you've previously published. Faulkner's The Bear also might be nice.

And, although none of it is yet in the public realm, any of the shorter works of Gabriel García Márquez would be most welcome. To add on another Russian (Ukrainian?) author to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, I'd love to see Heart of a Dog.

Finally, I am always eager to purchase more of Wendell Berry's works in fine press editions. Some of his poetry and a few of his shortest stories have received that treatment from Gray Zeitz at Larkspur Press, but to my knowledge none of the Port William novels or novellas have been published.

Melville's Benito Cereno. Nonesuch did it in 1926, there have been a few others over the years, but nothing recent for such a great work.

If there's another letterpress short story in the future, I'd suggest Jack London's "To Build a Fire." Truly terrific naturalistic tale of survival.

I'd love a full-length volume of London's "other" Yukon / gold rush tales, though, together with The White Silence, Sun Dog Trail, etc.

>61 CJR93: might I suggest “The Machine Stops” by E M Forster. An exceptional tale. And, like Nineteen Eighty Four, as time passes it’s becoming ever more prophetic. Thornwillow published a copy last year which was welcome but I’ve a feeling your press would improve considerably on that offering. I’ll second “Heart of a Dog” - strangely underrepresented in the fine press pantheon.

Anything by Stefan Zweig, or "Dream Story" by Arthur Schnitzler.

William Golding wrote three novellas under the title of one of them "The Scorpion God", which are all excellent.

Pirandello wrote some marvellous short stories too.

I also have on my shelves an entertaining collection of short stories by Bertrand Russell (yes, him) called "Nightmares of Eminent Persons". I'd love to see that get some special treatment.

Of course, there is always Borges...

Not sure what maximum length you are looking for, but I would love to see either Rashomon or Hell Screen by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, or Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier.

Closer to what you have already published, perhaps consider a story by Anton Chekov, such as The New Villa.

Chiming in here. Nokolai Gogol's novella, Taras Bulba, would, in my estimation, make an interesting addition to your list.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I’m very excited to see how “Big Two-Hearted River” does with preorders. The signatures are being printed now.

>43 LBShoreBook: I’ve recently reread Melvilles’s “The Town-Ho’s Story” and agree it would be a great title to publish. I’ve just contacted an artist for a future letterpress edition. Thank you for the suggestion!

I’m also going to be reaching out to a few publishers for permission to print letterpress short story/novella editions of Borges, Marquez, Cortazar, Lispector and/or Bolaño. I’m hoping we’ll be able to break into the realm of Spanish/Latin American Literature.

We won’t give up on classics, but hope to start mixing in more 20th century World Literature. (Mishima, Nabokov, etc.)

>70 CJR93: Good luck with the Spanish/Latin American angle. What to publish? It's interesting. Does one concentrate on a few areas (Russian, Classics, Latin America etc) and get a reputation and loyal following there or does one spread the net more widely but end up with a more diluted offering? Many already concentrate on horror, fantasy, sci-fi etc so I am glad you are looking at other areas.

As a lover of Japanese literature I would welcome Mishima. Ogawa, Dazai, Abe, Endo, Yoshimura are also worthy of consideration - I say hopefully! Novels by Japanese authors are typically not long which I would have thought would appeal to fine/quality press publishers but it rarely happens. Maybe there isn't the demand.

>70 CJR93: "I’m also going to be reaching out to a few publishers for permission to print letterpress short story/novella editions of Borges, Marquez, Cortazar, Lispector and/or Bolaño."

I've been following your press with interest but without being in a position to buy anything just yet — any of these would make a customer of me.

>70 CJR93: Excellent! Glad to see Lispector on your list of candidates as well. Would also recommend Leonora Carrington.

>71 Pendrainllwyn: Agreed, and I've been boosting for Japanese authors as well. Adore Kobo Abe's work, and for living authors Yoko Tawada is a good pick (The Bridegroom Was A Dog would make a perfect short fiction choice). And I still hope that one day some fine press will do Edogawa Ranpo.

>70 CJR93: Woot woot! Looks like some great selections! Super excited by Melville - to my knowledge as a Melville collector, no one has done a fine press edition of Town Ho's Story in the 174 years since it was published in Harper's Magazine. Given the myriad of Melville publications over the years (including chapters of Moby Dick, various Encantadas, etc.), that is a big gap IMO.

We just picked up the letterpress printed signatures from the print shop in Salt Lake City. We’re very happy with how they turned out!

Very nice! I like the bite, and the typeface choice is excellent. The general design looks really solid from the previews, too. Thanks for sharing, excited for this new experiment of yours!

>75 CJR93: Looking good!

Memorial Day Sale - 20% Off Select Items

Use Code: MEMORIALDAY2025

Sale ends on Monday, May 26 @ midnight (US MST)

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/memorial-day-sale

>78 CJR93: Ah, ya got me. Ordered Lady Susan finally.

Letterpress • Hemingway • Limited to 136 copies

“Big Two-Hearted River” by Ernest Hemingway

Preorders open to public on Monday, June 23

Estimated to ship Late Spring/Early Summer 2026

• 100 Standard Copies
• 26 Lettered Copies
• 10 Roman Numeral Copies

This edition will start a brand new list of Rights Holders for our future Letterpress editions.

Current rights holders who preordered “The Sun Also Rises”, “Hadji Murad” and “Notes from the Underground” will be contacted privately by email on Monday, June 16 with a link to preorder.

Remaining copies will be available on our website on Monday, June 23.





Standard Edition • 100 Copies





Lettered Edition • 26 Copies





Roman Numeral Edition • 10 Copies

Looks quite nice.

Reading the two stories now, in the EP edition of In Our Time. Descriptively good.

>81 sdawson:
Thank you!

>82 NovelNexus:
I’ll be going over cost and time involved per book to nail down exact pricing this week. But my goal is to keep the standard around $300.00 (optional slipcase would be additional), Lettered w/ slipcase around $500.00 and Roman Numeral w/ clamshell around $750.00.

I’m trying to keep around the same price points as our past editions. Letterpress really drives up the price per book, but the reduced page count makes it comparable to our past full novel editions that were printed offset.

The letterpress market is entirely new us, so we’ll see how this one goes and adjust from there. Thanks for asking.

>83 CJR93: They look great and the prices sound in-line with expectations. I'll see if I can snag one in the open selling, best of luck with this!

Copperhead have made some big strides in their relatively short existence. They started out with attractive bindings. Over time their illustrations have improved and now letterpress. I hope this edition is a success. I am definitely tempted.

Roman Numeral, Lettered and Standard editions of BIG TWO-HEARTED RIVER by Ernest Hemingway are now available for preorder here: https://copperheadpress.com/

All editions are printed letterpress and include two tipped in giclee illustrations.

>86 CJR93: Ordered. It sounds like a notable upgrade across the board, not just in printing but in paper and binding as well. Good luck with this!

>75 CJR93: Congratulations on this! For what it's worth, I think this is Hemingway's best story.

Roman Numeral edition of Big Two-hearted River is sold-out. Congrats, CJR93! I bought number X, and not a second too soon. Best regards, -OEW73

>86 CJR93: Would it be possible to see more photos of the internal layout, like a double page spread of text, please?

>87 Shadekeep:
>88 Shotcaller:
>89 PostToastee: Thanks for the encouragement and support! We've already learned a few things to adjust for our next letterpress releases. We currently have three artists commissioned to illustrate three short stories. Each will have three new illustrations and be a separate edition. Not sure if we'll release them as chapbooks or similar to our "Big Two-Hearted River" edition. We're working towards diversifying our selection of artists and authors.

>90 GardenOfForkingPaths: Sure thing, here are a few more pics. I've also added them to the website listings. I went with the large spacing between paragraphs to match Hemingway's simple and direct prose, also to let the story breathe a little more. It won't be a standard formatting for all future editions. I really don't care for editions with huge type or extreme spacing for the sake of upping the page count. Hopefully this is a good balance. I'd like to experiment more with margins in the future. Thanks for asking.

>91 CJR93: I like the typesetting, it does indeed have a kind of spaciousness about it. It has a diarist's flow to it, which complements the story style. Would be curious if more generous margins would have added anything, but honestly it works well this way too.

>91 CJR93: Thank you!

>91 CJR93: For ideas on margins in page layouts, I suggest you review this article on canons of page layout. Might give you something to play with.

>91 CJR93: Wider margins are used to avoid making the text feel crowded on the page; narrow margins can feel like there was just enough space the get the text in there.

Ordered the last Numeral this morning at 10:13 a.m. PDT (6/23/2025). Very pleased I did so. Looking forward to everything this press will bring to market.

>1 CJR93:

Lady Susan arrived today and I'm reading it. This is a delight of a book. The gold sides and red leather are gorgeous. The paper quality superb.

Definitely glad I purchased this, and will keep any eye on your future works.

Regarding letterpress or not -- while I do purchase letterpress books, I believe this publication shows that it doesn't necessariliy improve a book. If the paper is quality, and the printing bold and legible, it need not be letterpress. I have many letterpress books which are less readable than this publication, and less tactile. By that I mean the feel of the page is inferior, does not feel as good to the touch when turning the pagees as this book.

Good luck in your future publishings, whether they be letterpress or not. I hope your business blossoms.

>97 sdawson: Thanks! We’ve used a heavier paper with a felt finish for all of our books. I’m glad you like it. The biggest challenge on that edition was formatting the raw text into “letters” between the various characters. We’re really happy with how it turned out.

Thanks again for the vote of confidence!

I wanted to share some news and updates about the second half of 2025-2026.

We held off shipping a release this summer because of some big personal news. We are expecting the birth of our first child this month! We thought it best to avoid making any commitments until we learn our new routine. We’re so excited!

Our next two editions, “Notes from the Underground” and “Hadji Murad” are estimated to ship this Fall. We’re already getting started on them.

We’ve also commissioned three new artists to create three illustrations for each of three new letterpress chapbooks. The artists have been working on the illustrations since early this year. One chapbook will be illustrated with charcoal sketches, another digitally and the last by Linotype. Each will be a classic short story. (Bierce, Mansfield & Chekhov)

As for future projects in the works, we have editions in various stages from WEB DuBois & Melville (Letterpress), Zola (possibly letterpress) and a novel from Virginia Woolf (offset).

We have also put in requests to publishers for rights to publish a short story from Nabokov and a novel from Graham Greene. We’re hoping they’re approved.

Finally, we’re considering doing our first two or three volume edition of one of the larger classic novels. Possibly The Brothers K, Moby Dick or Swann’s Way.

Some of these plans will undoubtedly change over the next year. But I’m excited for the momentum we’ve built and wanted to share. We’re keeping busy and have big plans for 2026!

>99 CJR93: Hey, congratulations!! The best part of life.

The chapbooks in particular sound fantastic. Exciting stuff. Fingers crossed on the Nabokov.

>99 CJR93: Congratulations!

I am quite excited to hear about a letterpress DuBois edition. I assume some portion of Darkwater?

>99 CJR93: The Zola: Germinal?

>100 Shotcaller: Thank you!

>101 NathanOv: "The Comet"! I think it may have been you who suggested it a few months back. If so, thank you. It's an incredible story!

>102 Shotcaller: We've not quite built up to letterpress printing a novel. But we've taken notes from suggestions on letterpress layout and design. We have a 60-70 page layout of "The Attack on the Mill" submitted to the printer. Oversized at 7" x 10" with illustrations from Goya. It's shaping up to be our nicest edition yet.

>103 CJR93: Fantastic. Hard to beat Goya!

>99 CJR93: Congratulations here as well!

Splendid line-up, especially the chapbooks (three authors who definitely could use more fine press exposure). Also jazzed for DuBois and Melville.

Might the Woolf novel be To The Lighthouse?

>103 CJR93: How exciting! I’ve thought for a while that “The Comet” deserves a fine press edition.

Not only is it a great read - it’s also a fascinating piece of literature. You don’t often get such a clear picture into the imagination and creative mind of historical figures.

I think DuBois is often wrongly remembered as rather serious & stuffy, but a lot of his writing was packed with creativity, and The Comet in particular was innovative and ahead of its time.

>105 Shadekeep: Thanks!

I considered publishing “Dalloway” or “Lighthouse”. But I’ve settled on “Jacob’s Room”. I just finished reading it last week and found it intriguing. As it was published in 1922 (the Big Bang of modernist lit), alongside “Ulysses” and “The Wasteland”, I’m hoping to bring more attention to it. It feels like an important bridge between Austen/ Eliot and Woolf’s later great novels. So we’ll save “Dalloway” and “Lighthouse” for the future.

I’m sure I’m missing something, but I’m unaware of other presses who have published “Jacob’s Room”. So I’m hoping it’s seen as a nice change of title to add to the shelf.

>107 CJR93: That's actually a good choice. Lighthouse is one of the better known and thus more easily found, so I can appreciate your logic for choosing Jacob’s Room instead. I actually like that CHP selects some lesser-known works, Lady Susan was an inspired choice. I'll look forward to the Woolf volume as well!

>99 CJR93: Congratulations! A good reason for a pause in announcements. For the upcoming, The Brothers K. is very, very high on my wish list, especially depending on the translation you choose. Looking forward to seeing what you decide on.

>99 CJR93: Congratulations on the great news! Enjoy the journey, watching your kids grow is priceless.

I had a thought on potential future books to consider - I don't think I've seen references on these pages to Tobias Wolff, who is a fantastic short-story writer and who wrote a few really good (short) novels. One you might read to see what you think is Old School, a semi-autobiographical novel set in a New England boarding school in 1960-61 academic year. The students write papers and the winners get to meet visiting authors. The academic year in this novel the visiting authors were Robert Frost, Earnest Hemingway and Ayn Rand. He also wrote a really good novel called This Boy's Life about growing up in the Pacific Northwest. He may be somewhat of a writer's writer - very, very well regarded with awards, etc., but not as prevalent in reading discussions.

>110 LBShoreBook: thank you! Thanks too for the suggestion of Wolff, I’ll definitely take a look at his work.

>110 LBShoreBook: This Boy's Life is a memoir rather than a novel. It's a good read. His brother Geoffrey Wolff also published a memoir titled The Duke of Deception which I haven't read yet but is also supposed to be good - it was a finalist for the Pulitzer prize. Interestingly, their parents split up when they were kids with Tobias growing up with the mother and Geoofrey with the father and they both grew up to be authors.

Ann Patchett talks about the books in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnFf80r0N6c

After reading this article, I'm wondering if The Tremor of Forgery might be a title worthy of consideration. Seems by some to be considered Highsmith's best novel, yet one I don't recall hearing of before. Considering the acclaim and the (to me) comparative obscurity, perhaps due for a revival? I need to read it myself and see what I think too.

>113 Shadekeep: Very interesting, I haven't read or even heard of it before. Mixing in a few titles in need of a revival makes for a fun publishing schedule. Thanks for the recommendation.

Just wanted to share an exciting personal update, which is also the reason we didn’t have a new book ship this Summer (2025):

Our first child was just born a few days ago! We’re now back home from the hospital.

It’s been a wild year starting the business and now having our family grow. Thanks again to everyone for your support through orders or comments with your ideas and reviews. We have very much appreciated it.

Now off to take a good nap.

>115 CJR93: Congrats to you both, and welcome to the club!

>115 CJR93: Congratulations!!!

>115 CJR93: Congratulations to both of you!!

>115 CJR93: congratulations!

>115 CJR93: Outstanding news. Heartfelt congratulations.

Copperhead has announced their new letterpress chapbook series, Lasting Echoes. The first three titles will be:

· The Doll's House by Katherine Mansfield
· An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
· Gusev by Anton Chekhov

Additional info from the email newsletter below.

---

Each chapbook is letterpress printed on luxurious Cotton Lettra paper and limited to 100 unnumbered copies. They will be available individually or at a special rate when purchasing all three. There are plenty of copies—more than the number of rights holders—ensuring wide availability. Priority ordering will be given to those who hold rights from our previous letterpress release. Further details on how to reserve your copy will be announced soon.

We're proud to collaborate with three talented recent graduates from Southern Utah University — Aubree Hoffman, Colin Estrada, and Blair Allen — who created original artwork for these editions. Each artist receives a fair share of sales to support emerging creative voices.

Lasting Echoes opens for order in Fall 2025.

>121 Shadekeep:

Looking forward to these.

>122 sdawson: I too. And I think it's great that they are giving opportunities like this to new artists as well.

We did our first live video from the workshop today. Updates on our upcoming editions. Here’s a link to the FB video if you’re interested.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FE6ba5784/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Excellent

Preorders are now open for our newest title: "Jacob’s Room" by Virginia Woolf, accompanied by artwork from Vilhelm Hammershøi.

This edition brings together Woolf’s modernist exploration of memory, identity, and absence with Hammershøi’s contemplative interiors—an artistic pairing that deepens the atmosphere of stillness and resonance in the text. Each copy is printed on white felt paper, bound with traditional craftsmanship, and limited to 76 copies.

Preorders are currently available here: http://www.copperheadpress.com

>126 CJR93: Gorgeous, and what haunting illustrations. I don't normally pay this much for offset printing, but this is a must-have.

Agreed. I'm in.

Agreed. I'm in.

Beautiful design, I particularly like the numbered edition.

Numbered edition ordered.

Lettered. I'm in, and for the long haul. A series which begins full of promise. Congrats and regards to Mr. and Mrs. Copper!

Sold with Offset Rights

Purchasing this edition reserves your place as a rights holder for future offset releases. Offset rights holders are guaranteed early access to the next offset title — available in both Lettered (26 copies) and Numbered (50 copies) formats. By ordering this edition, you’ll be added to the Offset Rights list and offered a matching number (or letter) for upcoming publications.

To give a sense of the direction for future titles, we are particularly drawn to the works of authors such as John Steinbeck, Herman Melville, Leo Tolstoy, Graham Greene, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, William Faulkner, Anton Chekhov, Ernest Hemingway, George Eliot, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Joseph Conrad, among others. Our focus centers on modernist writers and the classic authors who helped shape their work.

>130 David_Mauduit: I'm quite taken with the Numbered as well, that's what I went for. It has a bold but pleasing aesthetic to it, similar to what was done with Lady Susan. That being said, both editions are top-notch here and there's no bad choice.

>126 CJR93: Beautiful!

I am glad to see this press getting some love. I can also highly recommend the numbered edition of Joyce's Portrait of the Artist.

>132 PostToastee: I'd really like to see them do Chekhov, Dos Passos, or George Eliot, all of whom are somewhat underserved in the private press community in comparison to the other authors listed. And if I were to suggest another modernist author not on their list, I would go with Anaïs Nin.

Thanks everyone! We’re really proud of the design on this edition. We really appreciate your comments.

Next, we’re working on three letterpress chapbooks:

- Katherine Mansfield
- Anton Chekhov
- Ambrose Bierce

And then an oversized letterpress edition of an Emile Zola story with plates by Goya. This will be our first attempt with a full fine press title. We’re going for something similar in scope to No Reply Press’ edition of “Ivan Ilyich”.

I'm excited to see what you do with the Mansfield.

>137 CJR93: Splendid, all three of those will be ones I want just going by the authors. And very interested to see how your NRP-rivaling Zola work comes together!

>139 Shadekeep: well I can’t say it will “rival” NRP’s “Ivan Ilyich”. In order for that to be true, I’d have to personally translate Zola’s French into a new English translation! They knocked that book out of the park. Beautiful.

Hopefully we can start a line of novellas that are up to the same standard.

>140 CJR93: Fair dues, one can't reasonably ask for more. Will be excited to see the novella line shape up!

Update on our new Letterpress Chapbook series: Lasting Echoes

The first three titles are being printing over the next few weeks. We decided to go with three colors of Matt Gmund paper for the covers and cotton Lettra for the interiors. Each title is limited to 100 unnumbered copies. Each also has three new illustrations commissioned for the series.

- The Doll’s House by Mansfield
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Bierce
- Gusev by Chekhov

I’ll share pics soon!

>142 CJR93: Genuinely excited for this.

>142 CJR93: Hot dang! I'm hoping to jump aboard this train when it's ready to roll.

A new, short video about the Press.

Welcome to Copperhead Press
https://youtu.be/zXNLgWwTFUk

>145 CJR93: Thanks for sharing! Lovely views from the press and Utah.

ALSO! They have announced on Facebook that they will be doing Moby Dick:

"We've commissioned artist Adan Peredo to create 16 new illustrations(6 double page spreads & 10 single page) for a new edition of Moby Dick!

The plan is for a two volume edition, each book measuring 10"tall by 7" wide. Printed offset.

We hope to share a first look at the artwork in early 2026 with a pre-order launch later in the year."

>147 Opinacus: Moby Dick. Ambitious!

Nice video too. Good to see them doing well.

Press is running a flash sale. Some 25% of select editions.

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/sale?fbclid=IwdGRjcANp61xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQ...

>149 Shotcaller: Saw that, Lady Susan is even lower this time around ($285). Highly recommended.

I was on the fence as I already had notes from underground on pre-order but I pulled the trigger on the numbered portrait of an artist and Jacob’s room. Almost got the lettered but couldn’t justify it at the moment.

Ordered the numbered Jacob’s Room, which looks absolutely lovely. My first Copperhead Press title.

Finally caved on Lady Susan when it said there were two copies left. Looks beautiful, and at 285 I see the value. Being ready to ship is also a big plus for me. Ordering a nice book and waiting months or a year+ to get it starts to wear on you.

Letterpress Chapbook Series Update -

We picked up the printed sheets from the printer today for all three chapbooks. They look great! These will be the first three volumes in our new short story series, “Lasting Echoes”.

- “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
- “Gusev” by Anton Chekhov
- “The Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield

Here are more details on the production:

• Each has three newly commissioned illustrations.
• Printed letterpress on Cotton Lettra paper
• Each is limited to 100 copies
• Wrapped in Gmund paper wrappers.
• Two of the Covers are Letterpress printed and the third was printed with pigment foil. Printed front and back with a uniform design.
• Measuring 5.5” x 8.5”
• I haven’t set an order date yet, but they’ll be available to ship by the end of November/Early December.

They will be available as a set for $250 or individually for $90. I’m also kicking around the idea of making a slipcase that all three would slide into if any were interested.

We’re excited to dip our toes into the chapbook pool. We look forward to hearing your feedback. Thanks!

I’ll post pictures below:

>154 CJR93: Exciting news! Count me interested in the slipcase for all 3

Very handsome.

>156 CJR93: Gorgeous! I'll be going for the full set, and would be interested in a slipcase as well. Any time I can shelve my chapbooks with the rest of my collection is a win.

>158 Shadekeep: I’ll second that.

>154 CJR93: who is the translator for Chekov?

>160 LBShoreBook: Constance Garnett, from Chekhov’s translated English short story collection, “The Witch and Other Stories”.

>161 CJR93: Good selections nicely presented. I wish more fine press books had covers like these. This might be my first ever chapbook purchase. The combined slipcase is a good idea.

Chaz, for the Chapbook series, is the idea to continue to publish chapbooks in sets of three or was this just to kick things off?

>163 Pendrainllwyn: Thanks for your feedback. Initially I wanted to release three just to kick off the series. But I like the idea of continuing to release sets of two or three. These first three were a nice way to work with different artists. It would be great if we can find a few new artists for each set. And there are plenty of short stories to choose from.

>164 CJR93: I like that, especially if with each set there is an option to purchase a custom made slipcase. Whichever way you go, best of luck with it.

>164 CJR93: I think either approach fits, and it's great you plan to continue this line. You may want to consider having a somewhat standard slipcase available for purchase so that folks who buy individual copies can eventually shelve them as well. If most of the chapbooks come out around the same size then a case holding any three titles is a good solution.

One other idea is that you might want to run a poll with customers as to what other short stories they'd like to see, though of course as the creators your own wishes should come first. It might at least give you further notions.

>165 Pendrainllwyn: Thank you!

>166 Shadekeep: Great idea, I like the option of a single or triple slipcase. If we release three new chapbooks each year, they could be presented as the 2025 set, 2026 set, etc.

Though I don’t know that I have the mental stability required to make individual slipcases… just imagining making 300 slipcases sent me into a Dicken’s sweatshop.

And another great idea to poll other potential stories. I’ve been reading a lot of collections this year and have a list of about 20 stories I’d like to publish. Some are public domain, some aren’t.

Do you have any title suggestions?

>167 CJR93: I don't think Shadekeep's suggestion was slipcases for single chapbooks, but unlabeled slipcases that could hold any three chapbooks, so customers who purchased an individual chapbook in 2025, 2026, and 2027 could eventually slipcase them together.

>167 CJR93: Do you have any title suggestions?

Lucia Berlin. Lucia Berlin. Lucia Berlin. Her posthumous collection of short stories, A Manual for Cleaning Women, was listed as a top 10 of 2015 by NYT. Her stories are set in the Western US, Mexico, Chile (settings she knew as the daughter of a mining engineer). Think Raymond Carver but far better. Among the stories, A Manual for Cleaning Women is quite good, Safe and Sound is haunting, etc. There's a lot of gold worth panning. She has yet to get fine press treatment, just small press (including Poltroon Press). Ok I've made my pitch lol.

>167 CJR93: Far too many title suggestions, I fear. I'll circle back later with a more curated list.

>168 ambyrglow: Bingo! A standard multi-title case that folks could slot their individual purchases into, buying a new one when the current one is finally full. I think a case that holds on average three of the chapbooks would be optimal.

>168 ambyrglow:
>170 Shadekeep: Ah, now I understand. Thank you. Great idea! I also like that idea better if we skipped a year for some reason. It would drive me crazy to see 2026 then 2028. I’d think I was missing something.

>169 LBShoreBook: You got my attention! I’ll add her to my reading list. Thanks!

Lucia Berlin would be great. And Katherine Mansfield would be welcome, too.

>161 CJR93: lovely work. I look forward to seeing more titles like these.

One minor suggestion that you might want to consider for future releases: for saddle-stitched softcover booklet bindings like these, the upper right and lower right corners are most prone to wear, and folded cover flaps (sort of like a hardcover dust jacket) can greatly mitigate this tendency without adding much cost or complexity.

My late suggestions, as I took some time to prowl around the collection looking for titles and authors that seem to mesh with the Copperhead milieu.

One lesser-known work you might consider is At the Gate (1921) by Myla Jo Closser. It's an unusual and bittersweet little pastoral work whose protagonists are dogs.

I would love to see an offering from Mary E. Braddon, such as The Cold Embrace (1860) or one of her other sublime tales.

A couple authors I would enjoy seeing in the lineup are Guy de Maupassant and Jeffery Farnol. Both have a wealth of vividly-told short works to choose from.

And finally, a curiosity that I sometimes like to mention when short stories are being discussed - The Affair at 7, Rue de M-- (1955) by John Steinbeck. I won't say anything more about it here, it really deserves to be read in order to see how unusual it is, especially coming from such a noted author.

>174 Shadekeep: Something to chew on!

And it's nice to see some love for Jeffery Farnol.

What comes to my mind is Clarimonde by Théophile Gautier.

>173 abysswalker: Good suggestion.

>173 abysswalker: thanks for the feedback. I did go with a thicker paper than usually used for chapbook covers, so they’ll be sturdier than some chapbooks I’ve had. But a great idea for the next round of titles. Thanks again!

>174 Shadekeep: Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely be reading them.

>175 Transfixed: I’ll add Gautier also, thanks!

>175 Transfixed: Nice to hear from another Farnol appreciator! And I concur on Gautier, an author with a large pool of worthy titles. Anatole France is one to drawn upon as well.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions for a slipcase concept for our upcoming “Lasting Echoes” chapbook series.

Here’s the final product. A slipcase designed to hold any three chapbooks from the series. The first three will be launching at the end of this month. More titles to come next year. Lined with black paper and wrapped in smoke grey buckram. I like how it turned out. Thanks again!

I like the chapbooks cases. I think it's a great way to get collectors who are resistant to buying chapbooks into collecting them. They always complain about storing them. The same with having a series of chapbooks of the same size working together with a nice colour series. All very good ways to draw in a newer generation of collectors and hopefully allowing them to see the charm of chapbooks. Something I didn't see until recently. A shelf of these would look very fetching.

Oh, that's lovely.

Very nice. Good work.

>180 LT79-1: To vindicate your instinct--I am just such a new fine press collector who has passed on chapbooks categorically, often grumbling (to myself) about storage/shelving-related issues. For me, this very attractive slipcase changes the dynamic appreciably and has me seriously considering chapbooks for the first time.

Perhaps one day, long years of collecting will have seasoned me so that I care less, but until then, this kind of slipcase is a very attractive stopgap.

>179 CJR93: Brilliant, that turned out lovely. And glad to hear the line will remain consistently sized so that the cases can be employed for any title.

Very nice!!!!

And since you asked for story suggestions:

I would love to see some Sarah Orne Jewett, who should be fairly thoroughly out of copyright; I'm particularly fond of "In Dark New England Days."

Conrad Aiken's "Mr. Arcularis" is not quite public domain, but give it a year or two and we'll get there.

Thoroughly in copyright, but still possibly in keeping with your aesthetic: I don't believe Beryl Markham has had any fine press treatment, and though West with the Night will always be what she's most known for, some of her short fiction is also pleasing.

I'd really love to see a fine press produce a line based on classic magazine articles. Other than a smattering of titles, it's a field that has been overlooked. This list is 15 years old but is a good starting point. The Sidd Finch one would be great if Griffin at No Reply needs an April Fools' Day idea :)

>187 A.Nobody: I was recently thinking how I'd like to see an edition of the Chinese Room Argument (as wonderfully articulated here: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-room/ ). Its structure also provides an opportunity to break up and illustrate the book in an interesting manner, including taking each counter-argument and rebuttal. An even more compelling document now that we are in the grip of the LLM age.

Our new chapbook collection is here!

LAUNCHING ON
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 @ 9 AM PST/12 PM EST

Introducing Lasting Echoes, a new letterpress chapbook series celebrating short stories that endure. Each edition brings together timeless tales — starting with An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce, The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield, and Gusev by Anton Chekhov — paired with exclusive artwork by recent BFA graduates from Southern Utah University.

Letterpress printed on luxurious Cotton Lettra paper, sewn by hand, and wrapped in thick German Gmund paper, these limited editions of 100 copies are designed to be held, treasured, and remembered.

Available first as a discounted set and an optional slipcase, with individual copies coming later, this series offers a rare chance to experience literature and art together in a craft-focused, collectible format.

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/lasting-echoes

$250 for the set of three chapbooks
$315 for the set with a slipcase

>190 CJR93: A fine looking offering. This could be my first CP plunge.

>190 CJR93: Looking ahead, if I purchase this set with slipcase, and then do so again once short stories 4,5,6 are published, will anything distinguish the two slipcases if they were to be shelved with the label facing out?

>192 Pendrainllwyn: I'd personally love to see just the color change with each set. I'd prefer to avoid numbering on the spine.

>193 NathanOv: Agreed. I would prefer it if the slipcases were distinguishable in some way. Changing the colour of the label, e.g., the red border might be a nice way to do it.

>192 Pendrainllwyn:
>193 NathanOv:
I like the idea of changing the color of the label border with each set. Great idea! I like working with this color of grey buckram, it’s a nice neutral for the various colored chapbook covers.

I agree to stay away from numbering the spine. I think the mix and match concept of the series will be a good selling point. The limitation page at the end of each chapbook does say which number each title is in the series. But there is nothing anywhere else to indicate any particular order. So if someone wants to collect each title, they’ll have a way of identifying. But if you only want a few specific titles, they won’t look like an incomplete collection.

These three chapbooks are all sewn with a red thread that matches the slipcase border. I could follow that concept with future sets. Using blue thread along with a blue border, etc.

>195 CJR93: Ah, I love contrasting threads for hand-sewn books! That sounds like an excellent subtle way of indicating which were published as a set, while still allowing them to be collected individually.

>195 CJR93: Great idea! And matching the thread to the label is a good additional touch of consistency. Those who collect the whole run will have a unified look, and those who collect individual titles will have a colorful motley effect. A win either way.

Black Friday 12:00 AM MST- Cyber Monday 11:59 PM MST

Free Shipping (Worldwide) for orders over $350

Automatically applied at checkout.

Letterpress chapbook set now open for order:

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/lasting-echoes

>199 CJR93: Grabbed during the pre-order period, hope this one is a success for you and leads to many more!

I await the single copies going on sale (and hope some are left)!

Now available individually

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/lasting-echoes

>202 CJR93: Received my copy today, and very well-packaged it was. Is the bag-and-board it's wrapped in acid free archival cardboard, or should I transfer it to one of my existing bags?

>203 ambyrglow: I’m glad it made it to you safely. The plastic bag is acid-free and safe for long term storage. The cardboard itself is not acid-free and just for shipping purposes. Thanks for ordering a copy. We appreciate it!

2025 Year in Review

Thank you all for your support this past year! Here are a few stats from 2025:

191 - Number of Books Made and Delivered (not counting chapbooks)

13 - Number of Countries Shipped to (France, Australia, Monaco, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Spain, Thailand, Ireland, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, United States)

0 - Number of Books Returned Due to Quality

0 - Number of Books Retured Due to Damage When Shipped (well there was one, but the United States Postal Service paid out on our insurance claim. They destroyed it. That’s why we use UPS now.)

255% - Growth in Sales Compared to 2024

5 - Different Titles Fulfilled and Shipped
- “In Our Time” - Paste Paper, Cloth, Numbered, Lettered
- “Lady Susan”
- “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” - Paste Paper, Cloth, Numbered, Lettered
- “Notes from the Underground”
- “Hadji Murad”

1 - Baby Grown and Added to the Family! 😅

A look ahead to 2026 :

This year we’ll be fulfilling orders for:

- The Sun Also Rises
- Big Two-Hearted River (Letterpress)
- Jacob’s Room

We already have five new Letterpress chapbooks in development. Two are ready to print!

Three new Letterpress editions made in a limitation of 50 are in development. One is ready to print. A second is being illustrated. The third is being illustrated and designed as a four (or maybe five) volume set… can’t wait for you to see it!

Moby Dick is coming together nicely. Completed illustrations are starting to come in from Adán Peredo, who illustrated “Notes from the Underground” for us. There will be 16 new illustrations in total. Printed offset.

We also have another offset novel in the prototype phase, featuring art by Picasso during his African period. Printed offset.

And… there are a few other surprises kicking around the workshop.

Thanks again for your support!

>205 CJR93: A bumper year indeed! Sounds like the press is hitting its stride, best of luck in this new year and looking forward to what you bring out.

Artwork preview for the upcoming Moby Dick. Edit: re-added below.

>207 What_What:

Confused.

>207 What_What: Thanks for sharing from the FB page.

We’re going for something different from the other editions out there.

Here’s another illustration that’s come in to give more of an idea of the art style.

This illustration is of Ishmael entering town:

>209 CJR93: I can dig that, refreshing approach.

I can't see the image What What posted. It just states "content not viewable in your region". But I can see the image CJR93 posted. Is this something to do with the way images are linked by the user or is it restrictions in certain regions? I only ask this because I'd like to post pictures at some point on certain threads and I want it to be viewable.

>211 LT79-1:
I have not heard of this problem before. Normally any text or picture posted on LT is available worldwide.

>212 wcarter: I can never see any image Glacierman uploads or What What but I see everything you post and many other members. It's just the odd member where I get this.

>213 LT79-1: Same experience here (in UK), What What's image is just a purple screen with the "not viewable in your region" message. 209 suggests the image was sourced from Facebook, maybe this has some relevance to the accessibility problem.

It was saved, uploaded and linked separately, not hot linked. I can try finding another host tomorrow or CJR can share.

Imgur links do not work from the UK anymore, here is another try. Looks like the FB post with the image was removed, odd.

I wanted to share a few pics of the updated workshop. We just added new foam flooring. I’m really happy with how it turned out!

>217 CJR93: Looks like a great getaway reading cave, too!

>217 CJR93:
That is a very elegant workshop.

May many wonderful books be made there.

>217 CJR93: looks awesome.

>217 CJR93: I've noticed your workbench is central away from natural light. When bookbinding for long periods do your eyes ever get tired under artifical light?

>218 Shadekeep: >219 wcarter: >220 Pendrainllwyn: >221 SDB2012:
Thank you!

>222 LT79-1:
It doesn’t bother me too much. I use warm colored LED bulbs. And my glasses have blue light lenses. They are a big help. I’ve always needed a bright artificial light over the workbench to really see what I’m doing regardless of the natural light situation.

>223 CJR93: Thanks, it's interesting to learn how presses achieve that balance of light in their workshops. I'm very sensitive to light conditions. Great workshop btw!

Just received Lady Susan today, my first Copperhead book. I'm really happy with it. The binding is lovely and the highly textured paper is very tactile. I've never read this Austen novella so I'm looking forward to reading it for the first time in such a delightful form.









The final piece apparently!



I don't think this will be my last Copperhead Press book by any means but the need to balance priorities means I'm not sure when the next one (perhaps direct from the press) will be.

Congratulations. I have just finished reading my copy, and it was a wonderful experience! The binding is lovely, and the couple of pictures are apposite.

A New Interview from Collectible Book Vault

https://www.collectiblebookvault.com/post/minds-of-the-press-vol-20

Good morning everyone,

I’d be interested to hear any feedback you may have on the first three titles of the Lasting Echoes chapbook collection. The slipcase concept, the paper used, the title selection, etc.

I have 10-15 more chapbooks in various stages. (Mann, Woolf, Henry James, Brontë, Proust, Melville, Fitzgerald, Djuna Barnes, etc.) Four of those are ready to print. Also another 50 slipcases are in production and will be available for order when they’re completed.

Thanks for your thoughts!

>228 CJR93: I like then quite a lot! The interior design is especially good. A slipcase remains a desirable feature going forward as well. I would like to see a similar breadth of authors in future arrangements. Nothing wrong with the paper choices either, though it would interesting to seem some variations there, such as marbled covers for one series or Japanese interior papers on one run. Whatever you decide, please continue with the effort!

>228 CJR93: I really enjoyed them and am very happy to have gotten the slipcase.

A quick design question, why the long tails after the knot on the binding thread? Aesthetics?

>228 CJR93: My one quibble is the double blank pages right after the title page. I have an idea about why it is that way, but it still sticks out, and I wonder if you have looked into ways to avoid it in the future.

>229 Shadekeep: thanks for the feedback! I like the idea of experimenting with different paper and cover materials. Especially with longer letterpress projects on the schedule.

>230 kdweber: Yes the thread length is just where I decided on cutting the excess. I can always shorten it up, no problem. Thanks for the feedback!

>231 kreekree: Ah yes, that was to keep the opening image from bleeding through on the backside of the title page. But it would be an easy adjustment to move the first illustration to another page. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it!

>232 CJR93: Of course. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the lettered Big Two-Hearted River!

>228 CJR93: I haven't read them yet but they look wonderful.

The slipcase is essential for me and I wouldn't have purchased without. I would worry about the chapbooks getting dog-eared otherwise. I love that on the shelf the slipcase looks like just another book, but inside rests a letterpress product that is completely different to anything else I have.

I love the simplicity of the cover design and hope you retain it for future sets in the series. I also hope you keep the height of the chapbooks/slipcases the same for future sets. If the slipcases need to be broader/narrower so be it.

I hope you publish work that you love rather than trying to second guess what I/others love. With respect to the titles, I hope you continue with the kinds of authors you have been publishing in the first series and your longer projects. I feel it's one of Copperhead Press's differentiating factors.

FWIW, to date, CTP's six Short Stops titles have had a consistent cover design (OK, the pattern changes) and height which helps identify them as a series.

>234 Pendrainllwyn: thank you for your feedback. I’ll definitely be keeping them a standard size. I think three per slipcase is working well. Looking forward to publishing more short fiction. I’m also excited to be coordinating a new English translation of a short story by Pio Baroja. Thanks again for the encouragement.

This is maybe a dumb question, but why do most Copperhead releases not sell quicker? Especially considering the small limitation numbers even on the lower end editions, I would think they would sell faster.
Do you think it‘s mainly because it is such a young press / maybe not as widely known at this point? Or does quality / lack of letterpress in many editions play a role?

Not that they‘re selling badly of course - I feel like the reception so far has been really positive.

>236 bluerx: For what it’s worth coming from the owner of the press…
I think we’re still just finding our audience. We’ve progressively sold better with each release. I don’t think there are any quality issues. We haven’t had a single book returned since starting. I can honestly say we haven’t had any negative reviews either. I’m always learning and improving, but we didn’t start at too bad of a place either.

I never interned, apprenticed or took classes for any of this. I’m self-taught. So I imagine there is some apprehension for first time collectors. But we have a lot of repeat customers.

You’re right in implying our books not having the Suntup or CTP mania surrounding them. I don’t think we’ll ever get to that point. We don’t make enough copies per edition or release enough titles per year to drive sells into the thousands. I hope a few years from now, we’ll still be making 50-80 copies of each edition and they’ll sell out quickly. Then some will be disappointed they missed out. It’s already started to happen with a few of our early releases.

Many only want letterpress. But before investing the capital needed to produce even a 50 copy letterpress title, I’ve needed to learn the business and market. That’s why we’ve mainly stayed with offset printing up to this point.

Also, the titles I am drawn towards are not going to be big sellers. I’m not into horror at all. I do like some sci-fi. But my focus is on classic literature. Not as big of an audience. That weakness becomes a strength though when making fewer copies.

I find it very interesting that Suntup elected to print “Under the Volcano” via offset instead of letterpress. Also, in their not publishing an Artist Edition (or for “Native Son”). I suppose it speaks to the idea that not as many copies of classic literature sell as quickly as some genre titles.

Thanks for the detailed reply, I really appreciate it. After rereading my original message, I’d like to apologize if it came across as overly critical - I could have phrased it better.

What I meant to say is that, in my opinion, the production quality is definitely there to support a similar level of “hype” to presses like Suntup or Curious King.
And as you mentioned, the title selection is by far the biggest factor, so it’s probably not entirely fair to compare it to mostly genre-focused presses. I should have considered that earlier :)

>239 bluerx: no offense taken! Thanks for asking.

It keeps me up some nights plotting how best to scale up. But then I realize that scaling up would just keep me up more nights!

For better or worse, I'm one of those people that love letterpress and see it as the zenith of book as art -- so more letterpress please :)

That said, I dabbled in a little letterpress myself years ago, so I know just how much time, money, and commitment is involved. I would love to see a publisher produce numerous classic works in letterpress, much like the LEC. Also, I do think some classic literature would sell very well -- consider publishing a letterpress edition of the Odyssey or (in my opinion even better) The Iliad! You could always take a poll to see how many people are interested given a certain price-point.

All that said, thank you for what you're doing!

There are already innumerable copies of the Odyssey and iIiad out there. I have four and would not buy another. Far better to publish titles to be found nowhere else.

>238 CJR93: For feedback purposes, I wanted to share that I recently picked up your Lasting Echoes – Chapbook Set with Slipcase, along with Notes from the Underground. I’m very pleased with both pieces—the quality and craftsmanship are truly exceptional. I especially appreciate your focus on the classics.

I’m a big fan of Copperhead Press and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future releases.

>242 wcarter: There’s always people new to fine press who don’t want to pay through the nose for older copies of classics. Also, given the wide disparity in translations, my preferred renditions of Homer by Lattimore haven’t been done yet.

>242 wcarter: But how many of them are letterpress? I know there have been a few such as the iconic Bruce Rogers/T.E. Lawrence Edition of 1932 -- but of course that is over $10k and out of the reach for almost everyone. There is the LEC edition of the Odyssey from 1981 which is affordable, but honestly just does not hit the right notes. I think a new letterpress edition could be very well received, and the hype of the upcoming film can't hurt either --
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film)

And of course the Odyssey was just one idea. I'd love to see fine press works of numerous classics including epics such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, which to my knowledge have never had a fine press (letterpress) edition!

>244 Izdubar: >245 astropi:

For something letterpress and all the effort, I think that which translation one uses will always be a problem. To the discerning reader, aside from just wanting a nice copy of a work, for some works like the Odyssey and Illiad, there are innumerable translations. Other times there is just one choice, which may or may not be good. Solaris didn't have a good English translation for years and I'm sorry I missed the CTP production. If CTP used the alternative translation to the one they used, which was an English translation of a French translation, I would definitely have not even considered it even though it was the only translation available for a while. Some languages and formats are forgiving in translation such that it may not matter much, but for some works, like the Odyssey and Iliad, with verse combined with translating a language like Ancient Greek, translations vary greatly. As such, a publisher has a hard time choosing a work, much less a translation that would sell the most.

>246 imaginarydata: I agree, there are a wide variety of takes on the Iliad and Odyssey, many of them focused on accuracy in one area (meaning, meter, voice) with often a compromise in others. I would still welcome a new letterpress edition of either/both, but don't relish the task of the publisher who has to choose the translation.

Speaking of, this set of Greek tragedy translations is highly regarded and I would love to see one or more of these in a new fine press edition. While it doesn't contain my most-sought (Seven Against Thebes), there are many great choices. I'd lean towards Medea or The Trojan Women perhaps.

I agree with >247 Shadekeep: A new letterpress edition of the Iliad or the Odyssey (or even the Aeneid!) would be very much welcome. I would even be enthusiastic about a single chapter, e.g., Aeneas in the World of the Dead (Kelly-Winterton Press) or the forthcoming One-Eyed Giant (St. James Park Press). As for letterpress Greek tragedies, my goodness, I would probably snap it up in a heartbeat.

I would pass on just a single chapter, but as I said, I think a new letterpress Odyssey or Iliad (or Aeneid, although I personally would prefer the Iliad) could sell extremely well. Definitely you need a good translation, such as by Robert Fitzgerald. That said, you could also have footnotes, or a companion volume, and of course with beautiful illustrations all of that =

Thanks for the classical Greek and Latin suggestions. I just ordered a copy of the plays you mentioned. I also ordered a copy of the Aeneid. I’ve never read it before.

Coming down the letterpress pipeline, we have Zola, Proust, Joyce, DuBois & D. H. Lawrence.

I’m always open to title suggestions! Feel free to post them here anytime.

I would kill for a nice edition of Caroline Alexander's translation of the Iliad much less a fine press edition. Of course securing the rights to a special edition of a relatively recent (2015) translation may not be straightforward.

I'm a fan of Anne Carson's translations. Her version of Iphigenia among the Taurians is in the aforementioned collection I linked and could be an interesting one for fine press, given its less-well-known status compared to the Oresteia and such. Her short adaptation Antigonick is splendid as well as a sort of companion to the full play.

Given the success of Suntup's Divine Comedy with the companion volume, they might be well positioned to do Homer. I would just hope they would be thoughtful about the illustrations because a lot of them are not to my taste. People complained a bit about the common Blake illustrations for their expensive Dante but from a design standpoint it ultimately worked. I would hope they would avoid the Flaxman illustrations but given how there really is no particularly well done set of Homer illustrations, this would be a tough one to do right

Coming down the letterpress pipeline, we have Zola, Proust, Joyce, DuBois & D. H. Lawrence.

Awesome! I look forward to it all :)

>250 CJR93: I am just finishing Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, a stunning 1,150 page history/travelogue/meditation on the Balkan peninsula taken from an extended trip on the eve of WWII. While obviously way too long for a fine press edition, significant portions were serialized in the Atlantic and individual chapters could be a great fine press book. She wrote sentences that could cut glass.

https://www.theatlantic.com/author/rebecca-west/

>255 LBShoreBook: Thank you for the Rebecca West recommendation. I hadn’t read any of her writing until today. I just finished one of her early novellas, “The Return of the Soldier.” I really enjoyed her writing. Looking forward to working up to “Black Lamb and Grey Falcon”.

Our second set of “Lasting Echoes” chapbooks will be released later this year, featuring selections from Fitzgerald, Woolf, and Proust.

These new editions continue our focus on brief, resonant works—moments in literature that linger far beyond their pages.

A limited number of copies from our first set of releases are still available as individual chapbooks, now offered at $75.

https://copperheadpress.com/collections/lasting-echoes

From the latest newsletter:

Coming soon will be a letterpress-printed prospectus for our first oversized, full letterpress edition of The Attack on the Mill by Émile Zola. The prospectus will be limited to 110 copies, and the edition itself will be limited to 50 copies. Prospectuses will be available to order through our website this summer.

>258 Shadekeep: That sounds lovely. I suppose at one point a prospectus was free, but that was a long time ago :)
And to be clear, I think this is great, I love a good prospectus!

A free prospectus probably makes a lot more sense financially when you do your own printing. Looking forward to it, though. I like them also.

>258 Shadekeep: thanks for sharing!

>259 astropi:
>260 kreekree:
I’m happy to send one for free to anyone who might be interested in the thread.

They should be off the press at the end of this week. It will also include a tipped in Goya illustration and a sample swatch of leather and Bookcloth.

Once they’re ready to ship, I’ll post here for more info on how to claim one. I’m excited for this edition, a big step forward for our Press.

>261 CJR93: Awesome. I'm definitely interested. Will Two-Hearted River owners have rights to this edition?

>261 CJR93: This is generous. I’m very interested. I’m new to fine press, so would appreciate this very much.

The sample swatches in the prospectus is a good idea.

>264 LT79-1: Most unusual I think. It's not uncommon for a prospectus to have a sample of the text paper, or of the marbled paper proposed for the covers, but I don't recollect any with a swatch of leather or bookcloth.

>265 duncjl: it makes total sense to do this though. Hats off to CHP for not being afraid to try new ideas. Chapbook storage, now this.

>261 CJR93: Very kind of you, and I'll probably ask for a prospectus as well. Happy to pay shipping to help defray things, too. And of course quite interested in the book itself!

The recent newsletter and clear direction of the Press has me somewhat thrilled for what’s next. I will pause sharing in case it’s intended for limited distribution, but I’m also curious for folks thoughts once it is shared. The strategic and well received prospectus coupled with this announcement signals a composed shift.

>268 Cognitor: It sounds like a good plan to me, ambitious but without overreach. I wish them luck with it, should produce some fine titles indeed.

I don't understand, what is the shift?

>270 edkennedy: Details are here: https://copperheadpress.com/blogs/news/a-new-chapter

Basically Copperhead Press will be moving to all letterpress printing in the future. They also announced two new imprints, one which will basically publish lettered books for well known classics (multiple volumes for longer works seems to be the focus) and one which will produce numbered books with a limitation of 50 for somewhat more obscure titles.

Quickly checking in while I have a minute. Thanks to everyone for your comments. Things are getting busier with the new imprint announcements. I'm excited to finally be at a point that I can share more details. Here is a link to the newsletter on our website:
https://copperheadpress.com/blogs/news/a-new-chapter

We'll be picking up prospectuses for "The Attack on the Mill" from Taylor at The Mandate Press in the next few days. This title will be our first Apertio title. We already have the second Apertio title ready for press, which includes three newly commissioned linocuts.

I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but we're also working behind the scenes on a future Votum title that is still a few years out. I want to get ahead on multiple volumes before announcing it. We already have the first three volumes formatted and art is beginning to come in. I believe this will stand as the defining work of our Press.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions or title recommendations for the new imprints. I'll get on again later today or tomorrow to check in.

Thanks!

>272 CJR93: It sounds wonderfully exciting and ambitious, but I am a little confused about the Votum editions. With only 26 being available I assume these will be very difficult to acquire. What made you decide that number?

>273 DMulvee: thanks for the question. I’m not opposed to slightly raising the limiting number. It’s honestly a bit of an experiment to see how the imprint goes. I’m not aware of other presses working with this model. I’m fully committed to making this our primary imprint if enough collectors are interested. I’ll be sending out an email in the future with pricing and scheduled releases for Dubliners. From there, any can reach out if they’re interested in the series. That will give me a better idea.

The logistics are the main reason for keeping it a low print run, this publishing model heavily relies on consistency. The more copies we make, the fewer volumes we can fulfill in a given year. When we get to longer works that may take 6-8 volumes (or more), it can quickly adds years to the overall project. We’ll settle on the right balance, it may take a few titles to work it out.

I'm also a bit worried about availability, if there are only 26 copies. My suggestion is to reach out to people, including folk on here, and perhaps inquire who would be willing to purchase a copy at a given price. I think most people are also fine putting down a deposit to secure a book. All that said, definitely excited about more letterpress!

>274 CJR93: My fear is that with a larger work if there are 8 volumes and someone drops out after 3 it is unlikely a new purchaser would be interested in volumes 4-8. I wonder if it would be wiser to initially have a larger limitation but if someone then declines to continue a book that those volumes aren’t offered to the market. This would mean that there would be (potentially) slightly fewer volume 8s of a book compared with volume 1s.

>276 DMulvee:

Interesting wrinkle you presented. I could see that happening, where, due to several reasons (financial setbacks and death come to mind) a person may be unable to complete later volumes. Your proposed adjustment could help there.

>276 DMulvee: nice suggestion, I can see something like that being useful to implement for future editions that are many volumes.

I’m sure we will learn a lot as we work through this first Votum edition of “Dubliners”. All volumes in this title series will be completed over a two year span. That will be manageable enough to stress-test the model and identify potential problems. It will be a good place to start before we head into more ambitious works.

>274 CJR93: What I'm curious about on the low limitations is how much work the typesetting is. It seems to me that a large portion of the time would be spent setting time for long works, after which it might make sense to run off as many copies as feasible budget-wise. But I might be over-emphasising the labour of typesetting and under-selling the other parts.

There are some presses that do very low limitations like this, notably St James Park Press and Heavenly Monkey, and their works quickly sell out and are often highly sought in the aftermarket. You probably won't have a problem shifting low-run copies (except in the aforementioned case of multi-volume runs), but be prepared for a lot of folks lamenting on missing out.

But St. James Park Press and Heavenly Monkey are both well established masters of their craft and neither has spread themselves across the lengths of works being discussed here.

I have to admit that I am a bit confused about the whole idea, especially as I thought that Copperhead Press was on a good track, making steady improvements with each edition and growing it's audience. This move seems like the type of thing a press might consider doing when the craft has been mastered and there is a clear publishing vision for what works the press wants to leave a mark with. I do not see why they should start planning ten volume letterpress editions of War and Peace (I exaggerate but this is the direction they seem to be indicating) when they have not made even their first letterpress edition yet. Of course i wish the press nothing but the best, but I am skeptical. I am interested in fine press for the quality of craftsmanship and the creativity of the presses, and this idea of doing multiple volumes of literature's most famous works one after the other does not seem to suggest either to me. Again I wish nothing but the best and hope I am proven wrong.

Reading my comment I don't want to come across as harsh. I only wonder why years of effort should be spread across hundreds or even thousands of pages, which may end up decent but not inspiring because of the length, instead of being focused on smaller but more ambitious projects. Personally I do not see anything ambitious about a project just because it is long. For example, I would rather see Copperhead's Zola with original artworks and an original translation and handmade paper and a large size than endless volumes of famous works already in my library.

>281 edkennedy:
I tend to agree, I feel this is a high risk shift for a press that I currently like and support.

From the link: “Beyond private collections, complete sets of Votum editions will be placed in institutions, ensuring these works endure in library collections for generations to come.”

Have institutions already reserved copies of the upcoming books?

>279 Shadekeep: That’s true. The cost per copy drops with each copy printed. But like you also mentioned, the binding and enclosure period also takes a lot of time. Since our first child, my wife isn’t available anymore in the workshop. So I’ve been a one man bindery for the last year plus. Making smaller limitation runs appeals to me nowadays. I know I can give better attention to each copy that way. It leaves money on the table, but I suppose that’s true at every level. You can always scale up. But again, I’m not opposed to upping the Votum count a little if there is interest.

>280 edkennedy:
Good points, I can see the concerns. Once the prototypes are out, of course you’re welcome to judge the quality of craftsmanship and artistry. I think our past 12 editions should give you an idea of our binding styles up to this point.

But really, I’m not going to publish volumes without any thought or creativity. I spend many months/years with each edition before it ever reaches collectors. I wouldn’t have it in me to make something I didn’t feel was worth my time or your shelf space.

Maybe the Apertio imprint will be more to your liking. That’s where you’ll find editions of shorter works with individual designs.

As far as the Votum imprint goes, no harm in trying something different and seeing what sticks. I’ve had a lot of interested collectors reach out. So it seems it will be worth a trial run.

Thanks for taking the time to share your concerns.

>282 wcarter:
The Apertio Imprint will still be focused on shorter works, just like the books we’ve published up to this point. The only difference is that they will now be letterpress printed while still at a similar price point. So no loss of momentum from our previous publishing philosophy. If you’ve liked our books up to now, there’s no reason to worry.

>283 What_What:
Thanks for asking. Since “The Attack on the Mill” is first up, we’ll have three copies to place. We’re currently in correspondence with these institutions:
1. J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
2. Huntington Library, San Marino, California
3. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Please let us know if you know of other centers that may be interested in adding a copy to their collections.

Personally, I think CP's plans are ambitious. CP is publishing works by some of the greatest authors. Of the 12 titles I can recall CP announcing to date, 5 have been written by authors who wrote a book that came in the top 10 in the Guardian newspaper's recent list of the best 100 novels ever written in English (Austen, Joyce (2) Tolstoy & Woolf). There are plenty of fine presses that in the same time period haven't published any works from these great authors. Maybe 1 or 2 by some? It's much safer to publish another Sci-Fi, fantasy, horror title.

In my view it is also ambitious to publish a single book in multiple volumes - in letterpress - over several years. Is any else doing this? There are plenty of fine presses doing shorter letterpress works. Many seem to get vertigo once a letterpress book goes beyond 250 pages - or less. I suspect they know the risk of tackling a much longer work. 6 volumes, say, can be expected to require a substantial financial commitment so, with the classic title, I would expect the target population to be narrow and expectations will be high. As Chaz mentions above, it will be important to maintain consistency so that the last volume has the same quality, colour, print, overall look and feel etc as the first. Also, if the quality of the first volume is disappointing there is a risk people will back out rather than throw good money after bad and purchase the remainder so execution quality needs to be spot on. If CP wants these editions to be found in institutions the quality, again, is going to need to be high. And CP haven't even published anything in letterpress yet - although I think they outsource their printing and focus on binding so maybe that is less of a risk if they have found a good letterpress print partner.

CP have been a welcome addition to fine press. They dare to be different and I wish them every success with their Votum editions. Title selection will be key for me. For those who prefer CP continues to publish shorter and less well known works they have the Apertio Editions to look forward to. I look forward to both.

>278 CJR93: I like the aims behind this and don’t wish to be negative, however Dubliners is different from Swann’s Way. If the ultimate ambition was to produce In Search of Lost Time in its entirety (not sure how long this would take, 20 years?!?) then starting with a higher limitation would be essential to ensure there are enough committed for the long haul.

I think this is a great idea! No press is currently producing longer works via serialization, though of course it is not without precedent. Serialization is how many of these longer works were originally published. The Brothers Karamozov for example appeared trache by tranche in The Russian Messenger magazine. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't succeed, both artistically and in the market! Copperhead is filling a conspicuous gap in our fine press constellation. Aaand I think Chaz and Katie are tackling this the right way: Dubliners is a great text to get the ball rolling on. Bravi!

>286 Pendrainllwyn: "There are plenty of fine presses doing shorter letterpress works. Many seem to get vertigo once a letterpress book goes beyond 250 pages - or less. I suspect they know the risk of tackling a much longer work."

I actually don't think the aversion to longer works among fine presses today has to do with the risks involved in taking on the project, though there certainly are some. I think it's simpler. If you are an avid hiker, would you rather do one 300-mile hike through one environment, or thirty ten-mile hikes through a variety of environments? Or, better, do one ten-mile hike thirty times, getting to know it intimately in all its seasons. The bookmakers I know tend to want to go deep rather than wide. Look at the Barbarians: they are likely the world authority on Pericles and Molly Holden. I don't think they would have gotten dizzy if they had taken on an 800-page Dickens instead: I think they would have gotten bored or, worse, just gotten through it.

Of course, there is certainly something great about the 300 mile hike in and of itself and I do agree that it would be great to see more of them done!

Very interesting. I'd be keen for a long-term Brothers Karamazov. Setting the limitation number after getting expressions of interest may be helpful, and might help you attract the people which will be most likely to stick with it (I would be nervous if a low limitation leads to fomo and people jumping in and then backing out later - putting the whole thing at more risk).

>289 grifgon: So you haven't tackled the Pacific Crest Trail end to end yet!

Yes, I am sure that's a key factor. If I ran a fine press I would go for variety too and as a reader I am also inclined that way. However, long books can be incredibly rewarding and if CP choose to tackle some I will be following with great interest.

The Thornwillow Press did a ten volume serialized letterpress edition of Ulysses I went for the four volume half leather edition instead which was delivered all at once (several years after ordered and paid for).

>285 CJR93: are you planning on doing handset type on a small press? Regardless, I’m thrilled you’re switching to all letterpress.

I’m less interested in the Votum imprint as I’ve found that the classics are well represented in fine press. I have two nice copies of Dubliners and three copies of Ulysses. The Limited Editions Club did many nice letterpress editions of classic including a four volume War and Peace. The Apertio imprint looks very promising and I’m looking forward to buying a copy of The Attack on the Mill. Again, the Limited Editions Club produced a couple of nice Zola books e.g. Nana and Germinal.

>292 kdweber: I'm with you on this. While the Votum treatment sounds exciting, I probably wouldn't invest in it unless it's a book I absolutely love. Apertio is definitely more appealing, personally.

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I would urge either outsourcing the binding of these higher end imprints to more experienced and skilled binders, or taking a step back and spending some time studying fine binding and refining that skillset. The images I have seen have not been done to the highest standards of binding.

>294 Another_Bibliomane: For a new press where is the line between learning by doing and waiting a lifetime to become a master before doing anything? I'm a strong believer in learning by doing and life isn't perfect. I think CHP mentioned they are self taught and it's not possible for everyone to attend courses by masters of the craft. I don't want to speak on behalf of CHP but I'm just interested where that balance is struck under financial pressure, time pressure and family time. You could argue they could scale down ambitions until that mastery is attained but maybe the scaling up of ambition will help achieve that mastery. This is how some people learn or have to learn rather the conventional route. Outsourcing means not learning yourself. Time out to go into deeper learning costs money and time and that's not always possible for some. Not looking for conflict here btw, just interested in the strategies of new presses. I'm a few months into learning bookbinding myself so this is all interesting to me how new presses navigate all this.

>294 Another_Bibliomane: Not trying to be contentious either, but the bindings are what sold me on CHP in the first place. Lady Susan isn't printed letterpress, but the binding and interior design are so appealing to me that it was a worthwhile purchase.

I do think that Chaz might benefit however from bringing an apprentice on board, as a number of other private presses do. It helps both pass on the skills and lighten the load. Since Katie has had to cut back on press time I'd hate for him to burn out trying to carry it all himself.

I guess it depends on the ambitions of the press. If it’s “attractive and affordable editions”, then they’re well on their way to meeting that goal, and the bindings could just use a bit of refinement.

If it’s “fine press editions worthy of inclusion in prestigious rare book libraries”, well, that’s a higher bar.

Again, and I say this as an aspirant book artist myself, I wasn’t surprised to learn that these were done by a self-taught binder. Without feedback from a more experienced binder, how does the autodidact know what needs to improve?

I’ve provided more explicit feedback in a DM to Chas, just focusing on a couple of things that could be easily improved upon that would make the current bindings appear much more “finished”, in my opinion.

Double post

Exactly, I feel that Copperhead Press is still very much a novice press. The mistakes that have been pointed out on this thread and elsewhere are easily forgiven as the press is still learning. I wonder who will be interested in buying multiple volumes of large books which are sure to be very expensive from a press which does not yet have it's reputation established? It is like somebody who is just learning to sail deciding to set sail around the world and hoping that others will come along. I hope the press will be successful but I think that they have misunderstood their market.

Okay, I’ve got to have a little self-respect and stand up for myself. I’ve run a successful press for 3 years now and have a solid customer base.

I’m choosing to upgrade to letterpress and try something new. I’m a little surprised by the few who are so negative on the idea. But I suppose I shouldn’t be. Down with ambition and down with trying new things. This shift is exactly what making progress as a publisher looks like.

Do you want only an 80 year old master bookbinder to set out on an ambitious multi-volume/multi-year fine press edition of a great novel? And of only a few sets? Probably not going to happen. If it did, probably very, very expensive.

Ambition like this is for young presses to grow and find their place in the fine press world.

If you’re here to be negative, without seeing the books we have coming first, I thank you for running up the comment count and bringing more interest to the thread. It also helps me sift out who I’ll be sending a free prospectus to.

To everyone else, thanks for your interest and questions. I hope and plan to make books you’ll cherish.

I apologize if my comments come across as negative, I am not trying to be and simply offering my perspective as feedback.

>300 CJR93: You should delete this while you still have the chance, not a good look at all. The defensiveness is ironic though.

For this type of endeavour, it needs to appeal sufficiently to say 50ish book collectors (worldwide). Not everyone needs to be on board.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing the output.

>300 CJR93: Do what you do as you see fit - more power to you.

>301 edkennedy: no worries, that wasn’t directed to you specifically. I’m open to suggestions and always looking for ways to improve. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

>302 What_What: I think I’ve shown that I’m a nice guy throughout this thread and through private correspondence with many of you. I haven’t said anything inflammatory. I won’t delete standing up for myself and my Press.

Anyways, signing off for now. I’m more interested in reading something this Sunday afternoon than sparring online. Time for a little Thomas Mann.

>300 CJR93: Your press, your choice. I like seeing new presses which is why I ordered the first title from your press, No Reply, Conversation Tree Press, Lyra, Books Illustrated, TOC, Arete, Suntup, and many more new presses.

I'm sure the decision came after much personal reflection, discussion with your partner, and conferring with any mentors and I hope it all goes as you envision! Either way, its a lucky thing in life to be doing what you love. Besides, the whole point of having a private press is to make what you want, what you think is important. Best of luck!

>302 What_What:

I think his post was warranted. I was surprised to see the reaction to his ambitious announcement; I expected encouragement for committing to full letterpress and classic literature, and I was surprised to see the quibbling with minor details that he says he's open to changing if warranted in the future.

I purchased a lettered Portrait of the Artist and was very pleased with the craftsmanship and quality of the binding. I'll be very interested in serialized long classic works in letterpress, and if you ever do a full In Search of Lost Time, I'd write the check upon announcement. Swann's Way will suffice for now.

>308 thebookrunner: I expected encouragement for committing to full letterpress and classic literature
Hear hear! I'm super excited to see what comes, and agree, this press needs to be supported :)

>308 thebookrunner: I can't say I'm ever surprised by nitpicking on this forum, but you never can tell what's going to set people off. I'm definitely on board for multi-volume editions like this for the right title.

>310 kreekree: As am I. Bring on the muti-volume editions.

Love the commitment to full letterpress and classic literature! I'm 100% on board and looking forward to supporting your work!

I really admire your ambition and I'm looking forward to seeing the books. I love what you've done with Heart of Darkness too.

Thanks everyone for your nice comments. I appreciate the encouragement! My books won't be for everyone, no worries.

I just met with Taylor Duckett at The Mandate Press yesterday and picked up the prospectus spreads and offset reproduction Goya plates, which will be tipped in. I've also been cutting sample pieces of the book cloth and leather to be included with the prospectus. They're not quite ready yet, but I wanted to share a few pictures to give you an idea of the layout.

The front page of the prospectus is the same as the title page of the upcoming edition. Both will have a tipped-in plate just below the title. I've tipped in art on the title verso before, but never directly onto the title page. I think it looks nice, something different. When the prospectus is opened, it will display the layout of a spread of text from the interior of the book. And the back includes comments on the concept of pairing Zola and Goya in this edition. More details about the edition are included in the prospectus, so I'll leave it there for now.

I'll post a launch date for the prospectus once we have them ready to ship. As mentioned, I'll have some available to send to members of the forum. I'm not sure how many yet, but I'll work it out and give you an update.

>314 CJR93: Looks fabulous! I'm excited for this work :)
That reminds me, over a decade ago I was at the MFA Boston and saw this wonderful exhibit --
https://www.mfa.org/news/goya
BOSTON, MA (August 21, 2014)—This fall, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), presents Goya: Order and Disorder, a landmark exhibition dedicated to Spanish master Francisco Goya (1746–1828). The largest retrospective of the artist to take place in America in 25 years features 170 paintings, prints and drawings—offering the rare opportunity to examine Goya’s powers of observation and invention across the full range of his work.

>314 CJR93: That looks superb! Quite jazzed for this one.

A note on Moby Dick: with the launch of our two new letterpress imprints, the previously announced offset edition has been cancelled. I’m happy with the artwork we commissioned for it, so I’m looking for the other avenues to use it.

I’m quite excited for my copy of “Notes from the Underground” to arrive, I may even buy a letterpress edition if they ever revisit it. I’m just thankful they are producing for the community.

>317 CJR93: Ahem - a letterpress edition of The Town Ho's Story. ;)

>317 CJR93: Maybe a slender volume of the illustrations opposite the relevant excerpts from the book, printed letterpress? Could be a more accessible (and affordable) alternative to the upcoming Arion Press offering.

I’ve gone through the thread and sent private messages to 25 commenters for a free prospectus. Please use the link to checkout before they are made available to rights holders on June 15.

There are still 75 or so prospectus copies available. I’ll open orders to the public tomorrow (June 16) @ 12:00 PM EST. They will be $20 with a code for free shipping available. If you go on to preorder the edition, that $20 comes off your total. Essentially, you get the prospectus for free. Here is a link to the page: https://copperheadpress.com/collections/apertio-edition

I’m excited for you all to see these!

>321 CJR93: Excited to be getting one!

Link to prospectus:
https://copperheadpress.com/products/the-attack-on-the-mill-prospectus

Received the Copperhead Press prospectus today. It's a very well presented and thought out snapshot of the book to be created. You can experience the paper used, an example tipped-in illustration, example text, swatches of material and a description of the pairing of Goya with Zola. Thank you!

I got mine today too. Very nicely done.

>324 LT79-1: >325 TheTotalLibrarian:
Thanks! I’m glad you’re happy with them. Just finishing up the slipcase on the prototype and I’ll have pictures of the full edition soon.

The plan was for 50 copies, but I have 43 rights holders and some newer collectors who have shown interest. With this being the first title in our new Apertio imprint, I’m open to expanding the limitation some. I may leave the number undecided for the first few days of preorders and then set a cap. I don’t want to leave anyone out who may want a copy. But I also can’t keep up with 300 orders. I’ll find the right number.

>326 CJR93: Just ordered the prospectus. Which book (or books) currently carry rights for the new Apertio imprint?

>327 michuspiez: Thanks!
I’m folding all of these into the Apertio rights system:
- Heart of Darkness (Lettered; Sold Out)
- Big Two-Hearted River (Roman Numeral; Sold Out)
- Big Two-Hearted River (Lettered; Three Available)

I’ll have more copies available than rights holders. So if you’d like a copy when they open for preorder, you’ll have an opportunity. They’ll be $650.

I’ll also build a new rights holders list for our first Votum imprint title (“Dubliners”) from those who purchase “The Attack on the Mill”. Not sure how many copies of that yet either. I’ve had more collectors express interest than I expected.

>326 CJR93: Glad to hear you're planning to be flexible on initial limitation number. I've not purchased a Copperhead Press edition yet (although I have been tempted by previous editions) but I am intending to order Attack on the Mill. I was already expecting it to tick my boxes, but the prospectus has definitely further whet my appetite!

>328 CJR93: Thank you for the information!

Happy to share that orders for our newest edition open this Thursday, July 9 at 9:00 AM Eastern.

The Attack on the Mill is the inaugural title of our new Apertio imprint — a letterpress edition of Émile Zola's novella of war and realism, paired with seven illustrations after Francisco de Goya drawn from his Disasters of War. The text is printed letterpress via polymer in two colors on Crane's Lettra cotton paper by The Mandate Press, here in Utah, on a Heidelberg Windmill press. Text throughout in black, with chapter headings and Goya plate captions in dark red.

Each copy is bound by hand in the Bradel style — burgundy Nappa lambskin spine, boards wrapped in rainwater gray Italian bookcloth, mocha bugra endpages, handmade head and tailbands. Seven Goya illustrations, each tipped in by hand. Housed in a cloth covered slipcase.

Orders will be open through August 1, at which point the final edition size will be determined based on demand. All orders placed during this window are guaranteed a copy. $650 — estimated to ship Summer 2027.
Purchasers receive first right of refusal on Dubliners, the inaugural title of our Votum imprint.

Early access to preorder and more pictures can be found here: https://copperheadpress.com/products/the-attack-on-the-mill-apertio-i?utm_source...

That's very tastefully designed. I am up for this.

>331 CJR93: under the edition details bullet points it states 64 pages. Is this correct? I'd assume it would be much longer.

>333 LT79-1: Google suggests the story is typically 30-60 pages long but that it is commonly sold along with other short stories. I believe it's the former. You may be expecting the latter? The prospectus also states 64 pages.

>334 Pendrainllwyn: You are correct. Thanks for clarifying. For some reason I had it in my mind it would be double that length.

>331 CJR93: Looks gorgeous!
Orders will be open through August 1, at which point the final edition size will be determined based on demand.
Awesome -- I love the fact that everyone has an opportunity to purchase a copy and no FOMO! I honestly wish every fine press would do this, but I do understand that for some (perhaps most) presses this is not an option. At any rate, I'll certainly be ordering a copy :)

>332 Pendrainllwyn: >336 astropi: Thank you!

Orders now open through August 1 at which point the final edition size will be determined. All orders placed during this window are guaranteed a copy.

$650 — estimated to ship Summer 2027.

Full listing and prototype photos at:
copperheadpress.com

>337 CJR93: Appreciate you leaving the edition size open to allow for more people to join in on the fun. The binding looks wonderful. Have decisions been made as to the font?

>338 Shotcaller: Thanks! We’re trying our best to figure out the market. Setting the right limitation is always a challenge. I still don’t expect to sell many more than 50. But I’m happy to up the number if there’s interest. This edition is in Garamond.

It’s obvious that a lot of buying in general is fueled by fear of missing out. It’s pretty wild how many copies of things sell when a company has built up its advertising machine and collector base. But even they sometimes sit on a hundred unsold copies of something. There are so many variables.

I’ve also noticed that our lower priced tiers tend to sell less or slower than the higher. It goes to show that many collectors value the craft and quality over the price (to a point).

That’s partly what led to my making the jump to letterpress. But it’s been encouraging to see that if I publish a book or story I love to the highest quality I’m capable of at the time, that collectors will support the work.

>339 CJR93: Thank you!

> Was camping when it dropped. Was glad I could still order when I got back to land with internet. Thank You.

>341 sdawson: sure thing!

On our way this morning to pick up a 1909 Chandler and Price printing press. We’ll set it up in a new shop area of our garage. We’re hoping to eventually print our own chapbooks and prospectuses. I don’t know what I’m getting into… but here we go!

>342 CJR93:

That sounds quite exciting! The adventure continues.

>344 CJR93: Looks awesome! Congrats on the new purchase :)