White Beech Press (was New Press Feedback)

Hello fine press folks! The news is I've spent the recent months in working towards starting my own private press. I'm now approaching the completion of my first book, and thought to solicit feedback before finalizing everything. And who better to provide that feedback than the connoisseurs here?

So to that end, I've put together this prototype below. I know aesthetic decisions are often personal, and you can't please everyone, but any thoughts are welcome. Specifically on the binding design and materials. I'm going back and forth on the choice of colors myself, but will soon need to pull the trigger on a bulk order and start working. But any thoughts, questions, or bits of advice are appreciated.

As an aside, I'm being coy about the press name and details only because I haven't finished the website yet, and I want to make a good first impression for anyone who would look it up.

Thanks!

Very nice! Simple yet elegant. I like the contrasting spine and boards. I especially like this page spread. Great layout work.

What typeface is that?

Looks good to me. I note the Bradel style binding seems to be very popular nowadays.

I like it as well. I have the 1995 Indulgence Press edition and that to me is a bit too busy with the layout. Thornwillow just did this as a monthly dispatch and, while nice, another edition with great paper/typography would be a great addition.

>1 lemonjelleaux:
Looks very nice to me.

>2 Another_Bibliomane: Thank you, I am of course happy to take positive feedback. I appreciate you saying so about the page spread. I put a lot of thought into the layout, as like everything there was a bit of a learning curve for me. Though of course I found little things I wish I had changed after printing. But that's life. And I used Ronaldson Pro throughout.

>3 Glacierman: Thank you. I do like the look Bradel bindings give, especially for a thin volume. I did consider doing something different in an attempt to stand out a little more.

>4 LBShoreBook: I did see the Thornwillow edition, but unfortunately not until I was well underway. A little disappointing to have them released so close, but it's not an obscure work so I was always running the risk of competing with other versions. I could have picked something more niche, but I love the story and wanted to do it first. Hopefully the larger format and different styles are enough of a distinction. And it is printed on Somerset Velvet, which I think is a great paper.

>1 lemonjelleaux: I love everything about this from title choice to layout to binding and paper. Elegant and understated.

What is the trim size?

This looks great! Congrats on taking the plunge and starting a press.

Don't sweat choosing the same text that others have chosen; presswork is all about one's own passions. If you love the text, it's what you should make.

>3 Glacierman: Bradels have always been popular among hand-bookmakers because they're so damn handsome, but also because they are not a commercial trade style, so a Bradel immediately tells even a layperson "Oh this is something special." They're significantly more challenging to execute than single-piece case bindings, so it's a credit to our friend here to have taken them on for the first foray. Bravo!

>1 lemonjelleaux: Are you printing and/or binding these yourself? If so, I have some technical suggestions to share privately! Not exactly trade secrets but a bit of the nitty gritty which will be gobbledygook to most ears. Particularly around Bradel assembly and material choice therein.

>7 abysswalker: Thank you, that's very kind of you to say. It's about 7.5 x 11, so a fairly large format.

>8 grifgon: I am trying to do as much of the book as I can, both for love of the game and to keep prices down. As much as I can, this time, included layout/design, printing, binding, and illustrations. Though I'm looking into making decorative paper, so maybe next time! It's been a lot of firsts for me, at least at this scale, though. A bit of that shows when I compare my work to some of the fantastic stuff I have of yours, and others who are really masters in the space. I've tried to be generous with time/effort and materials to make up for it, and I'm continuing to improve. All that to say any advice or suggestions you have for me will be greatly appreciated.

Great choice for a first title! The pictures look beautiful. I hate to bring this up, but it must be discussed sooner or later... what price-point are we looking at? Also, what is the limitation? Lastly, are you planning to produce a standard, deluxe, etc. or one-size-fits-all? Cheers!

>9 lemonjelleaux: A true private press!! This looks like it will be an outstanding book especially as a first one. Sign me up as subscriber #1! Will shoot you a message too.

>10 astropi: All important questions, no need to pretend they aren't. I've printed 200 copies, which will be divided into a standard edition of which this prototype is an example and a 'deluxe' slipcased edition. Likely about a 150/50 split, respectively. And I hesitate to be too specific putting a price out there as I still need to crunch the final numbers, but my current estimate puts the standard in the $150-$200 range. Probably just under double for a slipcased version. Again, these numbers might shift after the final tally and a discussion with my very supportive wife, but likely not wildly at this stage. I'm obviously a bit locked in based on decisions I've already made, but happy to receive feedback.

>11 grifgon: Another thanks! Very happy to have you.

>12 lemonjelleaux: I'm also very interested! Looks like a fantastic first edition

Looks very nice. I'm interested.

Looks great! Great design and layout!

>9 lemonjelleaux: What I consider an inspired bit of design relates to the pen and ink illustration on the recto of the spread shown. Melville could use some very long paragraphs and this entire page would have been without any indentation, and will have looked very austere. The placing of the illustration solves this problem splendidly and guides the eye down the page as it would naturally have done had there been paragraph breaks in this section of text.

This looks very good. Sign me up for a copy!

I especially like your paper choice and typography.

Congrats on what look like a great edition, which I'm very interested in. So, please sign me up as well :) I really like the layout and the pen and ink illustration.

This looks great and is definitely in my sweet spot. I too would be a buyer. Regularly checking into this group is doing serious damage to my bank account.

Congratulations. You are living the dream. The understated style works really well and differentiates it nicely. Is the aim of leaving the author's name off the spine to double down on the unadorned look? l wonder if you will add the press's name/logo once that's decided. Best of luck with your launch.

>20 Pendrainllwyn: I love the binding design as it is, without additional information on the spine (e.g. author or press). Some of my favourite (and in my opinion, most beautiful) books follow this approach, for example Sylvae and Ilyich:

Agreed, Bartleby would be joining some fine company.

Great launch, with modesty, acknowledging it might not be perfect and being open to feedback. And potentially at a price that makes sense.

>16 duncjl: Thank you! That's exactly the intention. I tried to use illustrations to break up full page blocks of text, as well as to prevent single word lines, unsightly silhouettes, and similar. It's gratifying to have that expressed so flatteringly.

>20 Pendrainllwyn: It's been stressful but very rewarding. And my thoughts on omitting author and press name/logo from the spine follow the same line that guided that potential case design, in that doing less seems to fit the text. I do have a decided press name and logo and I have mocked up adding more to the spine, but I was never able to do it in a way that I thought improved the aesthetic. I've included the press name on the title page, which is why it wasn't pictured here. I hope to get the website past the point of embarrassment this week so that shouldn't be an issue for long.

>23 What_What: Thanks for saying so. I of course don't want to advocate against myself, I'm proud of my work, but I can also be honest. It's a first effort, and it would be unreasonable to expect a first effort to be a masterwork. One of the things I'm most excited about, after all, is the chance to improve and expand my skillset. But as I mentioned when I rambled above, what I can do to provide value is to put in the hours and to not compromise on materials.

And thanks to everyone who has been complementary, it really has meant a lot to me. I love the sense of community that's fostered here. But please don't hesitate to express any opinions, now is the chance. In the next week or two I should be launching the website, and will post a more official debut. I hope to have Bartleby shipping by the end of next month.

>24 lemonjelleaux: I'd be hesitant in adding a press mark/logo to the spine of future titles. Depending on its nature(both in design and how well it is blocked), with the passage of time they can tend to appear rather amorphous, for instance the cat on some early Whittington Press books.

>25 duncjl: That's a point I hadn't considered. I do think I've settled on a nice logo, but I will consider whether adding it at any point is truly beneficial aesthetically.

>1 lemonjelleaux: Late first reply to your post here, as I'm returning from travel. Initial photos look very promising! I like the binding (similar to what NRP is doing these days, very pleasing). The interior looks great too, nice typeface and flow, good illustration, and handsome deckles. Will read through the rest of this thread and looking forward to what you come out with. Best of luck in this endeavour!

EDIT: And a quick addendum to say I'll happily subscribe for a copy as well! Let me know when you make your press name known and I'll get this title added to the Year in Fine Press thread, as well as the PLA bibliography.

This looks great. I especially love how the cover has a faint texture rather than just being blank. It really is simple yet elegant, as somebody else already said.

Adding to the chorus of those who think this looks great. I love the understated design, the choice of text, and the fact that you’re doing so much of this yourself.

I love the look! How do I subscribe for a copy?

>1 lemonjelleaux: Did you do the printing yourself? I just read Bartleby for the first time recently because of Thornwillow, and this looks great.

Nothing in fine press I love more than those small in-text or chapter head illustrations. Hope your book has lots, your design looks great. I’d be in for a copy as well!

What’s the paper you’ve used?

>27 Shadekeep: Thank you! I'm far enough along now that I'm willing to announce the name White Beech Press. The website at https://whitebeechpress.com is still unfinished, but at least should be good for signing up for the mailing list and reading a bit of background information.

>30 greenwald1: The mailing list signup should now be live on the website, barring any technical issues.

>31 kreekree: Yes, I did the printing myself. It was by far the most printing work I've done to date, but I did enjoy the learning process.

>32 Taishan: I agree, it's always been a look I've enjoyed. There are five illustrations in that style in total in Bartleby. I'm becoming repetitive, but the chance to practice and work in multiple mediums is a big draw for me with this project and others. I've always had aspirations of becoming a better artist.

>33 Opinacus: It's printed on Somerset Velvet 250gsm mouldmade paper.

And thanks again to everyone who has been supportive and helpful. You can sign up for a mailing list now at https://whitebeechpress.com, like I mentioned, or keep an eye on the forum here where I'll post a thread when release date, price, etc. are finalized. Also, though not book related, if you run into any technical issues with the website I would be much obliged if you were to share them with me. It's obviously a bit unfinished at this point, but I'd still rather it not be broken. Always more to do.

>34 lemonjelleaux: You write, on the website, that there have been conversations about what constitutes a 'private press'. Indeed the debate has raged for a century and more. But whichever definition is preferred both your credo and personal circumstances, as you have detailed them, clearly demonstrate you fit the bill.

>35 duncjl: Michael's White Beech Press will indeed be an indisputable addition to our constellation of private presses, wherein the mind which conceives a book rests with the hands that makes it. There are probably only a hundred such fine-and-private presses in the world today... now 101! Bravo and welcome.

Edit: It's also worth noting that private presses really only come in four flavors: basement, garage, spare bedroom, backyard. Delighted to see that Michael's will be the rarest flavor – backyard.

>36 grifgon: That's absolutely splendid: I think "the mind which conceives a book rests with the hands that makes it" is the most succinct, yet all-encompassing, definition I have encountered.

I would have to add a fifth flavour to your edit. The Marble Hill Press of George Sas certainly qualifies as a private press and produced accomplished and attractive works. But he worked for a commercial printer and simply used their machines and resources when they would otherwise have been idle at the weekend.

>37 duncjl: Of course! "Commercial shop after hours" is definitely top five. I can name a few others (including actually my own first edition). Now "Commercial shop after hours without permission" would make for a thrilling private press.

Wouldn't it actually be fascinating to do an actual survey of the workspaces of the private presses, current and past? I'd love to know the most common workspace type. I was on the phone earlier this week with Steve Allen, son of Lewis and Dorothy Allen of the Allen Press, to get as much information as possible from him for a still-amorphous project. He remembered in detail each of his parents' workshops – not because he was involved in the craft at all, but because their workshops usually co-opted the living room.

>38 grifgon: Is it a biogpraphy of Steve Allen literally titled 'Born on the Press'? 😁

>39 Lukas1990: Actually it's a whodunit entitled "That Time My Parents Wouldn't Let Me Go To The Movies So I Reversed The Order of All The Hebrew Type In Their Chase."

>38 grifgon: Whittington Press did something of the sort in Portraits of Presses which was a series of photographic essays on the workshops of a limited number of presses with accompanying texts by the proprietors. A wider project would be very desirable.

And of course, apropos the Allens, would be all the ad hoc arrangements that needed to be made during their French excursion, with the handpress travelling in the back of a car.

>34 lemonjelleaux: Great name! I love the beech trees here, which hold onto their ghostly vellum-like leaves long after the other trees have dropped their. It's a lovely name for a press.

I'll get you added to the thread and the biblio, and will sign up for the newsletter. Best of luck!

>34 lemonjelleaux: Just a heads up. When I signed up for the newsletter, the confirmation email ended up in my spam folder.

>43 kreekree: Could be a local setting with your email client or a filter by your ISP. Mine appeared in my normal inbox. Since it comes from a "newsletter@" address it's possible it is triggering some spam filters. You should be able to allowlist it to permit to come through in future, unless your ISP is pre-categorising it as junk.

>36 grifgon: Press at a university book program

>43 kreekree:
>44 Shadekeep:

Thank you for that reminder, found my confirmation email & white listed White Beech Press.

>41 duncjl: "apropos the Allens, would be all the ad hoc arrangements that needed to be made during their French excursion, with the handpress travelling in the back of a car."

I want to know the make and model. I'm guessing a slow Peugeot.

>47 grifgon: An Adana on the passenger side of an MG Midget.

>48 Shadekeep: But actually a bench model clam action French handpress in a station-wagon. See item 11 in the Allen Press bibliography.

>49 duncjl: That does sound more workable. Does it mention how much lead type they were toting along with it?

>50 Shadekeep: Luckily they found a printing shop in Cannes who agreed to hand-set the type and provide line blocks for the illustrations; and a local tombstone maker who provided a marble slab for rolling out ink.

Because of the structural weakness of the press they were forced to use a local printer to complete some of the book, but the latter couldn't cope with the handmade paper so the presswork quality was poor. (This all relates to La Porte de Maletroit).

>51 duncjl: Pretty nifty! Even if the final product was (understandably) compromised by the situation, it's great that they were able to pull it off at all.

From today's email: "Thank you for joining the White Beech Press mailing list!

I'm excited to announce that the inaugural edition of Bartleby, The Scrivener has been finalized. There are two states, a 'Standard' and a 'Deluxe', priced at $185 and $295 respectively.

Both states share a text block, which is 40pp printed letterpress on 250 gsm Somerset Velvet mouldmade paper and hand sewn on tapes. The spine is Khadi handmade paper with the title directly printed letterpress in each case.

The standard state features Asahi bookcloth covered boards. The deluxe state has Renato Crepaldi hand marbled paper covered boards and includes an Asahi bookcloth slipcase which matches the standard boards.

The store will go live and Bartleby will be available for sale starting May 30th at 12pm Eastern Time. Shipping will begin immediately."

The marbled-and-cased Deluxe looks brilliant, hoping to land one.

>54 Shadekeep: Agreed. Hoping to land one too.

Thanks folks, things are finally starting to come together over here.

Here are some photos of the Deluxe state for those who may not have seen the email. And to that point, if I'm still ending up in anyone's spam folder please let me know.

>56 lemonjelleaux: Do you have pictures of your workshop / the book on press getting printed? I always find process photos to be really interesting if you have any.

>57 921Jack: I plan on getting some pictures up on the site, I agree it's interesting to see where people do their work. But I'll be honest, I need to do some cleaning and organizing first. I've been flying by the seat of my pants a little so far and things have pretty much stayed where I set them down the first time. Here's a behind the scenes of me taking my press home earlier this year, though, and Bartleby occupying our dining room table to the chagrin of my wife.

Looks great! How many copies will be available?

>58 lemonjelleaux: Vandercook Universal III? Fancy!

Both look very handsome. I would prefer to have a slipcase but am inclined to the standard.

Now the new press has been named perhaps this thread could be renamed so White Beech Press can have their own.

>59 What_What: There are 150 Standard copies, and 50 Deluxe.

>60 Another_Bibliomane: Just a Universal I. Still not too shabby, if I say so myself.

>61 Pendrainllwyn: Thanks for saying so. And I hear you on the slipcase, I know many do really value them. That's part of the reason I went for matching the Standard look with the Deluxe slipcase as a sort of way to get both. But I'm trying to avoid making slipcases to order if I can, at least for now. It helps me keep less material on hand while I'm starting out, as well as the fact that I can mentally move forward once I'm done with a title to start on the next. That being said, I do think the Deluxe state looks better in person. Particularly because what comes across as tan in pictures is actually gold, and I think it works better with the gray spine that way.

This goes up for sale today. The thread title could be updated too.

>56 lemonjelleaux: hope the launch goes well today! Congrats! It’s a huge accomplishment!

Indeed! Congrats on the launch!

>62 lemonjelleaux: Ordered the Deluxe edition :)

Also in for a Deluxe! Congrats to White Beech Press and may Bartleby be the first of many!

Grabbed a deluxe, it looks splendid from the photos.

>62 lemonjelleaux: Also ordered a Deluxe. Looks great! Should we get a confirmation e-mail? (I didn't, also not in spam. It's the order from Switzerland).

I also went for deluxe and don’t seem to have gotten an email. It looks like it’s going to be fantastic!

I was one of the "sharpshooters" mentioned in the email that placed an order yesterday during the few minutes the store was live early. Not intentionally or anything, I just randomly checked the site and saw the store page was up, so I went ahead and ordered a deluxe. Just a case of right place, right time!

To note it for those who didn't get a confirmation email, I did receive one titled "Your White Beech Press order has been received" almost immediately after ordering.

Thanks everyone for the support and the well-wishes! It's been a lot of work to get to this point, and I hope Bartleby meets expectations for all who ordered. I learned a lot through this process, made mistakes, made choices I'm not likely to repeat, and it was a blast. I can't wait to get books delivered and to get started using this experience to make something even nicer.

As to confirmation emails, I seem to be having technical issues. Everything was working when I tested yesterday, so it may be a volume issue, or I may have misconfigured something between then and now. I will try to sort that out, but rest assured I do see the orders. If there is any concern feel free to reach out to me here or at michael@whitebeechpress.com.

>72 lemonjelleaux: Perfect, thank you. Good luck with your new fine press endeavour!!

I went for the deluxe, I liked both bindings, but the slipcase swung it.

I also went for a deluxe, I’m a sucker for nice marbled paper covers and I like the slipcase. (I also did not get a confirmation email.)

Same here, deluxe, looks fabulous! No email confirmation -- I just took a screenshot :)

I assume I ordered a deluxe edition but there’s no email or text confirmation. My first two attempts didn’t appear to work while my third attempt did generate a confirmation notice. Website needs some work, lots to learn first time through, I empathize.

Update: All fixed

>77 kdweber: I sent you a message, but your order should now be sorted. Let me know if you don't receive an email with your order details soon. And you're not wrong! I've been striving towards a minimum viable product and a first release, but I plan to continue working through the finer points (and not so fine points) just as soon as I have some books in the mail. I really do appreciate everyone's patience!

And thanks again, everyone. I 'believe' that confirmation emails should again be working, so please do let me know if you're not seeing them in the future. Send me a message if you would like me to send your order details now.

>78 lemonjelleaux: I'm also still waiting for an email confirmation, although again I did take a screenshot and have my order number and details. Totally understand everything has a learning curve -- looking forward to this! No pressure intended, but curious when you think the orders will ship? Thanks.

I just placed an order for the deluxe and did receive a confirmation email. Congratulations on your first publication; it looks really promising.

>79 astropi: What was the order number? I'll get that sent along to you. And orders will start shipping out Monday. I intend that if an order was placed today it will be shipped within the week.

>80 EdwinDrood: Thanks! It's been a lot to spin up, but rewarding. And the next will better. But I'm glad the confirmation emails are in fact going through again. Too much fiddling on my end before going live.

Ordered & received confirmation.

It appears there are three deluxe copies left in stock.

>81 lemonjelleaux: I received an email announcing when the sale of the book will start. But the sale had already started the day before so I think there is a delay in your emails going out to subscribers.

>34 lemonjelleaux: It might be a good idea to note on the product page and in your announcement emails that the book is illustrated, by you, and that there are five illustrations, as well as how many copies of each state were produced and that there’s two-color printing on the title page. Other than on this forum, there’s nowhere that info is found, and all of that helps collectors make purchasing decisions.

Got my hands on a standard (deluxe sold out). Was leaning towards that anyway as I really like the more minimalist look.

It’s awesome they ship right away.

My roommate at college had a band named Bartleby and the Scriveners

>86 greenwald1: :)

>84 jsg1976: +1

>83 LT79-1: Sorry about that. I think email issues on my end should now be resolved, but it is a new domain so some emails may be deferred here and there.

>84 jsg1976: That's a great point, I'll get that in there. Can't believe I overlooked the limitation numbers at the very least. Goes to show you.

>85 greenwald1: I hope you like it! I may be a bit biased, but I think the standard is a great value, and both look similar on the shelf. I was honestly surprised at the proportion of people going for the deluxe, though having said that I admit I'm a sucker for a slipcase myself.

>1 lemonjelleaux: - The question I've been wondering about the edition / your printshop is how you actually printed your text and images? Did you just print it all in one go off photopolymer plates? Did you need to go somewhere to get your plates made up? Or did you print off linotype / monotype? Or handset the type?

>90 921Jack: Bartleby was printed with photopolymer plates, and that will likely continue to be the case as far as text goes for the vast majority of titles I put out in the near future. I do want to hand set more type in the future, at least for the fun of it, but my startup capital both monetarily and temporally are stretched a little too thin.

>91 lemonjelleaux: They look great and congrats again on a successful launch! There’s so much to learn all around. Just the website work is its own job entirely. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

>92 CJR93: Thanks again! And you're not wrong about the amount to learn. Before this process I would have told you I was a realist, but I have learned that instead I am a sunshine-and-rainbows optimist to the bone. Every single step took at least twice as long as I projected it would.

Also, I want to say again that I appreciate the support of everyone here, and especially those who bought a copy of Bartleby. I really was expecting a much more modest trickle of sales, and having the deluxe state sell out meant a lot to me in regards to the viability of this project. I'm anxious to get books into hands, hear feedback, and get working on the next.

To that end, about a third of orders have now been shipped out with more being packed as we speak. I haven't seen any issues with those tracking emails on my end, so hopefully they're coming through fine. It's all very exciting.

My standard edition has made its way to me today and I'm impressed. First, I'm struck by the fact that I only ordered and paid for the book five days ago. That turnaround is tremendous for any fine press but remarkable for a first time effort. On quick inspection the paper is very thick (almost like card stock) and the print quality looks to be very good. It'll probably be a few days before I'm in a position to sit down and read the book but I think this is a terrific first effort and I look forward to the future of this press.

>94 Redshirt: Thanks so much for the update and the kind words! You can imagine the bit of anxiety I felt after spending months working towards a launch, and then sending books off into the ether for the first time.

As far as shipping goes, I'm sorry to say I'm slightly behind where I wanted to be. It always seems to be the case that life happens all at once, and so some personal things have required much of my time this week. But I'm packing orders in every spare moment, and should have the rest out before much longer.

My deluxe edition has landed. Looking forward to seeing what comes next from the press!

Nice pics. Mine also arrived yesterday. It's a fine looking book - looks even better in the hand. All in a really promising debut. I am a bit surprised the standard edition hasn't been selling more quickly. It seems very reasonably priced to me.

I missed out on the deluxe state with the beautiful marbling, so I had to settle for the standard. Looking forward to seeing this new press's output.

>96 EdmundRodriguez: Thanks! Exciting to see books getting into hands finally, and that is some fine company to find one's work.

>97 Pendrainllwyn: Thanks, very nice to hear. I agree the pictures don't capture the marbling, at the very least. I'm no photographer, but I'm working on that as well as everything else. And I'm also a bit surprised the standard edition wasn't more immediately popular, though I also didn't expect all of the deluxe copies to sell so quickly. I'm happy with the response generally, 200 is a fairly hefty edition size. Honestly I'm unlikely to make so many of a title in the future, but my thought was that I wanted something to be in stock for when people might find me in between releases.

>98 ultrarightist: I hope you like it! I'm proud of the standard edition and its admittedly less flashy aesthetic.

I got my copy of the deluxe state, and it is very well done—excellent showing for a debut!. The marbling on the covers is *gorgeous* (and the main reason I went for this version, though the slipcase is also quite nice).

Received my copy as well, just chiming in to concur that it's a lovely and surprisingly polished work for a first effort. Looking forward to seeing where the press goes from here.