The Lost Art of Book Making

The Making of a Limited Edition
When we say these books are hand crafted, we mean it.  

In the early days of book publishing, printing was a very manual task done by hand.  The word "typesetting" came from the physical act of setting down type by hand.  Page layout meant just that, laying out the page in block form using a frame as a guide so that it corresponded to the measurement of the page.  Changing fonts literally meant physically changing out the type blocks, or, in more recent times, the font wheel.  The paper needed to be loaded into the press, and the printing press quite literally did that:  it pressed the ink onto the paper.  Later, the process was changed so that metal plates were used for a process called offset printing.  This process required the production of negatives which were touched-up by hand to ensure quality before being reproduced onto metal plates that were loaded into the press.  The plates absorbed the ink and then transferred the ink onto the paper.  Color runs took multiple trips through the press.  The process was labor intensive and costly, but it produced books of exceptional quality and style.

​If you have ever perused a used book store, you will see the difference between the books produced in the early to mid twentieth century and the books of today.  They are heavier, and the binding is often stitched by hand.  The paper is heavier, and the covers are cloth.

The hard cover version of "Midnight Train" was produced by hand, not by the print-on-demand processes used today by wholesale distributors.  The hard covers are individually numbered and signed.  This way the reader truly receives something unique.  Just as a painter individually numbers their prints, these books have been crafted with the same care that went into book making in the early days of the printing press.  This print run will not be reproduced, and the color, gold foil, and graphic cover are unique even among high quality books from the last century.

The Limited Edition is produced in St. Louis, Missouri and was handcrafted by the book's main character in his own independently operated printing company.  Books like this are rare, particularly hard bound color editions.  With the personalized inscription, unique ISBN, and individual serial number, these books are one-of-a-kind.  
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Midnight Train is book one of the trilogy.  Those who purchase the limited edition will be contacted first when parts two and three become available so that they are able to complete the full three-volume set.  

Thank you in advance for sponsoring this project and for your support of small businesses in our local communities.

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