When we released “To Make as Perfectly as Possible” at Woodworking in America this weekend, there was one recurring comment from the customers:
“I bet you are proud and happy to see this released.”
My response was entirely undiplomatic.
“Actually, I’d be perfectly happy to set the book on fire and then extinguish it with my <deleted>.”
Indeed, this is the way I feel after every book that we publish is released. The process is agonizing, to the point that I struggle to see merit in what we’ve spent hundreds or thousands of hours on.
I’m sure in the coming months that I’ll come to love the book again and feel the same excitement when we launched into the translation project years ago. It’s a natural cycle, and perhaps I should learn to just smile and nod.
For those of you who ordered your standard or deluxe copy of “To Make as Perfectly as Possible,” your book is going into the mail stream starting this week. John Hoffman and his kids will be packing up the books and sending them out as fast as they can.
When you open your package, I think you will agree with me that it was worth the wait.
One important note: We have suspended sales of the deluxe edition for now. We are very close to selling out the 600 copies that we printed. And until we get everyone who ordered a copy their book, we are not taking any new orders. We suspect we will have a few more to sell at the end.
There is no waiting list. Sorry. If you want a copy, you will have to wait for us to count the remaining books and announce how many are available. No exceptions, please.
We are still selling copies of the standard edition for $43. It’s quite nice. You can order one here.
— Christopher Schwarz
Perhaps using a sturdier box this time for the heavier (and costlier to replace) book this time? It might save you a few replacements. Stapled two-ply probably won’t cut it.Heck, I considered driving to W.I.A. just to ensure the safety of my copy…
Graham,
We used the stapled mailers during only one mailing (about 600 books) and returned to the folding mailers we’ve used for the rest of our existence.
If you received a book that was damaged during that mailing (or any mailing), we will be happy to replace it. Just let me know.
Chris
I feel the same way about some of my furniture projects… with out the though. After working on something for so long, I just need it out of my site. I do wish I could go and visit some of my pieces though, to see how they are holding up.
‘Stand back, I’m going to try SCIENCE!’
You should order an extra copy on every new book, with every batch, so you can thusly send it to the same simpering hell that you hammered that smoothing plane into. And post the obligatory video of your deleted parts on fire. You’ll be the next twerking fail video.
Writing and publishing a book is like having a very difficult bowel movement.
Hi Chris – any chance I could have a deluxe copy (when and if available) shipped up north to Lee Valley in Canada? They of course carry Lost Art Press titles for Canadians, but unfortunately they didn’t seem to be in on the deluxe action…
I am afraid we are not selling any more deluxe editions to anyone.
We might have a few left, but we are going to ship all the ones to customers who pre-ordered and wait for them to receive them.
Then we will assess if we have any extra to sell and put them in the store. No waiting list. Sorry.