Printed copies of “The Anarchist’s Workbench” were scheduled to leave the press’ dock last Wednesday, but our quality control people (who don’t work for the printing plant) spotted a manufacturing defect on some copies.
If you look at the photo, you’ll see the problem. We aren’t exactly sure how it happened, but it occurred on only one signature of the book, and it didn’t happen to all of the copies of the press run.
That means every copy of the entire run has to be inspected. Good copies will get repacked and sent to our warehouse. Bad copies will be fully recycled.
So shipping this book has been delayed a bit. As soon as we know anything, we will let you know.
We hate it when these things happen, but we’re grateful our quality control people caught it. Having to process 1,000 returned, defective books from customers (and paying for it) is the stuff of my nightmares. I’d much rather have the nightmare where I’m in college, naked and riding a goat into my Law & Ethics class.
— Christopher Schwarz
Looks like you were trying to create “fiddleback” our of “flat” grain. Good try.
“naked and riding a goat into my Law & Ethics class” Thanks. I needed that.
Perhaps the rollers at the printing plant were beginning to lose their electrostatic charge insufficient ink or toner was being put on the page. Perhaps they recharged the rollers just in time that your quality control people did not see this on any other copies?
The latest report is that they suspect there was ink leftover on the blanket from the previous signature run. If that’s the case, the affected number of copies will be small. Fingers crossed!
So that was you on that goat?!
If that’s the only problem I’d be fine with a “bad” one.
That’s the “secret book”, like when you play your Zeppelin records backwards!
Indeed. The text that is printed lightly over the photo says: Paul is dead. And: Buy a Sjoberg
I only ride goats while wearing assless chaps.
“Bad copies will be fully recycled.” That sounds like a euphemism overheard on an FBI wiretap.
You have that nightmare too?
when I was in college that was called streaking- I remember a naked women, a motorcycle and the Georgetown University Library…..
Riding a goat into a Law and Ethics course naked doesn’t carry all that much of a stigma… (although I went to college in the 60’s)
Brother, we will happily wait. I’ve been reading the pdf version, kudos to the proofreader, not one error thus far (pp186)
Nothing wrong with good work
Printing can throw the strangest curveballs your way sometimes. I remember working on a job where the spot varnish on the cover of a piece left a ghosting on the adjacent side of all the sheets as they were stacked for drying before going to the bindery dept. Glad you caught it when you did.
“Who’s goat is this in the hallway?”
The fact that you’re keeping us informed all this time says that you care about your customers and that’s all I need to know.
Coin collectors are willing to pay significant premiums for coins with defects or errors created at the Mint . Perhaps the several hundred books with this minor known defect would be valuable collectors items , particularly if they are signed by the LAP gang ! ( and then no landfill required ) 🙂
Hi Peter,
I was a stamp collector as a kid, so I am familiar with that mentality…. Almost nothing goes to the landfill with our printing plant. Recycling raw materials is an important part of the process. So there’s a happy ending. The only thing that’s lost is some time and energy.
Ghost in the machine.
In the early 2000s I needed to prepare a training module on six sigma. One of the things that stood out to me was how expensive it was to have to fix problems after the fact. Your comment about the headache of having to accept returns, etc drives that home. I’m glad it was caught though sad I need to wait a bit longer before my copy can ship to me. Yes, I downloaded the PDF but the difference between readying the PDF and the books is the difference between a Big Mac and a steak.