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| Posted By : Gabe Dybing - 5/18/2007 11:55 AM | | Hi, everyone. It's been a long time for me. A personal crisis last summer caused me to pretty much check out until now, but now I'm back and have a question:
So I've been thinking about a new tack in promoting myself. I'm going to World Fantasy Con with Nick this fall, and I have to have something to hand out to people and tell them how cool I am. So I've been thinking about just printing out my Ash stories in cheapo booklet/chapbook/zine form. I want some illustrations to go with them, so if anyone is interested in illustrating my stories, please let me know. I would prefer a style like Gary Gianni's. I'll pay 20-50 bucks per illo.
So I want to make these books at home for as cheap as possible. All I need is a printer that will print a page on both sides at once (so I can choose the "Bookfold" option while printing with Microsoft Word - then I just need to fold and staple). I suppose a photocopier and scanner would be nice as well, but not essential.
I would prefer not to go shopping for a printer because I'm kind of secluded in rural Minnesota right now. But I wouldn't know what I'm buying while shopping online.
Furthermore, I'm concerned about software problems. Do printers still need drivers installed these days? If I can't find it online, there's no way I'd be able to install my printer to this decrepit, old, deranged system I have - all my disc drives are shot. Perhaps the advice I'll get is to just get a whole new system. If so, which system should I get? I basically want to publish at home. Does anyone know about those massive systems that persons like those with lulu use? How much? Where do you buy?
Finally, my plan is to publish zines, hand them out, send them to people who I think are cool - all of this free - so I'll also publish the stories online, at http://thebookofash.blogspot.com/All except for the one or two that will be appearing soon in _Ozment's House of Twilight_.
It's nice to be back 
The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
"The Demon Sword" appears in Flashing Swords #8
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| Posted By : Christopher_Heath - 5/18/2007 12:16 PM | Welcome back, Gabe.
If you want to include illos, you may need a system that will handle them. Your machine would have to be pretty ancient not to be able to, but you'll need to get some good quality dpi for print, and that takes a lot more computing power than text. I'd suggest probably trying to do it on your system, and if it locks it up, then decide on something else. I've been told by a pretty knowledgable artist to avoid Lexmark and go with Cannon, or HP if you have to, for mid-range price printers. I've used Lexmark in the past (the cheapest) with mixed results. Most did the job, but one in particular worked for only the first cartridge. My latest HP worked great, but I kept finding it laying on the floor. I finally discovered my son was kicking it off the shelf so he could prop up his legs when he was playing video games. It quit working after a few times kicked onto the floor. Talk about hoppin' ass mad. I still haven't had the cash to replace it.
Christopher M. Heath
"Azieran: Adairos" in Tower of Light Fantasy Magazine
"Azieran: Savior in a Flask" in Mages and Mechanica by Ricasso Press
"Azieran: The Travelers Four" in Black Dragon, White Dragon by Ricasso Press
"Azieran: The Breaking of Hell's Bones" in Black Sails by 1018 Press
"Azieran: Distilling the Essence" in Sails and Sorcery by Fantasist Enterprises
"Azieran: The Conquerors" in Chimaera Serials
"Azieran: Pawn of the Serpentine Witch" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: Sentinel of an Ageless Reign" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: The Lakeshorn Mirrors" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: Crestfallen in Mal'kyrrik" serialized novella in Forgotten Worlds
+ others
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| Posted By : Gabe Dybing - 5/18/2007 1:34 PM | Thanks, Christopher! I have an hp deskjet 3425 right now which has taken quite a few tumbles (no sons kicking it down, however) and it still works great. I'll definitely go hp again. Or Canon, like you say.
So do you think I have to worry about installing anything with a disc drive? I shouldn't have to worry about the illos as long as I can scan them (and not have to install anything through a disc drive), because I'm using Windows XP and all that.
The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
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| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/18/2007 2:25 PM | Gabe, have you looked into ComiXpress.com for your books? Their prices are incredibly low.
Never meddle in the affairs of a wizard unless you are soggy and hard to light!
Visit my art gallery on art wanted at
http://artwanted.com/crystalwizard
All my books in print:
http://sojourn.omnitech.net |
| Posted By : Gabe Dybing - 5/18/2007 11:23 PM | Thanks for the tip, crystalwizard. I didn't even know about ComiXpress. I checked them out and definitely will be weighing them as an option.
The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
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| Posted By : Bill Ward - 5/19/2007 2:17 AM | I'd definitely recommend getting a laser printer if you are going to do a lot of printing of text, they are far cheaper to operate then bubblejets and the like; they don't do color though (at least mine doesn't) so I don't know how that would work for covers. All those thirty dollar ink cartridges add up! But if you end up getting a photocopier that isn't as big of a concern, obviously, so you probably want to figure that out before you buy your printer. THere are nice color printers out there too that handle cardstock you could use for covers -- but I don't know anything about that stuff.
newegg.com is a good place to deal with if you want to buy computer related stuff, I've dealt with them many times.
New printers come with driver disks, but a quick search for the model number should reveal if you can find the same thing online at the manufacturer's site (nearly always you can). There might be some other software that comes with it that you can't get online, however.
Nice to see you back Gabe, good luck with the new marketing strategy. |
| Posted By : Gabe Dybing - 5/24/2007 2:37 PM | Thanks, kaolin fire. I checked out the site and unfortunately they don't have an online cost calculator. Could you give me an idea of what the cost might be by telling more of your experience with them. You look like you have a pretty smart magazine. Lately I've become more interested in publishing a 300 page book. With lulu it'd run me about 800 dollars for 100 copies (maybe less) or about 8 dollars a book.
The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
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| Posted By : kaolin fire - 5/24/2007 2:45 PM | There's a world of options, but our print run of 200, perfect bound, 200 pages; CMYK cover, ... is more on the order of $5/book. I recommend asking them for samples, and a quote--they're very responsive.
Just for an idea:
Title: GUD issue 1
Trim size: 5” x 8”
Text pages: 216
Text printing: 1/1 black on 60# natural text stock
Cover printing: 4/0 on 10pt.,C1S stock with Matte lamination
Binding: Perfect bound
200 Copies - $936 + $50 Shipping (UPS Ground) Other shipping options are available.
400 Copies - $1,832 + $100 Shipping
With Gloss lamination, all other specs the same:
200 Copies - $922 + $50 Shipping
400 Copies - $1,804 + $100 Shipping
Unbound Proof – Additional $10 + $4.05 Shipping (USPS Priority Mail)
Greatest Uncommon Denominator Magazine - literary + genre fiction, poetry, art, and articles
(see our submission guidelines) |
| Posted By : Hermit - 5/24/2007 4:59 PM | | Gabe,
If I were starting over, I would go with an HP (2506 or 5550 depending on start-up cash: $500 vs. $3000). The 5550 we use at work is quite a beast. Very happy with it.
I would definitely also find a way to own a legal copy of Acrobat (full program). I've have a great deal more success with Word to pdf to printer than straight to the printer. It also enables more latitude in file conversion.
I would also do my best to obtain a worthy system with working drives. Online, I shop at tigerdirect.com and usually get a pretty good deal. They've always delivered the goods for me.
Hammermill paper is far superior to HP, Office Depot, and Staples paper as far as my experience goes. I print on 24#, especially for both sides. For cover, I like using high-end hobby paper from Dick Blick, Hobby Lobby, or Michael's (in the scrapbook sections).
Definitely want a sadle stapler. How many pages are you figuring? I have a special trimmer I picked up off ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Makes a big difference with edge trimming - ask Nathan Meyer about POTUS.
For shortrun printing, I use a Chicagoland printer: Publishers Graphics: www.pubgraphics.com Very happy with them.
Best of luck.
Exile of my own dull vice. . . |
| Posted By : Hermit - 6/3/2007 7:34 PM |
kaolin fire said...Waiting for a quote reply from pubgraphics... :) Didn't try them first time around, and it never hurts to look into more options, especially when recommended.
Any word yet?
Ask for Sarah Stride and tell her David Pitchford over at Pitch-Black sent you. I think she's been promoted, but she should be able to hook you up with a good rep. Their service is tops. I won't settle when it comes to having someone to speak to, someone who can either give me answers or find them for me. I'm seriously a tryrant when it comes service from printers.
Exile of my own dull vice. . . |
| Posted By : kaolin fire - 6/4/2007 12:24 AM | I got a quote a few days ago. It's a bit cheaper than what we're doing ($700 versus $900), and I'm supposed to ask for some samples but have been dropping just about every ball tossed at me. Great to hear their customer service is tops--that's one of the things that's going to be hard about leaving Green Button if we do--they've been amazing. But costs are exceedingly important this small in the game, provided the quality and service are there.
Greatest Uncommon Denominator Magazine - literary + genre fiction, poetry, art, and articles
(see our submission guidelines) |
| Posted By : Hermit - 6/4/2007 11:48 AM | What's your mailing address? I'll send you a copy of the latest Prism Quarterly. That's a good sample.
Exile of my own dull vice. . . |
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