Axedge Books (TOP Books Update)

In response to numerous queries, an update about TOP's first book:

• I'm pleased to announce that we have a name: It is Axedge Books. And as our motto:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." —Abraham Lincoln

As Ken Tanaka noted, the business name isn't actually that important, since we're planning to market our books pretty much exclusively here on TOP. So, quickly on to two more important developments:

• Our Project Manager is Jim Schley, who, quite apart from being one of the most gifted human beings I've had the honor of knowing on God's green Earth, is one of my oldest friends. Jim is currently Managing Editor of Tupelo Press, a 21st-century independent literary press based in North Adams, Massachusetts. (I'm currently in negotiations to have Tupelo Press do our order fulfillment.) There are so many interesting things about Jim that it's hard to know where to begin, but I'll just mention that he's had an outstanding career as an editor and in publishing and has shepherded more than 200 books through to publication. (If you're a regular reader, you've recently encountered his wife and daughter, here.) We could not be in better hands, of that I'm convinced.

• We have a book designer! And it's a TOP reader, no less, one of several who offered his services after reading about our project here. After interviewing several really good candidates, we're on the cusp of contracting with Patrick Côté. He's a Canadian (no, not the perhaps better-known Canadian mixed martial artist of the same name—at least I think not) and a longtime reader (and not infrequent commenter) here on TOP. His company is called Rare Species. You can see some of Patrick's work at the link.

• We probably won't hit our target publication date of March 4th ("march forth," geddit? Auspicious date for the launch of new ventures, at least among punsters). Oh well. Later in the Spring of '14, though, we still hope.

• There will be 500 copies of the first book. That might not be enough to go around, but we have to calibrate, calibrate, calibrate...I just don't know how popular our books are going to be, or not. So I plan to be conservative at first and adjust gradually from there.

• We're going to shoot for a selling price in the $40–$60 range, so hopefully there won't be too much of a cost premium on account of the near-micro press run.

• As soon as we cement our agreement with Patrick (when Jim can get some basic specs from him) we'll begin to contact photographers asking if we can use specific images. I hope to include a handful of "friends of TOP," a handful of pictures that have been featured on TOP, and a handful of pictures by TOP readers.

I meant to get back to the selection process during my recent three-day walkabout, but I didn't get that far. Soon. There must be more hours in each day somewhere....

Mike
(Photo of Jim Schley by Luciana Frigerio)

Original contents copyright 2013 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Michael: "After reading this site for so many years, I will pay the 'top' end of that price sight unseen, now.  :-) "

Mike replies: Thanks! One down, 499 to go.

Ernie Van Veen: "Later in spring? May the fourth...be with you."

Mike replies: Ernie, you go sit in the corner.

Comments

[Paul Mc Cann]

As long as its not the Ides

[Jim Witkowski]

Darn, March 4th is my birthday.

And Ernie . . . they shoot people for puns like that.

[Andrew Molitor]

Will Axedge press be accepting book proposals, soliciting book proposals, or will all book proposals be generated internally?

Not that I really have any specific ideas for a book, but of the no doubt innumerable details of the business, this is the one that occurred to me.

[Do I have to decide now?

I imagine I'll have enough ideas myself. And future books depend on the interest the first one gets. But I'd rather leave that question open for now. --Mike]

[David Bostedo]

I'm certain to buy one too... lots of trust in your taste in things Mike!

498 to go. (Or much less depending on how many of these comments you get...)

Best of luck! Looking forward to it... I've been part of a website user generated book before (http://www.blurb.com/b/560965-around-the-world-with-tpn) and it went swimmingly. Your undertaking is a lot more ambitious, but I hope it goes just as well.

[jim]

If its half as good as I imagine it will be then the price is too cheap! I'll take two! and thanks for the update!

[Robert Roaldi]

Maybe do a picture book of all the camera shops that have gone out of business.

[Hugh Smith]

Since it appears your topic has engendered such puns, I am adding one to the March 4th quip.
(And it is in keeping with the movie of the same name).
Thor=
The god of acthes and painths.
Ok. Horrible, but my two pesos.

[imnotme]

I'm assuming you were joking in your response to Michael, but if not, put me down for a copy as well. I can uh-FOUR-d it. (Even I don't like that one.)

[Mark St. John]

I'm in line behind Micheal! You have my trust, Mike. I've no doubt Axedge books are going to be anything short of excellent.

[Steve Rosenblum]

Perhaps the book will spring fourth in April?

[Marten Collins]

Whatever the book Mike you can put me down for a copy........I really do trust your judgement!

[Richard]

Personally I was not keen on the name when I first saw it as I was not quite sure how to pronounce or say it, and generally you do not want that in a name. Only when I read your description was I able to see what the concept was. I mean is Axedge a word? First I thought it was Axed...guh. Then Axed-duh-gee? Then Ah--xeed-gee.....Ah-xeed-guh? Maybe consider a capital E but still one word? Like "AxEdge"? Seeing that I have the pronoucuatuon and meaning right away.

Ignore me perhaps. But maybe I'm alone in this, just sharing my first reaction. All the best with the project.

[Scott Squire]

Wow, that's exciting! Congratulations and I cannot wait to see what issues forth. Hope I have a bit of spending when the first sale announcement happens.

[Paul Bass]

I'd send you the $60 right now, sight unseen.

[Jos H.]

Very glad to hear you're using a solid book designer, and glad to see the samples of his work on his site. I've seen too many books with good photography hampered by less good design. Promising!

[Lubo]

Congratulations, Mike! This made my day.

Reading your post I imagined a long series of books published, a few each year, including the occasional one somewhat or entirely off-topic title.

[carlweese]

Sharpening: My father was a machinist who ended up running the model shop (where they make the first samples of a new component from the engineer's blueprints--then it's tested to destruction and a decision is made to go into production or start over with a new design) at fire suppression systems maker Walter Kidde Company. They were working with very hard stainless steel most of the time. Two of his axioms were, depending on the machine (mill, jigsaw, band saw, drill press, grinder, lathe) to use a new or newly sharpened tool/bit, and even for one unit, take the time to design a jig.

[Peter Barnes]

Am I correctly assuming that the first book is still Quiet Color?

[Yes. --Mike]

[Michael Bearman]

495

[Miserere]

Mike, can you explain why you're not using the crowdsourcing model of presenting a book for, say, $50 and not commiting to printing it unless $500 people commit to buying it? That way if 739 people sign up, you're leaving 239 people unhappy. If only 137 people sign up, then you've saved yourself a lot of money and won't end up with 363 copies of the book in your basement.

[Sure...because I want to be able to see the finished product in my hand before I try to sell it to anybody. That way I can describe it knowing that my description is accurate. --Mike]

[Francis E]

The name "Axedge" is initially puzzling for speakers of British English, because we spell "axe" with an "e". So it would be "Axe Edge Books". At first I thought it might have been a girl's name!

You might consider, if it isn't too expensive, to also register "axeedge.com" redirecting it to "axedge.com". No British English speaker, if told the name verbally, would ever think of spelling it the way you have. It could be, though, that Google will direct searches for "axe edge books" to your site without doing that.

[William Barnett-Lewis]

I am so looking forward to sending you the money for this book and, I hope, many more. Thank you, sir.

[Dave760]

I understand your desire to have the finished project in hand so that you can describe it accurately before soliciting money. It's a noble goal. But you've built up a great reputation with a wide-ranging audience of (mostly) technically cognizant folk who trust you. Given the availability of crowd-funding tools, I suspect you'd be able to sell many more than 500 copies if you made some simple videos describing the project and its goals, along with a few examples of photographs that you believe will be included.

I mention all of this selfishly, as I know that I'll find myself cash-strapped on the very day that the 500 copies sell out in an hour. Without a pre-registration, my bad luck will work to assure I have no chance to purchase a copy.

Whatever you do, I wish you the very best of luck. I suspect that I'll be looking forward to every Axedge release with anticipation (and a bit of anxiety.

[Lubo]

How about crowd sourcing the second printing once you have five hundred orders for the first, and the finished product in your hands. You could charge $5 more and print as many second prints copies as you gather orders and thus make more of the profit you are looking for to fund the next book.

[Gabe Bandy]

Wow!

Axedge - could there be sharper idea? (axs yr. hmbl. reader)? Please put yours truly down for a SIGNED copy.

We breathlessly await Ax's next effort, it's first O.T. book : "A pictorial history of pool tables in small spaces in Wisconsin".
"We'll sell dozens!" said the production department.

It's about three AM, just cleaned up a late night new pup surprise, and I needed to contribute a bad pun or two.

All the best on (the assuredly successful) new venture!

Cheers!
Gabe

[David Bennett]

Is there time to change your mind on Axedge?

Have you tried saying it over the phone and seeing whether you can make yourself understood?

Did you know that words beginning with vowels are much more difficult to recall later than words beginning with consonants?

is a book about love and craftsmanship the right place for the word Axe ?

[Erik Ahrend]

Even though I very seldom comment, I have been a faithful lurker-folower since the day you launched this site. It´s one of the little pleasures of my day, always returning anxious for updates (and that is why it pisses me off every time you decide to rest a day or two... :-)

Knowing the peculiar nature of the tribe that gathers around TOP´s fire, taking preorders for the books would result in a very successful business model for you. But you won´t, and I guess that is part of the charm...

I am glad that "Quiet color" is the first installment of what I´m sure will be an interesting and long list of tittles. It comes in the right time for this poor recovering "blackandwhite-o-holic" that has a hard time adding color to the equation (but keeps trying). Count me in.