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THE MAKING OF A NEW BOOK

After a lengthy hiatus from publishing during which I wrote a feature-length screenplay, The Resurrection of Carlo Ma, I decided to write a shorter piece of fiction before continuing work on my second novel.  The story began like a popcorn kernel wedged between two of my teeth.  The kernel clung there, gnawing at me for several days, as I worked it over in my mind trying to come up with a way to get it out.  Finally, one evening the story was ready, and I wrote through the night twelve hours till the sun came up.  And, there was the manuscript that would become Hard Nose.

I had planned to publish a new book in 2009 and a Broken Watch Press 10th Anniversary tee shirt.  In January, I gave Andre Carley, my graphic artist, mock ups of the book's cover (shown at right) and the back cover's author illustration (shown above).  While Andre worked on the cover design, I began developing a method to produce the book in-house due to cost constraints and a desire to learn more about hand crafting books.  After researching various techniques, I decided to print the book's text block and cover on my HP Photosmart C3150 printer and sew the binding by hand with a three-hole stitch and square knot.  I practiced the techniques that would be involved in the book's production to determine what tools and supplies to purchase.
 

For the cover, I opted for Hammermill 110 lb. card stock, because I had an adequate supply on hand.  I decided on Finch Opaque Bright White Smooth Finish 60 lb. paper for the text block and Mohawk BriteHue Violet 60 lb. paper for the endpaper.  I also purchased a bookbinder's awl, sewing needles, bone folders, Irish linen thread, beeswax, and a Carl Heavy Duty Rotary Trimmer (shown at left) to trim the book's fore edge.  I made an awl guide (aka, a piercing board) from scrap wood rather than purchasing one and used two large pieces of MDF for a book press.

The cover design was not completed until October 2009, so the 10th Anniversary tee shirt had to be postponed.  Putting the book together went fairly well.  The printing, folding, and collating were no problem.  My homemade awl guide did not perform perfectly, resulting in some of the holes being slightly off the crease.  I had to refine my trimming technique, which required applying pressure to the blade and making two passes to achieve a nice clean cut.  The biggest disappointment was the performance of the HP 93 Vivera color ink used for the cover.  I let the covers dry for several days (shown at right), but the book reads like a newspaper with ink rubbing off on your fingers when you handle it.  If the book goes into a second printing, I will use a different ink for the cover.

Overall, I am pleased with how Hard Nose turned out.  At first, I felt the story was too mean and violent for me, but during the revision process, I found quite a bit of humor, especially in the foreshadowing, and became aware of how the plot, involving the plight of a single teenager, represented what I came to think of as "generophilia," the rape of a younger, relatively powerless generation by an older generation.  As a writer, I write to discover, so I usually don't know exactly what a piece is about on a deeper level until after the first draft is complete.  It is through rereading and rewriting that I come to terms with the heart and soul of a story.  Andre told me how he instictively knew the statue of David was right for the cover when he just happened upon it one day.  It was not until after the book was in production that we realized that Hard Nose is basically a David and Goliath story.