Consensus Press: Sinuhe

To all Consensus Press members:

1. We're getting close to sending out order forms for The Tale of Sinuhe. All members should keep an eye on the Consensus Press discussion forum and their inboxes.

2. We've got a few decisions to make on the craft. The first is up on a poll now, regarding the use of a Vandercook versus Heidelberg. Please read the post (Poll: Printing Method) and vote if you haven't already done so.

Thanks for the reminder >1 Glacierman:! I haven't checked the group for a while as I expected the rights acquisition to take a lot longer.

>2 c_schelle: Oxford was very quick in their response.

Consensus Press Members: There's a Q & A up on the Consensus Forum. Feel free to ask the designer, Mark Askam, any questions you wish.

Consensus Press members should continue to check the CP forum frequently for some exciting updates.

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Members, please see the newest update post in the Consensus forum (7/3/23).

Short update just posted in the Consensus Press group.

Consensus Press members: Please drop by and vote in the poll we just put up. Thanks!

Is this an subscription press ?

>10 Ragnaroek: It's a new press whose book choices are formed by the members. Members are also the only ones who can purchase the finished volume. More info here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/343253

Oh okay. Then I ignore this press . Iam not a member unfortunately 🙁

>12 Ragnaroek: Well, wait a bit. When the time comes to determine the next book from the Press, you should have a shot at becoming a member.

>13 Glacierman:
How does this work ? If anyone don't wants the next book ? Like an right system ?

>14 Ragnaroek: We're not sure yet, since this is the first book. But given the winnowing that went on getting to this point, I think at the very least there will be an opening up to new members. It remains to be seen if existing members will be obligated to purchase the next title or not. It's all still very fluid.

>15 Shadekeep: Sounds interesting. I hope I will get some more info here in the future . Didnt found any email subscription at Consensus site.

When the time comes, rest assured that announcements will be made here, so keep your eyes open!

The upcoming edition of Tale of Sinuhe sounds brilliant - an excellent choice. Now kicking myself for not becoming a member! Happy to hear there might be an opportunity to join in the future.

Congrats on having your proposal selected, >17 Glacierman:, must be very cool to see your vision gradually come to life.

>18 GardenOfForkingPaths: It has been one heck of a ride so far. I am tickled with how things are shaping up and look forward to seeing the final product.

Brief update: Printing is well along. Should be wrapping up in the near future.

Major update here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/361714

>22 What_What: This is a pretty rude comment to direct at volunteers.

>22 What_What: Thanks for the boorish comment. Makes it all worthwhile.

>24 Glacierman: This user (who is not anonymous) is well-known among the bookmakers for occasional mean-spiritedness. Don't take it personally.

>25 grifgon: Oh, I don't. I consider it as a character-defining statement.

>24 Glacierman: And why is all they ever post "Message hidden because you blocked the member"? 😉

>22 What_What: Some time you have reasonable points but I feel other posters would be swayed to your view more if you posted in a more constructive way

>22 What_What: you are not wrong and professionals should not have their feelings hurt over blunt feedback. it is a volunteer gig to manage this whole thing but you can not provide constant nothingburger blog updates for years because of how much this project means to you and then refuse to accept criticism for how terribly things have been run. this was started like 3 years ago and printing just finished and now we are transporting all objects like it is the 1800s. I am sure some will project some type of huckleberry charm about how this is just the way things are done in the world of really loving books and how dare you question it but that is a poor excuse. I saw this going this way as sure as old Johnny Pierpont saw the way of the Titanic. at least the price commitment was not too tough here and eventually there will be a book. I remember it took a special edition of Little Big like 10 years or something absurd and that was not even letterpress. this book should at least be a special item for those who backed it, no one else has ever done it.

>29 TomsRiverNJ: Heck, I would have loved to have this book in my hands last year...but that isn't the way it's gone. And my feelings haven't been hurt. It's been an interesting learning curve for all concerned. My part in it just sort of crept up on me, as I just figured I would make a proposal and that would be it except for the voting. Well, it didn't go that way....

And part of the delay has been in having to wait for member input on various things. Takes time.

Anyway, we're compiling a list of things in need of improvement/change. We'll all get to mull things over before the next book gets started.

Don't forget: Consensus Press is an experiment.

>29 TomsRiverNJ: >30 Glacierman: Having had a front seat to the back end of things, I don't think it has been terribly run at all. The experiment started a little less than two years ago. A title was chosen 1.5 years ago, on schedule. The title the members chose was under copyright. So, that caused a major delay. After waiting some time, the members voted to switch to Sinuhe. Basically, it has been one year and change since the title was determined. One year for all of the editorial work, the design work, the layout, the commissioning of handmade paper, and the printing is not bad at all. And it would have been closer to six months, but for the printer's delays.

Now, the question is whether to add something like two months to the wait for a slightly safer method of acquiring the signatures. That decision is up to the members! The members could also decide to forgo the signature altogether and go straight to binding.

What I don't understand is the sarcasm and hyperbole here.

>31 grifgon: "What I don't understand is the sarcasm and hyperbole here."

Very much agreed. This is a VOLUNTEER initiative. I respect differences of opinion on the matter, but the criticism of the volunteers bothers me.

I think there’s something to be said for the whimsy of the whole thing.

I don’t really have a horse in the race since I found out about the whole thing after the membership window closed. But there’s some emotional resonance with the idea of someone going and getting signatures in person, talking about the book, etc. It’s all picking what degree of thought and human interaction you want in a work.

If you want a more utilitarian perspective: I’m not involved in the printing industry, but you can guess at a presses profit margins by looking at the edition number X cost X books produced in a year. Even for the more high end presses (and not including production cost!), you can tell most people are in it for the love of the work. If doing it in person makes the person (or team) making it happy, without adding a ton of cost, then why not?

I’m not really aware of the financial structure for the project, but if people aren’t drawing a wage for their work on the book, then it’s not surprising they might want to benefit by meeting/working directly with other people rather than taking the most utilitarian option at every route. Especially considering mailing does actually have some risks, a couple percent of error at most, but enough that there’s a chance the book may end up without a signature page at all if something goes wrong.

>32 ultrarightist: I too have trouble with the vitriol here. People who think everything needs to hew to a train timetable are better off steering clear of small press/private press efforts entirely. And lambasting folks who are volunteering their time is even more ingracious, though it rebounds back on the accuser far more than upon the accused.

Still, I'm not putting much stock in the complaints here, as they seem overall to originate from the serial complainers of the board. Not that there isn't room for legitimate criticisms of any process, but when it comes from a perpetual miseryguts one tends to tune it out.

I don't see how the work of the Consensus Press volunteers qualifies as "casualness".

On the contrary, they're showing an extraordinary level of diligence in bringing this project to fruition.

All CP members please note that there is, yes, another poll up on the CP forum. Please respond. Thanks.

New notice posted.

Short update posted.

Progress! Sheets will be signed tomorrow. See new post in CP forum.

Prof. Robinson has signed the sheets. More on the CP forum.

Griffin just posted on the CP forum that the sheets are at the bindery.

Update posted in CP forum.

I've added something to the Sinuhe sitrep on the CP forum.

The Consensus Press forum has a new admin, so if you've had problems with joining, etc., you can expect a prompt reply.