Why Book Publishers are Like Carpenters: The Craftsmanship of Custom Book Publishing Services
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, a local woodworker that I met back in my donut-peddling days in high school, and as we were sharing what we are currently doing, how busy we are, etc., I had an interesting thought. I was describing to him how Orange Frazer views our book publishing services, how much I’ve learned in my time here about book production and the craft of building beautiful, long-lasting books, and realized that, in truth, I was talking to someone of the same trade.
Dan Thirey of Thirey Fine Woodworking is a woodworker, a craft carpenter, a maker of customized wood cabinets and counters and cupboards and shelves. He can remake your kitchen or restore your furniture. He is, put simply, a true craftsman. I knew that as I described our publisher’s view of a book, the importance of the binding, the resilience and gloss of the dust jacket, the direction of the grain on the paper, that I didn’t need to explain myself—he got it. As he smiled and nodded, I realized, he understands what it means to create a product whose value resides in its endurance, whose worth is often measured sentimentally or nostalgically, whose purpose is not industrial or transitory, but emotional and permanent. When you step into his shop (which I highly recommend if, like me, you can still remember the sharp scent of woodchips in your grandfather’s basement workroom) you step into another world: a world that still understands the value of individuality and quality, beauty and permanence.
It is this world that you step into when you visit Orange Frazer. We are seven people, six rooms, two warehouses, and over four hundred titles. Our books adorn the office like diplomas, memories of accomplishments and relationships throughout the years displayed proudly. Walk into our publisher’s office and you will be greeted by armchairs, not desk chairs, a view of Main St., Wilmington, not a view of the neighboring high rise. This individuality extends to our product as well. You will notice that an Orange Frazer book is heavier, that its binding is stitched, that its pages will always open and lie flat, that each interior page is its own canvas. Orange Frazer books look and feel different than other books, because we believe that books should be strong, durable, and beautiful. Our publisher, Marcy, hasn’t ordered a tote bag in years because she can’t find anyone who still works with strong canvas. She is a perfectionist when it comes to materials, and even more so when those materials build our books.
When it comes to custom publishing, Orange Frazer insists on craftsmanship. Whether you are publishing a memoir, a business or corporate anniversary book, a photography collection, a family history, a poetry chapbook, or a children’s book, we will make sure that your product is exactly what you want.
Because we just don’t know how to do it any other way.