We have some interesting news to share, this month, and of course there is always so much going on that we can’t even get into. All that aside, we wanted the first Monday post of June to be dedicated to QUEEN OF TEETH. Specifically, we thought we would share some “behind-the-scenes” production pics for the deluxe edition.
To recap, we went live with our QUEEN OF TEETH pre-orders back on March 1st. There were 15 copies that would be numbered and include a signature sheet, custom slipcase, die-cut bookmark, a “Read Horror” sticker, and a double-sided “Read Horror” card. We referred to these copies as the “Deluxe Edition” and we were quite surprised to see them sell out by 11am that very day.
We weren’t shy about the details of the special edition, and posted much of the production art that ended up being used for the book.
But what we haven’t shared much of is the deluxe edition itself. Purposefully, I might add, because you can’t just roll everything out at once. There has to be some surprises. However, today is the day, so let’s take a look at that deluxe!
The whole kit and caboodle, right there! Any kind of custom work is a learning curve, and these deluxe editions were no different. A lot of the early process is simply pouring over things like card stock and fabrics, but once you discover what appeals to you, you find yourself ordering materials. Once you have everything, there’s the measuring and the scoring and the assembly. And sometimes you find that what you liked early on isn’t what you want to use, so back to the drawing board with that stuff.
No matter what you decide to do, though, eventually you have to dig in and do the work. We started by giving a rough shape to our slipcase shells. Once all fifteen were ready, we moved on to adhesives.
After the shells had time to dry and become rigid, each shell would need to be sanded in order to remove any edges that were too rough. Sanding cardboard once is a special treat. Fifteen times is ecstasy.
Please, when you look at these pictures, try not to be jealous of our amazing production office that’s also a dining room and a homeschool classroom. We are just trying to be efficient.
All of the adhesive application and sanding took quite a bit of time. Almost an entire work week? With that step behind us, it was time to work on the fabric application to the spine, top, and bottom of the shells. At one point, it had been decided that the spine would have a gold foil application, but we scrapped that plan after a test or two. Pink, after all, was the color of the day, so it quickly became our default.
Each fabric application was treated with pink foil, a duplicate design of the emblem found on the spine of the hardcover. And then, each slipcase received its fabric application.
Finally, the last step in this process is applying a decorative paper over the sides of the shell. The choice of design was pretty easy. Pink was on the checklist, as was tentacles, and teeth. A blown up detail of one of the interior illustrations was chosen.
And then, the decorative papers were affixed in a similar fashion as the fabric, a simple PVA brushed on and fitted to our measurements. We have been most happy with the final product.
Here are a few pics detailing the final package:
These editions will begin shipping Saturday, June 12th, and should arrive at their respective destinations before the end of the month. Standard editions will begin shipping and arriving throughout July. The trade paperback is expected to hit on November 1st and an ebook should be available within a few months of the paperback release. We are discussing pre-orders for both the trade paperback and the Kindle release, but we will have more details regarding those at a later date.
Until then, pre-orders remain open for the hardcover until June 30th. That is only 23 days away. Don’t wait, because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
QUEEN OF TEETH hardcover edition (U.S. residents only)
This 198-page hardcover is 6×9 and sports a dust jacket with gloss finish. Cover art and interior art are exclusive to this particular release. Only available from Rooster Republic.
$55.00
