So there I was with a handful of poems from my ill-fated ‘Business Class’ collection that couldn’t find a home. What to do? I started thinking about the themes: workplace tensions, multicultural office environments, illicit relationships, anomie…and shoes! Why hadn’t I thought of it before? I was working in the sports shoe industry. And I realised shoes have been a theme in my life – from doodling enormous platform boots all over my rough book at school, to my first job in a shoe shop, to persuading my bosses at Nike that netball was a viable sport and players needed netball shoes.
I picked over what I had, chose a few unpublished poems and adapted a couple that had been published, added in a few new shoe-themed poems, and the little collection made a good narrative arc.
Shoes are made by hand, so why not the pamphlet?
I wanted this to be a small collection of poem ‘vignettes’, semi-autobiographical, related to my life in shoes, in limited edition. I wanted each poem to be accompanied by a photo. I also wanted to make the pamphlets by hand, as much as possible – not hand written and not handmade paper (would be nice, but very expensive) – but hand-bound and finished. The point is that the trainers we wear are by and large handmade – from the pattern cutting to the stitching, dyeing, glueing and finishing – by hundreds of assembly-line workers in the far east, and it’s skilled work. The least I could do, to pay homage to that process, was to make the pamphlets myself.
A bit of info for stationery geeks
My plan was to print the inner pages on my office printer. I was excited to find A5 paper for sale online, and I ordered it in 170gsm, a bit heavier than normal printer paper. I thought perhaps there’d be less chance of a printer jam and the heavier weight would look classier. I hadn’t really considered the thickness of the finished article. But with only twenty pages it turned out fine in the end. Similarly, I had the covers printed in 380 mic pulp, which turned out quite thick – but I don’t regret it. I had no trouble folding the pages in the end because I had a lovely bit of kit called a bone folder.
A noob at numbering
The first challenge was to print the pages in the right order, with the correct back-to-back pagination. This proved harder than I thought and I wasted quite a few sheets of paper in my frustration!
Anyway I succeeded in making a mockup, glued together, which became my blueprint. There then followed the sloooow process of printing the pages. Ten at a time invariably meant a misfeed of the paper, which when it was side two being printed meant reprinting all over again both sides. Ugh.
Meanwhile I created a cover design using a photo of the tongue label from my trainers and a background image suggesting a cardboard box. This I had printed at an online printers.
Adventures in book binding
I was looking forward to binding the pamphlets. I bought a ‘bookbinding starter pack’ from a wonderful shop based in the Orkneys called the Vintage Paper Company, and followed their instructions for how to make the simplest of bindings.
That was it! Or so I thought… I realised then that the pages protruded outside the cover. They would need trimming. After trying unsuccessfully to trim a thickness of 5 sheets using a blade, I realised I’d have to do it singly.
In the end I got quite good at it, although there were a few rough edges I thought that was fine – all part of the quirkiness/individuality of each pamphlet.
Ta da!
The final product is lovely, if I say so myself! I’ve only made ten so far, and there’s going to be a limit of fifty. My plan is to sell them at readings.
In fact I made my first sales on Monday evening in Winchester – more about that in the next post!
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24 COMMENTS
Peter Raynard
2 years agoLooks great. I’ll buy one Robin
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORAw, thanks Peter. Do you want me to send you details?
Peter Raynard
2 years agoYes please. You have my email.
Carrie Etter
2 years agoAh, this post should be wonderfully useful for my third-year students, who will be making a pamphlet of their own poems as part of the module! Many thanks!
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORGlad it might be of interest to your students, Carrie!
Ann Perrin
2 years agoYou are a genius I love it all!
A friend made a tiny book of poems for her brother.
I love linking art with poetry myself!
I don’t go to readings anymore so can’t get one but know they will be so well sought after. Wonderful! Ann
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORHa ha! Thanks Ann. If you’d like one let me know. Only £4 🙂
ann perrin
2 years agoYes Please x
Deborah Sloan
2 years agoFab post and the end product looks wonderful too.
Well done.
What a great idea. I’ll look out for them at the next reading.
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORHi Deborah, many thanks!
Jayne Stanton
2 years agoHow exciting! And rewarding, despite those minor hitches, I’ll bet 🙂
Wishing your publishing project, and your poems, success.
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORHi Jayne, yes, a lot of fun to make, despite the paper misfeeds 🙂 Thanks very much for your support. Rx
elly
2 years agoWhat a great project! Love how you shared the process with us. Love the result 🙂
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORThank you Elly – and for sharing on Twitter as always, I really appreciate it!
Marina Sofia
2 years agoThat must have taken some patience and skill (says one who struggles with wrapping Christmas presents).
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORHa ha! Not sure about the skill but I’m working on it! Thanks so much – and for your RTs also!
Hilaire
2 years agoFascinating! I’d love to buy one too.
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORThank you – I will reserve you one for when we next meet!
Ben Banyard
2 years agoI work in the print trade and am often struck by how soulless the end product often feels. What a brilliant idea, especially for pamphlets, which always feel so personal compared to the breadth of a full collection. Cap doffed!
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORThank you Ben for your kind words!
Judith Shaw
2 years agoHi Robin sounds great! Congratulations on doing this. Can you keep one for me, please?
Judithx
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORThank you Judith, yes of course I will 🙂
Pam Yhompson
2 years agoThese look lovely Robin. I’d like one.x
Robin Houghton
2 years ago AUTHORThank you Pam! If you’d like me to send you one email me your address… robin@robinhoughtonpoetry.co.uk