Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

A member of a Facebook Folio Society fan page said that FS confirmed to them that Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell will be published by FS in 2024, and that Charles Vess separately hinted that he'll be illustrating it. I guess we'll see, but could be cool.

I'd love an FS edition of this book, Charles Vess admittedly not so much.

Charles Vess does beautiful illustrations

>2 SF-72: I know--makes me wonder if Dave McKean was unavailable.

I'd love to see this, for it to be successful and to have a Piranesi follow-up. McKean can get that job.

One volume or two, I wonder? I'd rather it be split and easier to hold.

>6 ambyrglow:

Unfortunately, that seems to about double the price judging by Silk Road.

>3 Ragnaroek:

One problem for me is that there's really not a lot of variety in Vess' work from what I've seen and some of it is quite derivative of Arthur Rackham - who did it better for my taste, and was the 'original' as opposed to the copy. I do like some of Vess' work for Stardust, but he's really an illustrator who appeals to me rarely. That being said, there's no arguing about taste, to each their own. It's just that I would have hoped for someone else personally since I'm really interested in the book and was hoping for something new and interesting in an illustrated edition. I'd like to know why they chose him. He did do illustration for a short story collection by this author, so maybe it's that? FS also started their Gaiman editions with someone who'd worked with him before, which is a kind of safe bet, then went for new illustrators for other books.

>8 SF-72: 'One problem for me is that there's really not a lot of variety in Vess' work from what I've seen'

I like Vess but I think that's a fair point. (Also from what I've seen.)

Some of his painted covers for Vertigo were very beautiful, though.

Amazing if they’re doing it! But for me, the book and the characters are inseparable from the illustrations by Portia Rosenberg from the original edition. An ideal version would one that commissioned even more illustrations from her, alongside the original ones…

Borderline book for me, but Vess illustrations would push me closer towards the purchase line.

I'll take the book and the illustrator! I just want it done, and yes, preferably in a 2 volume set. I am sure it will be more costly, but it will likely be a lot nicer and I am dying for a very nice edition. In my mind I see the characters as played in the mini-series anyhow. Regardless, I would buy it.

>12 Lady19thC:

On the one hand, I find smaller volumes a lot more comfortable to read. On the other hand, it really irritates me when a book that is originally one volume is split up (sort of artificially) to turn it into two. Even without thinking about the doubled price, I'm not sure which side I would choose if it was up to me.

>12 Lady19thC: >13 SF-72: It's very much set in the world of the three volume novel and is actually written in three parts, so if it were up to me, three books would be my choice.

Mind you, I think the idea of Folio doing it and of Charles Vess illustrating it are both unlikely. Clarke is one of Bloomsbury's top authors, and they rather like doing fancy editions themselves - e.g. the SE (LE?) of The Ladies of Grace Adieu and the gift book Rowlings. And given that most of the book is set in regency drawing rooms, Napoleonic battles and Italian cities, choosing Vess for the pictures, when he is very much is a goblins & orcs kind of guy seems unlikely when Folio are usually very careful to get the tone right. Everything about it is as English as can possibly be, from the magic to the characters and surroundings. Vess just doesn't work.

'A member of a Facebook Folio Society fan page said that FS confirmed to him' oozes 'My Uncle works at Nintendo' vibes so I am not at all convinced.

The trade paperback edition was indeed released as a three-volume box set, so that’s been seen as a reasonable way to split it in the past.

>14 red_guy:

Good to know it's split into three parts. Though I shudder to think how much that would cost from FS these days.

>16 SF-72: Some current points of comparison (prices accurate, page count estimate from Google).
His Dark Materials (3 vol): 1144p, cost: 175 GBP
A Dance with Dragons (2 vol): 1016p, cost: 160GBP
Kavalier & Clay (1 vol): 704p, cost: 95 GBP
Dune (1 vol): 896p, cost: 100 GBP

Norrell & Strange: 864p

>14 red_guy: I suppose you could email them to confirm yourself, but I’m sensing you’re quite comfortable with being sarcastic and disdainful toward anything that has to do with FB.

What if someone here said it? Does that make their uncle a lot more credible?

>18 What_What: yes, very comfortable, - but cannot see a hint of sarcasm myself :)

>14 red_guy: well it was on the list of options to vote for the 75th anniversary, so I would assume that they could get rights to do it. I emailed them to ask about the rumour and will let you all n ow what I hear.

>20 RRCBS: Yes, I remember that - and if the rumour is true, I'm sure they'll make a great job of it . Good luck with the email.

>8 SF-72: >9 Cat_of_Ulthar: >18 What_What: Please disregard all my previous criticism of Vess in this thread, and picture me eating a lunchtime dish of humble pie (delivered by someone's uncle). I found my copy of The Ladies of Grace Adieu, and sure enough it is illustrated with line drawings by Charles Vess, and what's more they are very good indeed - there is a long view across a mountain landscape which is nicely done and would suit all the Yorkshire moors stuff in Jonathan Strange, and also a pretty Beardsley-esque 18th century interior in the story Tom Brightwind. They are a bit derivative, but I like the good clear draughtsmanship. He will be more than fine.

Apologies >18 What_What:, I am put in my place and in future will try to believe everything on social media (now that IS sarcasm).

Perhaps neither here nor there, but since we are talking about Vess: I much prefer Vess's work for Earthsea compared to Lupton's, which they chose. I am still quite happy with the Earthsea Folio editions as a whole, but the Lupton illustrations are very brown and drear, with little sense of wonder or depth. They do occasionally have nice brushwork.

>22 abysswalker:

In the "it takes all sorts" department, I thought Lupton was an inspired choice for the first Earthsea book and I was delighted when, having eventually decided to continue the series, they returned to him.

Earthsea never seems to have any nice weather though, does it?
But kudos to Folio for persisting with a set.

I prefer the earthy illustrations of Lupton to the Vess illustrations. While I still like the Vess illustrations they did not match my own view of Earthsea when reading. I also think he has done better work on other titles. I have not read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell but an FS edition may bump it up my TBR list.

I've just received a copy of Joanne M. Harris' Honeycomb (a very well made book for a trade edition) and it's illustrated by Vess.

I think the style would suit Jonathan Strange better than the Earthsea books, so I'm cautiously enthusiastic about the prospect.

I would be very interested to see what FS came up with in an edition of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and hopeful that, if they don't go with Vess (who seems a good match), they find someone as suitable and don't undercut the work with flat (Kinsella) or inane (David Hughes) art.

>27 St._Troy:

Your mention of Jonathan Strange immediately brought the artist Yvonne Gilbert to mind; she's the artist who did Books Illustrated' lovely The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and is now working on Morgenstern's The Starless Sea. The illustrations are stunning.

I'm curious .... would collectors feel that for her to illustrate Jonathan Strange would somehow "dilute" the desirability of the two Morgenstern books? I don't know why that question popped into my head or if it even makes sense, but it's right where my mind went.

>28 amysisson: I’m not a fan of that artwork, so hopefully it’s someone else.

>29 What_What: Fair enough! I have to imagine it wouldn't be her, because she's in the middle of the other book and there are a lot of illustrations yet to be done.

Yvonne Gilbert would also be a match.

I’m with >29 What_What: on this: I really hope it’s not Yvonne Gilbert. The Night Circus by Books Illustrated would have been an immediate buy for me, if not for the illustrations… (I do like her concept of multilayered illustrations, but not her style of drawing / portraying).

From Charles Vess' Facebook page: "And rejoicing was heard throughout the land. I just finished the last illustration for my secret book project. After almost 9 months of concentration which produced wrap around slipcase art, 3 fold out endpapers, a title page illoe, cover stampings (3), various misc vignettes and 18 full color illustrations I'm exhausted. There should be an official announcement from my publisher soon..."

Three volumes, one can hope...

>33 FitzJames: certainly sounds like it!

I guess I'd better start saving up my cash.

Sounds like a limited edition.

Had hoped to hear a bit more by now...

>37 St._Troy: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet launches on the 25th, so perhaps they don't want to create too much overlap with announcements, especially if JS&MN is likewise a limited edition.

If Vess only just finished the illustrations, the book still has quite a way to go before publication. But yes, I agree with >38 FitzJames: , they would hardly want these two releases to have too much overlap.

>38 FitzJames: and >39 SF-72:

Yes and yes.

150 GBP it is, should the Wish List additive method work.

>41 FitzJames: Plus, following the current FS trend there’s a signed bookplate edition that releases a day earlier that they’ll probably charge an extra £100 for

>42 antinous_in_london: Indeed yes. If there are but 100 copies though, I hate to think of the immediate secondary market 'value' it acquires.

Folio page for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell up now:
https://www.foliosociety.com/jonathan-strange-mr-norrell.html

Huh. Those covers are more low-key than I was expecting. Clothbound, I hope, but it doesn't say.

>45 ambyrglow:

They are, don't worry

>46 drizzled: I've always wondered what's the difference between blocked cloth and buckram. I know buckram has some sort of stiffening but when Folio produces blocked cloth sometimes it feels similar.

>47 dyhtstriyk: buckram is cloth infused with resin and starch (traditional) or acrylic (modern variety) for increased rigidity and durability.

I am absolutely thrilled! All I have are two rather beloved bulky paperbacks with terrible binding and tiny writing. I am so excited about this edition and whether I get a signed or not doesn't matter to me. I just want nice binding, nice font. I'm a definite buyer of it! Better be SE!

Oh goddamit, that looks so nice. :( And they still don't ship to my country, for whatever reason.
Do I try to go through an eBay scalper and pay like twice as much?
*pain*

>50 JanPospisilCZ: I also don't understand their shipping policy and the exclusion of some EU countries. A mail forwarding service, such as https://www.mailboxde.cz/ (FS can ship to Germany), could be a partial solution for you, though.

>50 JanPospisilCZ:

I'd also suggest a forwarding service. If you use one with a warehouse in the UK, then have the parcel forwarded, you'll have to pay extra shipping and whatever tax your country charges, but it would very likely be cheaper than a scalper. Or do you know someone in a country that they deliver to that could send it to you?

Strongly support the idea of using a UK parcel forwarding company. After Folio changed their shipping agent to Fedex I started using a UK parcel forwarding company as Fedex services in my country, Iceland, are bad (delayed package delivery (have experienced up to 2 weeks delays after arrival in Iceland) , deliveries only between 12-15, no delivery box services, and if not home when they try to deliver, have to fetch from their offices in an industrial area 20 km from my work during working hours etc). The parcel forwarding company offers choice between different delivery companies and speed of delivery. Would that Folio would do the same, allow us to choose what delivery company to use and the level of service we desire to use, but so far using this service works works very well. I use the same company for shipments of books and blu-ray/UHD discs from the UK. If wished for they join packages and the packaging is far, far better than e.g from Amazon, Zavvi and HMV. Amazon delivers to Iceland but after I started to use the company for discs, I am no longer receiving 1-2 discs in large packages with little or no packing and have not had a single issue with loose, scratched discs or damaged books yet.

Yeah, having checked out several PFCs it seems that FedEx is still my only choice. But I've had fairly good experiences with them.

>45 ambyrglow: I had the same reaction. Maybe they're compensating with the extravagant slipcase art? It seems weird to have to display it sideways to actually make use of that (admittedly gorgeous) artwork. But I much prefer that to the gimmick they had of using interior slipcase artwork that you might see once in a blue moon when you pull out the books?

>55 A.Godhelm:

Oh yes. There was some great art there, but when you only see it when you pull out the books, that's really not a lot of enjoyment you get out of it.

Hi all! I'm very new to the world of Folio Society. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is my favorite book of all time and I'm dying to get my hands on a signed copy. I'm located on the East Coast of the United States, so I'm hoping that doesn't hinder my chances too much. FS said they'll be on sale at 2pm (London time) on April 24th, which would be 9am for me (EST). Does anyone have any tips for snagging a signed copy? Will this page update with an "Add to Cart" button that can keep reloading until they're put up for sale? If not, should I just keep refreshing the main shop page in general instead?

When I add it to my wishlist, it shows a price of $225. Does the wishlist price normally stay consistent with the official price once it goes on sale? Also, I should expect to pay about $100 or so more on top of that for the signed copy, correct?

If I happen to not get a signed copy, do you think the regular edition will sell out equally as fast? The section of the wiki here that talks about standard editions, their prices, and time to sell out is helpful and a bit comforting. Fingers crossed that I get one!!

Interview with Charles Vess:

https://www.collectiblebookvault.com/post/new-release-jonathan-strange-and-mr-no...

>57 Amandakimberly: don't worry about the regular copies. For a popular major release like this, even if it sold out almost immediately, Folio Society would almost certainly reprint it with similar rapidity. Indeed, that's exactly the course of events we saw with another recent popular set, Gormenghast.

>57 Amandakimberly: To add some answers, yes the 'wishlist trick' shows the price, and I'd expect about an extra 100 for the signature (no promises). I haven't seen any of the signed copies sell out so fast you need to be panic hammering the button, think hours at least, days or weeks are also possible (and more common). Showing up when they release it should mean you're certain to get a copy with signature.

Also as a first time buyer it can be good to know FS tends to have great customer service. The books should be well packaged, but should you find defects like a bumped slipcase or some other issue don't hesitate to speak to them about it.

>58 BorisG: With multi-book sets, for aesthetic reasons, we try to keep the appearance of the book spines consistent in size and so for Volume One, the shortest book, we chose a slightly bulkier paper.
That sounds like an inconsistency that's going to bug more people than a slimmer first volume would have.

Nice pictures of the art, fold out endpapers and a lot of backstory on the interwoven fates of Vess, Clarke and Gaiman in that article though. Thanks for linking it.

I know all of us here at Folio would love to lose ourselves in the halls and vestibules of Piranesi’s House… is a very strong endorsement of a future edition, which makes me happy.

>58 BorisG: Thanks for the link, interesting article. Looking forward to this set even more than I already was :-)

And I was amused that Vess's Spinal Tap moment resulted in those lovely fold-out endpapers!

$565 for the signed version. Up a few minutes early.

I was hoping that the markup wouldn't be this extreme.

And a warning: The counter doesn't seem to work. It went live before the given time showing 100 copies, by the time I'd purchased it showed 95 copies, not it's back to 100.

edited to add: And a minute later it's down to 47, much more likely. This one will probably sell out in minutes rather than hours.

£375 in the UK. Way too expensive… unless the £150 assumption for the unsigned version is way off?

Looks like an instant hit, 14:02 local time and already down to 35.

Was hoping to get this but £375 is way off. I'm also unimpressed at the release of this before the basic edition so you can't see the scale of the markup. I've been one of those defending FS on their signed editions - you know what you're getting, and if you want to pay extra for a signature then crack on - but that relies on transparency as to how much extra you're being asked to pay. That doesn't exist here.

Sold out in five minutes?

£375 and nearly half sold. It looks like it will be sold out in no time. Personally I think the mark up for a signature is a bit of a rip off but the market obviously thinks differently judging by how fast they are selling.

And gone. Didn’t buy one in the end. A signature, even of a beloved author, is not worth that much. So I would have been buying to flip it, and it’s not something I want to do.

I'm waiting for tomorrow’s unsigned edition...

Nicely done, FS, though! What can one say. Sold out in 5 minutes, most publishers dream of such popularity and success.

>67 PeterFitzGerald: The price for the unsigned is 150GBP. It shows on the site when you search for it, and when you add it to your wishlist.

Will the new titles be released tomorrow?

Just been talking to Folio. They confirm sold out in six minutes. I expected them to go quickly but ...

Not that I was interested in buying one. Content to wait for the unsigned one.

Edit

Correction. First three minutes.

The guy I talked to said it sold out in the first minute. Absolutely nuts. I had it in my cart and was almost entirely through the checkout process when it hit me with an error saying items in my cart were out of stock. A bit ridiculous, in my opinion. If it's in your cart, it should be reserved for you.

>73 What_What: Wow, then that's even more of a markup than I thought. £225 for two signatures - 50% more than the price of the books themselves! I'm happy for FS that they've managed to identify such an easy source of money, but it baffles me that that source exists. It takes all sorts, I suppose.

I can just imagine Folio now already salivating at the thought of a signed Piranesi for 200% markup over a standard edition that will still sell in 5 minutes.

The book went live several minutes before 2pm and sold out a few minutes after. I think the 6 minutes mentioned above could be right and that it was sold out 3 minutes past 2 or so. Either way, it was extremely fast, but I'm not surprised with the book and artist. Though the markup is over the top for a tipped in signature.

>76 Amandakimberly: If it reserved copies in carts, then it would have stopped allowing anyone to add it to their cart in the first few seconds. We would all just wait while it slowly sold out while we couldn’t even try to buy. (And anyone who managed to cart multiples faster than other customers would have plenty of time to check out and purchase their reserved copies across multiple browsers/devices.) When a cart timed out, one more person refreshing the site would then get a turn. It would take a very long time before they could confirm that it was sold out, and we would be slamming the site refreshing like crazy in hopes that we could catch a chance to cart a copy that was released from a time out. It would be a very long and frustrating morning. I’d rather it be a race to check out, not a race to add it to your cart.

>80 Mr.Fox: Very good point! I stand corrected. I think I'm just peeved lol. It's probably for the best though; that price was bonkers. The man I talked to told me that if you're signed up for updates and viewed the page for the signed edition, you'll get an email tomorrow an hour before release allowing early access for purchasing the standard edition. He assured me that it will not sell out tomorrow like it did today. So at least I have that to look forward to!

At least Piranesi won't require three volumes...

>81 Amandakimberly: Good luck tomorrow!

>74 SF-72: If memory serves, the Summer Collection as a whole will be available on 7 May.

>75 folio_books: Wow.

That was the first of these signed editions that might have tempted me. I think the price would have put me off, though. Since I was at work at the time the question never arose which is probably just as well!

Are these signed editions limited? Why not offer another batch of 100-200? The demand is there.

>86 PartTimeBookAddict: I was thinking the same thing! Especially since they're just pasted in signed bookplates.

>84 Cat_of_Ulthar:

Thank you. That makes asking if shipping could be combined impossible then.

>76 Amandakimberly: I had it in my cart and was almost entirely through the checkout process when it hit me with an error saying items in my cart were out of stock.

You can get a real first edition which is properly signed and dated with the publication date on the book page for a bit more than half the markup.. I know which one I'd prefer.

Or even buy a cheap signed paperback in the £30-£40 range then cut out the signed page and tip it in your standard SE youself!

:-)

>77 PeterFitzGerald: I couldn't agree more. I'm astounded that a hundred people have dashed to pay £225 extra - far more than the price of the three volumes as you say - for a piece of paper to be glued into one of the volumes with a couple of signatures. Delighted for Folio earning such easy money for almost nothing, of course. It must be wonderful for any publisher to know you can virtually print your profit whenever you need it.

Dear fellow bibliophile Toto, unless Kansas has hallucinogens in the tap water, we're in a most foreign land.

>90 cronshaw: Dear fellow bibliophile Toto, unless Kansas has hallucinogens in the tap water, we're in a most foreign land.

Haha! well, here in the USA we don't have hallucinogens, just "forever chemicals" in our tap water :/
Seriously though, while I can't blame the FS for you know, making hundreds of dollars using a 5-cent piece of paper, I do think it's ridiculous. For $565 I could purchase a letterpress edition from Lyra, or Suntup, or any other truly fine press. And who knows, Suntup is definitely a publisher that might print Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in a letterpress edition one of these days.

Trying to order this signed edition was a strange experience. I usually buy books for themselves, not signatures, but for personal reasons this was to be an exception. The experience has led me to wonder if Folio may treat their customers differently based on their origin. I was logged in under my ROW account with both the main Folio page open and on an other linked monitor the pre-release information page. When the appointed hour approached I refreshed both pages repeatedly. I did not observe any link to a purchase page appearing, both pages did not change and both pages still appear as they did this morning before the sale. At 14 hours UK I received an email with the purchase link. When I pressed it I was ask to confirm/choose either a UK or USA account as these were the only flags presented. Pressing the UK site lead to the purchase page, however it sensed that I was outside UK and changed to ROW. During the change the book went from available to sold out. I am well aware that this was most likely due to it selling really very very fast, and thus by chance, but I cannot escape the thought that regions may have had different access to purchase with the 2 possible most important markets being prioritized. If so, there is nothing wrong with that, a seller may choose who he wishes to sell to, but strange if you wish the world to be your customer. I contacted Folio by email and got a standard sorry reply but interestingly they did not answer why no purchase link appeared nor whether they use some sort of geo-blocking. Perhaps the question is rude and most likely wrong, but for future purchases I would like to know where the purchase pages are located that are said to be open prior or close to the UK release time and/or how you found the purchase pages if they were not solely open to those who received emails with links.

Good lord I feel like an idiot for saying the price would just be 100 extra and that it wouldn't sell out instantly. That's crazy. This has to be the fastest sell out ever then?

I guess the silver lining is that the demand seems well and enough to motivate a Piranesi release later. Maybe even LE form first.

The video from the signed page of JS&MN should anyone be interested:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/937803687

Any idea when the sig-less edition goes up?

>95 St._Troy: About 14 hrs and 15 mins from now. Unless they release it earlier than 2pm GMT.

As soon as it went live, I frantically tried to purchase the signed copy before the huge markup in price could sink in and before I could make a rational decision. There were around 40 copies left when I placed it in my cart but the order got bounced several times due to some glitch and then it was sold out. Although I was initially disappointed, once the adrenalin rush subsided, I was glad I missed out. Impulse buying is rarely a good idea.

I already have the first edition, first printing, of JSMN, which is flat signed by Clarke on the title page and not on some glued sheet that is not part of the bound book. It has illustrations by Portia Rosenberg that are excellent and maybe even better than those by Vess. Paid $27.95 from my local bookstore when it came out. Having just flipped through that copy, I'm having second thoughts about even getting the standard FS edition.

>97 amp123: I also have a signed first edition of the trade hardback. I suppose we could always cut out the signature page and move it to the FS standard edition ;-)

Just ordered a copy... ;)

>99 Dr.Fiddy:

I presume you were a recipient of their 'early order" email. I spoke with Folio a couple of minutes ago and they told me their initial stock is 1600 copies, so no immediate rush. I'll wait for the Summer Collection on 7th May and save some postage.

>100 folio_books: Yes, I got an early order email, and because this is the only one I'll get from the Summer Collection, I went ahead and ordered :)

Amusing that they have added to the page ‘First Printing’ - along with signed bookplate versions they now seem to be pushing first printings as a selling feature - ‘get it now or you may only be able to get a copy from the second or third (or fourth or fifth) printing !!!’ I’ve only previously seen it from eBay sellers using ‘first printing’ as a way of justifying higher prices on books that are still in print with FS.

I ordered my copy of the unsigned edition. I had no chance of getting the signed one, as it sold out in the US within 3 minutes. But I would not have paid that amount of money for a signed book, regardless. I snatched up a copy of this one right away with speedy shipping because my husband is giving it to me for our 32nd anniversary and I want it in hand on the day, so I can start rereading it. I've watched the show numerous times, but read the book only once and looking forward to dipping in. There are a few more books I want with the summer release, but will deal with that in a few weeks when they are available. I am happy to have a 1st edition of this particular title.

>102 antinous_in_london: I've noticed that a number of people on Facebook groups are really preoccupied with printing numbers. I try to remind myself that collecting behavior in general is irrational, but it does seem incredibly arbitrary. None of these books are first editions, so it seems like people have just invented a new category of scarcity to obsess over. Maybe because the books aren't limited, it helps people feel like the chase is worth it.
It makes sense for Folio to push it having identified the interest, as it probably drives initial sales.
Again, while it's perplexing, any of our interest in these books is probably perplexing to the general public.

>92 2261:

I am in ROW and found the book by searching for the title. It showed up as available about three minutes before the official sale date, which was a big surprise. So it certainly wasn't a region block, just a very fast sale starting a bit too early. If I'd had to wait for the email with the link, I would have missed out on it. That happened to me with another small publisher where I couldn't find their new and signed book via a search and the link arrived after the book was already sold out. Which happened within a minute or two. These things can get really problematic when only a very small number of copies is for sale.

>89 RogerBlake: "You can get a real first edition which is properly signed and dated with the publication date on the book page for a bit more than half the markup.. I know which one I'd prefer."

Whilst agreeing that the mania surrounding the signed version of this release is rather baffling, I would point out that there are some amongst us (myself included) who would regard the desire for "first editions" even more bizarre!

>104 Auberon: While chasing "first editions" is largely nebulous for FS, note that there have been reprints that go to a new lesser quality printer and that has made some later printings objectively worse. It's not as simple as "first edition or bust" but noting which printing (or perhaps more saliently where it was printed) can matter.

>107 A.Godhelm: Ah, I didn't realize that!

>107 A.Godhelm: And also where and how it was bound. There are examples of BIG differences, e.g., History of Western Philosophy; full leather vs buckram.

>107 A.Godhelm: "While chasing "first editions" is largely nebulous for FS, note that there have been reprints that go to a new lesser quality printer and that has made some later printings objectively worse."

There are certainly examples of FS publications where a first or early printing is objectively better - a superior quality of binding or printer, for example. But there are also cases where the opposite is true - for example (1) The New York Trilogy (the reprint contains an introduction, the first printing does not), (2) The Blue Fairy Book (the reprints have a rounded spine that matches other books in the series), (3) Two on a Tower / The Well-Beloved / A Pair of Blue Eyes (the slipcase for the first printing was too small - this was corrected when the set was reprinted).

And if we allow subjectivity, there are many FS publications where the binding was redesigned for later impressions, and I would suggest that this is usually for the better.

I am reminded of what C.S. Lewis wrote to one of his correspondents about (UK) first editions of some of his works:

"I am afraid I have no idea what the first editions of Screwtape or the Divorce sell at: I haven't even got a first of the former myself. But you would be foolish to spend a cent more on them than the published price: both belong to the worst war-period and are scrubby little things on rotten paper".

>111 cpg: Nice quote :)
C.S. Lewis would probably be aghast to see what prices some of his collectible works go for these days! but, that's the nature of any collectible. To be fair, if nothing ever appreciated in value, there would be no market for the books we all love.

>107 A.Godhelm: There are also cases where the second printing is preferable to the first; e.g. the Odyssey with the sticky leather vs the properly treated leather.

>113 kdweber: Also cases where the design or production materials have changed that may be more aesthetically desirable to the consumer eg The Tomb of Tutankhamun's original paper backed slipcase vs the 2nd printing's cloth case.

>110 TheEconomist:
>113 kdweber:
Good points.

I see that a signed edition is already on Ebay with ten bids and currently at £520. Mad!

Folio now has "First Printing Now Half Sold" on their site. Pretty impressive that at least 800 copies went the first day. I hope this encourages them to get the rights to Piranesi.

Wow -- be interesting to see if it makes it to May 7th...

So disappointed that FS has started the 'First Printing' FOMO scare.

>116 RogerBlake: Serious locked ward stuff going on there.

A lot of people have been waiting for quite some time for a special edition of this book. Little wonder it's selling so fast.

And yes, Piranesi would be nice, though I really hope they won't go with Charles Vess for that one.

>>120 cronshaw: Serious locked ward stuff going on there.

:-)

Bidding Ended at £651 !

>119 venkysuniverse: I hear you. I guess it could become a real issue if FS started capitalizing on first editions by making reprints somehow less desirable. Admittedly the only case that cones to mind is first print in Europe and reprints in China. But thinking of Sharpe’s SE vs LE where the former had B&W illustrations I’m confident there’s various ways to get it wrong.

Having 'missed out' on the signed edition,* I went ahead and placed my order as soon as the numbers ticked down past 800 of the initial 1,600 and Folio sounded the tocsins.

In this instance not because a Folio first printing holds any especial exclusivity or desirability, but more because in the slim chance it does not receive a second printing (or a second printing is many months hence), I should like to be assured of a replacement if any damage should befall the set in transit.

*I had steeled myself for the £100 above standard (foolishly and naïvely), laughing sardonically when the price hove into view. Having signed firsts of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Ladies of Grace Adieu (Slipcased Ltd.), and Piranesi, I thought it would be fitting that any new addition be likewise signed. With luck Bloomsbury has some signed copies of The Wood at Midwinter when that appears in October to assuage the loss.

>122 RogerBlake: It makes psychosis look like afternoon tea.

>122 RogerBlake: Bear witness to the madness - that someone who missed out on something would be willing to happily pay a premium to acquire it. Bring out the special white jackets with the extra long sleeves, and prepare the room with the padded walls!

>116 RogerBlake: I spotted another one at £500 with 21.5 hours left till the end

Edit: sold for £622

>116 RogerBlake: Not only did that auction finish for £651, but two more escaped my notice that both sold via buy-it-now for £700...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386961135772?itmmeta=01HWHFPXD1NS2HZARFVV0MH4ES&h...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305535234703?itmmeta=01HWHFPXD2ND7G1RYBMWMYXPD3&h...

FS:

Seventy-two hours since I received the email with 'exclusive' access one hour out from the general launch of the standard edition, I have 494 copies as showing in stock. 1,106 copies sold in the space of three days is a damned fine feat if I may say so.

Yep, and the website has been updated to "Over two thirds sold".

>131 HonorWulf: Bordering on deliberate misinformation the way they're advertising this as if it's limited somehow. I'll happily buy this book as part of a bigger order sometime down the road and I'm glad it's selling well but the hype machine and putting it out before the rest of the collection is leaving a bad taste.

>132 A.Godhelm:
Agreed. Unprofessional and misleading.

>133 wcarter: Given how fast the signed editions went, I think it's fair for them to give collectors who want "First Printing" fair warning.

Usually their titles don't sell out in the first few weeks, so regular FS buyers might not act right away and then regret missing this chance. When Gormenghast came out and sold really well there were a few distressed buyers on this forum who were irked on missing the "First Printing".

>134 PartTimeBookAddict: When Gormenghast came out and sold really well there were a few distressed buyers on this forum who were irked on missing the "First Printing".

Gormenghast first printings are still available according to the Folio website.

>135 RogerBlake: It was released in two batches for whatever reason. When the first batch sold out there were some distressed collectors who thought they missed out.

Giving them a head's up is not that bad an idea if a title is selling quickly.

>132 A.Godhelm: >133 wcarter: Agreed. I'm happy for Folio and its staff that the company appears to be enjoying strong sales, but misleading, borderline deceitful marketing like this makes the new Fantasy Society feel a very different beast from old Folio. There were occasional aspects of marketing in the past that were questionable (references to 'art silk', ambiguous terms for bonded leather, for example) but FS's current marketing schtick makes golden-age Folio's attempts at up-marketing look quaint.

I wonder if the suits at Folio have any idea the incremental damage their regularly misleading marketing claims could cause their brand reputation and customer loyalty. Or do they now consciously rely on a new generation of readers FS first printing collectors who are happy to accept a certain level of breathless hyperbole and deception as a normal facet of our twitter-brained social media age?

>137 cronshaw: I also find the FS’s FOMO about this book and its first printing tiresome.

Nowhere near as tiresome, though, as the constant condescension towards newer Folio Society fans.

>138 What_What: Nowhere near as tiresome, though, as the constant condescension towards newer Folio Society fans.

Yes!

At the risk of stepping in the quagmire...

A Folio is much more than just a reprint of some previously published text. It's a combination of the text, original art, and original presentation, which makes for a unique reading experience. The "first printing" is the original such combination for said object, and subsequent printings of the same combination are replicas. For some people, this doesn't matter. But for others, it does. Folio providing this information is helpful to the latter. The former can simply ignore it.

This is nothing new -- Franklin Library used to promote "First Edition" and "Signed First Edition" directly on the spines of their books over fifty years ago, and Easton Press has carried on with the latter. Additionally, as Folio adds internationally acclaimed artists such as Charles Vess and Dave McKean to their stable, the original art becomes more and more of a factor over the text, and their enthusiasts are very much concerned with print history.

In terms of Folio releasing this early, I think it's a smart move for them logistically. They're going to clear over 1500 copies before the Summer Release, which they'll be able to package and ship in advance, alleviating some of the pressure off of the shipping department. They're a small company and hopefully this'll prevent some of the dysfunction that we saw with the Winter Sale.

>140 HonorWulf:

Where does one draw the line? To be really pedantic, there is only one "original", and that is the very first book produced. Everything else, "first printing" or otherwise, is just a replica/copy/reprinting/whatever-you-want-to-call-it of that first book.

>141 PeterFitzGerald: Whether it's books, comics, coins, stamps, etc., the market accepts the original print run as being "original" in its entirety. This hasn't changed as long as we've had the capacity to mass produce objects.

>137 cronshaw: Your comment seems to assume that this is all about ‘first printing collectors’. If the first run of the book is close to selling out then it’s likely that there will be a period when the book is unavailable while they produce a second batch. If the first run sells out before the actual launch of the summer collection i can imagine the wailing & gnashing of teeth of customers who were waiting in order to combine shipping with other new releases etc. I can’t see that warning customers that the first printing of the book is running low & that if they don’t want to wait months for the next print run they may wish to consider purchasing is the crime against humanity that some seem to feel it is.

>143 antinous_in_london: But isn’t adding a low stock countdown with +360 copies remaining a little excessive? This is an edition that is unsigned, not limited and for sure getting a second print. I have rather mixed feelings about this.

>144 drizzled: "But isn’t adding a low stock countdown with +360 copies remaining a little excessive?"

Under normal circumstances, yes. But this is rather different - as antinous_in_London has pointed out, there are likely to be people who want a copy as part of their intended purchases from the Summer Collection, but would prefer to wait until the rest of the collection is released before placing their order. The counter will enable such people to predict whether this will work, or whether the Strange + Norrell set will sell out beforehand.

>143 antinous_in_london: Concur. I went ahead and ordered because I had a few books I wanted and didn’t want to risk waiting for the next printing. Don’t see what’s wrong with putting a low stock counter when they’re transparent about how many are left.

>145 TheEconomist: >146 RRCBS:

Okay, this is a valid observation. You convinced me, guys ;)

>146 RRCBS: I also agree. I was going to wait until near the mid to end of June. Pick up a few others at the same time. So I'm glad they have a stock counter. For me though, realistically I can't buy that many in one order. So I'm happy to get it.

Hopefully they bring back the free shipping for purchases over a certain $ amount. I had found a code last year, it plus the free shipping convinced me to buy all 5 ASOIAF in one shot. I don't regret that at all.

>144 drizzled: If they have sold around 1000 since its release under a week ago, then 361 doesnt seem particularly excessive - just since your post they have sold another 44 as there are now 317 copies. It’s 7 days until the summer collection release - so it’s entirely possible they could sell 317 copies (45 copies a day) by then.

Definitely nothing wrong with knowing how many copies are left -- I personally find it helpful. My question is, after this "first printing" is sold out, will the FS note that it's now a second impression and so on?

>150 astropi: If they follow recent trends, they'll simply remove "First printing" and add "Back in stock".

Ordered.