Mystical & Magical System of the A.'.A.'. ... vote!
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Thanks for taking the time to give input, everyone. (Which doesn't mean the topic is closed. Keep voting! It will be a few months before we start working on this.
Mojorisin, it makes me smile to have the binding appreciated. It's a real point of pride for me (and for the team in general) that we meet that standard. I personally feel about a well-made book much as I feel about a piece of fine art or a holy relic - it's a real pleasure to have it in my hands and to enjoy it. So we make the kinda stuff we'd like to own."
I tried to vote other, and was told I was an invalid.....
I have yet to read this book, ( just can't violate copyrights....)
I collect books, rare and out of print, old and new. It used to be part of my job as an archivist to repair books, and it was always such a shame to send a book to be rebound, or worse to be fit to a box, because of poor binding in the first place.
I personally think that the book should be available in two formats. It would appear to me that this text would be either used like a dictionary, becoming dog eared, and well worn, in which case the book should be masterfully bound, with thick quality paper, gold edged, with a proper dust jacket, or better yet, box. Leather, nice and classy, and able to withstand the tests of time. Quality through and through....pricey.....for Avery good reason.
The other format would be a scholastic edition, made available with the intent on getting as many copied out as possible. Like a 6. X 9 paperback.I don't know your current format, but I would think having adequate gutters, and possibly some room, blank pages at the end of each chapter for notes is a nice touch. I also wish that more of my frequently used books had bookmarks ( those pretty silk ribbon manufactured into the binding are nice touches).
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@Veronica said
"I personally think that the book should be available in two formats."
An interesting idea, for which I thank you. It may be, though, that this isn't economically feasible. (It's the cost of publishing two books at once, and then competing with ourselves. Our business model is mostly recouping from the most recent book to fund publication of the next one.) Were we a large, heavily-funded publishing house, I think your solution would be perfect, and I'm willing to accept a $100,000.00 endowment from anyone, for which i will write the nicest letter of thanks and include a receipt for the tax deduction.
"I don't know your current format, but I would think having adequate gutters, and possibly some room, blank pages at the end of each chapter for notes is a nice touch."
Current format is standard oversized (essentially 8.5" x 11"), with generous gutters for the binding. Blank pages at the end of the book are determined by how the page count falls against signature size. (That is, we don't pay extra to add blank pages, but make use of them if they appear - at present there are 4 blank pages at the end.) I don't think I want to inflate cost by adding blank pages at the end of each chapter.
"I also wish that more of my frequently used books had bookmarks ( those pretty silk ribbon manufactured into the binding are nice touches)."
I added a built-in book-mark to the deluxe edition of 776 1/2 - we went all out on the physical design of that. My recollection, though, is that the cost was negligible (I might be remembering wrong), so ... you may have just given me an idea ... if it's that little, we might just start adding them routinely. I'll toss that around.
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93-
i had trouble voting as well.....so i will do so here. i vote to keep mmaa just as it is...masterful!
however, if it be possible a smaller 6x9 could be nice for on the go, traveling etc. finding i refer to it often.
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@Gemini said
"i had trouble voting as well.....so i will do so here. i vote to keep mmaa just as it is...masterful!
however, if it be possible a smaller 6x9 could be nice for on the go, traveling etc. finding i refer to it often. "If you had to pick one size or the other (not both), which would it be?
PS - What browser are you using?
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I've been out of the loop of this thread for a little while
Jim - I'm using Safari. (I'm on a Mac - I don't trust running music software on anything else!) When I try to vote, it just says: "The submitted form was invalid. Try submitting again." I tried it with Firefox and it brings me to the results window without letting me vote.
It's not a big deal from my end, but I was just letting you know it occurred.
93, 93/93.
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Has anyone running Internet Explorer had trouble voting?
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Several books of the larger size stack better in a backpack than several of the smaller, fatter books. fwiw.
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So far, "reprint it exactly as it is - oversized hardcover" is winning by a huge margin. That's fine with me - way less work! - but if you want it to go a different direction, you should vote.
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I should have given my reason for voting the way I did earlier but, I didn’t. My apologies. The Mystical & Magical System of the A.'.A.'. is a serious book that should not be taken lightly. The current large style format is dignified. That is something you can’t put a price on.
I do have a silly question now that I am thinking about. What was the reasoning for the colour(sky blue?) used for the dust jacket and inside of the covers?
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@Ankh said
"I do have a silly question now that I am thinking about. What was the reasoning for the colour(sky blue?) used for the dust jacket and inside of the covers?"
Color of the dust-jacket (as of the original paper cover in the copyshop version) was picked for Gimel.
The inside... I looked through various fabrics and thought the dark indigo was dignified and had the side-benefit of being Binah-esque... and then it took the silver stamping spectacularly.
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I'm using IE8 on Win 7 without any issue that I know of.
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93!
i am using fox fire. i have also checked explorer with the same result, no vote option. voting only for one choice, without question, the format as is. the large format is easy to read, and yes, the binding is really something, it does lay open nice too. there being times when i have needed to have multiple source material out.
everyone should have the chance to have a copy just as it has always been. it is a work of art and craft
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Not I. Internet Explorer works fine.
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I've refrained from voting because I already own a copy of MMSAA in a format I like and don't plan to buy another. But it seems to me that you would increase your readership by releasing an inexpensive paperback. (Basing your decision on a poll *(http://xkcd.com/937/:1rquu6p6).)
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Robert, yes, I agree with the weakness of a poll
It's just one source of input on the decision. -
Jim,
I'm not sure whether it's already been said, but as far as I'm concerned there is no substitute for the M&MAA in its current format. I display it proudly next to my hardcover Equinox set et al. hardback reference books. The oversized format makes it stand out. For us bibliophiles this is a plus.
It is true that nothing beats the feel of a paperback when you want to sit, or lie down, and read, and it may be that two formats is the way to go after all; but I much prefer hardcovers when doing research, if for no other reason than that they keep you tied down to your desk, focused on your task. There are other benefits, of course, such as laying open much easier than paperbacks.
In short, whether you put out another format or not, I think those interested are best served with the current design.
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93 jim-
yes, i did have trouble voting via internet explorer. i got mine in last week through foxfire.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@Ash said
"It won't let me vote, but I'd vote for the current design."That's strange. I even enabled the right to REvote, so it should let you vote (or change your vote) even if you've already voted.
Are you using some variant browser?
EDIT: I just tested your permissions, Ash, using both IE and Chrome, and don't get voting buttons either way. I'll try to figure out why. (Anybody else not getting voting options?)"
I tried to vote but was unable.
Hum, small and limp...
Or large and hard....Hum....no brainer....
I was curious if their was going to be a special edition, would it possible to reserve a particular numbered edition?
It is hard for me to commit sometimes, but I think its time I did.
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Thanks for the vote. (Love it!)
No, we aren't anticipating a special numbered edition. We did one of those as a "collectible" for 776 1/2 as a Temple of Thelema 20th Anniversary event, but we can't do that all the time - especially in the current economy, most people aren't after expensive "investment" books, no matter how nicely they're made.
But we have decided this year on some little niceties that will become standard to our hardcovers hereafter; and if rising costs require us to bump the price anyway (we're hoping not, but...), then we have some more niceties we can slip in under the same price bump.
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I will +1 RIDETHETIGER's comment. I have the hardcover and it is beautiful. The only thing I would ask is for a digital version (non-PDF).