The Standard usually comes out on the first of January, April, July, and October, but here we are dropping the Fall issue down your chimneys in the last week of December.
We are doing two things with this slimmer special issue. One is pretty obvious—catching up on getting our online journal out on time. Shouldn’t be long now before that happens.
We are also taking a very close look at the ethereal connection between an extraordinary fine press publisher and the somewhat bibliomaniacal bookseller who is collecting, selling, and documenting his marvelous output a full century later. The artisan is Thomas Bird Mosher, and the learned devotee is Philip R. Bishop, and they team up here to present you with a richly inlaid holiday gift to be cherished in some quiet moments between seasonal activities. Needless to say, most of us would take any of these fine bindings and good advices over the gift of an ugly sweater or Jelly of the Month Club gift certificate any day.
The Standard has been pitching for more specialized content for some time now, and this is a spectacular example of same. If applying to the mercenary side may tip the scales a bit, our online journal seems to get pretty good search engine placement, and one specialist reports continued profitable leads and contacts from an article he did for us many years ago. Indeed, I have good reason to believe the IOBA Standard is an industry leader when it comes to greatly delayed feedback.
So, please give back. Here is what we say toward the end of each issue.
“The Standard can always use interesting, well-written articles on subjects of interest to the bookselling trade. Please query first, however, to editor@ioba.org. You will be supplied with submission guidelines, but to summarize, the material should be original, it is subject to editing, you retain copyright, and of course there is no payment other than most everyone’s satisfaction. You do not need to be a member of IOBA, except for the IOBA Bookseller Profiles section, though we would surely like you to join. [Only fifty bucks a year.] We are very interested in the book trade outside the U.S. as well.
“Currently we are also seeking short pieces for the following self-explanatory columns. House Calls; Yard/Estate/Library Sale Tales; Auction Action; Book Show Impressions; Book Store Lore; and Library File.”
Thanks everyone and we will see you sooner rather than later.