Daily Features

Designers & Books to Launch Program for Facsimiles of Out-of-Print Books

Important Books About Design Will Never Again Be Out of Print!

By Steve Kroeter February 3, 2016

Last year, Designers & Books organized a Kickstarter campaign for the facsimile edition of a graphic design book by Ladislav Sutnar that had been out of print for 40 years. The campaign had a happy ending. Our Kickstarter goal was $79,000 and, in an outcome that far exceeded our expectations, we raised $146,000. Over 1,700 people on six continents participated.

Pages from Ladislav Sutnar: Visual Design in Action. The facsimile edition of this book, originally published in 1961, was launched on Kickstarter in 2015 by Designers & Books.

That experience (detailed here) has convinced us that Kickstarter can play a critical role in connecting books and their audiences—frequently one of the most challenging aspects of the publishing process.

As a result of the Sutnar book, we have decided to launch a publishing program focusing on facsimile editions of important out-of-print books in the fields of architecture, fashion, graphic design, interior design, landscape architecture, product design, photography, and urban design. There also occasionally will be first-time publications.

These books, all launched on Kickstarter, will be part of a new program called Designers & Books Network. Our goal is to release books that inspire a community experience, nurture connection, and spark creativity.

Among the authors and designers whose books are under discussion for 2016 publication are: Herbert Bayer, Irma Boom, Seymour Chwast, Le Corbusier, Fortunato Depero, Charles and Ray Eames, El Lissitzky, Claire McCardell, Paul Rand, and Alexander Rodchenko.

The Network will offer important books with special benefits to those who support their publication. In addition to being the first to receive the books, supporters will share in:

special “early bird” pricing
individualized backer acknowledgments
opportunities for signed and inscribed copies
invitations to special online sessions with authors
invitations to special in-person events with authors
opportunities to purchase vintage and one-of-a-kind materials connected to the books
opportunities to win special experiences with authors, book designers, and editors of the books

Next month we will announce the first title to be launched in 2016. Between now and then, if you’d like to know more about what we have in mind for Designers & Books Network, we would be happy to hear from you.

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Designers & Books Launches a Kickstarter to Reprint "Visual Design in Action"

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