The pages of Strollin’: A Jazz Life Through John Levy’s Personal Lens were printed right on scheule for a September 1st release. Every page in color on beautiful 80lb glossy white stock. Then the printer sent the pages off to the bindery, one of their vendors, and the results were disasterous.


First they called the printer and said they did not recommend the OTA-bind, a method allows the book to lay open. They would do it a different way but the results would be similar. They’d send a sample first. And I was left wondering why the bindery bid on the job knowing the specs from the outset: 270 pages landscape (11 x 8.5) that were supposed to have been OTA-bind.


The bindery did send a sample - I got one and so did the printing company. Both samples simply fell apart as soon as we started flipping through the pages. “Oh, we were in a hurry,” the bindery said. “Probably didn’t use enough glue. We’ll do another sample.” They sent that sample to the printer, not to me, and the printer told me that the second sample was no better than the first.


What to do? The answer is not yet clear and I am waiting to hear from the printer about my options. I have adjusted our target release date to Octber 15th. If we’re lucky, it might be sooner. I’ll keep you posted.