#renegade bindery

[elizabethminkel]

Earlier this week I reported on the very depressing for-profit fic pirating happening in certain corners of fandom—but (somewhat coincidentally, timing-wise) I also had the joy of reporting this story on fanbinding, and the work of the @renegadeguild! Featuring the words (and fanbinds) of the brilliant @celestial-sphere-press, @butterfingersbookbinding, and @fanboundbooks (who also talked about Renegade on the most recent Fansplaining episode).

Renegade's binders are strong proponents of the non-monetized gift economy—they truly embody the spirit of fanfiction, in my opinion, both in the communal way they share their work with fic writers and each other, and in the DIY way they approach making books:

There’s a strong parallel between the amateur, instinctive nature of fanfiction and the act of fanbinding. While plenty of fic is penned by formally trained writers, much of it is not. Tiffo, who binds as Fanboundbooks, likens the reverse-engineering involved in teaching oneself both activities. As writers, people try to figure out why stories work. Fanbinders collectively share the process of learning to turn that work into a physical object—tactile, clean, often beautiful. Fic is largely unencumbered by the forms and structures of traditional publishing, and fanbinders approach their work with the same spirit. “People will often say, ‘How do I do this?’ or ‘What’s the rule for this?’” Tiffo says. “The answer that we always try to throw in Renegade is, ‘This is what other people have done, but know that there is no rule to your book—you can make whatever you want.’”

It's a shame seeing people conflate the bad actors of the pirating situation—many of whom don't appear to be in fandom and seem motivated by pure profit—with the work of fanbinders at large, and seeing people scared to try out fanbinding because of the recent news. Not-for-profit fanbinding is just as legal as writing fanfiction, and I don't speak for all fic writers, but if someone ever bound one of my fics, I'd be so touched I would almost definitely weep. 😭

[mythrilthread]

Wonderful @marvinhere over at Renegade Bindery collected a volume of tumblr “folktales”.

Here’s my spin on it!

A three-piece Bradel binding featuring:

🦀 covers in all the fun shades of tumblr blue with the post that started it all on the back cover;

🦀 logo linoprinted on dark blue linen spine;

🦀 crab party on the endpapers;

🦀 my first attempt at sewing double core endbands;

🦀 edges painted to look like ✨space✨

🦀 custom bookmark because more memes is always a good idea, right?

[fansplaining]

Episode 217: Fanbinding

On Episode 217, “Fanbinding,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk to Tiffo (aka Fanboundbooks) about the art of turning fanfiction into physical books, and the fanbinding collective known as the Renegade Bindery (@renegadeguild). Topics discussed include how exactly you make a book, Renegade’s origin story and huge growth in recent years, fanbinders’ firm commitment to the non-monetized gift economy, and Binderary, a month-long event this February with challenges, fan-run classes, and more. Plus! (Spoiler) Flourish literally joins the Renegade Discord during the recording session.

Click through to our site to listen or read a full transcript!

[firebound-press]

Todays bind! Fools Gold, by @tigers1o1 !!

Personally, I absolutely adore the paper and bookcloth combination on this bind. I got the cloth a while back for free and I’ve been waiting for a chance to use it, and then my friend Cam got me this paper as a gift! It seemed way too perfect to not use!

This was a very exciting bind, because it gave me the opportunity to try something completely new, gilded edges!!

Although it didn’t turn out perfect, I’m still super proud of how clean it ended up. Plus, I personally think the flaws make it better :D

The typesetting here was very exciting for me. A few months ago Ty held a tattoo contest for the fic, and I couldn’t not use them when I saw the two finalist designs. So I went ahead and contacted the artists, and they both said I could use them!!

Title page design: @eldrigeonsss

Chapter header design: @sheeeeeeeepherd

Thank you both again for letting me use your beautiful work!

You can read the fic here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42798252/chapters/107512251

[piscesmoonpress]

Art Heist, Baby! by otrtbs (@otrtbs)

When James Potter answers a mysterious ad in his local coffee shop, the last thing he expects is to be thrown into a world of white collar crime, but how can he resist when the mastermind behind the operation has dark hair and brooding eyes and promises wealth beyond James' wildest imagination? He would do anything for that boy named after a star, including stealing millions of dollars of fine art.

Pairing: Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom Fandom: Harry Potter

Disclaimer: otrtbs no longer allows binds of Art Heist, Baby!. This edition was first typeset and bound in May of 2023. Please do not use this post as a permission to bind Art Heist, Baby!.

Art Heist, Baby! was one of the very first jegulus fics I read, and eventually became my second-ever bind. The original binding for this fic was done over the course of a single weekend, which makes me cringe a little now—but I am still so proud of this typeset and the bind itself, despite its flaws.

Half-Letter | 219,117 words | 609 pages

Title and Drop Cap Font: Bodoni 72 Body: Adobe Garamond Pro Accent(s): Gill Sans, Futura Condensed

Typset by me in Word.

Designed by me in Illustrator.

Materials

Cover Bookcloth: Duo in Blue Jean HTV: Siser Brand in Gold Metal and Powder Blue Endbands: Mettler Silk Finish Thread Endpapers: Chiyogami Paper

Eventually, I found that the structure of my previous binding was less-than-ideal, and I decided to rebind my copy. Given that I couldn't change the typeset, I spent a lot of time deciding on a cover design, and eventually settled on using Ivan Aivazovsky's Ship on Stormy Seas (a painting synonymous with this fic) as inspiration.

The process of turning the boat from this painting into something that could be used with a single shade of HTV was difficult, but I eventually settled upon a design I was happy with after messing around in Illustrator for a couple weeks.

When I removed the cover from this bind, I also trimmed and painted the edges, sewed double-core french endbands (two-tone, to match the bookcloth), and reinforced the spine (though I couldn't do much for the pre-existing swell). Overall, I am thrilled with how it looks, and with how my original typeset fits with my more developed design style.

Thank you to Nat, for writing such a beautiful (and heart-wrenching) story. Art Heist, Baby! is free to read on ao3, here.

[finalfrontierpublishing]

So it's been a while since i posted any books - mostly because i've been hiding my progress like a little sneak.

I just finished this bind last night of The Desert Storm by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, or really it's volume 1 out of like ??? 15, maybe. Please take whatever i say with a pinch of salt (I have had 0 sleep for more than 24 hours, and that tends to make me a little very sleep-deprivation drunk a.k.a. unhinged). Okay, on to thoughts! The Desert Storm was foisted onto me by @celestial-sphere-press who told me under no uncertain terms that I WOULD FUCKING LOVE THIS SHIT. Well, I did. This more than 1 million word epic about Ben Fuckin' Kenobi is pretty much god-tier fanfiction. It reads like a goddamn novel. I can never think of canon again without thinking that this good shit should be canon. I read it and then consumed half of it within a week, and I have zero regrets. @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, i absolutely love you and love your writing. It is the best thing since sliced bread. It is better than sliced bread.

I also had the benefit of @celestial-sphere-press saying, hey would you want to use the typeset? MY GOD, i am grateful. I love this fic, i would have typeset it if it hadn't been typeset but Des did such a beautiful job that i am absolutely in awe and thankful that she and the author allowed others to use it. Look at it - it's so beautiful. I only had to think hey, i just gotta design the cover and et cetera and so the book happened.

Please also check out @celestial-sphere-press 's amazing post here and here, who is the only person i know who's started and is almost complete in fanbinding this epic, and is also making an author a copy of the entire series.

Some stats, if you will.

96215 words || 380 pages

Title font: Ghaomiec

I took some inspiration from starblight bindery's lovely desert scape as well as this amazing cover of Dune which i own. I love that the landscape emanates Dune vibes while being oh so Tattooine - just sand and heat, relentless loneliness and melancholy. This fic centres around Obi-Wan Infinite Sadness Kenobi so it needed SAD VIBES TM, which i tried to deliver in desolate landscape form.

Also thank the heavens for Renegade members, who in a masterful stroke of Group Buy Saves Money, managed to source extra-out-of-production colours of Colibri and help a fair number of us get really cool limited edition versions of bookcloth. I am now a proud owner of a lorge stash of Duo and Colibri of which i am now sitting on like a shifty dragon with a hoarding problem. Good luck getting your bookcloth now, Folio Society, ha ha (gloating)! This particular bookcloth is Colibri Copper which has been wholly stashed for The Desert Storm series. I am leaning on transitioning to Malachite for Rise and Fall when I get to it.

The front cover design was done with a stock image and converted to a PNG, which i then fiddled with and did some HTV magic with. It was remarkably easier to weed than expected. I tried something new and ironed the design on the naked bookcloth first before gluing it to the boards, which was a new challenge in making sure everything was aligned.

Endpapers are marbled endpapers (Renato Crepaldi) which I got from Hollanders, which perfectly fit the colour scheme of the bind. The only hiccup was as I was cutting, I realized the sheet was running in the opposite direction of his usual papers and half the size, and only yielded 3 A5 size endpapers and so my heart went noooooooooo. oh well. i guess i will use it for quartos.

Endbands are my favourite - silk in 3 colours in the french doublecore style (as i was binding this i did not have the mental capacity to handle the difficulty of 4 strands). the truth is i usually only can do 4 when I have higher brain function and am willing to spend 80% of my time unraveling it from getting tangled.

I also forgot to mention I had mild fuck-ups, I got glue on the front endpaper which I had to hastily remove with wet cloth, and the back square is preposterously bad but I'm ignoring it for now.

Anyway, i've actually managed to complete a few other binds which have not been mentioned here as they've all been gifts/ surprises or event books in some form. I am SO EXCITED, also because I am travelling in the latter half of July to San Diego and L.A. and I get to meet some bookbinding friends in the flesh. Renegade is fucking amazing y'all. I am ready to embrace these crazy lads who have enabled me for the last 1 year, even when i'm the solitary (1) weirdo from my country of origin in the server. Also... potentially bookbinding trip early next year??? I am enthused.

[starblightbindery]

This is the bookbinding kit that I wish I had when I first started out. The goal was to put all of the hard-to-source supplies in one newbie starter kit--only the good stuff that we fanbinders actually use. (Also, I really, really wanted a storage pouch celebrating our hobby.) THE FANFIC BOOKBINDING STARTER PACK

So we've got:

Bone Folder

Awl

Hole Punching Guide

Bookbinding Needles

100% Linen Thread

Raw Beeswax

Linen or Ramie Tape

Mull

Pre-Made Endbands

Corner Miter

Resource Brochure

Fanfic Themed Pouch

Olfa Knife (optional, but so useful!)

I figure most people already have things like rulers and brushes at home, and other things like glue and boards are easier to source separately. I'm hoping this kit takes the stress out of finding all of the fiddly bits from people who are new to the hobby. (Seriously, why are Lineco products so expensive!!!)

I'm hoping to use this space to blog more about the kit as time goes by. It was several months in the making. Local fanfic binders in the SoCal area helped me figure out what to include and what to leave out. Their feedback on what to include in the resource brochure was invaluable.

I sourced materials from China, India, Poland, Lithuania, and even my local farmer's market. I taught myself 3D modeling to design the corner miter. I corresponded directly with linen and mull manufacturers. I learned a lot about bone folders. Fanbinding is an act of resistance, liberation, and celebration. We're creating codices and preserving what we love. I don't bind in the fandom that inspired v.2.0's theme, but I know a lot of my fellow binders do. It was important for me to put the progress pride flag and trans pride flag on the kit to stick it to you-know-who.

[roseserpentpress]

Comments and fic links below! (PS: click to see not crap quality photos/videos)

First finished ficbind for 2024, and first that I actually tried my hand at gold leafing (compared to previous use of gold inking). The gilding uses a hand-painted on glue and then the gold sheet overload and rubbed off; since the glue is put down not flat it adds a bit of texture to it, much like embroidery which I found cool. The design was based off a old cover design which I altered slightly to fit for the title of the book; been wanting to use one of the designs for a very long time now so rather chuffed to use one this time round, and (generally) well please with the typesetting. I actually painted the cover all in one long day with one piece running in the background during the holidays, lol. Two photos below are WIP photos and one including one of my su-purr-visors on my very cluttered desk. He's since passed due to being hit by a car, so the photos of him supervising me for this fanbind is something special to me.

The book itself contains mainly the Trigun vashwood fic Trillium and Ivy and upon remembering that there's a few other shorter stories involved, it became an impromptu anthology of the series. So overall it contains:

Trillium and Ivy (E, 80k)

Nick Wolfwood is the new director of Conrad-Chapel Funeral Home in May City, located across the street from Saverem Greenhouse & Landscaping. Over time, the owner, Vash, gets to know Nick and introduces him to the rest of the neighborhood, including local busybodies and married feminist bookshop owners Meryl and Milly. Vash and Nick are inexorably drawn to each other until they have to start admitting their feelings.

But Vash's brother, co-owner of the garden center, hasn't left his past as far behind as the twins had hoped when they started their lives over in May.

Raise a Glass to the Turnings of the Season (G, 7k)

A collection of small ficlets set in the universe of Trillium and Ivy, a modern AU in which Wolfwood runs a funeral home across the street from Vash and Knives' garden center.

Regarding the subjects of hospital visits, body image issues, adoption, laundry, and more.

I've seen all the demons that you've got (T, 8k)

The Hollywood-glam-slash-mad-scientist meet cute is going perfectly well, thank you. Except for all the anxiety, loneliness, insomnia, nightmares, body dysmorphia, identity struggles, poor communication, stalkers, arson, kidnapping, drugs, and concussions.

Other than those things... Knives might actually be onto a good thing in his life for once.

[A brief look into Knives' experience during Trillium and Ivy, a modern AU in which Wolfwood runs a funeral home across the street from Vash and Knives' garden center.]

[fallingsunbindery]

to the sky without wings by leupagus 81,567 words | 232 pages Completed September 16, 2023

I wouldn't even call myself a Star Wars fan, but the premise of this fic intrigued me so much that I read the whole thing and became so so attached. And then I found the perfect blue-green paper for the cover and knew what I had to do. If you zoom in on the headband picture you will see that it's also tricolor (blue, green, and gold).

I was absolutely devastated while making the case, because the cover paper seemed to be wrinkling horribly, but once it dried it had no problems! I also struggled with the HTV on the spine because I use a household iron, and the spine is longer than the heating element. So making sure everything adhered evenly without melting or warping took a lot of concentration and patience :)

Go read the trash fire jesus series and weep <3 This one is really a gem.

[ohmightydevviepuu]

rebinding: valdemar. (books that blooded me)

i'm still practicing my case binding and struggling but im genuinely pleased with this series of paperback rebinds. collected from a couple of library sales over the past many years (i still have my original hardcovers, too), i've taken a near-complete set of mercedes lackey's valdemar series and begun rebinding them as hardcover for a binderary project.

this is a basic flatback style. i stripped the paper covers, added mull and endbands to the spines, tipped on endpapers, and created cases for each book. the series is divided up into (mostly) trilogies so i set on a spine color for each trilogy. i chose a single font for the decorations and i scanned the paper covers to preserve the classic 90s jodi lee artwork. the artwork was printed on iridescent sticker paper and attached to the covers a paper well technique from DAS bookbinding. on the back of each book is a small sigil i designed for the main character(s) of each series.

i'm about halfway through. wish me luck!!

**i say 'books that blooded me' in the spirit of a devoted fated mates podcast listener. a lot of mercedes lackey has not aged well--the larry dixon of it all is A Problem--but these books installed a lot of buttons in me and i still love them. there is a simplicity and sense of joy i get from reading them--still.

[celinamarniss]

Volume II is here at last!

Pour Away the Ocean is volume two of a set of fic collections I'm binding of (mostly) my own fic. There are nine stories in this volume, including the title story and Unnatural Objects.

I chose an ocean theme to match the title story, with Chiyogami paper printed in an abstract sea pattern on the cover and a set of ocean vector images to illustrate the title pages. The text paper is dotmar cream and the spine is duo book cloth. I did a much better job on the spine this time! I didn't have the measurements right when I bound volume IV, and it kind of bugs me now.

The ocean theme was a fun contrast to the desert theme of vol IV. Next up, warm florals for vol I.

[nocturnus33]

The meaning of mistletoe by Endrina, first volume of The secret language of plants. @llendrinall I have read this charming story several times. The voice of the narration, with its fairy tale reminiscence, is something I really like. Endrina is a great author, it is worth reading their novel length fics.

Typeset by Lindsey P. For those inexperienced in fandom, this story can be read for free at AO3.

What I like:

It's quite a simple binding, but something in it remind me of the old editions of my childhood. Reading it give me a special kind of joy, it's both, the comfort of this story and the childhood-like feeling this tome brings me while holding it

What I could do better:

I had problems with the guillotining of the edges, but went ahead [I had already lost a lot of material with a failed first printing]. I couldn't say what happened, but - for me - that mistake gives a Je ne sais quoi to the edition that I love. I don't know why, but when I was a child, back in the 70's, I had many books with the same feeling. The paper was a bit thicker than usual, and the edges weren't perfectly cut. I didn't realize, until I sat down to read this edition, that this binding conjures up memories of my childhood.

Special thanks: During the process, I had a severe case of printer hiccups (Or binder's brain hiccups, to be more precise) but @getfuckedblr hold my hand and helped me.

@llendrinall 

[If I learned to bind, you can do it too. It's not that difficult... ok a little at first, but it is doable. Don't buy fic binds, ok? It spoils fandom's fun]

[purplephloxpress]

Did a tiny book bind along for Binderary this year and that was fun! (Shout out to @simply-sithel for hosting, I had a blast!)

So I decided to go even tinier with the leftover scraps and make earrings! (They were very fiddly, there was much swearing, but they are very cute and I love wearing them.) I think I used the flat plastic end of my glue brush more than the actual brush for applying glue to these...

Cover paper of all the tinies was marbled by me! The first tiny book was about 2" tall, and the earrings were all of 1/2".

[jabbage]

I had a go at binding this lovely tiny typeset of the Raven by @renegadepublishing typesetter Aiden! Although I've done it larger than the typeset was designed to be, this is still the smallest book I've tried making, a teeny little sexidecimo! <3

This was my first time using endpapers that I'd marbelled myself. I bought some really cheap marbling inks intended for kids, so I'm pleased they worked out ok!

It's bound in dark navy bookcloth, and the design on the front and back are acrylic paint applied with a stencil.

Here are some work in progress shots:

[firebound-press]

And here it is!! My book for FFWAD this year! This year, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to make a copy of Passerine for @thcscus herself!!!

This was actually a redo of my second ever binding, which you can find here, and it’s so cool to see how far I’ve come in my binding!!

I also tried something new with this one with the edge coloring, and I’m very proud of how it turned out! I used watercolor for it.

I also redid the typesetting while I was at it. The title page was drawn by @coffit0, because one of the copies was actually a gift for him!

You can read the original work here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28755084

[lavenrain]

a bind I did for the Renegade Bindery server exchange!! @amarguerite 's fic Five Times Frederick Wentworth Had the Breath Knocked Out of Him On the Ice (and one time he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding)