by Matthew | Feb 10, 2014 | Commercial Publishing, Media
Late last week, we got an email from the publicist for Ten Thousand Stories. Apparently, the super-hip design blog UnBeige decided to review our book. And oh my goodness, what a review it is. Not only did the reviewer like the book (which gratifies us, of course), but she really GOT the book, including all the small stuff we did to make it our own.
Let us count the ways in which we were pleased by the review:
1) She compared Robbi to Quentin Blake. (Now Robbi will be insufferable all day.)
2) She referred to us as “pretty twisted.” We’re assuming that means she thinks we’re pretty? And twisted. But mostly pretty, right?
3) She “got” that the point of the Robbi-redacted intro letter was to make the reader “confused, a little uncomfortable, and yet completely taken.” That’s EXACTLY what we were going for. I could not have said it better myself.
4) She noted that “the illustrations match the narrative flawlessly.” (Now Robbi is not just insufferable, but contacting talent agents to see about jumpstarting a Hollywood career. I tried to explain that drawing prowess is not necessarily qualification for starlet status, but Robbi just told me to read the fine print of her contract and to bring her peeled grapes stat. I wish I could say this were different from any other day with Robbi.)
5) And gosh, can this reviewer write. She is eloquent and insightful. Evidence: the final paragraph, my favorite part of the review:
Relating to Matthew and Robbi feels natural, and the nonchalant, often self-deprecating style disarms the reader from the start. The book doesn’t tell you how to feel, it’s literally telling you to decide for yourself. Matthew and Robbi are your incredibly supportive best friends—the same ones who send you an inappropriate Christmas card every December.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a better assessment of what Robbi and I do, not necessarily in our books, but in our lives. This is what we hope to bring to the world: a mixture of comfort and humor and play and irreverence. This is our real art. But we’ve never met Mariam Aldhahi, who wrote this review. That she was able to get all that from just reading this book is the ultimate compliment—not just to us, but to Chronicle and to our amazing editor Bridget Watson Payne.
I’m glowing right now with that rare satisfaction of feeling understood at the deepest levels.
by Matthew | Jan 25, 2014 | Commercial Publishing, Media
Just a short post today to share our excitement at having Ten Thousand Stories as the featured book in the latest Chronicle ART e-newsletter.
On one hand, it’s affirming to have someone think of what we do as art, and on the other, it’s even more pleasing when that someone is Chronicle (Effing) Books. The thought of being associated with them still makes us tingly.
If you want to hear the latest from Chronicle in a variety of categories, it’s easy to sign up.
And if you want to go back to bed, here’s a comprehensive tutorial on effectively faking illness.
by Robbi | Dec 31, 2013 | Commercial Publishing
Thanks to all our friends throughout the country who have been sending photos of Ten Thousand Stories in the various places. Living in a rather small town rather far away from other towns, we have yet to see it on any bookstore shelves other than those at our very own Book Plate, but it sure is fun to see the pictures from our field agents.
Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT
National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Boston, MA
Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
Trident Books, Boston, MA
Harvard Bookstore, Boston, MA
Harvard Bookstore, Boston, MA
MoMA store, New York, NY
Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, NY
Book Expo of America, New York, NY
Powell’s City of Books, Portland, Oregon
Unknown Bookstore, Cape Town, South Africa
Chronicle Books lobby, San Francisco, CA
Chronicle Books lobby, San Francisco, CA
Here’s the full story of our book being named Publisher’s Advance o’ the Week earlier this fall.
If you happen to see Ten Thousand Stories out there in the wild, please send us a photo. We feel like proud parents watching their kids grow up and out into the world. Or at least we imagine that this is what it feels like, given that our children are still rather small.
by Matthew | Dec 11, 2013 | Appearances, Commercial Publishing, Illustration, Matthew Draws, Media, Stuff We Like
Yesterday’s mail brought an exciting arrival, the book Playing with Sketches, a book by illustrator (and head of MICA’s illustration MFA program) Whitney Sherman. The book is a collection of 50 creative exercises for designers and artists.
In part, we are excited because the book is full of beautiful illustrations, great ideas, and lovely design.
But we are also excited because the book contains…US. Yes, we Idiots were asked to contribute an idea, and, of course, we chose five-minute drawings, that mainstay of creative life in the barn. In case you don’t remember, we will periodically put down our work, take up our pencils, blurt out a topic, and spend five minutes (no more and no less) on a related drawing.
And…the rush of hubris makes it difficult to type…as a subset of the five minute drawing section, Whitney did a little write up of Matthew Draws. That’s right, your very favorite part of this blog has garnered the affections of a prize-winning illustrator.
Above I am pointing (can you see the pride? would you describe it as “palpable?”) at my response to the prompt “lotion.” Here is a closer look.
Yes, it is a breathtaking image.
In the spirit of magnanimity, I will also show you Robbi’s and Tilly’s drawings.
It is fine if you would prefer to look at mine again instead. You are, after all, a person of exquisite taste.
But wait! There is a third page of Idiots coverage in Playing with Sketches.
Here I am at my computer.
Here are my (nearly photorealistic) drawings of Lyle Lovett and Meryl Streep.
It is so exciting to finally have my artistic talents be recognized (and celebrated) by so esteemed a person as Whitney Sherman.
And it must be thrilling to you to know that, with a few clicks of your mouse, you could own my immortal linework. Try to tell yourself you don’t want to. Then try again.
And for those of you who are suddenly itching for heaping plate of Matthew Draws, I have it on good authority that the latest installment will be coming this Friday.
by Matthew | Nov 20, 2013 | Appearances, Commercial Publishing
Last night we drove to Washington, D.C. for a book event without a single book in tow. We brought ourselves, a couple of business cards, and the plexi-glass stand on which we display Ten Thousand Stories when we go to book events. But, as previously stated, we had no copies of Ten Thousand Stories to sell.
Our destination: The National Press Building.
Specifically, the 13th floor of the National Press Building. We got off the elevator and were treated to a carefully curated display of books.
There, nestled in the back, right next to (and respectfully behind) Ray Suarez’s new book Latino Americans, was a book we recognized.
Enthusiasm followed. It was a theme for the night.
We were ushered down stately hallways lined with rooms dedicated to people we had heard of.
And photos of people of some significant in the annals of the Fourth Estate.
We were ushered into a ballroom where, lo! someone else had taken the trouble to deposit a crate full of our books. For the very first time in our seven plus years of standing behind tables with our books, we got to just show up and find the books waiting. It was one of those watershed moments.
Fortunately, we had contrived some signage to remind us of our humble origins.
The room was set up much like other book shows we’ve attended. Other than the crisp white tablecloths.
And the complimentary bottles of water and tea.
“Setup” took all of 90 seconds. Which was the occasion for more enthusiasm.
At its conclusion, we headed to the author’s reception.
Where Robbi nearly left me for an accomplished older gentleman.
Fortunately, before they could get too far along in planning their new nightly news program, a bell rang, signaling to all the authors that it was time to head back to our tables for three hours of commerce.
There was plenty of chatting.
A good amount of signing.
And no shortage of enthusiasm.
We proudly flaunted our Approval Matrix t-shirts, and a few people even got the reference.
All told, it was a triumphant evening for the Idiots.
At the end of the night, I took a moment to contemplate the gravity of the moment. We were, after all, at the National Press Club. Where news happens.
The obvious next step, then, was to defy the gravity of the moment. I asked a few nice ladies to kindly move a few feet to their left.
And took to the air.
The other people waiting in the lobby were uncertain what to make of my feat. Jim Lehrer gave a knowing glance. It wouldn’t surprise me if the lead story on News Hour tomorrow night had something to do with my springs.
And then, suddenly, it was over. We headed back to the car.
With no end of enthusiasm in sight.
by Matthew | Nov 4, 2013 | Commercial Publishing, Media
Robbi and I have been making books together for ten years now. We were living together in Massachusetts when we finished our first collaboration, an odd, nonlinear, episodic meditation on the turmoil of adolescence called A Bully Named Chuck. When we were done, we struggled to print, trim, and bind five copies, which we gave to our parents and best friends. That’s about as far as it went. We made a book because we wanted to make a book. But very few people have ever actually read it.
Things are different in the commercial book world, where books are made to be sold. Which means that there are people whose job it is to sell them. Diane, our publicist for Ten Thousand Stories, sent a press release and info about Robbi and me to hundreds of blogs and magazines, hoping that someone would bite. Last week, she sent us some links.
We got a nice write-up on Design Crush.
A mention in the Swiss Miss Friday Link Pack (which just about made Robbi’s year; she’s a huge fan).
And a wonderfully creative tribute on hello lovely, who paid us the ultimate compliment of calling Ten Thousand Stories an “offbeat gem.”
We heard from our editor that the book is selling well so far, but that the coming holiday season will determine whether or not it’s truly a success. Which may well determine whether we get to publish any more books with Chronicle.
As you think ahead to your holiday shopping, keep in mind that Ten Thousand Stories might be the perfect gift: a book that can never actually be finished. Perfect for the coffee table. Perfect for entertaining dinner guests while you finish in the kitchen.
And, in keeping with the theme of this post, if you have read Ten Thousand Stories and have something nice to say about it, we’d be hugely appreciative if you’d stroll on over to the Ten Thousand Stories Amazon page and leave a customer review. I heard a story on NPR last week that said that reviews are so important to driving sales on Amazon that products with negative reviews sell better than products with no reviews.
So if you want to rant and rail, have at it. But if you want to say nice things, that would be ok with us too.
Here’s the link. Just scroll down to the “Customer Reviews” section.
And thanks. We don’t like asking you for things, but in this case, it could really help.
