Sphere book crowdfunding next week!
Almost done with the Sphere book, launching a Kickstarter campaign for printing next week!
Hi folks. Putting together the book about Sphere has taken an immense amount of work, but the light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching.
I mentioned a while back that a crowdfunding campaign was coming, and it is now imminent: I plan to launch the Kickstarter campaign next week, in order to raise the funds to print the book and get it out into the world!
Go Computer Now! has been written and edited. Lots of images, including new and never-before-seen photos, have been sourced and selected. It is a substantial work, and will likely land somewhere close to 400 pages, including full notes and an index. It’s meant to be both a compelling story and a work of scholarship. Layout has begun, and I have reason to believe it will look awesome, too.
The final big commitment is the actual printing. Offset lithography (i.e., professional book production) is a high volume, serious business. Even setting aside costs of editing, design, and image licensing, the printing requires a very substantial up-front outlay just to hit print run minimums on a quality hardcover book and its fulfillment. Hence, the Kickstarter campaign.
This newsletter list doesn’t go to very many people; you are the few and (I hope!) the proud people who are most curious about Sphere’s chapter in computer history— and, I hope, having something novel on your bookshelf.
What you can do
For now, please sign up on the project page here. You’ll get an immediate heads-up when the book campaign goes live, and there will be a small early bird discount on the book price at the start to thank you for your interest and patience.
Tell your friends and your frenemies! If those frenemies happen to, say, run blogs, or host tech podcasts do feel free to let me know. I’ll be hoping to get the word out to all interested parties.
I’m also working up a couple simple but hopefully charming additional items to incentivize further contribution to the project once it launches.
I’ve been fortunate to work with some real professionals to get this book out the door, including Glenn Fleishman (editor and printed-book shepherd extraordinaire) and an incredibly good book designer whose identity I am withholding until a bit later.
For now, thanks again for being signed up. This newsletter will have more to say about the book and also more computer history and Sphere-adjacent articles from the cutting room floor.
I will leave you with this sexy glamour shot of the Sphere 16K memory module. (Yes, the book will include newly-photographed sexy glamour shots!)
Thanks for tuning in,
Ben Z.
All text and images above are copyright by Ben Zotto.