Dissappointed In Book Quality Lately? Options

Is anyone here besides me, dissappointed in the quality of books being put out today. I'm not referring to their content (although you seem to be getting less and less of that also), but more in terms of construction. I know most occult books don't sell in volume to warrant the nice, hardbound tome of a book we all (most?) yearn after as a way of connecting with the scribes of antiquity, but it seems even the nicer-looking "perfect bound" books fall apart rather quickly. I still have books from the seventies I've had since they were new that are still in fairly good shape. I even have some of my mother's books from the 40's that are not damaged. yet, I find that new books I buy have only about a 50% chance of surviving the first reading.

Anyone else come across this problem?

SONA used to sell hardcover books but that too has went by the wayside. For starters since this is such a niche market there's no call to print a 1,000 copies ahead of time as that is a waste of money sitting on your shelves and it's taxable another big problem.

They had bought this machine and these hard cover stocks that allow them to make a hardcover book on demand. But, like everything else, it is time consuming and perish forbid if the a page gets out of whack, well there's money down the drain.

Secondly, when you sell hardcover books, most retail locations won't take them unless you have something written on the spine. Why? Because they claim customers like to browse just the names not pull them off the shelf. (Silly? I thought so too but that is what Borders, B. Dalton Booksellers, Waldens and Barnes & Noble told me when I inuired to them about carrying my stuff in hardbound).

Which brings me to the point that dust jackets for such hardcovers can be made but the cheapest printer I found wanted an minimum order of 1,000 for them AND at $3.00 a piece so that's $3,000 just sitting there. Most printers are of the mindset that if it's going to be done, it has to be done in enough quantity so they can set the dies on their machines and run it.

This is why they chose to go with plastic comb spiral formatting. Yes it's less expensive (though it too is time consuming) AND it allows for you to lay the book open and flat on your altar (or if you have a bookstand like I do) so you can operate hands free.

In truth, what anyone is selling is not a book/booklet but rather the information. But like someone already pointed out even that is sliding down worse than the book's quality.

Don't get discouraged though, you can get some places to turn your books into your own, unique hardcover tomes. Ever thought of taking your BEST material, writing it out neatly, illustrating it with colors and then taking it to a binder and having a copy made for yourself? They can do this and even insert different colored ribbons for bookmarks for you. It's a nifty idea and I highly recommend it. Then label the thing your own Necronomicon or Book of Eibon or Tome of Skelos, whatever. That way when some dunderhead says there is no Necronomicon, you can shove it up his arse! ;o)

All the Best,