I could post about this on my tumblr, but I think I will get more of a response here, plus peeps with experience selling stuff.

So!: Within the past months I have gotten into book binding - just coptic stitch. I really love making these - I have all sorts of paper laying around to use and have some different styles I want to try out. BUT I also will feel guilty if I just make a bunch and stack them away and they go unused or untouched for a long time.

example one - yes this is the first one I made, I have this one stored away on my bookshelf... example two - this is my own personal one I use for sketching and art journaling. Both journals are fat, because I wanted to go thick!

• what sizes do you prefer for a journal size? I'm thinking thinner journals (half the size of those shown) and little note pads might sell better.

• blank pages or lined?

• selling: my mom has a booth at a country store where she sells her own crafts and antiques. I'm thinking about selling them there (since they would be handmade). How much should I charge? Like an acceptable price range? Of course that depends on size and materials used!

Just want some input - this could be time consuming and I would need to buy a bit more material.

I don't have much experience selling stuff. Well, I've sold a couple hundred dollars worth of handmade jewelry at jewelry parties, but that's about it. When I priced things for the parties I looked around to see the quality and price of jewelry in department stores and on various sites around the internet to get an idea of what kind of price range I could ask for. Then, I used a sort of vague formula to come up with a price. You can make up your own formula. There's a guide that might help you start thinking about it on Etsy here.

I think selling at your mom's booth is a great idea. You could expand your business to the internet later if you want or try to find more opportunities to sell locally. It's up to you really.

I'm not sure how helpful any of that is but I really like the books you linked. I would so buy one with that moths/butterflies cover in a heartbeat! As for my preferences, I like notebooks that will fit in my purse and don't care much if they're lined or unlined since they all end up being a messy jumble of on-the-go notes and doodles anyway.

Oh my gosh, a fellow bookbinder. I am trying to make my friend's wedding present: A book entitled "All you need is a little faith to find true love and live in happiness. It is going to have quotes of each of those attributes. Oh I cant wait to get it done. Let's see, I would prefer a book ....oh about the size of a 4x6 or 5x7 picture. Lined paper is alot better I think because some people (like me, lefty) can't really write in a straight line. I try my hardest but on unlined paper my letters get smaller and smaller and the line goes upward. Hmm, prices....that I am not sure of. I guess it depends on how much material you put into it, what kind of material (fabric, leather, cardstock, did you sew the binding or glue it? that kind of thing) Oh, and if you put a fastener on the book if you choose to make the book tie up. I guess the most basic book you could sell for $8?

When gathering info on how to open an etsy shop, I came across this formula to help with pricing: Materials + Labor + Expenses + Profit = Wholesale x 2 = Retail Maybe this would help as a guide for you?

Oh, hmm. that is interesting! I am not skilled enough to sell books yet. I am actually doing my second book (but first book i am trying hard on since it is a wedding present) and I am loving the Belgian Book Binding technique. My first book I just cut the chipboard, glued cardstock on, and punched a million holes as I used big rings for the binding. Yes, graduation cards from high school.

definitely have both lined and unlined. there are so many gorgeous notebooks that i want to use as sketchbooks but they're all. fucking. lined. and it hurts me so ;c

Haha, oh crap. i dont know what i did but the signatures aren't straight and tight. I knew i should have went to bed instead of fighting sleep. Now I have to get more thread and redo it. I am a lefty too and trying to watch the youtube vid on the Secret Belgian Book Binding way confused me because I think the lady was right handed. Oh well. At least I know how to do it now.

I started putting together three books (one for myself again!) but got lazy LOL! I've been making them certain sizes and having to cut paper without a paper cutter is a pain in the butt and time consuming. I also lack GOOD cardboard for the covers, the one thing I didn't buy on my trip to the art supply store. I've been making cactus pin cushions on the side these past two days. LOL! Gotta have somewhere to store my needles right?

- I'm gonna go check out this Belgian book binding. :o This is one of the sources I used to learn how to do the coptic stitch - youtube

It is right here. Secret Belgian Book Binding

Hope you are still collecting info.

I would like a thinner one where I could keep my plans. I have to write down lots of random notes so I don't forget things and at least for me personally I would need a thinner one that goes into a messenger bag and doesn't take up too much space.

The lined or unlined question...both? I could see some people using them for sketching and others like me using them for notes. Maybe you could have both kinds or do requests depending on what people need.

Price: I can't say, but I do know where I am bound journals with boring covers are actually pretty expensive usually in the 15-20€ range. If you could sell just under what they go for in stores, but obviously enough to cover all material costs and make a profit that would be perfect. Definitely decide how much time it takes you and how much the materials cost you and don't forget that you put your own personal time into these and that's worth something too so don't go too low. If you are at a booth and you are personally present you might be able to haggle with people who come by. If it's not the kind of booth you stay at. If you set a price and it's too high and it doesn't sell then you can probably easily adjust it with having an actual booth.

Hope some of that actually is helpful!

- Yes I'm still onto this! Defiantly still a side project of mine.

Yes I think thinner journals would be best - to make a main bunch of and then have maybe two larger ones and a handful of smaller note pads on the side. I made an art journal for myself which is really fat - that's a lot of blank pages to fill, it requires quite a bit of dedication! lol!

It's a booth set up within a store, so no I will not be present.

They look great! Very lovely covers. The sketchbooks I like are thinner than what you have shown, so that it`s easier for me to pack and carry around. You could think about playing with page dimension and page amount. Like if you wanted to sell larger sketchbooks, have fewer pages, and smaller books have more pages. Seeing as they are sketchbooks, unlined would be best. Depending on your audience, you could do a basic paper that would hold up to graphite, some pen, dry materials. Or some decent watercolour/mixed media paper with a hot press/fine tooth to hold more wet media.