ATTN: RECEIVING

This morning I put together and emailed a receipt for a recent purchase. Like the IDE(A/O)LOG(Y/UE) forms, the receipts/invoices are an integrated part of what the press does; they are functional-aesthetic objects that provide a record of the life and reach of the press. They are pre-designed forms that are filled out digitally and emailed and/or sent with books.

Fig. 10.09.01
The NewLights Press Purchase Record/Invoice, bringing a subtle disruption into even the most mundane interactions. Get one absolutely free with any purchase.

I definitely get a perverse enjoyment out of making these forms for myself. But there is more to it than that: A) It becomes a way of “performing” the role of publisher (the NewLights Press is a self-deconstructing institution) and B) as I get further and further into this thing, as more and more books are made and sent out into the world, it seems more urgent to somehow keep track of and preserve all of this information. When it all began, I sold pretty much all of the books directly (except a handful placed at the local bookstore), but now a fair amount are sold through this website, and they go off, faceless to a faceless destination.

I prefer to say thank you directly to the people who buy my books. These forms are a multi-threaded attempt to do that.