Book Printing Acceptance Guidlines

The most exciting book printing & publishing job I am currently involved in is a book entitled, "The Death of Manolete," by Barnaby Conrad. The book chronicles the final days leading to his death in the ring of Manuel Laureano Rodríguez, known as Manolete, arguably the greatest bullfighter of modern times. The book is being re-released in trade paperback after being out of print for over fifty years. Its republishing is coordinated to coincide with the release of a major motion picture, Manolete, in March 2007.

Two things make this project exciting. First, the connection between the book and the movie gives this project high energy and cross-promotional opportunities. Second, the subject matter of bullfighting is quite controversial, especially with organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA commends LolaFilms, the movie’s producers, for not harming any animals during the filming of Manolete. The bullfight scenes are recreated using Computer Generated Images, CGI. PETA remains steadfastly against bullfighting, however. In PETA’s opinion, therefore, the book is controversial because it celebrates bullfighting.

Book printers, in general, benefit from deciding in advance which types of books to print. In my opinion, the historical significance of "The Death of Manolete" outweighs the controversy over bullfighting. A little controversy is good for book sales, too, and I have no issues over exploiting it. I did, however, choose not to print two genres—pornography and hate books. This is a personal decision each book printer must make individually before accepting any book project. Clear book acceptance guidelines help employees make better decisions when dealing with customer. Put the policy in writing, whenever possible. You’ll be glad you did.

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