Kenneth Roberts – The Unofficial Site

It appears that every year around my birthday, I find a unique Roberts collectible. This year did not disappoint. Today I received an Advanced Review Copy of Boon Island.  Below are some photos:

I must admit that, at first, I was unsure whether this was the real thing. But Ken Lopez, at his website, has a helpful post that discusses uncorrected proofs and advanced review copies. According to Lopez:

While most collectors don’t often have a chance to acquire the manuscripts of their favorite authors’ books, they do have ready access to a preliminary state of the book that precedes the first published edition— that of the “uncorrected proof” or “advance reading copy.” Publishers have long issued advance copies of forthcoming books, prior to the book’s publication date, for a number of reasons: they want reviewers and periodicals to have a chance to read them and schedule reviews to coincide with publication, even given the long lead times many magazines require for production; they want to get the opinions of important buyers who are likely to purchase large quantities of the book if they believe in it — buyers for the major wholesalers, the chain bookstores, and the large independent stores around the country; they want to get early copies to the author’s friends and peers — preferably well-known ones — who can give comments about the book that the publisher can use for promotion, on the dust jacket as “blurbs,” in ads, and in the promotional literature sent out to the news media as press releases.

How the advanced review copies (ARC) were presented has changed over time. Lopez states that “the typical advance copy was a set of typeset sheets, bound directly into the dust jacket — that is, identical to the finished book with the exception of the lack of hard covers.” Publishers began changing how ARCs were presented in the 1950s that it began to be commonplace to distribute paperback, uncorrected copies of the book for promotional purposes (Lopez, n.d.). But, “By the Sixties, the major publishers were routinely doing bound softcover volumes of ‘uncorrected proofs’ — which, for a time, were called ‘Cranes,’ after the printing company that had proposed them.”

Though, with my limited resources, I did not have much to go on regarding the Boon Island ARC, what was posted on eBay seemed legit. So, I bought it (plus, it was at an excellent price). Upon receiving the ACR today, I have no doubt that what I have is the real thing. Judging by the aging of the paper, the creases and fraying of the binder, and how the font was set on the paper, what I have is a unique piece of Kenneth Roberts memorabilia. I hope to have the story behind my particular copy, which I will share.

I must confess that Boon Island has not been my favorite Roberts novel in the past. However, as things have fallen in place, I’ve found today several articles published in the past several years regarding the true events that served as the basis of Boon Island. As I continue to read upon the fateful wreck of the Nottingham, I find the story fascinating as one side blames the captain of the ship, and another side blames certain crewman for spreading false reasons for the wreck (Roberts took the latter side). The wreck of the Nottingham is so intriguing that papers and websites in Maine (in particular) and New England (in general) still write about it. In light of this, Boon Island is quickly becoming one of my top Kenneth Roberts’ novels.

Keep your eyes open; I’ll be writing on this intriguing story soon!

Filed under: Boon Island, K.R. Books | Tagged: Advanced Reader Copy, Boon Island, Ken Lopez Bookseller, Nottingham Galley, rare books | Leave a comment »