When a book’s dust jacket is placed on the book at the printer, there is a nifty machine that handles the process, including the most important part: getting the folds in just the right place with just the right amount of pressure to create the proper crease. Too hard of a crease and the DJ will be too tight around the spine. Too light of a crease and the DJ will be very loose and “flowy” around the book, possibly so much the DJ just kind of falls off when the book is handled.

When you have to DJ a book manually, you’re starting with a stack of flat, unfolded DJs (see photo above), which means you need to be that machine. And, even after 16 years at Cemetery Dance Publications, this is a skill I just cannot learn for some reason! I can’t get the folds right. The DJs end up too loose because I’m afraid of creasing them too much.

Luckily, my wife ran the CD warehouse for 10 years while also designing hundreds of our books, promotional materials, and the magazine… so instead of my supporters on Levels 5, 6, and 7 getting Patreon Storieshardcover books with DJs that just fall off, instead you’ll be receiving properly DJed books thanks to her efforts!

Here are a few photos of the process: