Why Do Publishers Still Use Half Title Pages?

Though somewhat rarer than they used to be, half title (or bastard) pages sometimes appear at the beginning of books, followed by a blank verso page and then the full title. The practice of half title pages arose as a means of protecting the full title page from the wear and tear of the printing and binding processes. Of course, an alternative solution would be to simply add a blank page, and indeed, some book designers do exactly that. When books have to lose a couple of pages to fit into a certain page signature, the half title is the first thing to go. Personally, I think some publishers like the extended throat clearing involved in blank pages, half titles, full titles, endless prefatory pages and so on because it distinguishes their work of literature from other less exalted works that get down to business within half a dozen pages. It is a bit like those high art movies that start by listing all the nested organisations responsible for the production of that particular masterpiece — the list is sometimes startlingly long.

An Honest Broker

Music historian, composer and critic Ted Gioia has penned an interesting essay on Substack about being ‘the honest broker’ in your particular field. Someone honest who knows how to get things done, how the particular system works and the key players. No matter how shonky and uncertain the particular field of endeavour, and how many sharks circle in those particular waters, there is always an honest broker, if you look hard enough. Well may we all strive to be that person to our customers, assisting rather than exploiting.