Bookbinders are turning fanfiction into hardcover masterpieces
Fanfiction lives and flourishes online. But that doesn’t mean fan-written works don’t deserve to see the light of day as physical books. Now, thanks to the dedicated work of bookbinders, volumes of fanfiction are getting stunning, handcrafted editions that breathe new life into fan works.
Amanda Johnston runs Red Panda Bindery, a set of TikTok and Instagram accounts where she documents the process of turning fanfics into physical books. The accounts flaunt her beautiful creations, but also serve as a resource for others looking to learn more about bookbinding. While her books tend to stand out with flourishes like golden embossed titles with custom designs and hand-painted edges, the content itself comes across as relaxed. She makes these books in the comfort of her own home, and lines them up in between cans of chicken soup.
“There are special tools that can be purchased, but when I started out I used things from the dollar store and stuff I already had laying around. I used snack boxes in place of fancy book boards and I made book cloth from old sheets. I used a thumbtack instead of an awl. It is a very accessible hobby,” Johnston said via email.
Did i get a littlw emotional making this? Maybe. But finding this community has been one of the greatest things fo ever happen to me. I love all my book binding friends. #bookbinding #bindingfanfiction #bindingfanfic #dramoine #fanfiction #CapCut
The methods for binding a book vary, but Johnston uses a square-back Bradel bind. Generally speaking, she starts with formatting and printing fanfiction, which she then folds into signatures, the term for the stacked and folded paper that gathers at the spine of the book. From there she sews the pages together and glues them to
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