Dear Friends and Supporters, Fellow Pilgrims All ~

Greetings for the second week of Great Lent!

We received our printed copy of the Final Draft Version of The North American Thebaid Book back in early February, and have been very impressed by the results, as well as launched into a new round of pre-press edits!

The large size of the book (13 inches by 11 inches) presents the images on a truly grande scale. There are about a dozen two-page full-bleed spreads, which, at 26″ width by 11″ height, make a real impact on the viewer. A hundred or so full page images complete the effect, alternate with smaller images to vary the pace with vignettes of the life and surroundings of the monasteries. We’re very pleased with how it has come together. Above is a photo of me holding the full-size cover proof, and below is an example of a couple of pages from the section on Holy Dormition Monastery in Rives Jct, Michigan (apologies for the glare on the left hand page):

Since receiving the proof edition, St Tikhon’s Monastery Press and I have had a few in-depth meetings on the final page and image edits required before we go to print. In a few cases we have actually changed the layout a bit, adding a couple of images to improve the flow and provide some unique views essential to this visual pilgrimage. In a couple of other places we have resized and rearranged images on the pages, again, all at the service of the pictorial and artistic narrative. Once these last image edits are done (and there are probably not (m)any more), we will be officially in “pre-flight” mode, and I will be working through the actual pre-press file conversions to optimize the images and convert them to CMYK for offset printing. We will print one last proof copy to review before going to print.

In short, we are at the threshold, or the launch pad, if you prefer, and that is a very exciting place to be after several years of working on this project!

Another big “Thank You” to those who have pre-ordered!

We continue to see a modest but steady flow of pre-orders for both the Standard Edition, Cloth Bound with French Fold Dust Jacket, and the Deluxe Limited Edition in Leather with Ribbon Marker. Both versions when pre-ordered come with a signed and matted fine-art print from the Thebaid Project. †

We greatly appreciate your practical support through pre-ordering, which really helps us as we ramp up to go to print. I will provide a final countdown notice here before we close the pre-order store and send the files to the printer. Please note that you can only purchase the Limited Edition by pre-order, and that the signed and matted fine art prints are likewise only available through pre-order of the book. See notes on ordering below; full details provided on the Thebaid Store.

Thank you for being such an important part of this amazing pilgrimage. I can’t wait to get the book into your hands.

With prayers for a Good Lent,

~ Ralph Sidway

† Pre-Order Notes:

• Pre-orders of The North American Thebaid book are available for a limited time at The Thebaid Store.
• The Deluxe Limited Edition (signed & numbered, with signed and matted print) is available only by pre-order for a limited time. Once the book goes go to print, we will close the pre-order Thebaid Store.
• Signed copies of the Standard Edition (with a signed and matted print) are available by pre-order until the book goes to print.
• The signed and matted 8×10 prints are only available by pre-order bundled with the book, and will not be available separately either before we go to print, or afterwards. There are currently no plans to offer Thebaid prints for sale.
• Pre-orders will be shipped before retail channels receive their copies for resale.
• Upon publication, the Standard Edition will be available through the STM Press Bookstore, and through other online and ‘brick and mortar’ resellers.
• Contact STM Press with queries about discounts for resellers and church bookstores.