I have a book project about typewriting... Release update below.
My goal is to publish a book about modern-day typewritten materials and I am inviting volunteer subjects from around the world to share their typewritten open letters (scanned or photographed), as well as talk, laugh, and cry about them with me.
THE MAIN THEME: A letter by you to the youth one hundred years from now.
If you had the chance to say something to your hypothetical future great-great-grandkids, what would you tell them?
Would you narrate your journey to adulthood, share your recent proud moment, and/or talk about your current favorite typewriter?
Would you tell them your frustrations or focus on your biggest dreams? Would you mention the weather or describe your ideal date?
You could talk to them about anything, as long as your feelings while writing about it remain authentic. The project is not going to pretend to be a know-it-all. It only wishes to add to the typewriter resurgence in the last decade by perpetuating raw outcomes of the typewriting experience. That we contributed, for starters, something as insightful as communicating from our own 21st-century perspective, through mechanically-impressed thoughts on paper, as our forebearers did many decades ago. Being human is feeling a sense of obligation to keep certain traditions so the memory does not die with us. After all, we are guilty of being admirers of a forgotten instrument and now it is time typewriter fans keep typewriting alive.
I will collect, categorize, and screen these letters. After which I will determine the ones making the final cut and expound on the best angles to present them. Pretty standard stuff, all of which I will keep this microsite updated regularly on, especially the publishing date, which [UPDATE as of August 21, 2023:] Q3 (August) 2023 release date has been delayed indefinitely.
UPDATE: Good news: if you prefer going the authentic way, you can now send your letter by mail! I will handle the professional scanning for you.
France Pinzon
6-456 Saint-Jacques
Levis, Quebec
G6W 3A2
Canada
*Important note for US senders: This is postage to Canada, which requires higher postage than US addresses (First Class is $1.40).
You could talk to them about anything, as long as your feelings while writing about it remain authentic.
A few important musts and mustn'ts for willing subjects:
The letter you will submit must be done using a typewriter (ie. please no .docx files with Courier New font).
It must not be published anywhere (not even on your personal blog) whether in digital or physical format.
You must not submit someone else's letter without their knowledge.
Anonymous and pseudonymous submissions are acceptable
You must be open to a possible email interview if your letter gets chosen. For anonymous senders, we will omit topics and answers that could reveal your identity.
Last but not the least, you must not miss the deadline for submission, on October 9, 2022 (UTC), which is achievable by completing the form further below.
Still up to the task? Scroll further down to read more about answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and the official form to submit your letter.
Typewriter Today is looking for volunteer subjects/contributors. Its main theme: A letter by you to the youth one hundred years from now. Deadline for submission: October 9, 2022.
FAQs
How many entries/subjects are you planning to include in the book?
It can be as few as ten or as many as a hundred subjects (scans of the letters) in one book. I honestly cannot promise a number right now. I will keep this website updated, nonetheless.
Can I submit more than one?
You could submit as many letters as you could but I will only admit one entry per person. Also, it doesn't guarantee that if you submit a letter, you automatically make the book.
When is the submission deadline?
The last day to submit your letter and fill out the form completely is on October 9, 2022 (UTC).
Would this publication come out as an ebook or a physical book?
Both!
Is this a for-profit or a non-profit piece?
For-profit. I plan to release it on Amazon.
Will I get paid for my submission?
There will be no financial compensation for inclusion in the book.
Do you have a strict format for the letter?
Just the standard: date at the very top, next the greeting, and then your closing line and name (perhaps penned down?) at the bottom. The body of the letter is free-form.
What's the word count?
No word count, but you must keep the entire length of the letter within one (1) page only.
Can I submit a letter in a non-English language?
Yes. If ever it gets chosen it would be accompanied by an English translation and run them by you before publishing.
What must be the size of the paper?
As long as it is not bigger than an A3 paper (297 x 420 mm or 11.7 x 16.5 in) we'll make it work.
I don't have a scanner at home. Could I just take a photo of the letter?
Yes, you could as long as you take the entire page of the letter from a flat lay angle. Make sure you get all the edges of the paper within the frame.
The file format?
JPG, PNG, and PDF formats only.
Do you prefer a colored image or black-and-white?
Colored. Please send the file raw and unedited.
On that note, if you are not scanning the letter, make sure you take the photo in decent natural (no camera flash glare).
13. I am having trouble taking a photo or scanning. Can I send the letter by mail instead?
Good news: if you prefer going the authentic way, you can now send your letter by mail! I will handle the professional scanning for you.
France Pinzon
6-456 Saint-Jacques
Levis, Quebec
G6W 3A2
Canada
*Important note for US senders: This is postage to Canada, which requires higher postage than US addresses ($1.40).
When will the book be released?
As of December 6, 2022, I have moved the release to Q3 of 2023, accounting for all the work that needs to be done to come out with a book that would meet my satisfaction. I simply cannot commit to finishing the book earlier than that and I apologize to those who expected it to be published in November 2022.
Are you excited? I'm excited. To share your typewritten letter with me, fill out the Google Form below:
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED!
UPDATE: Alternatively, if you do not have a Gmail account, you can send your letter to me at france.c.pinzon@gmail.com, with the subject title: Typewritten Today, and all the necessary answers below:
Name:
Age:
Occupation:
City and Country:
The date you typed the letter:
Typewriter model (and year) you used:
How often do you use your typewriter/s?
a. Every day
b. A few times a week
c. I just mostly collect and rarely use one
d. Once or twice before, many many years ago, or
e. This is the first time!
Lastly, by writing "Agree," you are granting me, France C. B. Pinzon, royalty-free license to download, copy, reproduce (in print and digital formats), adapt, alter or edit to enhance quality, for publishing, promotion, advertising and marketing purposes of the book.
If chosen, you shall be given due credit in the book (unless you prefer anonymity) and shall grant the publisher (me) an email interview to complete a write-up about you concerning the letter.