SUMMER 2016 QUARTERLY EDITION Byline TWO 70-PAGE NOTEBOOKS

Get It, But Get It Right

Byline 2-Packs are sold out but check out our new Front Page 2-Pack in a similar format and style.

For years, people have been asking us to make a Reporter’s Notebook. We tried a couple times, but we never seemed to be able to get it just exactly right. After all, the Reporter’s Notebook is an iconic American object. From The Front Page to All the President’s Men to Spotlight, the sight of one being whipped out and flipped open is a sure sign that somebody is about to write down something important. So, when veteran reporter John Dickerson, host of CBS’ Face the Nation, wrote us out of the blue and asked us to make one – and offered to help – we knew our deadline was approaching. Watch John tell the story.

For the Record

We’re proud to present our 31st limited release: The “Byline” Edition, for Summer 2016. You’ll find they’re excellent for taking notes at work or in class. They’re Wire-O-Bound and lay flat, so they’re perfect on your desk or kitchen counter, or on that table near the door where you always leave your keys. And of course, if you’re getting the scoop on deep-background from an anonymous source for your next big front page story, well then, the “Byline” Edition is just the ticket. As usual, the inside covers are jam-packed with helpful information.

We studied existing Reporter’s Notebooks and updated and improved just about every facet of the design. Classic Reporter’s Notebooks have always felt a touch clumsy in our hands. We’ve trimmed the width a hair to make it easier to write with one hand while holding it with the other. We’ve created a cover which protects the wire binding, so it doesn’t get caught on fabric or stuff in your backpack. Traditional notebooks are Gregg-ruled which, to our eyes, is too wide and too dark. We’ve moved to a lighter Collegiate ruling. The diameter of the binding has been customized, as have the die-cut holes that the binding passes through, for maximum “flippability.” A handy pocket has been added to the back cover which makes for a thicker and more stable hand-held writing surface, and also gives you a place to stash a shred of evidence or a receipt for the cocktails you bought to ply a reluctant witness.

Extra! Extra!

Aside from field-testing the notebooks, John Dickerson also contributed in another way. John is the proprietor of the Whistlestop podcast from Slate and is publishing a book later this summer titled Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History. We asked John to take a chapter about politics and the press and adapt it to tell a story in the reporting style of newspapers of the time. He chose a real doozy from 1803 and found just the right voice for telling it.

We bet you’ve never heard of James T. Callender, but you won’t soon forget him, or his relationship with Hamilton and Jefferson. His story might be 200+ years-old, but we think you’ll agree that it speaks to today. We printed it up in a “mini-broadsheet” format and slipped it into the “Byline” Edition’s back pocket. Enjoy. Then pre-order John’s book. You won’t regret it.

Mightier Than…

Folks who have an active year-long subscription to our Quarterly Editions, and those who start one with “Byline,” will also receive a free “Power of the Pen Laptop Sticker” (FNC-31b). Let’s face it, your trusty laptop can do a lot of things, but if it doesn’t have a sweet sticker of an eagle clutching a click pen and a lightning bolt on the back, how cool is it, really? 

“Byline” is a limited edition. When they’re gone, they’re gone for good. Check out the Limited Editions page for all the details and benefits of being a subscriber, and see all our previous Quarterly Editions there too.

When the very last print run of these was complete, we got to do something that we’ve always wanted to do. We yelled “Stop the Presses!” That was very satisfying.

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