Less than 5 days to go to London Book Fair 2014. Version 1 of our Cult of Porsche book has been printed and bound, and I’m off out the door to Ricoh’s print finishers in Milton Keynes to watch them trimming the book down to size.

Bonus is I am driving my Cayenne there – picked it up yesterday following its gearbox rebuild. Running perfectly, but the bill is higher than expected and I have a different tyre on one front wheel. That is bad karma for someone.

I’m also meeting some book publishers and a literary agent at the show. Am totally new to books, so anyone wants to give me a few pointers then drop me an email to mail@ferdinandmagazine.com. Here’s our press release with Ricoh UK:

London, 8 April, 2014 – A digitally printed coffee table book celebrating the ownership and enjoyment of classic Porsche cars, illustrated with lavish photography, will be launched by Ricoh and its publisher The Cult of Porsche at the London Book Fair (LBF) at stand R505 on April 8, 2014.

The book, titled The Cult of Porsche: In the Beginning, documents beautifully preserved classic Porsche cars and inspiring owner-modified machines that pay tribute to Porsche’s unique engineering vision. The book was written by long-time Porsche journalist and blogger, John Glynn, with pictures by internationally renowned automotive photographer, James Lipman, and designed by Silk Pearce. ‘Ferdinand: The Cult of Porsche’ is John’s curated Porsche news blog with a massive global readership of nearly 250,000 unique users.

“In the Beginning is part one of our first classic Porsche collection,” says John. “Spread over three volumes, the first Cult of Porsche book trilogy traces an emotional line entwining true Porsche enthusiasts. It showcases wonderfully original cars as well as beautifully modified classics, to honour the legacy of Ferdinand ‘Ferry’ Porsche.

“Doing justice to James’ incredible photography has always been a Cult of Porsche priority. When the opportunity arose to print a beautifully designed book on Ricoh’s digital print machinery, we jumped at the chance. Our work was the ultimate test for Ricoh’s technology and this exceptional end product will delight readers, while doing justice to the material.”

The Cult of Porsche: In the Beginning is digitally printed and delivers the impact and quality that until now has been associated only with offset printing. It provides a practical example of the benefits digital printing can bring to publishers: a cost effective route to market and; a fast and straight forward way to produce short-run books and those requiring frequent updates. It can also benefit authors who want to print their own work with an affordable printing method, and the opportunity to collaborate on bespoke solutions.”

Gareth Parker, strategic marketing manager – production print, Ricoh said: “Collaborating with John, James and Silk Pearce to create this beautiful book has been an enormous pleasure. The project has enabled us to demonstrate the first class results publishers can get by printing digitally to create unique, short-run books. As readers’ habits change, publishers must change their mindsets to embrace the capabilities of digital, and the sellable impact it can offer. By adopting new technologies today, publishers can start to transform their businesses for the future.”