Red Rising Special Edition Interview
- Zach Harney
- 2 days ago
- 16 min read
Anthony Kaye of Curious King
In a conversation with Anthony Kaye of fine press publisher Curious King, he pulls back the curtain on his incredible collaboration with Lit Escalates and this ambitious publishing project. Over two years in the making, the joint publication of Pierce Brown's Red Rising is a passion project for both contributors and Anthony walks us through the extraordinary craftsmanship that went into every tier of the release. The co-publication features four different tiers, each meticulously designed with fanatical attention to the world of Red Rising, and all copies are signed by author Pierce Brown, of which the Artist Edition is still available to purchase. Anthony also discusses the new lore woven into the edition — brand new material from Pierce Brown on all 13 of the Institute Houses, accompanied by a full set of house sigils by Joel Daniel Phillips. As a howler myself, it has been very exciting to see this project formulate and finally come to fruition. Per aspera ad astra!
Q: You've mentioned that Joel from Lit Escalates approached you in 2023 about working together on Red Rising. What was that first conversation like — did you immediately see the potential, or did it take some back and forth before you felt it was the right fit?
Yes! I had been wanting to do Red Rising since I started the press, as I loved the books so much, but knew it wouldn’t be a straightforward pitch. However, fortune favoured me on this one. They came to me!
This is going to sound like I’m being a braggard, but it’s genuinely the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me. Don’t forget I’m a collector and mega fan of SFF books. So. I was introduced to Joel by Joe Abercrombie. Yes, the dark lord himself, Joe Abercrombie, introduced Joel to ME! That sentence blows my mind…The actual reason was because of Tommy Arnold’s dustjacket art for TBI rather than a “Anthony should do RR”, but the facts are the facts!
Joel was speaking to Joe about collaborating on some level for Lit Escalates and mentioned how much he loved the TBI dustjacket art (who can blame him). Joe put Joel onto me to discuss licensing it, which was really nice. I may have also sneakily researched Lit Escalates before the meeting and realized they were the Red Rising guys. The chat about the artwork was short as the copyright was with Tommy, not me. I was just licensed to do a signed print run. The conversation moved fairly quickly onto limited edition books, a subject I will talk for hours about if given the chance. I knew it might work out when he asked me about using marble in some way, and I was able to tell him I had a marble guy. Got 'em.
I don’t remember the specifics so much from the chat, but I do know that it was a really easy and fast-flowing conversation with somebody on the same page as me. I think it ended with a “let me speak to Pierce, let’s see if we can work it out”. Always a good sign. I was also convinced that I was the right person to work on Red Rising in fine press, as I loved it so much. Also, I know they wanted to do something different than the previous specials.
Q: This project has been over two years in the making. How has the working relationship with Lit Escalates developed over that time? Were there moments where the scope of the project shifted significantly, and how did you navigate that together?
The working relationship has been amazing. It’s been so incredibly easy that I have rarely even noticed that there’s another party involved in this release. From the early days discussing scope, we always agreed on what we thought was the best way forward. Since then, it’s been the same on all facets of releasing a book like this.
This genuinely surprised me as I’ve had business partners in the past who didn’t quite work out, which upset me. Also, CK is my passion and my baby, and I will always do it exactly the way I want to do it, even if I’ve had conflicting opinions from sounding boards. It’s great to hear feedback, but I only act on feedback I agree with. I’m happy to do it a different way if I genuinely believe I’m right about direction/concept. Curious King has always been and always will be, books the way I always wanted them. If they sell, great; if they don’t, that’s cool! Currently, CK pays my bills which means I do have to think about whether these decisions are right for my collectors. I’m very lucky that the books I want to produce have been well received by my collectors. The dream is not to rely on any income from Curious King at all, so I can just do what my heart desires at a pace I’m happy with.
This stuff always made me think I would never be able to work with another publisher, as I wouldn’t want to compromise on an idea that I didn’t believe in. That’s probably small-minded of me to say, as there’s probably dozens of brilliant publishers/designers that might actually work out in a joint release, they’re just hard to find, I think.
Q: Co-publishing is relatively unusual in the fine press world. How did you divide responsibilities between Curious King and Lit Escalates — who handles what, and how do you keep production decisions from becoming a tug-of-war?
Good question, I wasn’t quite sure to begin with at the split. Luckily, the roles became apparent quite early in the process as we were able to play to both partners' strengths. LE weren’t a publisher and totally understood from the off that fine press publishing was a whole other world. They listened to the key components and didn’t try and bite off anything I said they couldn’t chew.
The partnership made sense for me because of Lit Escalates background in curating the right things for the fans of these series and how reverently they did it. They also had a much bigger reach, polished brand and connection with their customers. I knew I could design and produce beautiful versions of these books due to my love for the series, and together we might be able to do something that reached outside the boundaries of the small fine press community.
It both excited me and made me nervous when I learned Joel was an artist early on. And not just any artist, an award-winning fine artist with an insane body of work. I was excited to work with a full-blown artist who created this business, but I was also worried he might push for designs/layouts that I didn’t like. I can’t really tell a top-tier artist he’s wrong about a book design, can I? I’ve not got that pedigree.
Once we got going, it just clicked. Joel didn’t want full control over everything; he just wanted to help make beautiful books, and he did. I can say with conviction that his input into the design and direction of these books made them better than if it were just me. It’s hard to explain why it was such an easy process, as it just felt easy, which is what you’re looking for. Not a single tug-of-war, I’m afraid to report!
Q: You've been refreshingly candid that the Artist Edition, which is the most accessible tier, ironically carries the highest margin of the four tiers, while the Roman Numeral Edition carries the lowest. That's counterintuitive to most buyers. Can you explain why the ultra-limited tiers are effectively priced at a near-loss relative to their production cost? For someone who has never held a fine press book, can you walk through where the money actually goes — what are the biggest cost drivers in a production like this?
Haha, yeah, it sounds insane to people outside of printing/publishing. For people unaware of fine press/letterpress/hand binding, the price of CK books looks insane, even the Standard’s. And they’re right, it does! However, when you actually get these things letterpress printed on long books (only two places in the UK that can do this) and then handbound with handmade slipcases, then factor in the cost of the best working artists in the industry on very small runs compared to trade publishing, it starts to make sense. If you sell 100,000 books, then you can split the expensive artists quite a few ways, on 750, not so much.
I’ve mentioned a few times that despite the price of my books on each tier, the profit margins are way lower than nearly all publishers out there. The reason letterpress printing nearly died was because offset and digital printing is cheaper by a chasm and a half. This is great for getting books all over the world for a very good price, but that made letterpress nearly obsolete as it’s so labour-intensive. So, all my CK books have had very small margins compared to the industry, the Standard’s particularly. Some Standard releases made less than 10% profit on the full run, despite seeming expensive to new collectors. This doesn’t really bother me as I’ve been able to sell enough that I can make a living.
When I started getting quotes for the Artist Edition using offset printing and machine binding I was blown away at how reasonable it was, let alone the speed it can be done. Originally, I had sworn off any form of machine binding as I had only seen mass-market trades and cheap specials, and I didn’t think the quality was good enough for me to put out. That changed when I met Gomer Press. I was introduced by my hand binder, and when I saw some of their work I was blown away by the quality. I couldn’t believe some of them were machine bound. So that made me believe I could do a more accessible tier as the quality was more than up to scratch. They are more expensive than the big printing houses as you’d expect, but you get a way better book. Compared to letterpress/hand binding costs, it is significantly cheaper.
The caveat is that it works best on larger runs, not the small runs I usually do. So, it would only be worth doing on a hugely popular title this way. Enter Red Rising. But yes, even though we genuinely believe we’re putting out the best value signed special edition, with a slipcase, it actually has the highest margin of all the tiers at £75. By some way too. We just priced it fairly and to give great value, we didn’t really look at what other people were doing or assessing what the market would pay for it. Joel, Pierce, and I were all on the same page with that straight away.
Q: One of the primary reasons I personally buy fine press books is the same reason why someone may buy anything handmade, which is to keep the art itself alive and the artisan’s work possible. Can you talk about what it means to make books like this in 2026 — who are the people involved in that work, how long does it take per book, and what would be lost if that process were industrialized?
That’s the ethos of fine press publishing and collecting. It’s not just the craft of the artifact itself. By buying these books and supporting these presses, you are also helping to preserve these near-extinct crafts/arts/processes from dying or being museum pieces. For some people, that is really important.
The wonderful part about this world is that people still show a true appreciation for these crafts and arts today. Possibly more so now, I would say. They aren’t taken for granted and they come at a high price point, but collectors feel it is more than worth it. I’m very pleased to say that CK has played its part in tripling the size of the hand binder we use, Ludlow Bookbinders. They had seven full time binders when I first started working with them, they now have twenty one full-time binders and are still expanding. We have helped with the growth and expansion of the only two UK letterpress printers capable of printing our books, Hand and Eye and Nomad Letterpress, which allows them to grow with confidence and train the next generation.
With fine press publishing, there are three main parties. Publisher, printer, hand-binder. There are other important elements like artists and marblers, which are featured in nearly all our releases. But at the core, as a publisher, you need printing and binding at a minimum. It comes as no surprise that letterpress printing and hand binding is incredibly specialized and labour-intensive. It has also been a very small industry for many decades, so there are few people insane enough to start either venture. So it costs, but rightly so. It takes, on average, six years for an apprentice bookbinder to become fully proficient and able to produce a full book themselves. That says it all.
Anytime that I spend significant time at a letterpress printer or hand binder and see them work, it actually blows my mind that I can do a release of 1,000 books handbound. It’s painstaking to a fault. But yet, when Ludlow gets going with all the parts needed, they can do a CK release in two or three months. The letterpress printers can print a whole run of a release in two months if all goes to plan. The issue lies in the capacity for both the printer/binder.
There is a resurgence in fine press and only a couple of people who can do the work. So, their schedules are packed. There are also numerous bits and pieces each need before they can even start, and if you haven’t got one of those, you've got to wait. Then you have the handmade element to both parts. These people aren’t machines, they’re humans, right? If something hasn’t come out right, or there’s an error/issue, it has to be done again at great cost and time. A few sections of a book may need a reprint for whatever reason, but you can’t just press a button and fix it. You need to order paper/cloth/leather/plates, which takes time, then it all needs setting up again, then running, etc. One mistake can cost a month easily. So, it takes time! I hate that it takes time, but it does, and it absolutely has to take that time. You can’t rush art. I’m lucky that most CK collectors understand this completely and are very forgiving. Ultimately, they’re helping preserve this artform and are willing to let it cook. Bravo.
Q: Marc Simonetti is producing 21 full-color pieces for this edition — a remarkable volume of original work from an artist of his caliber. How did you and your collaborators at Lit Escalates decide on the scenes or moments to illustrate, and how much creative latitude did Marc have versus working to a brief?
Marc’s a living legend, and one of the reasons I got into this world, so to work with him is an honour. Art is insanely important, and I’ve realized every artist works in a different way. I always try and be sympathetic to that. On Red Rising, we had a more structured approach to the art for a few reasons. Pierce and Joel put huge weight on the artwork in books like these, as I do too, so all of us had thought long and hard about it before meeting with Marc.
We also wanted a lot of art in this book, so pacing was really important. Luckily, Marc was a dream to work with and an incredible professional, so was able to manage and decipher all the thoughts, comments, and feedback that eventually got back to him.
We were also really keen to let Marc be creative and be the artist with ideas/scenes/elements and didn’t want to constrain him. With so many images and different strong visions regarding scenes, it probably wasn’t as free-forming and blank slate for Marc as first thought. But Marc nailed it! He’s seriously good and incredible to work with and the results speak for themselves.
Q: The Numbered and Lettered editions use letterpress printing, hand-binding, and premium materials, including Wibalin buckram and hot foil stamping, and of course, there is the stunning Roman Numeral Edition. Walk us through the material choices — how do you decide what each tier gets, and how do you maintain a clear hierarchy of value between them without the lower tiers feeling like a compromise?
Material choice comes down to design and cost. When designing a release, I don’t try and design each tier, I just try to get as many designs on the page as possible. Once these start coming to fruition, then I work out what will fit into each tier. This usually comes down to the labour required for certain elements and then the cost of the material.
Standard Editions/Artist Editions are the most constrained due to cost. This means you are likely to use papers and buckram, and of course, you need the slipcase as well. You also can’t have too many passes of foil stamping or intricate designs on them as they won’t come in on budget. The Deluxe tends to have leather used on the book and a more intricate design for the book and slipcase. The Lettered releases get a tray case and widespread use of leather – you can also use nicer and higher quality leathers for this release. The Roman Numerals? Well, you can do pretty much whatever you want.
Overall, I try to visualize the design in different materials to give myself an idea of what they will look like when done. Since starting Curious King, I’ve become quite good at seeing the finished product in my head from the concept done on my computer – though they don’t always come out the way you think!
Q: Red Rising has an intensely passionate fanbase — the Howlers. Does that create a different kind of pressure compared to producing a fine press edition of a beloved classic? The audience here isn't just collectors — they're people with a deep personal relationship with this story. With so many prior editions in fans’ hands, how did what has come before affect the approach to your own special edition?
Howlers are the best. Seriously passionate people for the right reasons, and it’s been great to speak to so many of them and hear their concerns or thoughts on what we’ve been trying to do. This release was definitely out of the ordinary for me, as CK has largely operated within a fairly small niche of fine-press collectors and fans. We haven’t done anything on this scale previously but Lit Escalates have, and they have a very good understanding of the fanbase and the collectors.
Red Rising clearly resonates with a lot of people due to the struggle of Darrow and the Reds, so it’s not just a flashy Sci-Fi action story. It’s a great message, one I support, and it was no surprise when there were some fans shocked at the price of the Roman Numeral edition. It’s quite hard to get across what that tier is for and what it represents. It’s not supposed to represent anything other than creativity unleashed. Not many people get to design a completely hands-off version of their favourite book where the sky is the limit. Often this tier is just for me. What can I do when money isn’t a factor? What would be the COOLEST material and design to do for this book I love? Ultimately, to pay for my own copy, I need to create several more copies and sell them, otherwise, they just wouldn’t happen.
Pierce and Joel also loved the idea of doing something bonkers out of the desire to see something crafted to that level. Ultimately, we really wanted a book in a marble box and we were lucky that there were others who wanted the same, and it paid for our copies. On the other side of the coin, we did CK’s first open-ended edition at a great price, as that was very important considering the size of the fanbase.
It’s always tough designing a special edition that has already been done before, especially if it’s been done well. You’re always trying to ensure you’re doing something different and trying not to let any of the previous work influence you. It took me a very long time to get the designs to a place I was happy with that didn’t look too derivative of the other specials that have been done.
Q: Pierce Brown has written all-new Institute House Dossiers for all 13 Houses, exclusive to this edition. That's a significant piece of original lore that doesn't exist anywhere else. How did that come about — was it always part of the vision, or did it emerge from the collaboration with Lit Escalates and Pierce himself?
This was Pierce’s idea as he wanted his special editions to have something extra, not just a new lick of paint. It nearly didn’t happen as Pierce is so busy writing Red God, but once he got going on the houses, he just ran with it. It’s the first time I’ve added new content that isn’t an introduction or afterword to a release, so it was really cool to do it.
It felt right to have something extra within the book that previous specials didn’t have. We wanted it elevated across the board, and while you can’t change the story, you can certainly add to it! It’s going to be cool for people who buy the book to learn more lore about the houses.
Q: This is your first Artist Edition tier — replacing the Standard Edition format you've used on previous projects. What made this series the right place to introduce that model, and do you see it becoming part of Curious King's regular approach going forward?
The sheer size of the fanbase was the main reason. I have managed to get away with releasing 500-750 Standard Editions previously, and while some of those titles had a fervent fanbase, the passion of Howlers was the key driver. We wanted to ensure people didn’t miss out on the lowest cost tier, particularly when there’s new content involved. I have to say it’s been a real blast to design, and Joel had quite a lot of input into this tier as well – he’s incredibly well-versed in the series and the fanbase so it made sense.
Will I do another Artist Edition again (aside from the rest of the RR series)? Yes, it’s more than possible, but not something I’m considering on regular releases. Curious King was always intended to be a true limited-run fine press publisher and I intend to keep it that way. Also, you can’t do Artist Editions on Letterpress due to the numbers you need to produce a significant amount. Also, it’s nearly impossible to split the printing by tier due to the setup costs of Letterpress, so it’s usually one or the other. We were able to split it this time due to the size of the fanbase and the desire to release a more affordable tier.
I’d like to do more books that aren’t constrained by letterpress printing and hand binding in the future as it is a shame not everyone is able to get a copy of one of my books. I’ve been thinking about that more and more recently and will continue to explore. How do I scratch the itch of getting more beautifully designed books into the hands of collectors and yet remain a limited-run publisher? I have an idea…
Q: The pre-order opened on March 20th and was obviously a huge financial success with a complete sellout of the upper tiers, in minutes and the preorder is still open and growing for the artist edition. What does success look like for you on this project, and are your benchmarks primarily commercial, creative, or something else?
It’s already been a success in my opinion, as we have sold way more books than CK has done before, and by and large, people were very happy with how they turned out. As this is a joint publication, all profits are split down the middle, so the targets were higher than a normal release of mine.
The real success will be when people start to receive their books and we start to get feedback on them. Our plan is to do all seven books like this and we need to ensure the sales go well enough that the AE is profitable on future releases in the series. There are usually drop-offs on each book released in a series, so we really wanted to land with a bang.
So ultimately, this will come down to the collectors and whether they are happy when their books arrive. As I have the prototypes nestled away on my shelf, I certainly think they will be well received!
The Artist Edition tier is still available until April 10th - Artist Edition
This interview was done in a series of communications back and forth with Anthony Kaye of Curious King and we want to thank him for his willingness and thoroughness on this special interview. If you want to stay up to date on what Curious King and LitEscalates are up to then you can check them out at https://curiousking.co.uk/ and https://www.lit-escalates.com/ respectively.
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