W.S. Cole
Press

What’s W.S. Cole Press?

A publisher of original monographs and important public-domain works in a new, in-browser, e-book format we’ve developing and calling a Progressive Web Book, or PWB for short.

What’s a Progressive Web Book?

A PWB combines the convenience and user-friendly principles of Progressive Web Apps with the simple reading experience of a book.

Most importantly, a PWB can be viewed on any desktop or mobile device, with or without an Internet connection, and is directly installable, thereby bypassing big tech platforms like the Apple App Store and Amazon Kindle.

A PWB is also a living book, meaning the author can notify you when pages are added or updated. And like most e-books, it supports full-text search.

Aren’t books already ad-free?

Yes, but most digital content is not, and our books are digital. Regardless, we hate online ads. They’re ugly, drive up page load times, and ruin website performance. The more intrusive an ad is, the better it works, so they’re also a privacy nightmare. Worst of all, they enable the dark side of the so-called “attention economy,” rewarding publishers who drive page views and ad impressions by agitating and inflaming readers rather than informing or entertaining them.

What’s the alternative?

Creating a product that’s good enough to pay for, just like a traditional book. (But without the chopping down of trees.)

Who’s W.S. Cole?

The shared name of the founder’s father and grandfather. (Alas, he was not anointed the third.)

What’s with the Goose?

Bantam Books, Black Sparrow Press, Penguin Books, Pelican Books—shouldn’t all publishers be represented by a majestic bird? (We think historically this has something to do with quills.) And yes, a goose is admittedly more silly than majestic. Honk.

Speaking of Pelican Books…

Pelican Books is a huge influence on W.S. Cole Press both in terms of product and design, and we’re sad that its innovative website from 2014 no longer exists. Designed by Matthew Young to support a brand relaunch, the website promised books that “can be read on any device, right here in your browser,” which should sound familiar.

The Pelican Books website was ahead of its time, and our project should be considered an aesthetic tribute by a lesser designer and more importantly, a continuation of their effort to develop in-browser e-books. Happily, the technology for doing so has improved considerably since 2014.

Any other influences you’d like to acknowledge?

Paul Rand, who advised, “Don’t try to be original. Just try to be good.” And the British designer Hans Schleger, aka Zero, who frequently used a variation of this color scheme and was famously fond of incorporating birds in his design.

What’s this font?

Concourse by Matthew Butterick. He is not only a designer of beautiful fonts, but an intimidatingly-accomplished lawyer, writer, programmer, and in-browser e-book innovator as well. W.S. Cole Press uses his fonts exclusively.

Can I publish a book with you?

We thought you’d never ask! Email us what you have in mind.

Can I buy you a coffee?

Of course. It’s an important way we stay ad-free.