How Inkstone Revolutionized Star Wars Special Editions

When you mention “Star Wars Special Editions”, it’s likely that your mind initially wanders to the late 1990s. Just before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa would race each other to become home run kings, George Lucas burst back onto the scene with updated editions of the most beloved cinematic trilogy of all time.

Lucasfilm

The Special Editions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi aired in theaters twenty years after Star Wars was initially released, and for many fans even now, these remain the definitive versions of those iconic stories.

However, in recent years, the term “special editions” has been overtaken by the publishing world as new books have started to become collector’s items thanks to the additions of beautiful art, foiled covers, sprayed edges, and author signatures. When a new title is announced, fans not only get to look forward to the story itself – they get to imagine what new wonders smaller companies are going to produce that are going to find a home on their bookshelf.

And nobody is doing it better than Inkstone Books.

Inkstone Books

The Beginning

Inkstone was started in 2022 as a way to exemplify the customer experience when it comes to appreciating the beauty of science fiction and fantasy books. Founder Brett Kirchner knew that he wanted to find a way to get special editions of his favorite novels into customer’s hands, and from the very beginning…Star Wars was part of the picture.

Inkstone Books

Starting with Delilah S. Dawson’s Rise of the Red Blade, Inkstone began to set itself apart with its unrivaled customer experience. Not only would readers be able to acquire the novel and know they were supporting an independent bookseller, they would also receive gorgeously sprayed edges as well as a signed, numbered copy.

Copies were limited to 500.
Selling out was not an issue.

Where other sellers may have taken the initial success as a sign to maintain an easy path, Kirchner chose the route of innovation. As the years went on, Inkstone began to add more design features to their products including custom foiling on the covers for readers that preferred to read without a dust jacket and more intricately designed edges including written aurebesh and even helmets.

Inkstone Books

Success followed in the wake of evolution as Inkstone continued to sell out every Star Wars release, but a passion from Kirchner’s past was the key to setting them apart from the rest of the crowd.

Welcome Back Legends

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012, one of the most controversial moves was the removal of the Expanded Universe from the official Star Wars Canon. Fan favorite books like Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire and John Jackson Miller’s Kenobi remained beloved, but there was a sense that these stories would ultimately be forgotten in the wake of Disney’s new vision for the property.

Luckily, Random House Worlds began publishing the Essential Legends Collection which produced beautiful trade sized paperbacks with stunning new artwork in order to put these works back in the hands of new readers as well as fans that had grown up reading them for years.

Fans like Brett.

Inkstone Books

After years of collaborative talks, Brett was able to bring Legends into the Inkstone pipeline and begin producing exclusive hardcover editions of the Essential Legends line. Books like Dawn of the Jedi and Darth Plagueis which had been published long before special editions took over now had the opportunity to receive a brand new artistic life – especially considering that some of them never even received hardback editions in the first place!

Inkstone Books

The addition of Legends titles to Inkstone’s roster of artistry was a stroke of genius, and the company continues its dedication to selling those titles to this day, and just like their Canon numbers…there are no signs of slowing down.

What’s Next

Special editions of Star Wars books exist within a landmark moment for the publishing industry. After years of hearing that people don’t read as much as they used to, readers are taking back the narrative by filling their shelves with gorgeous works of art that represent their favorite stories, and there’s no question that Inkstone is leading the charge.

In less than five years, Inkstone has established itself as a name synonymous with the release of a new Star Wars project. The art reveal for a new Inkstone cover is on par with the official dust jacket, and with each edition continuing to sell out well before release, the community is more than ready for Inkstone to keep expanding.

Youtini is beyond proud to partner with such an innovative company that continues to serve a community of engaged, passionate readers. Be sure to check out their latest stock of Star Wars novels and keep an eye out for their latest announcements – who knows what they’ll think of next!

Inkstone Books