Do you plan to use different materials for the cover (leather, wood veneer, plastic)?
No, not at this time. One of our primary goals is to make The Noteworks notebooks as affordable as possible. While a synthetic cover would be practical in inclement weather, we think the extra expense outweighs the benefit. That said, we’re not opposed if we can find the right material at the right price. Check back for new products and updates!
What are the physical dimensions?
The Noteworks notebooks are 4 inches wide by 7-3/8 inches tall. This is a non-standard size that’s between an A5 (5.7×8.25) and a pocket notebook (3.5×5.5).
Why the odd size?
They are exactly the same size as a VHS cassette tape. If you were born before 1990, it’s an easy size to visualize. (If you were born after, ask someone older “how big was a VHS cassette?” We guarantee they can give you a “yay-big by yay-big” estimate that’s 95% accurate.)
We wanted an easy way to store our notebooks—thin saddle-stitched books are usually infuriating to stack on a shelf. Our 1″ thick cases quickly turn a collection of loose books into modular 6-volume sets that are much easier to store & organize. Even though VHS tapes are totally outdated, a lot of media shelves are still built around their standard… so we knew they would easily fit on a shelf in your home, regardless of what you already store on it (books, DVDs, old home movies, or tchotchkes).
If you don’t want to buy one of our cases, you can use your own! Just remove that high school prom video that you can’t play anymore and slide six notebooks into the cardboard Maxell/JVC/Sony/Fuji sleeve. You’ll find they’re a perfect fit… and much more usable!
Why are they so thin? Why don’t you include more pages?
This is another matter of economy. The way our binding equipment is configured, it costs us less to make two 36-page books than a single 40-page book.
We like the way 36 pages creates a page-a-day/book-a-month pattern (with a few extra pages for the extra long days). We wanted to keep them small enough that they’re easy to compartmentalize: you can keep one in a glove compartment, one in a coat pocket, and one in a desk drawer.
We also wanted them to be easily replaceable, as easy to use as a memo pad or scratch pad: you haven’t lost your life’s work if you spill coffee it.
Do you have versions with grid/lined/blank pages?
Not yet, but they’re on the horizon! We started with dot grids because we think they’re the most versatile. But we know from our notepads that different peoples’ preferences run strong. Check back soon, or better yet: start an account and sign up for e-mail updates. We might implement a couple of polls on the site to test upcoming releases.
Do you have a version with perforated pages so I can tear them out?
We considered this, but it wasn’t a huge improvement to our old notepads. We preferred the ability to archive and reference notes over simply having loose paper on hand. We thought perforating would defeat the purpose of numbering the pages. Of course, if you’d like to see an unnumbered version with perforated pages, let us know! We’re not opposed to adding it to our product list if there’s a demand for it.
Why don’t you have more colors?
We want to keep them as versatile, simple, and inexpensive. White and off-white stock is easiest to label and write on. We started with off-white covers and a basic earthtone 3-pack, and we’ll expand into pastel sets and brighter, bolder colors as orders accumulate. We didn’t want to print hundreds of every color only to find out that everyone only wants black…
Our dream is to eventually have a supply of every color and include a dropdown menu so you can pick your own. But we’re just starting out with the website and shipping, and that would have been a huge upfront expense and a logistical nightmare to pick & ship.
We’d love to be able to color-code notebooks someday. So there will definitely be more colors soon.
The best way to get us to add more colors as quickly as possible? Buy more… and tell your friends! The faster we run out, the more we’ll print and the more colors we’ll add! Drop us a line, or sign up for an account and receive e-mail updates for new products. We’ll start adding a few polls, quizzes, and other interactive elements to our website to gauge how our notebooks are getting used, and we’ll use that feedback to plan what kind of products to add next.
Why would I buy a thing to carry around when I can use my smartphone for all of this?
There are studies that show writing notes is far more effective than typing. Taking notes with a smartphone or laptop leads us to enter data rapidly and verbatim, and forget it nearly as soon as it’s entered—we rely on reminders and alarms, and we know digital notes are inherently searchable. But when we jot a note down with pen and paper, we analyze the information differently—we’re more deliberate about the marks we make on paper. We don’t simply enter information into a device, we process it in our minds before writing it down succinctly and legibly. This simple practice leads to improved memory and better understanding.
So I guess there won’t be a Noteworks app?
No. Definitely not.
Is The Noteworks notebook good for bullet journaling?
Honestly, we’re not sure… but we’d love to see how it works for you! Our notebooks evolved from a more basic form of note-taking (i.e., daily to-do lists). If you’re not familiar with Ryder Carroll’s system, check out bulletjournal.com for a quick primer. We love the way the methodology is beautifully summed up: the art of intentional living.
Part the appeal of bullet journaling seems to be developing a working relationship with a single journal—turning to the same book repeatedly to collect and organize your thoughts. The Noteworks notebooks, on the other hand, are short and fill up fast. Of course, you could use different notebooks for different collections (one for daily logs, one for goals, etc.) and store them all in the same cardboard sleeve… but that might be more compartmentalized than bullet journaling is intended to be. Then again, it’s a methodology—not a certificated system. So there’s really no wrong way to bullet journal.
If you give it a try, let us know how it goes! Send us photos or tag #thenoteworks on Instagram!
Why all the shipping options? Do you offer free shipping over a certain amount?
We ship USPS and UPS. Because The Noteworks notebooks are small and light, the best shipping rate varies widely with quantity
- In general:
- USPS 1st class is generally best for small parcels—individual accessories, or a single 3-pack
- USPS Priority Flat Rate is good for the deluxe sets
- UPS will have the best rate for heavier packages—2lbs. or more—and lower rates for commercial addresses
For custom orders, we can quote a shipping rate depending on location & quantity. Local (Seattle area) customers may be eligible for delivery. Contact customize@thenoteworks.com for custom requests that include delivery options or shipping quotes.
Our shipping pricing system is still a work in progress. As we receive more orders, we may decide to make shipping free (though, let’s be honest—shipping is never truly free, just included in the cost of the product). Currently we’re still evaluating how many shipping options our customers use.
Have a question we haven’t answered? Leave it in the comments and we’ll try to respond as soon as we can!