The LCK now comes on dead trees!

The Language Construction Kit has been a mainstay of zompist.com for more than a decade, and helped countless conlangers make their own languages, while underhandedly teaching them how linguistics works.

Thanks to Yonagu Books, It’s now available in a print version, four times larger.

It goes into more detail for advanced students; at the same time it simplifies even more for beginners who often don’t know where to start, with a chapter on naming languages and one overviewing the entire process.

Table of Contents

Introduction — How to use the book

A naming language — How to create simple languages for naming characters and creating maps

The overall process — A quick tour of the process of making a language

Sounds — An expanded introduction to phonology

Word building — How to make words, and tricks to not have to make so many

Grammar — Morphology and syntax, the guts of your language

Semantics — Think about meaning... if you dare

Pragmatics — I finally got to explain all this neat stuff

Language families — How to create entire families, including a walkthrough on using the Sound Change Applier... plus shortcuts!

Writing systems — Making scripts from alphabets to logographs

Kebreni — Director’s commentary on one of my conlangs

Word lists — Which words you really need

More to read — An annotated reading list

FAQ!

This is a real book?
Yep, on 100% certified dead trees. It’s a 6" x 9" trade paperback.
Where can I get it?
On Amazon. Didn’t you see that big button? Go right here.
Is it available yet?
Some says yes and some says absolutely.
How much will it be?
The price is $14.95.
What's the quality like?
I've now seen a proof copy; it's quite good. Good paper, glossy cover. The print is sharp, much better than my printer. I'm happy to see that after a complete reading the spine isn't even creased.
How different is the print LCK from the online edition?
It’s much larger— 292 pages. It’s been extensively rewritten, and now has proper sections on syntax and pragmatics. I’ve also learned from the sort of questions people had after reading the web version and offered more specific guidance for getting started; e.g. there is an overview chapter and a section on creating simple naming languages.
There’s also new material for the advanced student: creating language families, using the Sound Change Applier, creating writing systems, addressing stylistics. There are suggested word lists, an index, and an annotated reading list.
Plus, every page features conlanging’s new mascot, Connie the Contortionist Conlanging Conger Eel!
(OK, no it doesn’t.)
Will it be available in stores?
No, unless they can order from Amazon. It’s being printed and distributed through Amazon’s print-on-demand service.
Why publish it that way?
It’s the 21st century, baby. Print-on-demand offers the opportunity for authors to more directly control the publishing process, and for readers to have access to a much much wider array of choices. Even a huge bookstore doesn’t have more than 200,000 titles on hand. In the digital marketplace you can have 2 million.
In traditional terms, the LCK is a perfect midlist book. It’s something that should be of interest to readers year after year. But traditional publishing has abandoned the midlist; it’s only interested in blockbusters. A friend of mine got a book published ‘normally’; it was kind of sad to see it in bookstores for two months, then disappear forever.
Will it be available hardcover?
Yonagu plans to make a hardcover edition available, but is still researching pricing. It would probably be about twice the price.
If you think you’d like a hardcover, drop me a line so I know there’s interest.
Will the online LCK change?
The current LCK will remain, for free. Some of the improvements to the print version will migrate to the web version as well.
At some point, I’ll also produce a free PDF version of the web version of the LCK. Because now I have the technology.
Will the full print version ever appear in web format?
No. The idea is, I’ve provided a huge mass of stuff online for free, and I’ll continue to do so. And this will hopefully induce you to shell out a few clams for even more stuff on paper.
What’s in it for you? By paying for things like the LCK, you encourage me to produce more stuff. I can only devote so much time to a hobby. I can do a lot more if I’m making some income.
Could you distribute the book as a PDF?
I’m considering doing so, for a small fee— maybe $5. I need to figure out the best way to distribute it.
How about Kindle?
Maybe, but Kindle requires a different format. Again, tell me if you prefer this format.