The Bloody Roots of the Literary Vampire Series

In May 2005, I chose the name Dead Letter Press and published The Vampyre by Dr. John Polidori, the first in a long series of uniform chapbooks exploring the evolution of the literary vampire genre. Each book in the series has a limitation of 26 copies, plus 4 or 5 PCs (publisher's copies) used for review copies and record keeping. I wanted to keep the print runs low in order to make the books collectible. I set the retail price at $25 per copy and then worked hard to justify that price: I spent weeks researching material for each book, writing entertaining and thoughtful introductions, carefully laying out the pages and covers to create an attractive and easy to read package. And, who knew, not only did the first volume sell, but collectors were very enthusiastic about the first book and the idea of an ongoing series. 23 volumes and 4 years later, the series continues to be praised for its literary and entertainment value and prized by collectors of rare books.

Although Classic Vampires Revisited: The Bloody Roots was the 4th chapbook published by Dead Letter Press under the Department of Dead Letters imprint, the book's contents comprise the earliest depictions of vampires in the English language (the English translations of important works by German writers).

The Bloody Roots contains complete versions of the following works:
1748: “Der Vampir” (poem) by Heinrich August Ossenfelder
1774: “Lenore” (poem) by Gottfried August Bürger
1797: “The Bride of Corinth” (poem) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
c. 1800: “Wake Not the Dead” (story) by Johann Ludwig Tieck
Also includes the Introduction by Tom English ("The Bloody Roots")