The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya
By Reimena Yee
An Eisner-nominated graphic novel set in 17th century Istanbul, centered around a carpet merchant and his relationship with faith, love and home in the aftermath of his death by a vampire.
Publication date: March 2020
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First Edition Hardback
● Ebook
First Edition Hardback and Bookmark
● Ebook
● Bookmark (One of four designs)
First Edition Hardback and Exclusive Print
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● Exclusive A6 print by strangelykatie
First Edition Hardback and Bookmark – Full Set!
● Ebook
● Full set of four bookmarks
First Edition Hardback and Limited Edition Letterpress Postcard
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● Limited edition Letterpress postcard
Signed Bookplate First Edition Hardback
● Signed bookplate
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
First Edition Hardback and Enamel Pin
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya enamel pin
Two First Edition Hardbacks
● Ebook edition
Collector's Edition Silver
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● Signed bookplate
● Full set of bookmarks
● Enamel pin
● A6 print by strangelykatie
Artist Commission
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● Signed bookplate
● Limited edition letterpress postcard
● Opportunity to commission the artist to draw digital artwork for you (people portrait, pet portrait, or illustration of anything!)
Only 10 available!
Collector's Edition Gold
● Ebook
● Your name in the back of the book
● Signed bookplate
● Full set of bookmarks
● Enamel pin
● Limited edition letterpress postcard
● Exclusive print by strangelykatie
● Opportunity to commission the artist to draw digital artwork for you (people portrait, pet portrait, or illustration of anything!)
Only 10 available!
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya is a two-volume, historical graphic novel originally published online. It was recently nominated for an Eisner Award, the most prestigious award in the comics medium.
I’ve been writing and illustrating The Carpet Merchant since 2016. During the last 3 years it’s become the love of my life. Now, thanks to Unbound, Volume I - all 336 pages of it - is coming to life as a gorgeously printed hardback!
ABOUT VOLUME I
A FRAGMENT OF A TURKISH TALE
Set in 17th century Istanbul, during the Ottoman era, Vol I is about the relationship between the main character Zeynel, and fellow carpet merchant Ayşe, starting from his introduction to the world of carpets as a teenager and ending at his unwilling transformation into a vampire (a djinni) in middle-age.
The story is told through a visual style inspired by Ottoman illumination and miniature, and heavily incorporates Ottoman era decorative arts plus carpet designs. Every page is a visual funfest, and best enjoyed as a book, flipping through the pages.
Vol I is comprised of two books:
BOOK ONE - THE CARPET MERCHANT
Ayşe is an Anatolian girl from a tiny village but with big dreams. Unfortunately history and geography are not entirely in her power, so she seeks marriage out of practicality. She meets Zeynel, the son of a highly-esteemed scholar family, who is already accomplished himself. But while she is sure of herself and knows what she wants and how to achieve it, he is insecure and pressured to live up to the expectations and desires of other people. Perhaps there is more to their meeting than just chance.
BOOK TWO - THE VAMPIRE
25 years later, Zeynel is the husband of an amazing and successful businesswoman, and he could see nothing but joy in the vistas of his present and future. One evening while on a business trip he plays the Good Samaritan to a mysterious traveller… which turns out to be a mortal mistake. Forced into an unfortunate circumstance he must learn to reconcile his old identity with his new vampiric curse, and make sacrifices to protect the people he loves, but that also means learning to let go.
This comic is available in its original form, as a free webcomic: reimenayee.com/the-carpet-merchant
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
Every supporter who pledges to this campaign will have their name printed in every edition of the book.
The book itself is a hardback, containing 336 full-colour pages. All the story and art are completed. The only things left to do are pre-press and another round of editorial.
For those who like goodies, there are rewards available.
ABOUT THE REWARDS
Exclusive merchandise: enamel pin, bookplate, letterpress postcard, and special print by Katie O’Neill (aka strangelykatie, creator of Eisner-nominated Tea Dragon Society)
Postcard and bookplate in detail.
![](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media.unbound.co/p/images/9096/large/Reward02.png?1536592717")
Exclusive bookmarks. All bookmarks are now available!
Special tiers include: signed copies, signed copies + doodle, commission slots for portraits (pet and person)
Portfolio for portraits: reimenayee.com/bespoke
Thank you!
Video animation by Natalia Mercado nataliam.squarespace.com
Music composed by Eli Rainsberry elirainsberry.com
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Ebook Edition
First Edition Hardback
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Reimena Yee
Reimena Yee is a strange and fancy artist, writer and designer originally from the dusty city of Kuala Lumpur. She has drawn for Adventure Time, Image Comics, Girls Make Games, and a cornucopia of smaller businesses. You can find her (and other comics) at reimenayee.com
- A sneak peek at the interiors:Read more...
Reimena Yee has written 7 private updates. You can pledge to get access to them all.
7th January 2020 The Carpet Merchant Volume 2 | UpdateHi everyone,
I'm making a quick update and reminder.
The campaign for Volume Two is still ongoing. It's nearly 25% funded! If you enjoyed Volume One, please consider supporting the next (and final) installation of the story. The earlier we reach the funding goal, the sooner the book is published.
Previous backers who were waiting for the two-copies tier to be available can now select…
28th November 2019 Ebook Matters + Books Arriving + Volume TwoHi everyone,
First off, it's been so lovely to see the books getting to reader's hands. Thanks so much to every reader who has shared photos with me and posted reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.
Secondly, I want to address the ebook delivery to those who have backed the tier. Delivery is currently delayed due to a technical issue in the ebook. Unbound is working on it. Hopefully it won't be too…
26th November 2019 Research/Author Notes Guidebook and TranscriptHere are the links to the complementary research/author notes and the transcript
NOTES: http://tiny.cc/tcmvinotes
TRANSCRIPT: http://tiny.cc/tcmvitranscript
Enjoy!
22nd November 2019 Books are arriving + Please leave a review!Hi everyone, exciting news!!
The books are finally starting to arrive! Please expect your copy to arrive sometime during the next week and a half (depending on where you live). I am so excited and relieved. Thank you so much for the trust you’ve given to me and this book when it was crowdfunding last year. No words can express my appreciation.
Just one last request (well, a second last thing…
25th September 2019 Reminder to check your addressHi everyone!
You may have received an email from the Unbound team recently that the book is at the printers. (I AM VERY EXCITED) I want to make a reminder to check your address so that, when the time comes, your parcel will arrive at the right place.
Until next time,
Reimena
18th April 2019 Update | Supporter List Closing & Easter SaleHi everyone,
Just a reminder to double check your name before the supporter list closes this Sunday. Details are included in an email sent by the Unbound production team on April 8-9th. Make sure you catch any misspellings!
Unbound is holding an Easter sale. Get 10% off new pledges using the code EASTER19. Offer lasts until Monday. If there's someone who you think would like this book, now's…
25th January 2019 Update | Letterpress Postcard PreviewThey are here! And they are gorgeous!
Letterpress is the art of printing impressions on paper, creating a unique textural experience. The inks of this drawing are pressed down onto the paper, and it looks super fancy! I am so happy how this came out.
Limited quantities are available as rewards for preordering the book. Upgrade your pledge, or email georgia@unbound.co.uk to request…
17th January 2019 Artwork Done!I finished remastering all 334 pages of the book! Hooray! They are being sent off for editorial now, and hopefully soon we will get into the design phase.
The Dropbox folder looking real fresh.
Other tiny updates:
- I've gotten the quotes for all suppliers for the rewards.
- I've sent off the order for the letterpress postcards, and will soon do the same for the bookmarks and print…10th December 2018 101% | FUNDED!!! (insert exclamations here)
WE'RE FULLY FUNDED!! To all 599 backers -- thank you, thank you, thank you!!!I'm so eager to finally get the book into production. Very soon, this will come to life in its ideal form (a gorgeous, full-colour tome) and be delivered right into your hands to the gratitude of your eyeballs. How cool is that!!
As the holiday season is fast approaching, the process of book production will only…
1st December 2018 90% | THE HOME STRETCH!!Hi everyone, it's the first of December and guess where we are at right now -- 90% funded!
Thank you for sticking with The Carpet Merchant since June. Your trust and patience are valuable to me and I appreciate them in ways that cannot be worded in any language.
I don't have any notable book-related updates in particular. However! Since we're 10% of the way in, I'll like to give an overview…
19th November 2018 80% | Getting Close!Only 20% left to go. We're getting there!
I have two small updates this milestone:
- Unbound just finished publishing the first two books of their Graphic Novels line: Grafity's Wall, and Reel Love. Look at how wonderfully produced they are. It makes me excited for what The Carpet Merchant will look like as an actual book. This hasn't changed since the beginning but I'm even more confident…
8th November 2018 70%| Giveaway & Book UpdatesHooray! We're nearly 3/4 there!
GIVEAWAY
I've recently announced the winners of the Giveaway in a private post so as to maximise backers' privacy. Just in case some of us didn't receive that update, if you're Laura M. (who backed in June), and Brian M. (August), please drop me a line.
If no one claims the prize within a week, I'll do another draw.
BOOK UPDATES
Currently I'm…
24th October 2018 65% | Halloween Offer Code, & New Book AnnouncementHeylo everyone!
The Carpet Merchant Vol I is 65% funded, with 445 backers. Hooray! We still have 5.7k in English money to raise. It looks like a lot, but we've already raised 11k. We can totally hit the goal.Here are a couple of updates:
HALLOWEEN OFFER CODE
As part of Unbound's Halloween special, use the offer code UNBOO to receive 10% off on all new pledges for The Carpet Merchant. Offer…19th September 2018 60 % | New Bookmark, Retailer Tier, and Raffle!YES!! We're 60% funded.
BOOKMARK
As promised, here is the brand new bookmark, and with it the finalised set.
A closer look, to appreciate the details.
These bookmarks are exclusively made for The Carpet Merchant Vol I in limited quantities, so be sure to get your hands on them! You can upgrade your pledge anytime.
RETAILER TIER
Libraries, retailers and bookstores…
4th September 2018 50% FUNDED! | Bookmarks, news and transcriptionHello everyone!
It has been awhile since my last update (when the campaign was 25% funded). I was in America in the last month, meeting friends and seeing the graphic novel/comics industry in person, after years of only experiencing it through Twitter dot com. It was fun. I ate a lot.
Anyway, THE CARPET MERCHANT IS HALFWAY FUNDED! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone (all 342 of…
25th July 2018 25% | Eisner Award Ceremony | Brief UpdateHey everyone! Brief update this time.
I’m currently in America for a month. I came here to attend the Eisner Award ceremony at San Diego Comic Con, which is what The Carpet Merchant is nominated in (for Best Digital Comic). It didn’t win! But I am happy all the same knowing how much the comic’s story and characters meant to so many people.
Anyway! The campaign’s at 27% and really close to reaching…
11th July 2018 20% | New Bookmark UnlockedHey everyone,
We just reached another milestone -- 20%! So close to being a quarter of the way in. Thanks so much to everyone who has backed the book and shared it with their friends/family/pets. Please keep the momentum going!We've unlocked a NEW bookmark design. Presenting....
You can now choose this bookmark as your desired design if you pledged to the 1 Bookmark tier, or have…
19th June 2018 10% | A Thank You to Backers | About TCMHey everyone,
How cool is this - we've already reached 10%! Thank you so much for becoming a part of this campaign and backing the book. Your contribution, no matter the amount, is what allows this book to become reality. It's like magic! Beat that, Houdini.
This is just a simple update; I wanted to talk about The Carpet Merchant as a webcomic and a literary project in general, especially…
These people are helping to fund The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya.
View more
Mark Solloway
Lucy McCahon
Adam Thomas
Janet Caballero
Caitlin Hobbs
Nicole Koschmeder
Taylor Smith
Alistair Rush
Shofela Coker
Jennifer Linnan
Aya Krisht
Lorissa Porter
Fatima Qaissi
Alia Ghazaime
VERNON GARY
Viola White
Catharina Larasati
Justin Young
Janine Janssen
Reimena Yee
Ambrose Park
Matthew Clement
- Please Sign in to ask a question to join in the conversation
Is there and end date set for the crowdfunder? I'm not sure yet which tier I'd like to pledge for, but I don't want to wait too long and miss it.
It’s three months long (or shorter), so tentatively the campaign ends on the 15th of September. Best to pledge as soon as you’re able! Thank you!!
Will we be charged at the time of backing or after the campaign is complete?
At the time of backing
Is there a way to purchase an additional book with an additional name at the back of the book for a friend in the same pledge to reduce shipping cost?
Hi Eugene, There certainly is. Just go for the Two Hardbacks level and then you can add the names once you've pledged. Best wishes, Unbound Support
Will the books be shipped anywhere Internationally? Or is it limited to a few countries?
As far as I am know, the books can be shipped anywhere.
If this doesn't get funded until the 15th, will there be a second try? :/
The campaign looks like it will run on for longer than the 15th so no worries here.
What’s the last day of the campaign currently?
There's currently no definitive date, but with the way the campaign is going, I hope to get the book funded before the end of this year so I can get editorial/production started. Thanks so much for being an early supporter and for your patience/trust!
I pledged for the First Edition Hardback and Exclusive Print tier, and I want to add the full bookmark set to my pledge. Is there a way to include both print and bookmarks without upgrading to the Collector's Edition Silver tier?
Hi Vivian! Please email me (reimenayee@gmail dot com) to request for a custom bundle and I’ll forward it to my editor, who will arrange it for you! Thank you so much for the support!
Hey Reimena! I've ended up moving since I made my pledge, can I still change my address?
You can indeed Shelley. Just head over to your account (unbound.com/account) to do this. Unbound support