doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Death by Internet--Obituary 2010

The 'print on demand' model of bookselling is just in it's infancy. I predict in the not to distant future that all hardcopy books will be delivered thus. Shop on-line, and if you want a copy of what you see press the 'buy' button. It gets spit out to a printer, and delivered the next day. No more brick and mortar stores and that's only bad if you own stores. I don't.

You have a good grip on the numbers. I have often quipped that if I had only spent my writing time behind the counter at McDonalds, I'd of made more money and got free French fries.

As to having a conventional publishing contract and selling one's own books: Getting into it in 1995, I never expected to sell my own books. But so many prospective buyers contacted me to the effect that if they sent me a copy with return postage, "...would I sign it?" that the path of least resistance was to buy Parker Guns: The "Old Reliable" at the usual quantity discount from Safari Press in order to save triple postage. Thus I'd buy 100 of my then $40 cover-price trade editions at 50% off, incur about $1.00 each for shipping, and sell them signed for the $40 plus $5.00 S&H (media mail about $4.00 plus a 50 cents box). I sold about 500 of the trade edition through my d/b/a Old Reliable Publishing (which reprinted Parker catalogs).

ORP also sold signed Trade Copies of my When Ducks Were Plenty and ORP published--which is to say that I self-published--my Parker Brothers: Knight of the Trigger (fact based historical novel based on the life and times of Parker Bro's sales agent Capt. A. W. du Bray).

My deal with Collector Books is a conventional royalty contract for the Trade Edition (cover price $49.95 but discounted all over the Internet, Amazon, eBay, etc.). I don't sell the trade edition. However, when I cut my deal with CB, the owner told me that their sales format did not provide for Signed Limited Editions...but they'd do it for me on special order. I had already received about 140 pre-publication "true-believer" orders for a $100 Signed Ltd. Ed. so I ordered a 500 run and have sold about 400 so far.

I expect to wind up the Old Reliable Publishing business at the end of 2010, call it quits, put the un-sold books and catalogs on the burn pile, and head south with my fishing rods. It's been fun these past 15 years...and now it's time for something new and different. EDM

There are tons of jobs out there for writers:

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=writer&l=


On top of those, there are writing jobs in advertising:

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=copywriter&l=


OWD

Wolfe is best known for their reprints of out-of-copyright books in the 1980s, such as Bogardus's Field, Cover and Trap Shooting (1874). I just checked their website and it doesn't seem that they publish anything but 3 rifle-related magazines now; book publishing isn't mentioned, and their Store has just a few old titles. Other publishers no longer in the shotgunning genre are Lyons Press (Nick is retired; Jed still works there), and Stackpole, which recently reprinted Peter Johnson's 1961 classic: Parker: America's Finest Shotgun. Given the number of Peter's 1st-second & 3rd printings available on the Internet for usually less than $10, I think Stackpole made a mistake...well, two mistakes: I pitched them for my most recent book, Parker Guns: Shooting Flying and they declined. And herein lies the crux:

There is much adoo about "print on demand" publishing, which, in it's simplest form, involves sending such like these very words to the printer. But there is a quantum difference when more than text is involved. Add pictures and 4-color presses and captions in italics and composition involving blending images into the text block and the process transcends simple sentence structure, spell check, paragraphing, and page count. I will wager to say that my Parker Guns: Shooting Flying cost Collector Books a small fortune and, unless Tom Cruise options it for movie rights (Wink! wink!), is gonna be their record losing project for all time. I guess Stackpole passing on the book wasn't such a bad "mistake" after all. I wish it were otherwise, but books--without regard to content, production quality, and overall merit--just aren't selling. Alas! EDM

My wife and her "co-author" have edited five books for the American Association of Museums in the past 15 yrs. Three were revisions of an existing AAM title on registrarial practise and policy and the latest two on problems of collection management. Her lump check for the last was 5K$. I doubt this was carpenter union scale per hr. for her effort and contributors were NOT compensated. On the side, she edited a poetry collection for a friend and a collection of stories of bicycle racing/touring for her husband, both with "print on demand" publisher LULU. The poetry collection reproduced a few photos, both had presentable cover art for a paperback, and neither looked liked photostats of typescript. The poetry collection actually sold a handful of copies; the story collection none to date. I assume without question that bicycle tourists and racing fans are as much in need of my immoital words as Parker enthusiasts are of Ed's so conclude that a mechanism of publicity and distribution is sadly lacking in this sort of effort. [my statement regarding prices of SDH's books netside some months ago removed] My wife has a Kindle; I can't stand the damn thing. Some of us will cross the river to the new promised land of information dissemination; some of us won't.

jack

Check your figures rabbit.
The lowest priced copy of Fine Gunmaking on ABE is $30+ (most $40+) the only copy of Custom Rifles is $225 (softcover) and the one I have to compete with is Double Guns which is still in print. ABE
There is a steady demand for all my books and I'd buy all I could get of the first two used at your quoted $5-7!!

Much of what Ed has written mirrors my own experience.(The only guy around here who makes lengthy posts then answers his own with more lengthy posts?)

Fine Gunmaking had two printing of about 4500 each, I was spot on the market in 1998 selling it out, and still strong in 1999 with the second printing. I bought the remainders about 2003 when Krause changed hands. With a great sales record I went back to the new company with a proposal for a second book and they didn't even return my call. Told me, "You have a good proposal but we only want to do softcover books that will amortize in one year" (i.e. Gun Digest).

I bought the remainder of Fine Gunmaking, a few hundred, and sat on them until the used market reached retail then started marketing author signed new copies at cover price. It remains a strong seller for holiday season and a steady stream all year, but they are getting low. This isn't residue!

Custom Rifles in Black & White was self published (2000 copies + 200 hardback, 1999) and nearly amortized in 18 months, but my partner couldn't stomach sales so it took almost another year to recoup all invested. (In the meantime I picked up one client who has ordered five times the cost of the book in custom projects!) It is now a cult classic and virtually unobtainable except for the few copies I bought back from a retailer and sell at cover price x3. I think I'm just going to keep them.

The new book (Double Guns & Custom Gunsmithing, 2007) has sold enough to recoup the publishers investment and provide meager royalties for me. I got a relatively healthy advance so it didn't kill me to do it. Both shotgun books are all previously published magazine stories so I've been paid, in essence three times for them; magazine, advances, then royalties.

But the book market is DEAD! I've two more books written but have nowhere to publish and I learned my lesson about self publishing; you had better be a great marketer!

What Ed said about returns is all to true! It kills an author to see the number returned full well knowing they are mostly used by the time they get back to the distributor. Double Guns had an initial performance contract with Walmart, but they wound-up returning a few thousand when it didn't sell as fast as they expected. That Hurt!

But I do look forward to eventually buying the remainder of DG and doing what has been very successful (if one doesn't mind being a shipping clerk!) with Fine Gunmaking.

In the meantime I'll see what I can do with a website. If ya can't beat 'em...
At times I am completely frustrated with the publishing situation...
But at times I feel like I'm at Sutter's Mill in '48!!

Some of us are compelled to write and take pictures and must see them published!
Best,
Steve

Gentlemen:
As someone who has no small measure of experience in the publishing/advertising/marketing world, I will merely say that Messrs. Hughes and Muderlak are precisely correct on all counts. Unless you're a politician who's up for re-election.

Best, Kensal

Try sitting down in your over stuffed chair in front of the fire with your favorite Dog at your feet,a gin and tonic by your side, a pipe full of Borkum Riff and then open up your laptop. ? If you fall asleep and it crashes to the ground will you still be able to read it the next night and where do you put the book marker. Iam confused. Rich

ed: have read and re read your books over the years. thank you for all of the information and entertainment you have provided. photography is superb. little of the joy and pleasure you have given us on the printed page is available on the internet. do you have one more book left to do? i hope so. ed

I did as recommended, SDH. Current asking at ABE is precisely as you state. Low on Fine Gunmaking, Double Shotguns (italicization unavailable on Quick Replay) is currently $18 + shipping at Amazon. I am unable to check prices at the time of your DGS offer and have no receipt for purchase because I had three of your books at that time and felt that was a sufficiency even at the giveaway price netside. However, I do remember checking both of these sites at the time one styling himself "Whitey" was enthusing over your offer and I state what I recall of netsite prices at that time. If I recall incorrectly and if it matters (to you), I retract my statement regarding prices your books @ online sellers.

jack