Thanks for your encouragement and kind words Jerry. I surely wish it were that easy, the publishing world has been turned upside down in the past few years and NOBODY knows where it is going, but everyone knows it is changing for sure.

Almost all printing is done overseas, only potential NYT best sellers get any promotion, authors percentages have gone down and all expenses have gone up.
My most recent "Double Guns and Custom Gunsmithing" has sold a total of 2400 copies since 9/07 and attempts to market through "big box" stores turned into a total snafu. Not bad, but certainly not enough income to bank anything or attract enthusiasm from publishing houses. Truth is at 10% of the gross sales it is difficult to be personally enthused...

I continue to write twelve magazine columns per year (6, double shotguns for Shooting Sportsman - 6, custom rifle for Sports Afield, both columns are very popular) and accumulate material. In fact I have enough material for at least two complete books, three if you count M/L and historic gun material.

In the meantime I have decided to put my extra energies into the website that now has nearly 50 separate pages of Finegunmaking material on quite a variety of topics. The views average nearly 90 per day from all over the world. With the addition of Dorleac & Dorleac we are presenting international small-shop gunmaking at its best and once winter returns to the north country (I'm not in a hurry living there myself!) the prime Custom Rifle Historic Wing (MP) should return with photos and content not available elsewhere.

We have recently added a Viewer's Projects Page (please contribute) and Direct Requests for information from Michael Petrov <mpetrov@finegunmaking.com>. Each is slow starting but but I'm sure the momentum will build as has everything about the site.

So Jerry, and all watching, please believe me when I say I would much prefer to read a book than surf the web or stare at a monitor, but I'm painfully conscious of current reading trends. Please bookmark us <www.finegunmaking.com> and be assured that I will be adding new material with authentic content and great photos on a variety of fine gun topics every chance I get, and that I am open to requests via Contact Me at the bottom of every page on the sight.
Thanks again,
Steve
You bibliophiles might enjoy three views of the Office Wing of the Fine Gunmaking Library.