doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Publishing in the twenty-first century!

I'm exploring new ways to publish.

Yesterday I was working with my Wundhammer file which is large. In the file is an original catalog, unpublished pictures, ads, articles and tons of pictures.

I'm thinking (always dangerous) how great it could be if I could publish one book per maker.

Has anyone worked with the new "Publish on Demand" or "Print on Demand" companies? One such company is the link below.

http://www.lulu.com/publish/books/?cid=us_home_nav_bk

To keep the one-book one-maker idea economical for both myself and the customer there is always the CD. I don't like CD-books but they might sell.

What say you all?

I'm ready to start Petrov's Page on my site, if you are?

I have no answer for book publishing except a few gunsbooks are starting to appear...

Mike, I am not able to help you on the Publish on Demand, but I do NOT like CDs. I think they are worth about ten percent of what a book is worth, or less. No comfort holding them in your easy chair. I think the guy's name was Skinnerton and he published miliatary type books with a slick paper cover and nice appearing inside paper with color. I talked to him years ago and he said he could deliver such books under ten bucks with overseas publishing. Times have changed a bit, but ??? There are a few gun related books that broke up a list of makers into alphabetical or regional order in order to get all information in two or three books. Seems like such partial books might sell better than books on one maker, only. Just my two cents.

I think it is a great idea, particularly if the alternative is for the book to not ever get published due to the cost. I think we would all like to see a large coffee table type book with good quality color photos, but they are kind of hard to read if you have a lot of text. How about one large color book, with photos of all the makers work, then several other smaller text books if you will, sold as companions to the big book. Each smaller text book could contain text and other hard data on several makers with references to particular photos in the big book. Just thinking out loud here.

Whatever you do, hurry up with it, I got the first one memorized. :-)

John

Mike,

I have been taking a very hard look at them. Seems there are several models out there now. One model is print on demand, POD. Another model offers to do POD and ebook.

The problem I have seen so far, is that most are not setup to do multiple color plates. The other has to with binding, although I consider rather minor.

I found one, can't remember the name at the moment. That would do POD and marketing via Amazon, etc.

I certainly have enough material to publish. Just not sure if I want to tackle all the work involved....

I do believe that EDM told me he explored idea for his last book. But the offerings at the time were not what he wanted.

You may be interested in this NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/books/28selfpub.html?_r=2&ref=business


Pete

Mike,

A different perspective. The guy behind saving the Gordon Setter, Norm Sorby, once published a book Called the "Black & Tan Bombshell, The Gordon Setter." He had to mortgage his home to do it. He eventually sold them all. When he wanted to reprint it he used one of the POD services. I purchased a book from them.
As the purchaser....
The book IMO is not as nice quality as a normal book, but close; however, without the service, Norm would not been able to afford to print the book again and I might never have gotten a copy of it! So from that perspective, it is great.

Although I haven't experienced an e reader yet, also I do not like books on CD that much. I have bought a few magazine re-prints on CD from Wolfe and typically I print them out and bind them myself so I can read them in my easy chair.
I did by my handicap daughter a nook for Christmas. She seems to enjoy it a lot, so maybe that media is something to look at.

Just my 2cents

Jerry

Please,Please no CD's. Whitey

What Whitey said, no CDs.
Regards, Joe

A friend has put together two self-published books on some things he did in Africa. They are very nicely done with great color photos. I think they were soft cover however. Not super cheap but I can't quote prices.

One thing about CD's - 50 yrs from now CD readers will be extinct. 5 yrs from now they may be endangered. A plain ol' book will always be readable if it is reasonably taken care of. Think long term, and go paper. It is still the only real archival medium.

Thanks for all the feedback, more welcome.

I think there is a place for CD-books and for E-Books. A friend had an unexpected financial windfall and bought all her friends Kindles. It took me a while to warm to the Kindle but now I like it. I read a large amount of fiction and in this regard it shines. I got a couple books for it with pictures in it and it's not what I would want.

I think there is a lot to learn about the new Print On Demand so I'll study that for awhile.

Every time a new auction catalog shows up with all the color pictures delivered to my house for $35 I think there might be a chance to be able to make this work. I have piles of paperback reference books so that may be one way to go.