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Pete's Book Project

Well?

  • I'd buy that.

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • I'd buy that and contribute pics/other.

    Votes: 4 57.1%
  • Too expensive.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Too expensive, but I'd contribute pics/other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    7

pete

Brassica Oleracea
Staff member
Administrator
Well, I actually have a few minutes and I'm caught up on my college homework, so I have a chance to write something.

A couple years back, I mentioned on SOTW that I was interested in writing a book. I still am. In 2009, I'm thinking about bringing that a little closer to reality.

I've given some thought to the format. Your imput is always appreciated, though:

1. Picture of an instrument.
2. My pithy commentary about the instrument. Pithy commentary will include me "rabbit trailing" about other subjects, such as when I talk about Conns, I'll mention stuff like stencils and include an updated and expanded article on them. Same with, say, high pitch.

I think that could be a nicely-sized book.

Expensive, tho.

I searched around hard to try to find a company that would allow me to sell a book with 100+ pages that's mainly pictures. Cheapest per-book price I've found is a 7" x 7" square for $20. However, I want "bigger" and I want to make a profit. That's a base price of $30.

Yes, that's the cheapest I've found.

So, here are a couple questions:

1. Would you pay, say, $50 ($30 for the book, $5 to the printer, $6 shipping and $9 profit -- remember, I have to pay the contributors their share!) for something like that?
2. Would you be willing to send me some big pics for inclusion in this book?
 
hey, wait a minute, just sax pics? Who on earth would buy a book with just sax pics? I mean, adding one token clarinet might significantly expand the potential audience. :emoji_rolling_eyes:
 
One of these days, I'll do a clarinet-only (or clarinet-mainly) project.

Considering that a lot of the pics that'll be used for this book project will be the ones that I've used in the calendar and some of those have clarinets in them, you'll probably see a few clarinets in the book.

I probably won't mention them much, tho.
 
I'll state up front, it's too rich for my blood. But I do have a question.

Will it be instruments with a neutral backdrop, or will there be people with the instruments.

Such as Parker holding a King, or Marty with his french floozie, or others which have a connection with the instruments, whether ownership of the specific instrument pictured or a famous player who was noted to have played/recorded on one?
 
If it's mostly photos, these photo book services are an interesting option.

http://www.picaboo.com/photobooks/index.html

http://www.pephoto.com/photobooks.php

The software is free. Finished product for coffee table size 8 x 6 soft cover is only $9.99

Yes, I'd buy one.
The Picaboo you're talking about isn't full size -- you have to scale down the pics. It's also only 20 pages and additional pages are 99 cents.

So, that'd be REALLY expensive. I plan on at least 100 pages, possibly more. The option I mentioned is much less expensive.

==========

Carl H. said:
Will it be instruments with a neutral backdrop, or will there be people with the instruments.

Such as Parker holding a King, or Marty with his french floozie, or others which have a connection with the instruments, whether ownership of the specific instrument pictured or a famous player who was noted to have played/recorded on one?
If you're referring to your kid named Parker and he's holding a Super 20 and you fill out a release for the pic -- or you're talking about Martysax holding a Selmer S80 III and he's sent me a release -- then I'd consider it.

However, if you're talking about Charlie Parker, the problem is that most famous people are essentially their own "brand" and I'd have to license the pic -- even if I took it myself. Now, it's possible I could call up Parker's estate and ask them if I could use a pic, but that could get very expensive, very fast. Check out the Library of Congress disclaimer for Charlie Parker.

However, if you want to point out something that's public domain to me, I'd consider that, too.

While I am fond of some of the pics of saxophone greats, someone's already made that book: Paul Lindemeyer.
 
I would definitely buy that ... but unless it's a famous person ... seeing pictures of random people I don't know with saxophones turns me off.

I think it would be much better to just have really awesome pics of just the saxophone :eek:)
 
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