| Author |
Message |
    
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
3119
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 08:17 pm: |   |
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Business-of-Life.html?em&ex=1200459600&en=f804f9ec0f62ad3e&ei=5087%0A
The link above is to a very decent article - a little shallow but informative for new people
http://www.perrycomer.com
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Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
248
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 06:03 am: | |
Like similar articles that have appeared from time to time, this article does not touch on how POD can and has been abused by a company such as PA with its deliberate misrepresentation, practicing fraud, and non-standard business ethic which forbids phone calls and even name identification of an employee a writer communicates with via email. Sadly, too, it kind of underscores how ineffective have been the nearly one million postings on Abolutewrite, Preditors&Editors, and other websites to attract a major investigation of the company by a media giant. Like so many occurrences in America, I suspect PA will not get the coverage it deserves until one of its writers, who is not only disgruntled but is also deranged, pays a visit to the Frederick offices and commits a horrific crime.
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
2005
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 09:59 pm: | |
I resemble that remark . . . .
http://www.fdungan.com/bushwhacked.htm |
Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
249
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 09:55 am: | |
On the heels of the NYT article Pac pointed us to is an article in this week Publishers Weekly on POD. (Sidebar: PW sell its cover space. It does have an actual cover, but in front of it is a simulated PW cover that's an ad and is also often a pullout. This week's is a huge ad by Lightning Source.)
Some points from the article that Mindsighters might be interested to know of:
1/ Lightnight Source is the biggest, but has been joined by about a dozen others in recent years whose businesses are also growing;
2/ LS digitally scans 2000 books/mo and prints 1.2 million/mo;
3/ Major agreement out there that the quality of POD books is getting very close to the quality of offset;
4/ LS and POD can now print first runs of up to 25,000 copies. Some disagreement as to whether offset remains cost effective for runs over 1000 copies;
5/ Article suggests to me that turnaround time of order to delivery is now competitive and no longer much of an issue;
6/ $4-$5 for POD volume, about $1 for offset copy;
7/ Not yet suitable for $16 trade paperbacks (something we all learned rather quickly), but "perfect for deep backlist titles and specialized titles where price is not an issue." (Jed Lyons, president of Rowman & Littlefield and National Book Network).
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
3743
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 05:01 pm: | |
Interesting stats...will be interesting to see if the price point for POD will ever match offset.
Mindsight Moderator
Aston's Blog |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
2006
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 09:24 pm: | |
POD and offset (for the most part, but not always) tend to be marketed and distributed in different manners. Offset is the legitimate child and POD is considered to be an illegitimate stepchild. No matter how well POD performs, it stands no chance of becoming the heir apparent. Big publishing houses and big distributors tend to keep it where most people won't see it and the last thing they would ever do is to set a place for writers like us at the table. Our money is welcome, but we aren't.
http://www.dunganbooks.com |
Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
251
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 09:45 pm: | |
Fred, you wrote: "POD and offset ... tend to be marketed and distributed in different manners."
Wait a sec! POD and offset aren't "marketed and distributed" at all; books are marketed and distributed. I think you're confusing the accoutrements surrounding POD with what it fundamentally has been and remains: another way to put out a book.
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
2007
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 05:41 pm: | |
Not in the least way confused. You read into it what you wanted to read into it. Obviously, the implied meaning was production of offset and POD books and it is perfectly acceptable to use a shorthand term. Or maybe you simply chose to sidetrack the discussion when it took an unpleasant turn. Nitpicking does not become you.
The gist of the matter is as stated: "Our money is welcome, but we aren't."
http://www.dunganbooks.com |
Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
252
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 05:53 am: | |
I'm glad you're not confused. At the same I'll freely admit that, after reading your second post, I have no idea what you're talking about. As for the accusation that I am 'nitpicking,' that's something else. Have you looked at your picture? If you think I would even consider running my fingers through that mop you're wearing, then you're more looneytunes than a Rumsfeld.
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
2008
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 03:55 pm: | |
Grow up, Frank.
http://www.dunganbooks.com |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
3745
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 04:23 pm: | |
Let's keep it civil, gentlemen...
Mindsight Moderator
Aston's Blog |
Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
254
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 09:09 pm: | |
Fred, I was joking! I took your personal character assessment of me, “Nitpicking doesn’t become you,” and pretended to interpret it from its original meaning. Just a writer playing with the words. Your 60s hair-style fit perfectly since long hair pissed so many people off back then and a few even today. And if you didn’t notice, I made sure to include myself in the joke. (Or did you think that even though I wouldn’t run my fingers through your locks, I’m out there quite eager to pick around through the scalps of others?) I thought and was hoping you’d chuckle in the least. The hair and the stache look fine. As for the first part of the post, what I said there I meant. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who are the THEY who accept our money, but not us? And who are the US?
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
2009
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:41 pm: | |
Alright, I will define the terms. We, the writers. Them, the business people, i.e. agents, publishers, and distributors. The lines are distinct, but become blurred if you swallow the PublishAmerica get-rich-marketing-your-book garbage.
And, yes, I write, edit, proofread, and publish. I do so because the powers that be have left me no other option. I am far better at being creative than I am at business and would much prefer to write. We don't always get to do what we want to do, but it doesn't hurt to try.
I scanned the photo from my current, but quite a few years old, drivers license. The hair is much longer now. Long hair is common among service-connected disabled veterans from the Vietnam era, especially the gimps like me who are stuck in wheelchairs.
Please allow me to explain the "us". People who share something in common, such as writing, develop a sense of oneness. Of course, not everyone has it. I tend to empathize with my fellow writers whom I have come to respect. Like I said, most people get it, but there are a few who don't.
http://www.fdungan.com |
Harry Simenon
Unity Member
Post Number:
1738
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 03:04 am: | |
As we all know offset is cheap for large amounts of books (per book) but expensive for small amounts, and POD is excactly the opposite (but low overall investment as a small run is cheaper.)
So publishers only use offset for books they think will score well. POD is available for everybody with a bit of money or through 'publishers' like PA. And we all know what their standards are.
The average offset book is usually better written than a POD for that reason, and 'publishers' like PA do not help to improve POD's bad name.
But in the end I think the quality of the writing wil win, although it might take more time for a well written POD book compared to a well written offset book.
I believe that if a book is well written and captures readers it does not matter that much anymore how it is published. If it is succesfull it will be automatically be switched to offset though, even if it started out to be POD.
What pleased me very much was this girl who wrote and recorded her own song in her bedroom and showed it on Youtube. Many people loved it and she made it without the music industry.
Perhaps E-books or POD will do this for writers too one day?
And Fred, at least you still got hair; mine is nearly gone.
It does not require any nitpicking though... |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
3747
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 05:05 am: | |
Thanks, guys...
Mindsight Moderator
Aston's Blog |
Frank Mazur
Wandering Member
Post Number:
255
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 06:51 am: | |
Well, just because someone says they get it, doesn't mean it's so. One of the biggest bloviathons on the matter who says he gets it, publicly and without notice to me, accused yours truly of being 1 of 3 holdouts defending the Frederick crowd. It was a post dedicated solely to taking a shot at the characters of the others and myself. That alone told me this rascal was a scammer in his own right, trying to advance his reputation by destroying others. FWIW, I've not defended that crew. All I did was question his line of thinking.
Bear with me. I'm leading to a recommendation.
After that was brought to my attention, I began to take a closer look at the vocalists. Many, I noticed, used a pseudonym, so you didn't know anything at all about the person offering an opinion. Others who presumably were using their real names still didn't give much information in their profiles. Still others just reiterated they were experts in thousands of words. In the end, I concluded my time would be better served by reading those who have a record of involving themselves with books, agents, and publishers on a daily basis, who make phone calls, pay visits, speak face-to-face with various parties over lunch. I avoided these websites and I shelled out 200 dollars for a subscription to Publishers Weekly. I recommend it to all who are looking to have a book published. Read it each week cover to cover and you'll eventually develop a much clearer sense of what the publishing and book world is about. I regret I did not subscribe years ago; I wouldn't have given PA even a first look.
3-dollar gas. Writers' strike. Read a great book by F. E. Mazur.
SPINE
THE BUCKSELLER
"A BIGGER CASE" |
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