[Leica] LUG & Blurb question

Sat Nov 29 13:35:07 PST 2014

Mark I speak only for myself, not for Jim.
The book format is intended to be the consensus of the wishes of the
majority while annoying as few as possible.
I was never about making money and the only profit has always gone to Jim's
favoured charity. I preserved that this year both as a thank you to Jim and
because I believe that meets Brian's approval. I am not party to Jim's
sales numbers but he has told us before the amount raised for charity.

My prediction is that copies will be purchased by contributors but I don't
expect wide sales out of that group.
Ultimately it is a friend's photo album. I have previously put together two
small zero profit books compiling Leica photos from 12 and 19 Leica users,
mainly LUG people. Those 12 and 19 were the only purchasers.

This year you will be able to see the Yearbook on your iPhone and iPad as
well if you want and inexpensively.
You can read Jim's rationale on why he prefers to preserve the print format
only for the eight editions that he put so much work into for everyone's
benefit.

I will not release a PDF version of the 2014 book because of reservations
expressed to me about unauthorised copies. Remember that the editor does
not own any of the content. It belongs to all of the contributors.
Incidentally one of the recipients of your Nobel prize for contributing to
the design of the PDF format would be Brian!

Once the 2014 has been published the LUG may well want to discuss if they
wish to review the format of the book. For this one I am doing everything I
promised and keeping the faith with people's current expectations.

Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman

On 30 November 2014 at 04:11, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> They way I think about it is if you're going to do something why not let
> more than just a few people see it? I love books I'm about to hit some
> bookstores this afternoon made a list checking it twice but for every
> person
> who reads and looks at paper there's thousands who are getting the same
> words and pix as pixels.
> I love PDF 's. I think the guy you invented them should get the Noble Peace
> prize. If I'd gone to the trouble to layout a photo book such as this it
> would drive my crazy not being able to press the "make PDF button" in the
> end. If you think about it the preview software which lets people peek into
> the book on the website has kind of done that.
> I think when people know ahead of time that the layout will be
> electronically disseminated few if any would have a problem with that. If
> they do let them rot in their own hells.
> People want to  see their book on their iPad's  and iPhones.
> More importantly they want to never put their iPad's and iPhones down.
> They want to keep staring at them.
> Let them.
>
> That said I don't think the reason behind a LUG book such as this is to
> make
> money. How many extra copies did they sell does anyone know?
> If there really is a market for a book such as the LUG Yearbook than in
> electronic form I'd wager that market would be 100x.  ... To 1000x.
>
>
> On 11/28/14 11:15 PM, "Geoff Hopkinson" <hopsternew at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I did a test convert of another non-related photobook that I edited and
> > published an eBook version as a test. I don't have my iPad with me to
> check
> > as yet, but it looks like it should work fine on IOS devices, not just
> > iPads.
> > When you buy you get a download link in a mail to be opened on the device
> > where you want to download it. In other words, one download, one device.
> > I shall report in when I get that test on on my (first) iPad which went
> to
> > a family meber who will like to have that particular book.
> >
> > My intent introducing the eBook this year was to broaden the sales while
> > each copy (print or electronic) will generate exactly the same markup for
> > Jim's charity. As a glass half full approach I hope that people will
> enjoy
> > having the printed volume on their shelf to enjoy and perhaps add an
> eBook
> > to their order.
> >
> > However, I have no connection with all eight books that Jim did with us
> of
> > course, except to be in them all.
> > I would note that it does require some work to convert each book and then
> > publish it.
> > Of course it is entirely up to Jim on whether this option (not always
> > available) is worth doing and if he wants to be pushed out of retirement
> to
> > work again on any of those eight!
> > For whatever my opinion is worth, I thinks it's a big ask on Jim after
> > eight years of a lot of work for us all.
> >
> > Don't blame me, Jim, sorry. I hope my decision for THIS year will mean
> more
> > copies sold than we would have otherwise and more money to your charity.
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> > Geoff
> > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
> >
> > On 29 November 2014 at 13:12, Jay Burleson <leica at jayburleson.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Looking at a post today and a question was asked about the proposed
> e-book
> >> version of this years book.
> >>
> >> What I am wondering, is if the previous years books can be changed in
> >> Blurb to add an e-book option?
> >>
> >> It would be a way for folks to add to their collection at a reasonable
> >> cost, plus add some more to the donation funds.
> >>
> >> Any ideas, Jim?
> >>
> >> Jay
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Leica Users Group.
> >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
>
> --
> Mark William Rabiner
> Photographer
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>