Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclair
4 messages · 2008-02-12 → 2008-02-12 · Yahoo Group era · View archive on archive.org
Participants: Bill Loguidice, Adam Trionfo, joe schmoe
Preserved from the Timex/Sinclair 2068 Yahoo Group (2001–2019), which is no longer online. Text reproduced from the archive.org archive; email addresses masked.
Messages
1. RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclair
Adam Trionfo · Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:48
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
If that book were written as soon as or shortly after the
Sinclair 2068 was released, then the 1985 publication
date would make sense.
>>
I agree. Wouldn't it make sense though to cut there losses and NOT publish? I mean, didn't the publishers have any figures on how many of the computers were sold? Then again, maybe they only printed 5,000 copies. In that case, then it would have made sense to publish. Usually though, aren't print-runs bigger than that? I'm just speculating here...
>>
The computer book market was much more adventurous
back then than it is today it seems...
>>
I don't know if I can agree with that. It seems that SO many of the books were exactly the same back then. They were written for first-time BASIC users. "Okay, folks. Now type PRINT "I AM A COMPUTER! Hit Enter. Look at that! You're computer is talking to you!" While I've never seen that text EXACTLY, so many of the books implied it. There were also many type-in-program books, all of which seemed to have pretty-much the same programs. Sure, there were some stand-out publishers. Anything that Compute! Books published for ANY platform was usually outstanding and well presented. Still, many of the books were also-rans. Bill, do you think that you would have found a publisher for your book easier in 1985 than now (presuming that your book was about computers from twenty to thirty years earlier-- or in some way equivalent in the public's consciousness)?
Adam
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2. RE: [ts2068] RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclair
Bill Loguidice · Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:06
I know first edition print runs of today in the technology book category
can be as low as 3,000 from first-hand experience. They may even go lower,
but I don't know. I can tell you that selling 10,000 copies, you have a hit
in the technology book market, which of course is fairly dismal when you
compare it to typical(or hoped for) sales figures in more mainstream
categories. I would imagine the book market hasn't changed THAT much in 25+
years, but who knows?
In the case of that 1985 Sinclair 2068 book, it could have been a mix of a
lower first edition print run and the fact that the publisher already had
commitment from the sale channel. It might have been more trouble to pull
the plug at the last minute than just let the copies go. Of course who
knows what part ignorance (or good talk-up by the author) played in all
that.
I will also say that today, while you often work with big publishers like
O'Reilly and Elsevier, it's rarely directly. You go through their specialty
imprints. Most publishers have a variety of "sub-publishers" that
specialize more in certain types of books. These are more or less
independent companies that are under the bigger corporate umbrella for
distribution purposes. Obviously that can affect many things like author
advance, number of copies printed and promotion.
=================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
http://www.armchairarcade.com
A PC Magazine Top 100 Website
=================================
-----Original Message-----
From: [email] [mailto:[email]] On Behalf Of
Adam Trionfo
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11:49 AM
To: TS 2068 Yahoogroup
Subject: [ts2068] RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclair
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
If that book were written as soon as or shortly after the Sinclair 2068 was
released, then the 1985 publication date would make sense.
>>
I agree. Wouldn't it make sense though to cut there losses and NOT publish?
I mean, didn't the publishers have any figures on how many of the computers
were sold? Then again, maybe they only printed 5,000 copies. In that case,
then it would have made sense to publish. Usually though, aren't print-runs
bigger than that? I'm just speculating here...
>>
The computer book market was much more adventurous
back then than it is today it seems...
>>
I don't know if I can agree with that. It seems that SO many of the books
were exactly the same back then. They were written for first-time BASIC
users. "Okay, folks. Now type PRINT "I AM A COMPUTER! Hit Enter. Look
at that! You're computer is talking to you!" While I've never seen that
text EXACTLY, so many of the books implied it. There were also many
type-in-program books, all of which seemed to have pretty-much the same
programs. Sure, there were some stand-out publishers. Anything that
Compute! Books published for ANY platform was usually outstanding and well
presented. Still, many of the books were also-rans. Bill, do you think
that you would have found a publisher for your book easier in 1985 than now
(presuming that your book was about computers from twenty to thirty years
earlier-- or in some way equivalent in the public's consciousness)?
Adam
_________________________________________________________________
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"fix".
http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx
Yahoo! Groups Links
3. RE: [ts2068] RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclair�
joe schmoe · Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:10
Hey Bill,
Are you a printer? a 3000 run of page signatures is a
quick turnaround. Most of the books that I have seen
during my inventory were perfect bound with a gloss
cover and all black on white ...maybe a color insert
before binding in some cases. There were some
hardbound books as well. I will see if I can get the
titles for you.
Peace,
Neil
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
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4. RE: [ts2068] RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclairþ
Bill Loguidice · Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:06
No, Im not. Im not sure what you mean. I was merely referring to my
dealings with various book publishers both directly with myself and through
my occasional co-author. I was referring in that case to a first edition
print run of 3,000 copies, and a how a strong seller is 10,000+ copies in
the category. Thats all of course based on whats going on today, rather
than 25+ years ago
=================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
(A PC Magazine Top 100 Website)
http://www.armchairarcade.com
=================================
From: [email] [mailto:[email]] On Behalf Of
joe schmoe
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 5:11 PM
To: [email]
Subject: RE: [ts2068] RE: Powerful Projects with your Timex/Sinclairþ
Hey Bill,
Are you a printer? a 3000 run of page signatures is a
quick turnaround. Most of the books that I have seen
during my inventory were perfect bound with a gloss
cover and all black on white ...maybe a color insert
before binding in some cases. There were some
hardbound books as well. I will see if I can get the
titles for you.
Peace,
Neil
__________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ