Jean, you have stated everything, as usual, much more eloquently than I.
I think that I can handle the extra $4 if I order a copy. I was curious
more than anything.
I also appreciate that you broke out the chapters...
Jean Hollis Weber wrote:
Andrew Douglas Pitonyak wrote:
... my only surprise was that it was for something other than the
entire user's guide.
The OOoAuthors guides are produced in individual volumes to keep
the size and cost down. When the other volumes (Calc, Draw,
Impress, Base) are finished, I intend to publish printed versions
of them too -- unless this group objects strenuously to that
proposal.
If you mean you were surprised that I left out 4 chapters of the
Getting Started book for the printed version, that was (I admit
it) a unilateral decision to keep the book size to approx. 200
pages by leaving out topics that are more advanced and/or less
likely to be needed by the target audience of the printed book,
which is beginners.
Re: profit margin
Sorry, Andrew. I have just been so busy dealing with family
obligations that I haven't had time to write a note to the list
on this subject. The books are selling for cost + approx. US$4.
BTW, if anyone who is listed as an author on one of the books
wants a copy of that book at cost, that can be arranged. Contact
me offlist. If you have already bought a copy from Lulu and
really want your $4 back, contact me offlist about that too.
It would be useful, perhaps, to understand what we will do with the
final proceeds and then determine how much of a profit to have.
I look at this the other way around. What's a reasonable markup?
How much money are we likely to raise? What can we do with that
amount of money?
I think $4/book is a reasonable markup, but my crystal ball isn't
giving me a very good indication of how many books we will sell,
so I have no idea what sum of money we're ultimately talking about.
As for what to do with the money, let's all talk about it on the
list. I definitely want to talk about it. It's OOoAuthors' money,
not mine! I have some ideas, but none of them are fixed, and I
want to hear from some other people before I throw out my own ideas.
One final note. Jean and Ian, I have a lot of respect for both of you
for many reasons. I have developed this respect over the years. Thank
you for the civil discourse!
Thank you, Andrew, for contributing.
I hope to hear from some other people on this topic.
Regards, Jean
--
Andrew Pitonyak
My Macro Document: http://www.pitonyak.org/AndrewMacro.odt
My Book: http://www.hentzenwerke.com/catalog/oome.htm
Info: http://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php
See Also: http://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/index.html
