John, Though I am sure that we would all like to see a book on camera making I too am curious as to what the benefit would be to us as contributors.
I for one have become very tired of seeing books cranked out by companies like Rizzoli-All for their profit with nothing to the contributors. (If say you were a semi-famous artist and Rizzoli approached you the deal would be this: 1. You hire the designer, the writer and the photographers. 2. You sign away any rights to your book to Rizzoli. 3. They keep any money they make selling the books and you take any responsibility for any legal problems that might come up. 4. If you want any copies of your book you pay Rizzoli the book store wholesale price. Before considering such an offer I would suggest doing what I have done. Buy Quark, produce your own book and have it printed. Hong Kong and Thailand do excellent work at great prices. You can make a 3000 edition run of a niche subject and sell them yourself to book stores. The book I participated in has now sold 5000 copies at $15 each with a production cost of about $20,000. This could have been cut in half if there had been one instead of two runs and it had been printed overseas.) My second gripe is seeing books written by English majors whose technical skills are limited to changing the cartridge in their laser printer and the technical writing seminar course they once attended. Most home improvement and reapir books are ridiculoously bad. They are not for beginners, they have good grammar and zero technical value. Computer books are the most egregious examples. The manuals are usually written by engineers in a big hury, but the after market books are almost all written by professional writers commissioned by publishers. I've met some of these people--their contempt is only exceeded by their ineptitude. So John, the thrill of seeing my name in print next to a glossy photo of some widget I've made is tempered by the prospect of my efforts benifitting Rupert Murdoch. What if any is the benefit to this community of photographer/tinkerers? What are your credentials? Sincerely, ---William Nettles [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nettles Photo / Imaging Site http://www.wgn.net/~nettles Find out what's happening in Echo Park: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 12:07:06 -0700 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Cameramakers digest, Vol 1 #375 - 1 msg > > BOOK ON MAKING AND USING CAMERAS > > I have been commissioned by an international publisher to write a book > about constructing and using cameras, and am currently in the process of > looking for contributors. > > > > It doesn't matter whether your camera is simple or sophisticated, but it > should be intended for creative image making, rather than technical > applications or cutting costs. > Please contact me, quoting reference CM1: > by mail at: > > John Evans > > photoinnovations.net > PO BOX 773 > Berkhamsted _______________________________________________ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
