[meteorite-list] Meteorite eBook Opinions Sought

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:04:06 -0400
Message-ID: <AANLkTimdiwVv4qG1QqzfLs_-zBuUJsWp0NR8=T8NW5Gt_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Kevin,

I'd pay $26.95 for your book. But I don't represent the average
collector because I am also a bibliophile and collected books long
before I got into meteorites. To this luddite, ebooks will never
replace having a real book in my hand.

I have no idea what an ebook copy would be worth. But I can say that
I would pay half the cover price of the real book for a file that I
can read on my laptop. Given a choice, I'll always choose the real
book over the electronic version.

Having already purchased your book (and read it several times), I
consider it a mainstay of the field of collecting. Every collector
should have your book, the Jensens' book (for catalogue purposes),
Rocks from Space, Encyclopedia of Meteorites, and Cosmic Debris. No
meteorite bookshelf is complete without those volumes as an anchor.
`:)

Best regards,

MikeG

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites

Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
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EOM - http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/collection.aspx?id=1564
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


On 9/28/10, Kevin Kichinka <marsrox at gmail.com> wrote:
> Many of you on the list have purchased, and hopefully enjoyed, my book
> "The Art of Collecting Meteorites". It was self-published in 2005.
> When it was still just a dream no publisher found my proffered
> synopsis worthy of consideration. After I had sold hundreds of copies
> I re-submitted the actual book to a dozen publishers. Most rejected
> it, and the couple that were interested wanted to change the title,
> change the cover, delete many photos, eliminate "color" illustrations
> and diminish the quality of the paper it was written on. For this, I
> would net about $1 per sold copy. Unpalatable.
>
> I'm down to about twenty copies (Blaine Reed also has a few left for
> sale) and have considered having the printer, Bookmasters, run off a
> hundred more so I can continue to fill orders. Otherwise "we will turn
> the final page" (pun intended) and it will go "out of print" soon. The
> cost of this small run is so high that I would need to charge $26.95
> for a book that has sold since 2005 for $21.95 to earn the same slim
> profit margin.
>
> I am looking for learned opinions from the people who have or could be
> the end users, the fine people who are avid meteorite aficionados on
> this meteorite bulletin board.
>
> 1. Are there any buyers in these difficult times for a 232 page
> all-color, high-quality paperback book priced at $26.95?
>
> 2. Would anyone purchase the same book for $13 (half-price) to be read
> on their computer in a pdf (Adobe) format?
>
> 3. Would anyone purchase this to be read as an eBook (Apple) or from
> Amazon (Kindle)? How much is "The Art of Collecting Meteorites" worth
> to you in these formats?
>
> Your opinions will play a great part in my decision.
>
> Regards from Nine Degrees North....
>
> Kevin Kichinka (MARSROX at gmail.com)
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--

Received on Tue 28 Sep 2010 06:04:06 PM PDT