Small question for Dr. Braem.

[Braem]

Who said???

Dot,

that is a) experience
b) information from book stores and publishers
and c) the books that are mostly bought are amateur-written.

I quote the owner of one of the largest booksellers in natural history: "The worst books sell best."

Guido

 

[Braem]

Lance,

after having lived off my charming and generous wife for many years (who did not even b...ch when I spent the equivalent of a house for Schlechteriana) I do have a bad conscience. And I am fed up with writing books for "the honour". People that know me, know very well that I have paid more than my dues to the orchid world. (PS I don't mind you poking)

See, very few people realize (or want to realize) that the authors get a pittance. 35 to 45 % go to the bookseller (The AOS even demands 50% before a book was put on the list). In Germany, another 25 % goes to one of the two companies that supply the books to the book sellers. Thus, the author gets 6-8 %. Take it or leave it ...

I have had two major publishers tell me: if you want to be published by us, you put 25% of the cost on the table. And they calculate with 100 000 € for a project. Otherwise it just isn't interesting for them.

So I went to a private publisher with the Braem, Baker & Baker. He used it as a write-off, refused to do any advertisement, never bothered to sell volume 2 except for the first week and simply told me that he would not do volume 3.

I spent 2000 US $ to have a Florida lawyer tell me that I had a case but not enough money to put it through court.

I once did the calculations on one of my book and I destroyed my notes. Anyone who would have seen them would have called the next luny bin and have me put away for good.

More later ...

Guido

Gee, I thought you were a scientist not a capitalist! Your supposed to despise anyone you tries to profit from the environment. oke:

I know very well the costs to publish a book. And I know very well how little money most authors realize from a book. (It is sad)

But self publishing is very easy now. Check out lulu.com

You don't need 50000 Euros, only your time to format the manuscript. If you don't want to do it send it to me and I'll do it for you. :evil:

 

[Braem]

Books will never be "yesterday"

books are so yesterday! why doesn't anyone suggest an online subscription service like orchidculture.com?

 

[SlipperFan]

This seems to be the viscious circle we live in today: it takes money to make money. My husband said, like you, Guido, that he will never write another book. Articles, yes, but books, no. Similar experience with publishing.

Too bad -- it's history's loss with him, and orchidaceae's loss with you.

 

[Barbara]

Dot,

that is a) experience
b) information from book stores and publishers
and c) the books that are mostly bought are amateur-written.

I quote the owner of one of the largest booksellers in natural history: "The worst books sell best."

Guido

Oh, very true. You have to wade through altogether too much trash to find that one jewel.

 

[Braem]

Dot,

problem with this lad is that he is writing on three books (if you count the Phrag one, which has been on ice for a while) .... somehow, some people never learn.

Guido

This seems to be the viscious circle we live in today: it takes money to make money. My husband said, like you, Guido, that he will never write another book. Articles, yes, but books, no. Similar experience with publishing.

Too bad -- it's history's loss with him, and orchidaceae's loss with you.