Interest in pre-order of "The Index of Japanese Swordsmiths"

This poll refers to the topic discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15469

Please read the entire thread to get an idea of what is being asked here, and why.

The books are improved prints of these:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/i ... 53489.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/i ... 53496.html

The poll is to determine the interest in a new printing of Markus Sesko's 2 volume set "The Index of Japanese Swordsmiths" to improve on the quality and offer a high class hard-bound version at a good price, with proceeds going to the author.

The aim is to get 100 copies reserved, which will enable the 2 books to be sold for about $100 excluding shipping from Europe. If interest is less than 100 copies, there may be a second option of a digitally printed hard bound edition which will be more expensive due to the lower quantity, but at about $180 per set.

This is not a confirmed pre-order, but please only indicate serious intention to purchase if this happens. Payment would be pre-order through escrow...likely through Paypal or money order.

You can select up to 2 of the poll options. We will run this poll for a week or more until there is clarity in the outcome.

Brian

Brian, there's an error with the poll. There should be technically possible to cast only a vote for options 1-3. If a few people get confused and vote 1-2, 1-3 or 2-3 we will have no clue about how many books can be pre-ordered.

I think what you need to do in order to correct this is to make it a two questions poll.

A. How many copies of the high quality, hard bound, offset printed books at $100 plus packing and shipping are you willing to buy?

1. a copy.

2. two copies

3. multiple copies (please post and mention the number)

B. If the required number of copies of the offset prints isn't reached, would you be willing to purchase a good quality digitally printed set, hard bound, at $180 plus shipping?

1. yes

2. No

Or to make it possible to cast only one vote for options 1-3, but I don't know if the forum software allows this.

P.S. Also I'm afraid 1 week is going to be too short, maybe you can give it until the end of the month? The Chicago show is during the last week-end of April and news of this initiative may reach people who don't usually visit the forum.

Your choice, of course.

The software doesn't allow more than one poll.....and no way of disallowing choices as mentioned. So we will have to rely on the fact that people will know what they are doing. If/when we hit 100...we can take it from there. The poll will last as long as it takes for us to come to some sort of conclusion.

Brian

It doesn't even allow multiple questions?

I'm pressing this issue because, if you look at the results, there are already 8 votes for options 1-3 and only 3 votes for option 4. Sure, if we don't hit 100 even like this it's going to be crystal clear, but if we do we might actually have just 60 or so real pre-orders.

Maybe (if there's no other technical solution) make the votes public so we can figure out if someone did a mistake and use the correct numbers? This is for pre-ordering something anyway, no need to make them private.

Adrian, you are starting to make this feel like a job...and I get enough of that at work.

This software won't allow public voting. It won't allow multiple questions. When I pay the $500 and get new software in the future and move the forum to a better software, then we can do all that. For now...the poll remains as is. If we hit over 100...we can run another quick poll to get an exact amount. Until then, don't make me lock this topic from posts.

Brian

If it helps. If you publish a high quality set, offset printing, best paper, leather or high quality cover with stitched binding I will get at least 10 copies maybe more. John

I can do about 5 or 6 for the local market here. I think it is important to find a printer that handles storage and fulfilment too. That means they print them, then store them and ship directly to the purchasers on order. No-one is going to want to be responsible for distribution privately. And best to find a publisher that does it all in one, instead of sending to another company to distribute. May as well have extras made to sell from the printers over time.

Brian

Most large printers offer this service Brian, My works is stacked to the rafters with work waiting to go out, they do charge you for storage though.

Alex.

Brian, sorry for bugging you about the poll, but there's no need to get hostile, I only wanted to save you further aggravation. (another poll and so on)

As for the rest: any printer would handle storage for a while, but not too long. Most printers handle shipping in bulk, but very few handle individual shipping and among those even fewer offer the kind of deal that I'm trying to get.

This being said, finding a printer that does the complete job including individual shipping would save me a lot of trouble, so be sure that if I can find such offer I'll present it in a heartbeat.

Now, about having a few extras made, what I'm suggesting is the following: let's run this poll long enough so everyone who wants to buy 1 book gets the chance to pre-order and if by some sort of miracle we get close to 100 copies this way, we definitely can order more to cover for those who want to buy two or more.

Making less then 100 is impossible, making more then 100 is very good as it will basically lower the cost/copy even further. And I'm sure that getting some extra copies will make a smart investment, as in time this edition will only become more valuable.

However there's one thing that I'm not going to be involved into and that's storing somewhere the books and then dealing with subsequent orders, be them individual or in bulk. I'm doing this volunteer effort (which's magnitude very few understand) in order to help an important work reach it's intended audience. Not in order to apply for a slave position :lol: .

Something else that could be looked into: would it make sense, to save on postage, if all copies for a country were shipped surface mail to one volunteer who would then reship to individual owners? I'm thinking of countries that generate many orders, like the one I'm in. Don't know if this will work but thought I'd ask.

Grey

Grey, this is something I'm considering from the begining (the shipping cost would decrease quite a lot this way), however I will have to check out if the surface mail options come with tracking. I don't want to see a package worth 3-4000$ vanishing and then have to fight the Postal Service for a year over the money.

And of course it also requires a volunteer on the US end.

Something else that could be looked into: would it make sense, to save on postage, if all copies for a country were shipped surface mail to one volunteer who would then reship to individual owners? I'm thinking of countries that generate many orders, like the one I'm in. Don't know if this will work but thought I'd ask.

Excellent suggestion! Grey, since you are used to dealing with books, please consider volunteering for a good cause.

The poll is looking promising so far: 10 (John)+ 5 (Brian) + 4*1+ 5*2 + 3*3 = 38

Hoanh

Printers will and do offer individual shipping, they just pass the job onto someone else, usually quite reasonable.

Im in too, by the way.....

Alex

they just pass the job onto someone else, usually quite reasonable.

Yea, and they charge the customer some extra for that too. And since I also know quite a few shipping companies, I don't see why we should pay the printing company so they deal with the shipping company on our behalf. Unless I'm missing something, of course.

The poll is looking promising so far: 10 (John)+ 5 (Brian) + 4*1+ 5*2 + 3*3 = 38

 

Hoanh

I was pretty sure that 100 copies will be easy at this price. I'm already wondering if we couldn't do 200 @60 each :lol: That would be dirt cheap for such a book.

Pay the printing company?...read what i wrote Adrian..Ive tried helping but now ive had enough..........game over.

Alex.

Pay the printing company?...read what i wrote Adrian..

I did. They pass the job to a shipping company and chage the customer for it. More then the price charged to them by the shipping company, of course :lol:

Again, you said that you have close relatives in this business, feel free to make us an offer for the whole job :D . If it's competitve in both price and quality, I'll be happy to step down and help you with advice on the board :lol: .

Adrian, why you being childish, we pass the customer on to the shipper, we DONT charge, the shipper does!

Personally i wouldnt trust you with a kids crayon book.

Alex

No comment :?

I think my previous message is crystal clear. I'm not asking any royalties for the idea of this project, step in and be our hero :lol: .

P.S. If you're trying to get this topic locked for replies you're doing a great job.

P.P.S. You managed to contradict yourself within minutes.

From

Printers will and do offer individual shipping, they just pass the job onto someone else, usually quite reasonable.

to

we pass the customer on to the shipper, we DONT charge, the shipper does!

 

If you pass the customer to the shipper you're not offering individual shipping. Please stop hurting this topic now.

You seem to know everything, im out pal.

Alex

Geez, why does this have to be the source of so much snarkiness? Someone has offered to put together a deal for a high quality printing....what's the problem? If you aren't in the market for such a book, why pollute the thread?

Chris - great comment nailed my thoughts exactly!

Seems like 31 so far 7 X1 + 6 X2 + 4X 3(or more) Great start - only 25 submissions.

I'll take 2 , hope this ends up being successful

Regards,

Lance

Brian the Escrow Agent,

I would bet my lunch money the project is a go from the pre-order stand point. It's not too early to think of a snazzy NMB logo to ink on the book. Your thoughts?

regards,

Hoanh

I will buy a set.

My only question is, who would handle the money... and is that person trustworthy to do what they say they are going to do? I only ask this because I noticed Adrian has only been a member of the forum for a short time, and it's not often someone offers to do anything for free. No offence is meant by this at all... I guess I'm just cynical. If we CAN be sure the deal is legit, I'll prepay for a copy... and thank those involved for their efforts.

Adam,

Brian will be the Escrow Agent. That should put everyone at ease.

Regards,

Hoanh

I think we can reach the 100 copies fairly easily if the price stays so incredibly low. I voted 3+ as I was thinking of 5 sets, 2 for myself and 3 to local collectors in Finland.

These are only the initial stages, and already the cracks are appearing. How can there be sniping over what, ifs, maybe’s and perhaps? Adrian this is your idea, but input must be valuable to you, don't retaliate to what you perceive to be negativities to your ideas. Bring some factual figures to the board, lets have real input. Again this is a good idea, put some meat on the bones, lets move this on!

Denis.

Let me clear a few things up.

1) Adrian, i am not interested in stealing your job. Knowing the business i find it hard sitting here without trying to help, my company does not need the work, there are not enough hrs in the day as it is. We specialize in high quality full colour books, university prospectus, brochures, folders etc etc. We do work for british aerospace, most universities, aston martin and so on. We do the kind of work no one else wants to do because its difficult and demanding, thats how we make are money in what seems to be a digital world, all though we also do digital.

2) Do we do this kind of work you require?, yes sometimes, it isnt a big deal, we may shy away from it because its overseas though. I did say at the beginning of the thread that i would get it printed in Marcus's home country, basically to avoid import duty on any that are left over for return to Marcus, aswell as a hefty postal delivery . 250 of each book is not a big job quantity wise and the price should be more than acceptable. What if theres a lot left over?, does it matter?, if the price is right for the number of books that are initially required.

3) Would i do it it for nothing, no, i find it difficult to believe anyone would do this for nothing...

4) Do i want to bicker on line and be quoted all the time? No.

5) Do i want the work, no,not at all!, but as i said, i would have been happy to give you a price for comparison only,to help you see where you stand, i am now finished on this subject.

I genuinely hope this works, i need more books at a reasonable cost

Alex

What job are you talking about? The one that I invited you on several occasions to "steal"?

Seriously now, first thing I saw when opening the forum today were:

1. Adam voicing what would have been a legitimate concern if the subject wasn't covered in detail on the topic that preceded this one. Brian posted the link in the OP and asked everyone to read the whole thing.

As I clearly stated there that I don't intend to touch any money it's kind of hard not to get some hurt feelings.

2. Denis (DrFox) doing his usual bickering against the project, without any admin/moderator telling him to stop.

3. Alex (blade72) doing the same but in a more sneaky manner. :lol:

Would i do it it for nothing, no, i find it difficult to believe anyone would do this for nothing...

Well, Alex, I'm just a very different person then you. Three days ago I borrowed for free my satphone (loaded with 1850mins) to a guy who's running the "Marathon des Sables" in Morocco. Did this because he's the image of a charity campaign.

Am I expecting something in return? No. I did it because it just makes me feel better. It's something that people like you Alex can never understand. You're probably incapable even of very small things like this one viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15210&start=0 After all, hey, you wouldn't "get" anything out of it .

This being said, I must confess that I never expected so much negativity to arise from what is essentially a good will gesture and a lot of volunteer work.