[sdiy] From Bernie of Electronotes

[Donald Tillman]

Bernie,

Musical electronics is a fascinating topic, and with the modular renaissance, there is a growing thirst for knowledge and the very work you do.  

I think there is a much better way to monetize Electronotes.  Let's face it, a $373, 6000-page package is not for everybody.

I have a business recommendation:
   1. Collect the articles on a given topic.
   2. Go over them with a quality editing job; redraw the diagrams, consistent fonts, make it pretty and professional, no more than 350 pages.
   3. Publish and sell hardcopies through Lulu, or a similar on-demand printer/publisher. They can supply alternative formats, such as ebooks, by simply setting an option.
   4. Repeat for each topic.

This would lower the customer's price barrier from $373 to about $30, offer something for the customer who doesn't have room for 2 linear feet of bookshelf space, spreads their costs over time, etc.  It's a huge win, and it would be very profitable.  And you'd never have to make that trip to the printer and the post office again.

Fuel OCD collecting behavior by designing the cover art to look extra handsome assembled on a shelf.  And customer input determines the next topic, so you'll never be off target.

  -- Don

--
Donald Tillman, Palo Alto, California
don at till.com
http://www.till.com


> On Jun 24, 2017, at 3:16 PM, Bernard Arthur Hutchins Jr <bah13 at cornell.edu> wrote:
>  
> HA!   Old-timer (sorry Henry old friend) Henry Birdseye has reposted comments from a “Synthesizer Freaks Facebook page:” (I avoid facebook so haven’t seen/followed this). I believe the original poster is one Scott Beam who is a person I had never heard of 24 hours ago!  Beam has NO connection with Electronotes although he freely offers “advice”, and has proven (in short order indeed!) to be difficult to communicate with.   
> 
> Here is not a proper place for regurgitating contentious exchanges, but it will be helpful perhaps to correct some errors in what Scott posted.
> He said: “The author doesn't even have this complete of a set in this condition. Contains issues 50-119, 1975-1980.”
>  
> Not only do I have many such (the same original printings), and we mail the sets out weekly, but many of you on this mailing have the same.  So much for finding a rare treasure.
>  
> Scott also says: “It would mean a GREAT deal to the project if you're able to tip him even a few dollars in appreciation of his work to his
> PayPal    http://electronotes.netfirms.com  “
>  
> Please - Don’t do that.  No project here.  Anything submitted without an order will of course be promptly refunded. 
> 
> Scott also said:  “Just to be clear, this is not my work, I'm only
> providing a mirror of his exact site in the form of a zip
> archive, and Mr. Hutchins is aware of what all is going on.”
> 
> Well – yes – I am aware.   But not in the sense of having given prior approval.  He proudly posted the link to the ZIP file without informing me. Possibly useful, but we do update the site every month or two so the new items will be missing.     
>  
> OKAY.  And I wonder if I deserve the “Scrooge” title I sometimes get?  Our everything package is $373 for some 6000-6500 pages (link above).  The printing on that costs $292.  The postage is included at $40.  That leaves me with at most $41.  On top of that, everyone get something like 3000 pages (of the most useful, newest material) free. 
> 
> Cheers and sincere best regards to all.
>  
> Bernie