Theimage1's new book...

[catmandewe]

Got mine today, spent all afternoon looking at it, now I better go do my chores!

Nice book!!

Tony

[Bluesssman]

I spent a couple of more hours with Ron's book today and my admiration for him grows.

Ron, I talked about your book on my new web site blog and I put a link to your book site. I hope that is alright with you and I hope you have to make more orders for book printing!


Gary

[Taogem]

Ya know, I don't know if it will help our Ron out or not, but maybe if we all do a little plug for his book on our blogs? Maybe give it a little help?

Just a suggestion.. I will get a blog entry up on mine asap!  :)

[Tammy]

Ron,
Your book was here waiting for me when I got back from my trip, what a welcome home.   In just a few days I was able to identify most of my Agates and Jasper slabs that I have had for years and had not been able to name.

Thank you so much!  ;D
Tam

[Steel and Stone]

Just ordered mine, can't wait.

[theimage1]

Thanks everyone glad you are all enjoying the book.  I just got a request from Gems and Gemology to review it, and two are out to Lapidary Journal and Rock & Gems who will eventually give it a review. Lot's of feed-back thus far and it's all been pretty good so I am very pleased.  Thanks all!

[wywyrd]

just received my book today. It looks great Ron! I cant wait to read and check out all those great pictures tonight.

[Taogem]

Thanks everyone glad you are all enjoying the book.  I just got a request from Gems and Gemology to review it, and two are out to Lapidary Journal and Rock & Gems who will eventually give it a review. Lot's of feed-back thus far and it's all been pretty good so I am very pleased.  Thanks all!

This is great news and not surprising at all.. It's a great source of information !

Please be sure to keep us updated

[xelda]

I will have about 2000 on hand when they arrive. I can't afford to put them on Amazon as they want the book at about 40% of retail and I get the honor of paying the shipping to them. If you want to use Amazon you need to plan on making something like 5000 copies to get the price low enough to compensate for their requirements. 5000 copies would cost something like 40-45 K dollars, a bit more than I budgeted.

Wow, I'm really glad I stumbled across these forums.  This looks like a fantastic book.  I just ordered my copy.  :)

Ron, instead of having Amazon distribute the book, couldn't you simply list yourself as a third party supplier/seller?  Of course Amazon would demand a commission, but it seems like there would be so many advantages to having a listing there complete with rankings, reviews, etc.

[Mark]

We could all go online and rate it.  You would certainly get 5 out of 5 stars from me.  Is there any place to rate it, let me know.  I'll leave all the stupid and supposedly funny things i come up with, out of the review, and go for the intellectual tone. Ha ha.  Mark

[theimage1]

Actually on further checking Amazon gets 55% off of list, plus you pay shipping to their distribution centers. They have another progrm where you can sort of sell it yourself, but Amazon handles the transaction, there it's $1 per transaction + a variable closing fee of $1.35 (per item) and a 15% commission fee. They then set two shipping fees, one for cheapest way and one for priority.

They credit you a fixed amount for each, and the $3.99 for the cheapest way actually works for a book using media mail, unless a buyer wants more than one book. The shipping credit for priority is $6.99 and that's actually $4 less than it costs for more than 1/2 of the country (from where I am located.)  (If you are located in Kansas or Missouri the fees are about correct for all but Hawaii and Alaska)  I currently lose about $1.50 on priority shipping to the western US and a I make about $1.50 on priority chipping to the Eastern US ... unfortunately Paypal has no finer adjustments available. But with Amazon I would lose an additional $2.50 on all priority shipments west, and break even on those in the east.

So the cost of using Amazon is 15% = $6 + $1 + $1.35 + $4 = $12.35 (for all sales west) and about $8.50 for all eastern sales. This for the privilege of using Amazon per book, and I still have to do the wrapping and physical shipments myself (another $1 cost in box+ tape+ packing material+ and label.) I can see the advantage of getting it out to more "casual viewers", and the reviews etc. would be nice, but I think I'll pass for now. By the way all of the above still does not get my book listed on Amazon, only on my Amazon Store. As far as I can tell I have to go to the next higher category, the "Sell on Amazon and have the store listed by Amazon acct." That runs $100 a month flat fee plus 7% of price plus the same shipping credit. Currently I get roughly a 4% fee on Paypal but don't have to pay the $100 a month flat fee for the service.

What I have learned about book publishing of specialty books is that you need to plan on a print run of about 5000 copes to get the price down where you can afford to pay the big boys, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders their 55-60% cut. I can tell you that on a 200+ page all color 9x12" book that it will cost you between $40,000 - $50,000 cash up front. I also discovered that if you get a publisher then it doesn't cost you any cash up front, but you will likely make no more than $1-$2 per book royalty. The good news is that all the advertising and shipping, etc. is handled by someone else, but Amazon, B&N, and Borders still get their 55% cut.

I think what I learned in the book business is that it is better to sell than to write! Unless you just gotta do it at least once to see if you can, and hope for the big "break even" when all is said and done.

[Mark]

Bummer.  It hardly pays anymore to do anything.  I've considered writing a book on several occasions, but it always seems like an impossible thing to do with a full time job, kids, hobby, etc.  I hardly have time for the things I already have.  Ron, I think your book is an incredible achievement.  Maybe the answer is not a physical one, but is instead a Digital one.  Maybe you could come up with a scheme where you can allow online access for a fee, or sell digital copies for a big discount, but where you would get all the money and have no shipping charges.  How about a subscription service with access to the book and monthly updates and a newsletter.  Dang, now I want to do this.  Wish I had more time or was more time efficient.  Good luck Ron.  Mark

[theimage1]

Hey I'm not complaining ... I went in with my eyes open. I was fortunate enough to have the time and resources to do it. And most importantly I wanted to do it (or at least try it.) Life is for learning and to experience, not just for watching.

After I "graduated" (retired) from Dow Chemical, I was offered a job of teaching in a University (on contract) for a year (Geology 101). After the interview for the position was complete (they offered the position to me), the people doing it ask if I had any questions about the job, and I had one or two about the book used and how much freedom I would have to add to the information etc.

I agreed to check it out with my wife (to see if she would decide I had enough time to do it!),  and told them I would get back with them within 48 hours. I got up to leave and they looked a little befuddled, and ask if I did not have any other questions, I said no. I closed my briefcase and began to depart, and the department head stopped me,  took me aside, and asked me if I didn't really need to know how much the position paid. I thought about it for a minute, and said no, if I wanted to do it, it would be for the "experience" to see what "official" teaching was like, and because I loved the subject, I was after all, retired! Whatever it paid would be fine. That's when I fully discovered teaching is something you do because you like it, or you don't do it. You certainly aren't going to get rich from it!

You can get rich from writing books, but the economics favor the paper-back black and white novel that cost little to print and sells hundreds of thousands of copies. The author only makes pennies on each, but makes it up on volume, or even better selling the rights for a movie!  Good old Harry Potter!  So I wonder who can be casted to play the part of "Agate"?

[xelda]

Wow, makes me wonder how anyone makes money off of Amazon.  Forget that idea.

Probably a more effective way of reaching your targeted audience would be to have people sell the book for you at shows.

[The Polished Pebble]

Ron. I would be more than happy to put a link to your book selling site on my website. It is just getting a few hits - but that will change.

If you have graphics for a link or such, let me know.

Connie