Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion MY GAS PUMP ID BOOKS

Rather than pick apart some of the things said above, I think it is time to move on.

I posted this because I really wanted to know what your opinions were, and you have spoken. Thank you for your comments.

As with the first two books anything I make from writing the book will come from how many I sell. Publishers don't pay you to write the book, they just give you a small royalty.

The person who will be paying to have the book printed is the one who will make decisions such as values/no values, etc.

Hopefully, sometime in September or before a decision will be make about a third book.

Thanks again for all your opinions, I asked for them, I just shouldn't have responded to them.

Jack Sim

This has most likely been asked before, but I guess I missed it.
Jack: How do you arrive at the Value Prices?
That has to be very hard to do. Areas of the country bring a wide variation in prices. Also supply and demand. At one auction a Wayne 60 can bring $1300 and at Peotone $1800. Supply and demand.
Thanks for your books either way, and ALL the hard work that goes into them.

Jack:

My question is this:
Is there a more economical way to produce and distribute the same data, yet still retain control of the intellectual content?

You seem to embrace technology and I wonder if you could simply make the same data available using a secure website that users pay a one time or annual fee for access that incorporates a mobile app also accessible with smartphones?

Then you control all access, content, have the hit ratios of users, etc.. You can trademark/water stamp images, pay homeage to origin of photos or contributors, easily add/delete or update the content and values, if included. You could also include the air meter and other data to drive additional revenues. Links to and from websites like this mightdrive additional revenues.

Making your content digital secures it from physical harm such as theft,fire, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes etc and preserves it for the future collectors hobbyists...

I am sure there are far more investors, code writers, computer software and web designers that would be willing to jump on board to this format or perhaps offer to do the work under a limited partnership over a single print book that becomes outdated rapidly. It would be a real investment that has real value as it evolves and would continue your legacy of amazing research. Possibly creating a far more valuable tangible asset that you could leave to your family or sell when you are ready to hang up your hat.

These are only my thoughts & questions. Please know I hold you and your work in the highest regards and thank you for all your time, effort, knowledge, research, books & posts here.

Best wishes and God Bless;

Thank you for the compliment about being up on computer technology, but I am not.

As far as I know anything you put on a website can be copied, just like a CD can be copied.

Hopefully someone (gulfiend?) will explain this all to us, hopefully using words we can understand. Any suggestions are welcome.

This book, if it comes about, will probably be my last hurrah. Who would keep the info on a website up to date?

Jack Sim

...Jack, you overestimate my interactive computer experience! I'm a print designer and woefully inept when it comes to programming...

...that said, I wouldn't go the website route, or the iPhone app route...much easier to grab (steal) digital content, than printed content...I would keep to the format you've established - but add more pumps, and perhaps a 1-10 rarity scale (like Scott used for his globe books) as that will remain constant no matter what happens to the market...you've been at this long enough to know what MOST people will want/need in a guide...and remember, you can't please everyone...

...now - if the book was MINE, and I was going to publish it, I'd go 'print-on-demand'...check out lulu.com...they have an HQ right here in Raleigh - and I know someone who works there...I could take one of your previous editions over there, and get some info, if you'd like...lulu.com is not a printer; they are middlemen who book time on presses around the world...they get books printed for people who can't/don't want to sell to a publisher, and the printers keep the million-dollar presses working...lulu.com gets their cut...

...first, the pros:

* NO inventory to store, unless you want it...you print the books as you get orders for them...the website says 'volume discounts start at 15 copies'...

* You're the only source for the books - you can control who sells them, thereby eliminating the chance of being undersold by Barnes & Noble, etc...OR, you can sell your books through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc...

* You can store the printer files with lulu.com, and make revisions as you see fit...you could conceivably print a new edition whenever you got enough new material, or better images of certain pumps, etc., and not have to worry about selling all of the previous books before you print a new edition...

* It would appear that lulu.com COULD set you up with an eBook, if you wanted...

...the cons:

* well, I can think of only one: since you're not dealing with a publisher, you'd have to get someone who knows computer design to layout your book...it looks as though lulu.com can handle that, or you could get someone you know to do it, and send the files to lulu.com for publication...