Gentlemen,
The sun has just set on Sunday night and I have come home to read of
concern in the minds of some
about WHEN IT'S COMING OUT.
The question has largely been answered - but at the risk of a little
bandwidth, I owe you all a clarification.
1. I certainly have no intention of absconding with your hard earned cash.
As you know, the book has been
offered against pre-paid orders. For people who ordered direct with me, I
recall recommending on the website
that checks should be postdated to November 1.
2. VTR/Andy Mace/Herb Hummer kindly offered to promote the book via the VTR
magazine - for which my very
grateful thanks. They (together with some other clubs) are sending me
consolidated orders with one lump payment.
This has important aspects in avoiding excessive UK bank charges for
conversion into Sterling.
I have yet to receive VTR's final close off order, though Herb Hummer has
sent me details of people who have ordered
during the lead period up to Sept 30. That shut off date will be this
coming Thursday and I'm 99% certain that those who have
already ordered through Herb are already on my own database.
3. Why has the book been printed privately? Many have asked this question.
Answer - I touted the manuscript around a large number of publishers, the
majority of whom declined to accept it on
the grounds that it did not deal with the cars per se, but the people who
made them. To the best of my knowledge,
no-one has yet written about Standard Triumph from that angle in any depth,
though I defer to my very good friend
Robin Penrice who, as many of you will know, has a column in Triumph World.
FWIW, Robin and I first met one another when we were about three years old.
In the final analysis, my material didn't give any publisher a turn-on
because it was "too different," there was
(they said) a complete absence of pictures of various cars in a concours
condition and absolutely no lists of chassis numbers, service bulletin
extracts or whatever. Publishers seem to want only this sort of thing and
it appears Mr Robson and Mr Piggott (to name but two) have an assured
market. While acknowledging their undoubted skills and writing fortes, my
book is entirely something else.
In summary, it's an overview of events and people - and things that went
wrong of which the world presently remains ignorant.
I feel this is something for which there is a measurable demand and the
number of orders I have received have proved me right. That said, from the
very limited exposure the book has had - and mainly through this list - the
value of orders just about gets to
break-even on the print costs. With that in view, I am going to go ahead in
the next week or so and have 1000 copies printed.
4. But what of the future? In my website, I said the book would never be
reprinted. Currently, I'll have about 400 spare copies
and no more than 10 days to jack that print count up to a higher level, if
the demand can be proven. What I am presently doing
is to invite a VERY limited number of high profile companies, dedicated
ONLY to the Standard and Triumph marque, to take on the global sale and
distribution, with re-prints continuing to be done by my printer.
I'm saying no more at present, as these organisations are already reviewing
advance copies I've sent to them and I have yet to receive their replies.
All I will say, is that if the response to these organisations is negative,
this WILL be the only print run.
I hope this does not prove to be the case because I've a sneaky feeling
that once the book is more widely known, there will be an increased demand.
Putting the above to one side, another entirely different book is presently
in the process of re-write. While it still has a major emphasis on The
Standard Motor Company, it uses a storyline and the names of people who are
now all dead.
This book WILL do the rounds of the publishers.
Why? When I first wrote it nearly 10 years ago, a UK TV company wanted to
serialise it in conjunction with four other national TV
companies in Europe. The production budget was 15 million sterling
(US$25mill approx) and this is why it went no further.
So, I'm doing that all over again, editing the Magazine for The Triumph
2000 2500 2.5 Register and working closely with Paul Richardson on Triumph
Over Triumph magazine. If nothing else, the keyboard is certainly busy and
you'll all have your books
in time for Christmas. At least, they'll be mailed from England to you in
time for Christmas but how they might be delayed once out of my hands, I
prefer not to anticipate.
Hope this explains things - sorry for the length!
John Mac
"Life at Triumph" in print - unique pictures and lots more. See info at
http://www.toolbox.ndirect.co.uk/triumphbook/
ORDER LINE STAYS OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 1998.
You can order your book through:
UK THE AUTHOR: jonmac@ndirect.co.uk
The book will NOT be available from shops - only from the Author and Agents
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