QUESTION: Vintage Trailer Repair Book

[vikx]

Hi Everyone,

This has been a frustrating couple of weeks. I should be three people with all I have to do...

Have a question for you. I have written a Vintage Trailer repair/build book and am currently looking into getting it printed... AND, it's expensive: Formatting is $500 to start and the printer charges $26.52 for each book. (about 150 pages, mainly a manual with lots of pictures, spiral bound)

So how many of you would be interested? What would you pay for it? The thing is, I was hoping to be able to sell the book for around $15, but obviously that can't happen if I go with the above. At $30, I don't think it will be that popular. With shipping, I would just about break even. Very disappointed.

Really didn't want an eBook, because it's so easy to steal. (the publisher mentioned expensive??) A CD might work, but would be in a PDF form. Sigh, I wanted a *real* book.

Any advice and suggestions are welcome. I'm not fishing for buyers, just trying to decide if it's worth printing. Also not wanting to get rich, but it would be nice not to "lose" money.

Thank you. Vikx

[ModernMe]

Boy, Vikx, that does sound awfully high. I thought self-publishing was becoming readily available and rather inexpensive these days. Is your price quote from a business local to you or an online company?

[murryconst]

I would pay $30+ to learn some of your knowledge

[vikx]

Thanks, you guys.

Self publishing is the going thing but you "sign your life away" to get it done. I joined Amazon's Create Space and am so totally clueless. (similar to V 5 here) LOL. Anyway, the price isn't bad, but there aren't any hard copies until the order comes in. AND: you do all the formatting yourself. My trouble with the book is that the pictures aren't spaced correctly, allowing a page change in the wrong spot. Unacceptable at C-Space. There are lots of informative posts, some 50 pages long. My eyes just won't take it...

The publisher is fairly local, but I met them thru a trailer acquaintance online. Legitimate business and wanting to help but so very expensive..

I tried for weeks to find anyone local, nothing.

[swirlygirls]

I'm surprised to hear how expensive it would be to have each copy printed. I would personally be thrilled to buy a copy but I understand your concern about finances. After all the work and years of experience that goes into a project like this you should make some money on it. Even though there seem to be many of us vintage trailer people, overall it's still a small niche and you'd have to sell quite a few just to pay the $500. I don't know much about eBooks but I know I've purchased a a couple from RV Consumer group and they were reasonably priced and I found them very helpful. I also think the CD idea is interesting. I'm not much of a techie but many people today prefer books to be on their computers. I don't really have an answer for you but these are some random thoughts.

[mobiltec]

E Book for reading on Kindle. You might want to look at these people.

vook.com/

[Hamlet]

Hamlet's people prefer real books, but you might want to consider an e-book for a reader. There are a lot of new authors who are doing this. We still prefer something that you can spill your can of shellac on, but we are old fashioned.

[mobiltec]

May 11, 2013 10:04:20 GMT -5 Hamlet said:

Hamlet's people prefer real books, but you might want to consider an e-book for a reader. There are a lot of new authors who are doing this. We still prefer something that you can spill your can of shellac on, but we are old fashioned.

I agree with you 100% Hamlet but if we don't keep up with new technology we will be left behind. Real books are by no means a thing of the past yet but for something like this I think it's the only reasonable way to publish without spending an arm and a leg and with a limited customer base.

[mobiltec]

Here's another thought. I haven't been into a Kinkos in a million years but I think you can create a spiral bound how to manual up to about an inch thick on their machines... You might check with them on that. you create the entire book on your computer and put it on a disk and take that to them. At least I think that's the way it used to work.

[vikx]

Good info here!

The $500 is for formatting with publisher's software. Evidently, it can adjust spacing and keep the pictures and wording on the same page, so that it makes sense. At this point, the book looks good online, after downloading, the spacing is all off... Maybe it would be worth it to pay for the formatting and start with a CD.

It's a good book and people will learn from it. But: there really are not tons of people who repair these things. I'm going to look into a different printer and see. If Kinkos does color photos, maybe...

I'll do more research. There's gotta be a way.

[schweetcruisers]

Wait Vikx, it can keep pictures? That's weird why in the world would someone want to keep pictures when they transfer from one format to another? Strange! (See we can laugh about now...ha ha ...)

[hauswife]

I'd buy it!! In book form though. I only have Apple computers..so CDs never work right for me. Plus, having to drag out my expensive computer for the hubby to poke at with dirty hands in the driveway isn't my favorite idea.

I'd for sure but it for 30!!

But I agree, there has to be a cheaper way. Maybe there's some computer gurus on here that can do the formatting for you?

[vikx]

Learned more with Harrison429's help:

The problem is that the text and pictures get separated when trying to convert it to Word/PDF. The photos are a "box" that inserts into the page. If the box is too big to fit below the text, it skips to the next page. Re-sizing can be done but not much, because the pictures are already medium sized. I take them to share and the resolution is set to medium on the camera. If they are made even smaller, very difficult to see.

I'm still researching Word tutorials and online eBooks. If I can get a CD or eBook, it can be printed, right? Or perhaps that's where Kinko's comes in... they could bind it for you?

Will not give up. Thank you all so much for the input. Vikx

Schweet: In Skydrive, when I "copy" a chapter, it deletes the pictures. LOL. I can download it with pix intact tho...

[65callie]

May 12, 2013 13:45:38 GMT -5 vikx said:

Learned more with Harrison429's help:
The problem is that the text and pictures get separated when trying to convert it to Word/PDF. The photos are a "box" that inserts into the page. If the box is too big to fit below the text, it skips to the next page

Vikx: in Word have you tried "text wrap" in the picture toolbar? You can choose to place text above, below, along side the pic and then drag your pic and drop it anywhere in the text. This gives you more control of how your text and pics are placed. Not sure how it converts to PDF though.

Also don't forget office depot has coupons all the time for up to 35% off their copy/print dept. When we order business forms it saves us lots of $$. Office Depot is less expensive than Kinkos.

One problem I found in getting books printed on copy paper instead of actual book glossy paper: the photos fade over a short period of time. My aunt made a family geniology book (printed at copy shop and spiral bound) and the pics have faded pretty bad. Unfortunately we didn't think about this and didn't scan into a digital file and now most of the pics are bad and Aunt has passed and nobody knows where the original file is to print more.

I would prefer the printed book also. Ebooks are good for travel but for reference I always buy print. I would pay the $30 but hope you can find less expensive so you can make a profit.

[bigbill]

If you print them on a laser printer they won't fade or water won't hurt them, then they can be spiral bound at many office supply places. Laser printers have come way down in price plus they pay for themselves in ink savings.

[vikx]

Today's update:

Went to Office Depot and the cost for one color spiral bound book (both sides) is $127.!!! I couldn't believe it... They offered to help format it but I had to buy the book. Not gonna happen...

I haven't tried wrap, the book is in Skydrive and haven't been able to learn much about Word. I've had MS Office for two months and am not able to use it very well. Thanks Callie, I'll check out wrap and will remember fading photos.

Thank you all for the $30 kudos on a *real* book. I'm hoping to figure out a less expensive way to print it. They charge by the page. Black and white books are around $12...won't work for this book; pix are all color.

So if I get a CD, a laser printer could do the book, then just pay for the spiral binder. hmmm. Need a new printer anyway. It's a thought.

You see? All these ideas will get 'er done!

[Gone Kayaking]

Hi VikX
I agree that such a book would be in high demand on this board as well as other vintage trailer sites. You might figure out how to crowd fund it....kickstarter indie go go or some such. Another idea is to find someone who has the desktop publishing skills to be a collaborator in trade for working on their trailer or who you could team up with on the crowd funding program. I have a little bit of experience with this and would be happy to help you.

[hoosierpoet]

Just sent a p.m., I think I might be able to help...

[vikx]

I'm appreciating this so much. I WANT this book in the hands of vintage trailer enthusiasts! Every post and PM helps. Thanks and keep the ideas coming.

Also: I'm getting help with the formatting as we speak. It's looking so much better. Just have to be sure all *my* ducks are in a row in each chapter...

[ogmios]

Probably need to ask a few questions.

Book vs. Ebooks.
1) What will your profit margin be on each?
- Probably a no-brainer. A book will have fixed cost and variable costs. Not considering any type of fees you may pay for CC processing, referrals, commissions, etc. Each printed book will cost you in printing, packaging, shipping, etc. While you can pass on some costs to customers, you don't have much room to reduce variable costs. Each eBook will not cost you more in production
WINNER: e-Books

2) Logistics and time
- For a book, you have 2 ways to go about. Ship them yourself or choose a fulfillment company (Amazon). If you ship yourself, this will require a lot of time from you. You need to make sure that each book is tip-top shape when your receive them, you need to ship in timely manner, stock the books, pack them, take tem to shipping location, be willing to deal with customer issues, etc. Selling them on Amazon takes care of all of it, but eats up some of your profit margin. Advantage of Amazon is that you benefit from their exposure. e-Books takes time to setup at first and then minimal customer service as everything is automated and instant.
WINNER: e-Books

3) What will people be willing to pay for it?
- You already mentioned the cost. $30+ & shipping fees start to be less attractive and requires more thought process. No impulse buying and people wait for the book to arrive. No instant satisfaction. With the internet and information available readily (Like your forum), people want things now. With ebook priced much lower, it's perfect for impulse buying and reduce buyer's remorse. Take this site for example, very successful with their simple e-Book: pinchofyum.com/tasty-food-photography
WINNER: e-Books

4) Which one looks better?
- Don't even need to comment.
WINNER: Book

5) More convenient:
- Maybe a toss here. E-Book is instant and available to read on all electronic platforms, buit a book sometime is easier to deal with.
WINNER: Both

6) Piracy:
- Harder to copy and share a book. e-Books, yes can be pirated and copied
WINNER: Books

Note on piracy: Worrying about piracy outweighs the other benefits and is dangerous thinking. People that want something for free will get it for free no matter what and you cannot stop them. Those people will also never be your customers. Why would anyone spend 12 hours downloading a shaky and crappy sounding movie that was filmed in the back of a movie theater when they could rent that movie in high quality and right away for a few bucks? Because the thrill of getting something for nothing is bigger for them. There are plenty people that will pay for renting the movie. Music industry fought for years and tried all kind of ways to block MP3 and creating DRM that made things more complicated for end users. iTunes made it simple and cheap and eventually even stopped content protection. Where can you buy CD's now? How big is Apple now, because of iTunes, which made iPod relevant and then iPod started iPhone? My point is that fighting the inevitable can be fruitless and impede your success. Make it easy for your customers to access your product and it will fall into place. There are ways to make an e-Book harder to copy. Chances that your target clientele will roam the internet in search for a free copy of your e-Book are pretty low and even if it incurs, plenty people will still buy your product because they are honest.

Food for thoughts :-)

[ogmios]

Btw, I would be one of your customers. :-)

Also, CD's still require variable cost + shipping, etc. In addition, more and more computers do not have CD rom drive anymore.

As for creating e-Books for Kindle and iPad/iPhone, both Amazon and Apple offer free publishing tools
kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
support.apple.com/kb/HT5071

Also, from e-Books I bought before, PDF stamping is a great way to discourage people to share the e-Books they just bought:
www.e-junkie.com/ej/selling-ebooks.htm

[vikx]

Thank you Omgios. I agree on most points, especially the shipping. ugh. I guess it's just my dream to have a *real* book. Would also like to eventually do an eBook and will look into CDs.

Good news! Just got some very interesting thoughts on submitting the book to a publisher. If I sell myself, and my book, it may not be necessary to PAY to publish. Of course I won't get rich, but it would be available to people at a reasonable cost. That's the whole point, to help rebuild vintage trailers.

I'm learning as I go. Thanks to you members who offer help! It's amazing to think how many friends I have from all over the country and Canada; impossible 10 years ago. V

[squirrelmom]

I would be interested in either format. I prefer a physical book so I could access the reference material w/o having to run back inside and look at my computer all the time - but I'm doing that anyway w/Forum Tutorials LOL

[valewf]

I, for one, would like it anyway that you do it. Provided it has very clear pics and detailed instructions.

An ebook would probably be the easiest and cheapest way to distribute your book but you definitely open yourself up to piracy.

I personally like the feel of a real book in my hands. It even smells good.

Keep us posted.

Cheers.

[vikx]

I love the smell of a book too!

I've been trying to contact publishers; not an easy thing to do. The posted email addresses don't work half the time. I've had a lot of good advice and will keep on the hunt.

Also am working on an eBook. I'm thinking in the case of that or a DVD, one could print their own book and have it spiral bound at an office store.

[Hamlet]

And a vintage trailer repair book smells even better after an altercation with a can of shellac! Actually, hauswife made a good point... It's easier and safer (for the computer) to have a workbook that won't be damaged beyond repair if it falls on the ground, gets soaked in a freak rainfall, or has a hammer dropped on it.

['59PinkDeluxe]

V... create the e-book and get your money! You deserve it! I'm with ogmios. Fast, cost effective, and green (which nobody has mentioned). We've all been staring at the Forum on our screens all these years. What's the difference? Would love to buy one regardless of the format though:)

[vikx]

I'm still contacting publishers. The eBook is in progress. I may have to go with it in the end. Trouble is, if the eBook is being sold, most publishers won't touch me... Going to look into printing a few eBooks and find out how that works.

[persimmonpal]

Great idea on the book, and I would be happy to pay 40 for it.
One thing I thought of, but not sure if it would be viable.. How about selling the book/rights of the book to Vintage Trailer Supply??? They could publish and sell it themselves, and you could either get a royalty on each one or just sell it outright.. I think they would sell alot of them.
Also, how about contacting the folks that produce the Vintage Trailer Magazine?? I dont know how they are doing, but maybe they would buy some, offer it as a special edition for a price, with a new subscription to the magazine.. Seems like a win-win..
You could also place an add in the magazine..
Any of these options would insure that it gets into the hands of the kinds of people you want it to.
Good luck!
One last thing!!!!! Hpw about Kickstarter??? You lay out your business plan, and set a goal. people can go on and make a donation, and you have 30 days to reach your goal. Donors get prizes based on how much they donate. (50.00 donation gets a signed book, with the donors name printed in a "friends of vintage trailers" section..etc etc ) I have donated to several Kickstarter projects and its a great thing.. Check out the website! www.kickstarter.com
Good Luck!

Read more: vintageshasta.proboards.com/conversation/26654#ixzz2U7EghH2Q

[persimmonpal]

More on the Kickstarter.. Say you set a goal of 2000.00, and figure that will get you 100 books printed (If you get a 20.00 per, in bulk)
Anyway, you ask for donations.
10-34 gets the donors name in the Thanks section.
35-40 gets all of the above and a signed copy of the book.
41-60 Gets all of the above with the donors name printed on the inside cover.
61-80 Gets all of the above with a color picture of the donor alongside their trailer in the back. (You would have to have a separate section of "friends of vintage trailers" at the end. It would be great.. Everybody would feel like they are contributing!
I personally would pay 100.00 for the book and me and my trailer.. I bet most people would!

With Kickstarter, if you surpass your goal thats fine.. You have 30 days to raise what you can. After the amount raised is transferred to you, you have the funds to produce the book, and alot of excited people! You could start putting the word out now on this and other forums, let everyone know what date the Kickstarter will be happening, and see how it goes.
This is why I favor real books over eBooks. With the "Friends of Campers section", the bookbecomes not just a resource, but also a personal item, one that the reader has a real connection to. And I'm not trying to talk anyone into this, but if I were buying a copy, I would pay the 100.00 for the one with my picture in it, to keep on the shelf for reference when I am sitting around in the house. I would have a second copy that would LIVE the rack (or somewhere else) inside the trailer. (Plus people would pick it up when they check out your trailer, and voila! another potential customer!

I Wish I could put a poll on here, but what would everybody donate from the above options?