| Author |
Message |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 6:51 am: | |
Hi All!
We are very, very sad to tell you the following:
After one year of struggle and frustration we finally experienced the biggest disappointment of our life: the Vintage Ibanez Identification Book will definitely NOT be released by the publisher XF Media in the Netherlands. Due to severe financial problems and lack of any logistic capabilities the XF Media company reached the point of bankruptcy and had to abandon the project.
We clearly want to state that allready one year ago Hasy's and my part of the work was done and trustfully given in the hands of our publisher in order to get the manuscript and the pictures edited. He seemed very motivated in the beginning, but he eventually turned out to be very unreliable and incapable of guiding the project to a successful result. Throughout the past year time after time he just lied about how the editing of the book progressed. Originally planned (and after that: every next) release date was delayed with cheap excuses and not seldom with plain lies. More and more we realised that our publisher was nothing more than a big-talking, untouchable man who seldom replied our emails and who never answered the phone when his display showed our number. When we left a message on his answering machine he hardly took the effort to call us back and when he did he did it on times that he knew we were not there (because of work etc). The few times when we actually got to speak to him he not seldom acted irritated and tried to convince us of the fact that everything was going fine and that we didn't have to worry.... There was never a situation of equal partnership and there was never a business-like way of working.
At this moment we are in search of other interested publishers because we are still determined to get the book to come out somehow, somewhere, sometime. And we're still convinced that we will succeed.
In the mean time we have received a lot of pre-subscribers who ordered the book, so we know that all you Ibanez freaks out there really want to have it and that's what keeps Hasy and me motivated to continue this project. Of course we have all the pre-subscribers archived and we assure you that we carefully keep this archive until one day we can proudly say that the book is there! And of course at that time we still hope that you're interested in buying a copy. Only at this moment we are unable to give you any definitive release date. It depends on how we succeed to keep the project going.
For now: we are very sorry for all the things that in fact the publisher should apologise for; it was out of our hands and we relied too much on promises and sweet-talk. One mistake we will NEVER make again in the future, we assure you that.
Kind greetz, also on behalf of Hasy
Harry |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 8:59 am: | |
I'm sorry to here that. That guy sounds like a real moron! I hope you find the right publisher to get it going. |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 10:20 am: | |
Harry,
Bad luck guys. I'm sure you will sort this and I certainly want a copy when you do.
Did you lose any material to this guy or are you hopefully still intact?
six |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 2:38 pm: | |
Hi Six
Fortunately we have all the material, including the "work" the former publisher did: The partly edited part Hasy wrote about the sixties' period and the edited pictures.
Thanks for your support and we promise to not give up on the book project!
Harry |
Tonedef
Username: Tonedef
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 3:12 pm: | |
Harry, sorry to hear the bad news. I recall you were a little miffed that more Ibanez nuts did not pre-order your book. Now you know at least one reason why--boutique published pre-order books have a way of being delayed, or of never appearing in print. I hope you can get your book back on track. Once you have it in hand (at a reasonable cover price), I'm sure you will sell out.
Tonedef |
Billy_porter
Username: Billy_porter
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 3:52 am: | |
Hi,
Sorry to hear about the book. Summerfields, former UK importer of Ibanez in the 70s and early 80s now specialise in music publushing under the brand Ashley Mark. I cannot give a personal recommendation as I haven't dealt with them but they publish books by Maurice (the Jazz Guitar) etc.
You could try them at mail@ashleymark.co.uk – apolgies if you draw a blank
Web site http://www.ashleymark.co.uk/
Good luck – put my name down for a copy |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 7:53 am: | |
Hmmm, that would be a sentimental coo if Harry and Hassy could pull it off with those guys. Do any of the original staff still work there Billy?
six |
Wrecks
Username: Wrecks
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 12:16 pm: | |
Hey six , this may7 be a ridiculous question but what about selling the book as a cd rom? My brother wrote a book of chords based on inversions, 2 volumes and is selling it as a cdrom. What I am saying is rather than limiting your options to book publishers you could include the possibility of a software type of company.. No? |
Wrecks
Username: Wrecks
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 12:17 pm: | |
Sorry. I meant Harry.. |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 1:51 pm: | |
Hi Wrecks!
Hasy and I already have considered the idea of launching the book on DVD-R (a CD would be too small), but it's in the very early stadium of thinking. If finding a publisher doesn't succeed, we will seriously think about the DVD-R option!
Thanks anyway for your thoughts and support.
Harry |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 2:00 pm: | |
Good idea. Would it be cheaper on the shelf so to speak?
six |
Falcon
Username: Falcon
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 3:03 pm: | |
Harry,
I was planning to buy your book. At this point, why not self publish. You know there is certainly a market for your work.
best,
falcon |
Billy_porter
Username: Billy_porter
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 3:17 pm: | |
'Do any of the original staff still work there Billy?'
No idea Sixvsix. Its 20 years ago since I worked for them and I lost touch the day after I got made redundant. When I left they had already lost most of the 'characters' |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 7:48 pm: | |
Ahh yes, the 'characters' - not many of those left in the workplace these days I'm afraid.
six |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 4:52 am: | |
Hi all!
Publishing our work on the 60's and 70's period of Ibanez on a DVD-R would of course be much cheaper than when published as a book. The only disadvantage for me personally: I know how easy I grab a book from the shelf, rather than getting my PC started and go surfing on the web or digging through data on a disk. And when you want to sit back in your easy chair, feel comfortable and in a relaxed way want to absorb some information, you can't do that very easy with a disk and a laptop, can you? You take a book time and time again, while a disk or the web is only then convenient when you actually search for information. So our primal goal will be a book, and if that doesn't work out we will eventually put everything on disk. Or maybe even do it both ways.....
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 7:20 am: | |
Harry I believe the DVD format in the USA is different from where you are. You would have to make 2 Masters, one for each. |
Arney
Username: Arney
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 12:09 pm: | |
Harry,
I hope you get this book published. I, also, prefer a book. Assuming you find a publisher, how do I order a copy?
Arney |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 8:03 pm: | |
I'd print mine off and sell it on ebay........
Just kidding Harry 
But it could and probably would happen. At least with a proper book it's harder to get ripped.
six |
Bluesmeister
Username: Bluesmeister
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 10:46 pm: | |
'Freak, are you referring to Region Coding or PAL vs NTSC?
My DVD player is a Pioneer (can't remember the model number off hand) and will play anything you lob at it. |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 11:00 pm: | |
I don't know what its called all I do know is I made a DVD for a someone in Holland and he couldn't play it. |
Johnm
Username: Johnm
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - 4:51 pm: | |
Hi Harry,
Sorry to hear this bad news. I'm sure there will be a publisher somewhere willing to take up this project. Why not try and explore your options outside of Holland?
JohnM |