RomanArmyTalk

In advance of the Crosby Garrett helmet conference, it seems I have co-edited (and co-authored) a new book.

Mike Bishop

Could you possibly expand upon all helmets. A "BIG" ask I know, but seeing as we have no helmet database anymore, a renowned historian like yourself, with nothing better to do, ,as everyone assumes, could create a fabulouse helmet database with stunning illustrations from Mr Sumner.....a bloody good read I think.......No pressure on you though..:
I will continue to look forward to that publication..
In the meantime could you refer to us mortals any reccomandations re Helmets please. The database hase been a real loss here. Also. regarding your Fortress book that I have been following, can you please update the website as I have been waiting months to move onto the next fortress site Ostia Castrum. Its frustrating. Honest.
Kevin

Just bought it. Looking forward to reading it Mike!

Hello Mike

Will copies be available at the conference? If so I will buy one there.

Graham.

I'd like to see a "Mik's Book" of Armor as well.

Congrats on your new book!

Just bought it as well, looking forward to it!

Quote:Could you possibly expand upon all helmets. A "BIG" ask I know, but seeing as we have no helmet database anymore, a renowned historian like yourself, with nothing better to do, ,as everyone assumes, could create a fabulouse helmet database with stunning illustrations from Mr Sumner.....a bloody good read I think.......No pressure on you though..:

I couldn't afford to do it. I have to make a living and a book like that would cost me a fortune I don't have. Each photo would cost in the region of £50-100 (you can't use snaps taken through glass for a publication; as a rule they look like what they are). I had to pay for only three illustrations in the CG book, thanks to the good will of a number of parties, but that still set me back £250. In the old days, publishers would give you a couple of hundred quid towards photos (which still didn't go very far - hence B&C1 was full of my drawings, which didn't cost me). Nowadays they are much stingier and rely on writers to supply their own piccies, whilst only paying a 10% royalty on sales (Amazon, by comparison, take a massive 60% of the cover price, 55% if you're a big publisher!). The economics mean the sort of book you would like to see is never going to happen until writers are less despised by the publishing industry than is currently the case. Crowd-funding may be one avenue to pursue, but I really doubt the market is big enough to cover the production cost, let alone pay me for my time whilst I'm doing it.

Quote:In the meantime could you refer to us mortals any reccomandations re Helmets please. The database hase been a real loss here. Also. regarding your Fortress book that I have been following, can you please update the website as I have been waiting months to move onto the next fortress site Ostia Castrum. Its frustrating. Honest.

The website is not funded by my publishers and has to be done in my spare time. I have been adding more sites but not uploaded them yet. When I get a chance I will. Time is, sadly, money, and I have to eat.

Mike Bishop

Quote:Will copies be available at the conference? If so I will buy one there.

You'd like to think so, wouldn't you? I don't know, is the honest answer.

Mike Bishop

Crowd source? As in Kickstarter? How much would need to be raised?

You know, in my database of the 250 or so universities with classics departments and the 2000+ academics, I have tagged them all with their research and teaching interests and one could send them notes to let them know about the fundraising. I don't frequent Kickstarter but do not recall any academics trying to raise funds this way.

Quote:MC wrote: never going to happen until writers are less despised by the publishing industry

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Safe to say the publishing house makes a lot more money from a book than the writer (without whom, of course, there would BE no book.) Whenever my kids said, "That's not fair", I invariably replied "Life's not fair: get used to it."

Sigh. :neutral:

1) there are advanced plans to revive the helmet (and other) databases into one large ancient militaria database.
2) I can tell you that in a niche market like this, it's not exactly easy for a publisher to make a lot of money either. As Mike says, a book like the one proposed would run in tens of thousands very easily only for the production cost. Now unless you're willing to pay $/€/£250 for a copy, you're going to need thousands of sales, or find alternative sources of money, such as subsidies and wealthy eccentrics...