Kickstarter for Mike\'s book

[tiberius aemilius naso]

Jurjen, that was just an expression and a wish. Evidently, the budget should be kept within reasonable limits.

[jvrjenivs]

Jurjen, that was just an expression and a wish. Evidently, the budget should be kept within reasonable limits.

Well, I was realistic too. If you want pictures of every known find and then also have a couple of them, you can easily get to those numbers. This being said, I believe this book will simply be too expesive to be made anyhow.

On the other hand, it would be an idea to crowdfund an ONLINE project to get the helmet database up and running again. I think it would be less expensive to fund a programmer to rebuilt the software of such a database and maintain it. Still we need some people to have it filled with all the pics and info again.

(Same goes for the imagebase)

[tiberius aemilius naso]

[quote="tiberius aemilius naso" post=345860]

On the other hand, it would be an idea to crowdfund an ONLINE project to get the helmet database up and running again. I think it would be less expensive to fund a programmer to rebuilt the software of such a database and maintain it. Still we need some people to have it filled with all the pics and info again.

(Same goes for the imagebase)

That would be great too.

[richsc]

I don't see a need for tons of helmets; how about the professionals pick of say 100 with detailed analysis and close-ups? If this works, it could be volume 1, and subsequent crowd sourcing for new volumes.

[damianlz]

I'm in. I ordered Paddocks book as a birthday present. Anything on helmets will take my wallet.

[Narukami]

Ah so .... Then for you Rufus T, the magic word is "Helmet."

"Say the magic word and a duck will come down and take your wallet."

:wink:

Narukami

[richsc]

Of course, Mike's thoughts on this would be good.

[mcbishop]

Of course, Mike's thoughts on this would be good.

Mike's thoughts are preoccupied with the CG helmet at the moment (I am in Cumbria to deliver the books and attend the exhibition preview tomorrow). Were I to have any thoughts, they would probably be 'why just helmets? Why not re-do the whole of Robinson?!'

The cost? Free online to those who can afford no more, ridiculously expensive for the most gorgeous, sumptuous, full-colour book or books, printed on hand-made acid-free paper, each copy signed and individually numbered. Or so the The Curve would have me believe...

The chances of it happening? Slimmer than a supermodel on a diet sucking in her gut whilst standing sideways on to a fairground mirror and thinking 'I am so thin'...

Mike Bishop

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Anorexic humor, lol.

I agree, it is just to difficult to do, but it might be worth a try with a lower budget book. Something in the realm of 500 dollars to write and put maps or pictures in, versus 10,000 dollars to produce.

[tiberius aemilius naso]

My English is not good enough to understand subtle humor... so you are trying to say there is a slight possibility?
Just kidding. It would be great if it could happen. And end of the story.

[Octavianus]

Hi Guys... I think there's another option, to talk with one digital printing company and try to convince them to print it for free as a kind of sponsorship.
They could use it as a real proof of the possibilities that technology can offer, using it as a real sample of a printing application in their events, for their customers, etc.
A reputable book, large size, with lots of color photos. I have some contacts so I can ask if it is feasible.

[richsc]

How much money would have to be pledged for a chapter by chapter Serialization, or an entire book, Mike,, if you were to name a figure?

That is a new concept to me Jorge; would you check on it?

[Graham Sumner]

There is more involved in producing a book than just paying for the printing costs.

When I worked on my first book I wanted to include photographs from Films, as I was writing a chapter on the first Roman armour reconstructions, Film costume and the development of re-enactment societies.

I had bought some slides and photographs from the British Film Institute which involved making a special trip to London. Then I had to spend some time finding out who owned the copyright on the slides I had already paid for. Not as easy as it may seem even for Movie images. For use of the slide I had from 'Spartacus' this meant the owners were fortunately still Universal studios. I contacted them and after some weeks received a reply that the fee would be $250 and that was back in 1997!!

On the other hand months later I did get a phone call out of the blue from a very attractive sounding French lady who apparently represented a company in Paris who now owned the rights to all marketing material for 'The Fall of The Roman Empire'. A letter I had sent to America had finally ended up there and she said I was welcome to use the photographs I had, providing I sent them a copy of the book. Wouldn't it be nice if it always worked out like that!

Recently I have just spent over two years tracking down who owns the rights to colour images of certain Fayum portraits that I was interested in. Although they have all been published I needed colour images. The prices varied but they average around £100 and other costs can be involved depending on the size the image is to be in the book or if it is to be on the cover. For research purposes it was very useful to finally get some colour images of the most obscure portraits but It would be very unlikely that I could afford to pay to get them all published together for the first time, which was my original aim.

I know the publishers who have all the original H. Russell Robinson material and they admitted that it would be very unlikely a book like his would ever be published again in that format as it would be too expensive.

Finally everyone seems to have forgotten that Mike does this as a full time job. It may take him a couple of years to work on a book like this. So ask yourselves how much you would expect to earn for two years work? I bet it will be slightly more than $500.

Graham.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Graham brings up a very excellent point.

I was saying that the kickstarter thing might be good for a different person doing a different, smaller, and helluva lot cheaper book.

[markusaurelius]

Perhaps its a lack of knowledge on my part regarding copyrights, but why could images not be used that are taken by people who dont want $100 for it? If someone is free to take a photo ar a museum why pay someone else money for it.

Kinda sad to think that 2500 gready people hanging onto their "prized" photo results in an extensive study like this from never being realized.