[PRCo] Re: PRC book

[Edward H. Lybarger]

I don't recall at this point who started this thread of "someone owes us a
book," but it's time to say again that all the facts haven't been gathered
for a legitimate history.  They are coming out a bit at a time, however.
And the fact still remains that the railfans will want a different history
than the academic types will, so both have to be included.

While the offers of assistance are genuine and welcome, no one seems
(actually very few seem) to understand the magnitude of a major book
project.  It has to be led by people who have the historic knowledge and can
correctly interpret it, and who have layout and computer skills.  The second
we have.  It's the first that are in short supply.  And then funding would
have to be provided.  It's not automatic, and if you want to make any money,
you don't let a regular publisher near it.

Lest someone else "volunteer" me for this, let me go on record that any book
I undertake will be on West Penn Railways.  And let me remind everyone that
I am looking for ways to REDUCE involvement at the trolley farm, not
increase it.  I have a number of personal projects that sorely need to be
done, and a thousand hours a year at PTM interferes with them big time.  I
am not getting younger.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Derrick
Brashear
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 8:52 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: PRC book

On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 7:34 AM, Dennis Fred Cramer<trombone at windstream.net>
wrote:
> The only viable way to do this book and recoup any money would be to 
> do it as a PDF on DVD.  Then encrypt it somehow so it cannot be copied 
> disc to disc.  If the owner wanted to print it, that written 
> permission would be given in the bill of sale so places like Staples 
> would not refuse if one wanted a better than average print job.

There's always someone like me who can copy it regardless, and while I'm
not, ...

> The PRH&TS has been republishing past issues of The Keystone for 
> several years in this format and it certainly beats the high cost of 
> printing for such a narrow sales window.

It does. I've talked with them about the risks of digital distribution and
offered some advice. Note that those CDs/DVDs do not have protection against
copying.

> Who is willing to help start gathering data, writing route 
> descriptions, and all of the other minutiae some of you seem to want in a
railfan book?
>
> I would be willing to head the organization and layout (I do have some 
> experience in this) and then sell it for $100.00 each with the profit 
> all going to the Publications/Archives department of PTM.


--
Derrick