RAF Coastal Command Losses Vol.2 and Vol.3

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Digger,

My pleasure.

I've given up with Ian Allan now and am exploring a low run publishing route similar to Colin Cummings for the subsequent volumes of Coastal Losses.

Most other publishers are reluctant to continue the series due to copyright problems with "look and feel" related to the original Midland/Ian Allan publications.

Regards
Ross

[Martin Gleeson]

Ross,

Can you or anyone explain why Ian Allen/MCP are not publishing your books, and it seems the ME/Med. Bomber Losses series by Pel Temple and David Gunby as well ? Have they ceased publishing books ?

In an era when many publishers are bemoaning declining book sales the above would surely be winners. I think I am correct in believing your Vol. 1 of CC Losses and Vol. 1 of the Temple/Gunby series are long sold out.
Since Ian Allen took over MCP I find their online and printed catalogues are less easy to use and less informative, and therefore I have ordered less books from them. The old two-page MCP advertisement in FLYPAST was one of the first items I would check but now it appears Ian Allen have ceased that completely. Sorry if this is an old chesnut, but I am baffled by their attitude. The new management probably want (us) to go totally online, but ours is a specialized field requiring careful cultivation.

Rant over, again.

Martin Gleeson.

PS. Ross please continue your efforts to have the rest of the series put into print.

[Ross_McNeill]

So as not to dilute Diggers original thread I've pulled the posts on future CC Losses Volumes to a new thread.

I can only talk about CC Losses at the moment as I know fully the situation here. ME losses is Pel and Davids baby to talk about but at the moment I believe it still has a MCP/IA publishing route open.

As a new venture in an established form Midland Counties Publications only contracted to publish one volume and at a standard single print run of 3,000 copies. The contract included provision for a reprint if authorised. This print run fairly standard for all the loss series.

Both ME Losses and CC losses have not sold out but are a couple of hundred copies shy of doing so. Thus sales have not bombed for the publisher but after the initial surge they have reduced to a steady trickle.

This income stream was similar for other MCP specialist publications but may not have met the expectations of IA.

The draft Vol 2 was sent to MCP when requested about two years after Vol 1 had been published with the intent to agree extent, formulate contract and to book the production dates. Shortly after IA took over MCP and it was musical chairs with the job titles.

Most of the bods involved with the Losses series were freelance working for MCP on a "as and when" basis and they were not part of the transfer as IA had staff members that did the same jobs.

CCL Vol.2 lost its champion in this move and struggled to find one of the new commissioning editors that wanted to take it on with the increased work load due to the merger. I believe another factor was the extensive transcription of sections of the publication that were appearing on the web were seen as a threat to continued sales.

Numerous attempts to restart with IA seemed to fall on deaf ears so finally I asked for a decision on Vol.2 and again had no reply.

Soon after MCP at Hinkley was completely shut down so it appears that the remaining staff had been correctly occupied with something that directly concerned them.

Prior to this I had some discussions with other publishing houses but most were concerned over design rights of MCP/IA to the style/format of the Losses series and saw the liability as too great a risk.

So that is where I am today.

From my bitter fight to try to prevent the scroats that have copied extensive sections on to the web without permission or credit I do not want to go down the line of electronic print on demand.

Consideration needed to given to the thought if MCP/IA did not think the Volume profitable why should it be profitable for me to self publish.

I've now looked into the costs for a low print run series as a self publishing concern similar to how Colin Cummings produces his volumes and whilst the initial cost are high it is possible even with the added costs of ISBN and limited marketing.

Even starting today the format of the draft document needs to be altered to show change from the MCP/IA style and then finally typeset for the new medium and as a part time activity that will take several months.

Regards
Ross

[Tail End Charlie]

This is a huge shame, I have been eagerly awaiting Vols 2 & 3 for months now!

[Errol Martyn]

Regarding the comment that not all of Vol 1 of CC have as yet been sold:

When I published my own Vol One of my 'For Your Tomorrow' trilogy the sales were not spectacular until the appearance of Vol Two, at which point they rapidly doubled and continued to grow.

There were many folk who'd not heard of Vol One first time around and of course on learning of a Vol Two were then keen to also acquire the earlier volume.

Likewise, when Vol Three appeared there were a good number of new customers who now became aware of, and sought to acquire, Vols One and Two (the last of the latter then selling out very quickly).

In other words as each volume was published it helped sell the others. It's surprising that IA haven't cottoned on to this re the CC (and MEBL?) volumes, and especially given that a good portion of Bill Chorley's BCL volumes have had to be reprinted almost certainly for similar reasons.

Errol

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Errol,

This was another of the problems with switching to another publishing house.

The contract for reprints of Vol.1 still lies with MCP/IA.

The other houses saw that their efforts in sales for Vol 2 and possibly 3 could be effected by any decision by MCP/IA to reprint or not to reprint Vol.1.

Regards
Ross

[Oldduffer]

Ross,

I've just picked up on this Thread.

If you want to follow the 'template' I use, please let me know and I shall provide what help and advice I can. My producer is semi-retired from the game but could be persuaded!! I'm also thinking of reissuing one of the titles, which it would not be economic to reprint, as a CD.

Best wishes

Colin Cummings (posting as: Old Duffer)

[Martin Gleeson]

Ross,

thank you very much for that comprehensive if depressing answer. We all wish you the very best in your endevours.

Regards,

Martin.

[SteveBrooking]

Ross

Good to hear something is finally moving.

I hope that if some kind of advanced ordering arrangement will help with the printing/publishing costs that you will let us know.

It is a pity to hear about the potential copyright issues but I hope at least you can keep Vol 2 & 3 the same page size!

Steve

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Ross,

I can understand your frustration. Good luck with trying to get volume II and III published. I've been waiting for volume II for a long time, it would be a shame to see the series not progress past volume I.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher