Lois - You ponder about what to do with all the information (genealogical) that you have accumulated. I know your quandry. Having worked as a Genealogical Department head at a library, I suggest you box up that which you don't need and take it to your local library if they have a Genealogy Department. It would be a sad day if all the work you have put in collecting this information were lost. And I know also that like practically every genealogist, you will accumulate a lot of information that doesn't apply to your family. Fortunately it might help someone else out. Phil White ----- Original Message ----- From: <TRPLUS@aol.com> To: <MDGARRET-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 4:41 PM Subject: Re: [MDGARRET] Art Grady's story & self-publishing > Art, > > I really enjoyed your story in response to the Walt Warnick situation. > Thanks. Information/stories like this have a lot of merit. The research we've all > done is very valuable . . . however, that value is directly related to the > marketability of the publication involved. > > I do know a little about publishing, but am no way an expert. For a publisher > to publish a book, they look at probable profit from sales. If they buy the > publishing rights of the book, they are commiting thousands of dollars to the > project. I believe I heard $25,000 initially. They also have guidelines as to > the length of a book (fiction 250-300 pgs; I don't know about family > histories). Some of the publishers of books I have are still with us and might be able > to give some idea of cost. They are usually very busy and difficult to reach. > > I have several file cabinets, boxes, disks and CDs of valuable family history > sitting around here. It's valuable to me . . . and I'm sure it would also be > valuable to others who are interested in the same surnames and connections, > but I doubt that anyone in my family would do anything with all of this > material. I'm still trying to figure out what to do about all of it in the case > something should happen to me. I plan to put my information in a publishing format > when I have the time, but until then what does one do? It could certainly be > all boxed up to give to some interested party, but who would that be? I could > always put a note in my will. > > If one should get to the point where they are ready to be published, someone > can easily pick up the project and run with it. If a publisher takes it on, it > could mean a significant amount of money. If it's self-published, it could be > a different matter altogether. > > I have prepared manuscripts on disks for writers to send to a publisher. The > client has a limited number printed to sell first. In the meantime the > publisher is evaluating the book to decide whether they will take the plunge. > > Many of our kinfolk have self-published their books. If the information is > put on disk ready to print, many copy houses have the capacity to print them > from one's disk in smaller quantities fairly resonable (hundreds of dollars vs. > thousands). I have been involved in three such projects. The cost will vary > depending on the software used, the skill of the person in laying out the copy on > disk, and the copy (or print) shop doing the actual printing, and financial > esources available. Anyway . . . a little information for anyone whose > interested in pursuing self-publishing. > > Lois Hetrick Stewart > > > ==== MDGARRET Mailing List ==== > If you need help with this list, make sure to email the list administrator, Carol Hepburn, at chepburn@cox.net. >