atari business is fun color book availability?

just curious if the color version is available yet. I figured someone would know here.

It won't be available any time soon. Of the few self-publishing resources that can handle an 800 page color POD book, their cost would make it too prohibitive - $160 for just the printing costs (then add our earnings on top of that and it's just a ridiculous cost for a book). We thought about doing a coffee table book of just the 300 pages of images, but nixed that because we didn't want to encroach on Scott's upcoming iBook picture book.

Right now we're toying around with the idea of licensing a color hardcover version to a regular publisher, with us taking a major cut in any earnings on it (since publishers take almost the whole thing) just to get it out.
 
It won't be available any time soon. Of the few self-publishing resources that can handle an 800 page color POD book, their cost would make it too prohibitive - $160 for just the printing costs (then add our earnings on top of that and it's just a ridiculous cost for a book). We thought about doing a coffee table book of just the 300 pages of images, but nixed that because we didn't want to encroach on Scott's upcoming iBook picture book.

Right now we're toying around with the idea of licensing a color hardcover version to a regular publisher, with us taking a major cut in any earnings on it (since publishers take almost the whole thing) just to get it out.

Ouch, 160 is WAY nutty.

How about a color PDF version? Use the layout you've got and drop in color images, to minimize layout work needed. For such a specialized item, I suspect you could charge $15 or $20 for the full-color PDF.
 
I was also holding out for colored 'print' edition... sounds like from Marty's followup post I shouldn't hold out any further.:(
Yes, I am also holding out for the color version.

Scott C.
 
Ouch, 160 is WAY nutty.

How about a color PDF version? Use the layout you've got and drop in color images, to minimize layout work needed. For such a specialized item, I suspect you could charge $15 or $20 for the full-color PDF.

The entire book is in color to begin with. There's no way we'd do a pdf of this, however we will be having the kindle/etc. versions out soon. We're paying out of pocket to get a conversion done. Tried it ourselves but most of the resources available were simple shredding the layout.
 
The entire book is in color to begin with. There's no way we'd do a pdf of this, however we will be having the kindle/etc. versions out soon. We're paying out of pocket to get a conversion done. Tried it ourselves but most of the resources available were simple shredding the layout.

OK, I'm curious, why wouldn't you do a PDF? For some things, I find it's a very good digital form, and for situations where you already have a layout, it's a good way to get an ebook out fast, without having to pay for a second layout pass.

Conversion: I'm not surprised that the automated tools failed on the Kindle layout - I did a kindle conversion of a book for a friend of the family and that wasn't too bad because she didn't have pictures laid out in the text, she had a set of pictures at the end of the book (The print version is B&W except for the 10 or 20 color pages at the end). I couldn't get anything useful out of any automated tools, so I ended up taking some HTML that the layout people spit out of indesign and manually reworking it into something that looked good on the Kindle. Making a picture heavy reflowable layout look good takes some skill, I'd have failed miserably if I'd tried something like that.
 
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OK, I'm curious, why wouldn't you do a PDF? For some things, I find it's a very good digital form, and for situations where you already have a layout, it's a good way to get an ebook out fast, without having to pay for a second layout pass.

Digital rights management. We'll only be releasing this through regular channels that provide that, we're not interested in PDFs of the book floating around the net.

Conversion: I'm not surprised that the automated tools failed on the Kindle layout - I did a kindle conversion of a book for a friend of the family and that wasn't too bad because she didn't have pictures laid out in the text, she had a set of pictures at the end of the book (The print version is B&W except for the 10 or 20 color pages at the end). I couldn't get anything useful out of any automated tools, so I ended up taking some HTML that the layout people spit out of indesign and manually reworking it into something that looked good on the Kindle. Making a picture heavy reflowable layout look good takes some skill, I'd have failed miserably if I'd tried something like that.

I'm a well versed web developer and I just didn't feel like taking the amount of time it would have taken to go and format 800 pages of material. I would have done the custome CSS and HTML if it was smaller, but there's just too much goings on right now. Not to mention that trying to edit it from an HTML dump from inDesign was insane with 300 pages of 300dpi images.
 
Digital rights management. We'll only be releasing this through regular channels that provide that, we're not interested in PDFs of the book floating around the net.

Ohh, I was afraid that was it. You do understand that the kindle DRM is long broken, right? If someone wants to pirate your book, the DRM isn't going to slow them down, let alone stop them.

Someday if you have time, you might look into PDF sellers with watermarking systems (drivethrurpg.com does this in the rpg industry - basically, they tweak the PDF as it goes out, so that if some d-bag starts putting it out there, you stand a good chance of finding him.)


I'm a well versed web developer and I just didn't feel like taking the amount of time it would have taken to go and format 800 pages of material. I would have done the custome CSS and HTML if it was smaller, but there's just too much goings on right now. Not to mention that trying to edit it from an HTML dump from inDesign was insane with 300 pages of 300dpi images.

I don't blame you - it's a hell of a thing to do it manually, even when the layout isn't as complex as yours. For your book? Too much work if it's not your day job.
 
Digital rights management. We'll only be releasing this through regular channels that provide that, we're not interested in PDFs of the book floating around the net.

Uhm, that's going to happen regardless. You're familiar with the existance of scanners and cameras, right? The only way to prevent a book from being pirated is to never release it. The sooner you realize and accept that fact, the sooner you're come to the conclusion that treating your (potential and actual) paying customers like criminals isn't productive.

The only ebooks/magazines/publications I'll ever buy are those available in DRM-free, standard, and open formats (such as PDF). DRM bullshit is too reliant on transient software and platforms. Once I buy an e-publication, I wan't to OWN it. Which means I can view it on any platform/device I wish (assuming I can find or port a standards-compliant PDF viewer for said platform/device) at all times in the future, no matter what the future holds for operating systems, devices, etc.
 
I have this book. It's a good read and well researched. There are tons of pics, but honestly that's not why you should get it. It's not a 'picture book'. You will have to read it... and there is a lot there to read. Any Atari fan should pick it up, well worth the price.
 
Digital rights management. We'll only be releasing this through regular channels that provide that, we're not interested in PDFs of the book floating around the net.

Will this ever be available on iBooks?
 
I understand that no author wants his book/software/music/movie floating around for free on the internet. Too much work has been put into making it. But DRM has NEVER stopped piracy. It didn't on music-CD, movie-DVD, software, whatever.

Please consider releasing a PDF version with watermarks (though I guess they could be removed as well) so each PDF can be connected to it's buyer/owner.


Still considering to buy the book, though. Simply sounds too interesting :)
 
I understand that no author wants his book/software/music/movie floating around for free on the internet. Too much work has been put into making it. But DRM has NEVER stopped piracy. It didn't on music-CD, movie-DVD, software, whatever.

Please consider releasing a PDF version with watermarks (though I guess they could be removed as well) so each PDF can be connected to it's buyer/owner.


Still considering to buy the book, though. Simply sounds too interesting :)

I'm thinking the Kindle version should be fine when it gets done. I'd have prefered PDF just because they wouldn't have had to do as much work, but the Kindle version might get them more exposure. As long as they don't over-price it, it should be awesome.
 
The entire book is in color to begin with. There's no way we'd do a pdf of this, however we will be having the kindle/etc. versions out soon. We're paying out of pocket to get a conversion done. Tried it ourselves but most of the resources available were simple shredding the layout.

I'll be first in line for the kindle version.
 
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