Re: Book and Back Issue Sales

["David Lass" <davidlass@villasunscape.com>]

A question please.
Is it possible that we could make back issues available in an electronic
form? Depending on what application the printer uses, mere mortals might be
able to use it. Failing that, we could scan in each issue and simply offer
it in Word, which virtually everyone has access to. We could make a
significant price differential between the hard copy and the electronic
copy, with the electronic version being sufficiently less money that we
could perhaps influence folks to use that option. It sure would solve the
problem of storage, since it could all be contained on a zip disk.
David
----- Original Message -----
From: Neil Frank <nfrank@mindspring.com>
To: <aga-mcm@thekrib.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 1999 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: Book and Back Issue Sales


> >perishable and have extra needs. I am copying Diana on this issue because
> >I want her input on it and because I don't want any unpleasant surprises
> >for her if we decide to implement the idea.
>
> Even more so than book sales, back issues sales is a huge job.... a even
> bigger PITA. Diana tries to keep all 47 issues in stock.... as many as 25
> each at one time. Although it might be an advantage to an AGA member to
buy
> everything from one address, it would be an additional burden on the AGA
> volunteer. It may it more difficult to find 1 person to do everything. In
> fact, I hope that your inquiry did not cause Diana to throw in her
> resignation. She has been doing it for as long as I can remember.
> Back issues sales and the book store have also been managed different.
For
> the most part, Dave talks to the suppliers himself.... but the decision to
> add or subtract individual items has historically been decided or guided
by
> the SC.
> On the other hand, back issue sales have managed between the editor and
> Diana. This is a good opportunity to briefly document and comment on the
> current SOPs.
>
> I keep and supply the back issues. Because Diana lives in a trailor,I have
> been storing the extras in my attic. Based on the constant demand for back
> issues, I always print an extra 50-75. The printer immediatedly mails
diana
> 25. Up till a year ago or so, he also mailed DOrothy some... 10 or 15... I
> can't remember the number.  Currently I think I only have back issues for
a
> few recent years....maybe 1997-99 (but enough to fill 2 or 3 xerox paper
> boxes). In the past, I have also been arranging to get individual back
> issues reprinted when the supply is exhausted. New members continue to
> order the early years and I believe this is a good service to the members.
> We might be one of the only national/international groups to do this. A
few
> years back, I had the entire volume 4 (1991) reprinted as a self contained
> publication.... I still have some of those stored too.  Diana and I
> discussed using that approach when her supply of other early issues got
> depleted. Starting in 2000, however, TAG will not be printed in North
> Carolina. So, this brings up a related issue..... someone else needs to
> manage the storage and reprinting of TAGs. This will make a nice job for
> someone.(I am not volunteering). However, I will be happy to continue to
> keep existing issues in the attic or mail them off to someone new. I have
> not yet discussed this BIG ISSUE with Mary. This is not necessarily part
of
> the editor's job.. but it certainly could be. The editor does not need to
> personally do it... it could be someone on the editor's team. As long as I
> have described so much about the process, I should continue to describe
the
> other steps involved with making new reprints. Up till the time we went
> with the current printer, the issues were printed from "camera ready" hard
> copy. So, I have the "originals" for the first 7 years of TAG. I should
> mail these off to the new Back Issue Reprint manager. Universal Printers
in
> NC have been printing from an electronic image. This produced a nice crisp
> copy and it also allowed them to reprint 25 copies on demand without the
> need for the "hard copy original." Unfortunately, Universal has not been
> doing a good job for us. The printer also needs to be near the editor.
> Unless these old electronic copies can be transferred from Universal to
the
> new printer, reprints will have to be done from the printed original.
>
>  Perhaps we should put all
> >sales in abeyance until we have our incorporated status?
>
> I would not recommend this with back issues, unless it was only for a few
> months.
>
> --Neil
>