Re: Ricken - BOOK -er
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:53 pm
Larry, I was Senior Editor at Kalmbach Publishing Co. for the publication FineScale Modeler for 24 years (now retired), so I do know a bit about the biz. I was going to go with a publisher, Hal Leonard would be my choice, but it is not their fault that I have not met their requirements. I figure any other publisher would feel the same. I don't want to disclose the details for fear of pi**ing in the pool. But this is the lot of the technical writer; it ain't ready until it's ready. There are certain goals to reach for the book to satisfy ME, let alone a publisher. And I haven't met them yet, so another publisher is not the problem at this point. If I do go with a publisher, it's easier to sell a completed book than the promise of one.
It is clear (and has been for some time) that a book on Rickenbacker basses (only) is needed, especially when it comes to clarifying the legend and lore. My hope is that the book will be at every Rick owner's/collector's hands to answer any questions about their beloved instruments. I hope to include a time-table/family tree of all Rick bass models, understandable wiring diagrams (to the lay person; think Joey'sbassnotes) of each system, "field guides" pointing out certain characteristics of models through the years (hence Jeff Scott's comment), and a user's guide to proper use and maintenance of each instrument. That's a lot of work to accomplish. Plus hundreds of high-quality color photos. It's not a small task, but it has taken much longer to do than I first estimated. My goal was to publish the book in 2007, the unofficial "50th Anniversary" of the first Rick basses, but that proved impossible. By the way, my working title is:
"Rickenbacker Basses - 50 Years As Rock's Bottom."
It is clear (and has been for some time) that a book on Rickenbacker basses (only) is needed, especially when it comes to clarifying the legend and lore. My hope is that the book will be at every Rick owner's/collector's hands to answer any questions about their beloved instruments. I hope to include a time-table/family tree of all Rick bass models, understandable wiring diagrams (to the lay person; think Joey'sbassnotes) of each system, "field guides" pointing out certain characteristics of models through the years (hence Jeff Scott's comment), and a user's guide to proper use and maintenance of each instrument. That's a lot of work to accomplish. Plus hundreds of high-quality color photos. It's not a small task, but it has taken much longer to do than I first estimated. My goal was to publish the book in 2007, the unofficial "50th Anniversary" of the first Rick basses, but that proved impossible. By the way, my working title is:
"Rickenbacker Basses - 50 Years As Rock's Bottom."
) for a chapter and notation entitled say:
I composed a post outlining your credentials but I was not sure you wanted all of that out there so I chose not to submit it.
