[Richard T. Eger]

Dear Ed and Nick,

I went to the site you referenced, Nick. I found the blogger's comments interesting, but wondered whether the publisher she used was really so out of it as she claimed. I tended to agree with her regarding Amazon.com. Every time I go there they tease me with books I might be interested in. It is excellent, very focused, marketing.

If I recall correctly, the blogger mentioned the book Fifty Shades of Gray, which, ironically, my 41-year-old daighter happened to mention to me shortly thereafter. She said it was gratuitous porn of the worst kind and she'd have nothing to do with it. She certainly enjoys romance novels, but Fifty Shades of Gray was in a completely different category.

The blogger discounted printed books as vanity publications, something for the author to feel good about because he could walk into Barnes & Noble and see his work on the shelf. Yes, we have to admit there is that thrill. But, being in print is far more than that. It is something permanent, something one can hardly expect from eBooks or eArticles. It eludes me as to why an author would commit massive amounts of time and money to researching an historical work and then publish it in a non-permanent form. It seems like a tremendous waste to me. My guess is that, with few exceptions, more is spent in time and money doing the research than one will ever get back in royalties. In other words, don't give up your day job. So, if you are going to put your heart and soul into the project in the first place, why stop short?

Regards,
Richard