JG 2 - Volume Three

[edwest]

Expected by the end of this month. In French and there are no plans to produce an English language version.


http://www.christian-schmidt.com/pro...oducts_id=8557




Usual disclaimer,
Ed

[Erik Mombeeck]

Hi Ed,

Thank you for having pointed out this release.
I am very excited about this book. It has been a tremendous work to achieve this volume. Several hundreds photos, most of them never seen before, many first hand accounts, new documents, tables, map… as usually for "my" chronicles.

I wanted to precise something regarding your sentence "there are no plans to produce an English language version". In fact, I really would like to publish such one. So, let's say "no schedule" rather than "no plan". Honnestly, the sales of volume 1 were not satisfying and I have to sell many more to be able to produce the volume 2. So, I really can not confirm that this volume 2 will come soon in English and I feel sorry about that, first of all for the enthusiast who bought the volume 1… and for Neil Page who is nearly ready with the translation.

By the way, I am also pleased to inform you about the release of Luftwaffe Gallery (LuGa) #3. You can have a look on my web-site www.luftwaffe.be.

Both books, as well as all my other books, can be purchased directly from myself since I am an independant man: I start researching the veterans, interview them, write their memories, research in the archives, make the book lay-out, contact the printer, store the books and finally go to the post with your parcel... Exhausting but exciting.

Best regards

Erik

[edwest]

Hi Erik,


Thank you for the additional information. I work for a small book publishing company. We do not have to interview veterans or go to any archives, but I understand what you do and appreciate your work very much.



Regards,
Ed West

[Bertrand H]

Hi,

I received today my book. This volume 3 is in the continuity of the two previous. Text very easy to read, prints which are not thumbnails and not published on two pages.

I have particularly liked the photos taken at Ligescourt and Poix

Very good work in waiting the year 1943 !

Bertrand

[superbee]

Please,English editions,please!

[Lagarto]

Much as I appreciate all the work that went into making such a book, I'm not very willing to pay $70 for it (not to mention shipping costs).
Especially when I see books like Werner Girbig's Jagdgeschwader 5, a hardcover, 320-page book to be published this month by Schiffer (in English), which I have just pre-ordered at Amazon at a mere $27.10.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Lagarto, Girbig's book is in small format, and probably has less than half the text Erik's book has. Plus that as far as I know, Girbig's original work was written in the 1970s/1980s, i.e. is based on much older research.

BUT, I have to agree that the price is too steep. To put things into perspective, in Europe you can buy After the Battle's big large format 600-page "Battle of France" for less than one of Erik's books and After the Battle's books do have superior layout and paper and binding. The way I see it the price for a 240-page or so book should be below 50 euros with shipping.

[ClinA-78]

How would cost all the researches, correspondances, interviews, time spent on roads made by Eric and consorts with their chronicles? These are priceless. I think 70 Euros of the 'finished product' worths it.
I agree, a chronicle with 4-5 tomes are expensive and for instances, 1942 tome, is beyond of my scope of researches (1944 should be more useful) but we need to encourage the fews researchers to undertake such an hard task, otherwise who can make it?

ClinA-78

[Lagarto]

The higher the price, the fewer customers. It's OK if you sell luxury sports cars but books are not in that department. If the the sales of volume 1 are not satisfying, maybe it means that the price is too steep, and not because there is not enough interest in the book? Or maybe self-publishing is not that good idea after all.
I had the same problem with JG 4's book. When the first volume came out, I paid $80 for it (+ shipping), but with the second volume I gave up. It's just too expensive for me, sorry.

By the way, I'm sure Brian Cull did all the researches, correspondences and interviews just as well when working on "Fighters over the Aegean", and still his book (a 224-page hardcover) can be pre-ordered at $17.69.

[Jukka Juutinen]

The problem with some small/self publishers is the marketing and small print runs. Small print runs drive up the unit cost significantly, and the higher unit costs has a significant impact on sales. It seems that the only books that go at almost any price are those specifically aimed at either collectors or academic institutions.

Another significant issue regarding marketing is the ease of buying, or lack of it. Quite a many potential customers have gotten used to the ease of online orders with a few mouse clicks.

In Europe it is clear that postal companies are not helping either by having so expensive shipping costs. Books, being dense and even when packed being easy to handle and not requiring plenty of space should really have lower cost shipping available but it seems that only the USPS has such a rate.