Since I wrote my book American Military Bayonets of the 20th Century back in the mid 90s, a lot of odds and ends of information have came my way. Some of that I have tried to post on Bayonet Points on Frank Trzaska's site http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/ but even then I seem to find something new shortly after I write something up.

 

Like most of you, I browse the internet a lot, and often find little tidbits or sometimes a fair amount of information that I didn't have. At first I bookmarked the site, but before long I found that was not going to work since sometimes I would try to go to a site and it wasn't there anymore. Nothing on the internet can be considered permanent since people who host the sites will give up and stop paying the server fees, etc. So I fairly quickly learned to copy off any of the information that I might want to see again, as I am sure most of you have learned to do also.

 

Since my health has made me retire, I have spent some time trying to reorganize what I have found into some sort of order so I can find it again. Mostly just creating a titled documents such as M1 bayonets, and cutting and pasting into it what ever fits that category. In a few cases I have tried to rewrite and organize it and add photos from my reference collection or other pictures that I have accumulated.

 

A couple of friends have encouraged me to write another book including these new details. That won't happen. My files are often fairly long and very photo heavy so that a book would be quite expensive to print and would cost too much for most collectors to want to pay. Also redoing layouts and photo work is just something that I don't feel like doing.

 

I have toyed with the idea of putting it together as digital files (normally Adobe .pdf) in which case I don't have to worry about size, layout and how many photos etc. A few of the last Bayonet Points articles are set up that way with the photos embedded. These are not meant to replace my book, which is aimed mostly at the newer collector. The Bayonet Points articles mostly are meant to be expansions on the book rather than replacing it. Although one of my pet peeves on many of the books on bayonets and knives is that many of them are "picture books" with nice photos and very little real information, so you may know what to look for but know very little about them.

 

Now we finally come to my request for your opinions. If I were to rewrite the Bayonet Points articles and update them as well as new articles, and put them on CD disks, is it worth my time and work? Would any of you be interested in such a CD if I priced it at say $20 shipped? I don't feel it would be worth my time unless I could sell a fair amount (say 100 or so) considering my book has sold a little over 7,000 copies. Please feel free to PM me with your comments. If I decide to do it, it would probably take me most of the winter to put it together so it could well be next spring before it would be ready.

 

Thanks for taking your time to read all of this - I really appreciate all the help that the forum members has given me over the years, and I am always glad to share if I have something to contribute.

 

 

I for one have always greatly appreciated the detailed articles you have posted for us, the collectors at large. They have been an excellent reference tool when researching (or re-researching) various blades I've either used or acquired along the way.

 

You may count on my $20 Gary

Gary,

I have the little blue book nearly memorized, except for the parts I forgot. I would love to buy a CD book for $20. Count me in. Do you want some advance orders with payment for seed money? Can't thank you enough for the work you've already done.

Marv

In a heartbeat. Count me in.

 

Bill

I'd definitely take a copy. Your American Military Bayonets has become a bible for my collecting and resides right beside Cole and Conigilio. Personally, I'd rather have a hard copy (even a paperback like AMB) but I'm a tactile person anyways. Of course, having a hard copy is also handy because I can carry it to a show and have a reliable reference at my fingers.

Gary,

 

I don't think you would have any problems selling at least 100 disks. Like Bill, I would buy one in a heartbeat.

 

Hope you do it!

Gary,

 

I would most certainly purchase a copy, but I would probably look at it once and hardly ever use it after that. I have a number of "books" on CD and when I am looking for information they are the absolute last place that I look. I can't contest the popularity and the low cost of a CD but I would gladly pay 3-4x the price to have a real book. When I'm in my bayonet room I have my books on a shelf above my flat files. If I want to look something up I simply reach up and pull the book off the shelf. I don't have a computer in that room and I personally find that navigating through a CD when looking for information is much more difficult and time consuming than picking up a book and flipping throught the pages.

 

The other thing I would be concerned about is one person purchasing a CD and providing copies to all his friends. I don't know enough about the process to know if there is an easy solution to this happening.

 

That's my two cents.

Gary,

 

I would most certainly purchase a copy, but I would probably look at it once and hardly ever use it after that. I have a number of "books" on CD and when I am looking for information they are the absolute last place that I look. I can't contest the popularity and the low cost of a CD but I would gladly pay 3-4x the price to have a real book. When I'm in my bayonet room I have my books on a shelf above my flat files. If I want to look something up I simply reach up and pull the book off the shelf. I don't have a computer in that room and I personally find that navigating through a CD when looking for information is much more difficult and time consuming than picking up a book and flipping throught the pages.

 

The other thing I would be concerned about is one person purchasing a CD and providing copies to all his friends. I don't know enough about the process to know if there is an easy solution to this happening.

 

That's my two cents.

Bill, your points are quite valid and I agree with most of them. Thank you very much for taking the time to voice them.

 

The primary problems I have in trying to put this information in print are twofold.

 

First, the work involved would be pretty high, as trying to do the proper layout and photo insertion is time consuming and often results in some degradation of the photos. In my computer layout I can use large or full page photos to show just what I want, but in a book this takes so much space that the page count goes way up. In almost all of the books that I have, my complaint often is that the photos are too small to show the detail I want to see. In a computer disc, you can enlarge the pictures and print to full screen.

 

Second, the cost involved. Although I am nowhere near a finished product, some sections already run 40 pages or more. This could be shortened by using a smaller type font and shrinking the photos, but again a loss of quality is a consideration. I can see the finished product running 700 or 800 pages unless I shrink it down quite a bit. The estimate I have at this time would be that the book would have to sell for well over $100 to maybe $150 to more or less break even. I think you will agree that one of the better books out is Jim Maddox's Collecting Bayonets and even there some of the photos leave something to be desired in showing details. To me the extra work involved and the lessening of quality just doesn't make it worth it.

 

It is fairly easy to make .pdf files so that they can't be readily copied so that is not much of a problem. I know that my book has been copied and resold, it is actually fairly easy to take one apart and scan the pages into a file that can be printed on a commercial printer.

 

A good friend has scanned most of his books onto flash drives and loaded them into an iPad that he takes to shows, etc. Has a whole library on a device that he can access wherever he is, and can keyword search for something far faster than looking it up in a book.

 

But right now this is all still in the "thinking about it" stage. Looking forward to other comments that will push me one way or the other.

A good friend has scanned most of his books onto flash drives and loaded them into an iPad that he takes to shows, etc. Has a whole library on a device that he can access wherever he is, and can keyword search for something far faster than looking it up in a book.

 

But right now this is all still in the "thinking about it" stage. Looking forward to other comments that will push me one way or the other.

I'm with your friend. I have almost all of my reference works scanned and in PDF format on my iPad. A good PDF can be enlarged to many times the original size so even the smallest detail can be examined. And I have me library with me at all times.

Gary,

 

Here are some thoughts that you might consider. I wrote my book, "Seitengewehr: History of the German Bayonet 1919-1945" in 1999. I still hold the copyright as I assume you also do. Unfortunately, my hard cover book was done up before digitalization so it would have to be laid out fresh again. Since my book is now out of print I have considered redoing it but if I did I would want to reprint the entire book with a new addendum at the back. That would certainly save effort and money and would keep the continuity intact while reaching two audiences. I could also do a digital scan to CD and sell those as well. I have until 2019 to decide before I have to renew the copyright.

 

If your book was done in a digital lay out you could do the same thing rather than re-inventing the wheel with an entirely new book. If your book was done in blue pages it might not save much effort to write an entirely new one. Concerning putting it on CD you could certainly do that with a printed book as the effort to write and lay out is the same. One media does not exclude the other.

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

George Wheeler

I would buy it.

Count me in!!

Gary_ I would buy one too. SKIP

I'm in -- you can never have too much reference material.

 

Jim

I am good for a copy or three.

 

Chuck

I would buy a copy too. Thanks for all of the information you share.

And I would buy one too!

 

Kim

Bill, your points are quite valid and I agree with most of them. Thank you very much for taking the time to voice them.

 

The primary problems I have in trying to put this information in print are twofold.

 

First, the work involved would be pretty high, as trying to do the proper layout and photo insertion is time consuming and often results in some degradation of the photos. In my computer layout I can use large or full page photos to show just what I want, but in a book this takes so much space that the page count goes way up. In almost all of the books that I have, my complaint often is that the photos are too small to show the detail I want to see. In a computer disc, you can enlarge the pictures and print to full screen.

 

Second, the cost involved. Although I am nowhere near a finished product, some sections already run 40 pages or more. This could be shortened by using a smaller type font and shrinking the photos, but again a loss of quality is a consideration. I can see the finished product running 700 or 800 pages unless I shrink it down quite a bit. The estimate I have at this time would be that the book would have to sell for well over $100 to maybe $150 to more or less break even. I think you will agree that one of the better books out is Jim Maddox's Collecting Bayonets and even there some of the photos leave something to be desired in showing details. To me the extra work involved and the lessening of quality just doesn't make it worth it.

 

It is fairly easy to make .pdf files so that they can't be readily copied so that is not much of a problem. I know that my book has been copied and resold, it is actually fairly easy to take one apart and scan the pages into a file that can be printed on a commercial printer.

 

A good friend has scanned most of his books onto flash drives and loaded them into an iPad that he takes to shows, etc. Has a whole library on a device that he can access wherever he is, and can keyword search for something far faster than looking it up in a book.

 

But right now this is all still in the "thinking about it" stage. Looking forward to other comments that will push me one way or the other.

 

 

 

I have some thoughts I wanted to share on this subject.Regarding the hard copy vs digital copy debate,I prefer to have a "real" book and a digital PDF copy to back it up.

Also,have you thought about breaking the 700 page book down into smaller chunks,and offering them as hard copies?For instance,seven 100 page books(or a similar division).

I agree with Bill that I have about 20 books over my desk that are my standard go to reference pieces. After that I go to my file cabinets for more hard copies in files. After that I sleep on it and then go to the computer discs... in that order. Just old fashioned I guess. For photos I go straight to the computer and search. In any case that was not the question.

 

All the points of doing a disc are valid, easier and less expensive is miles ahead of a hard copy. Able to alter and update easier as well. Cost is almost nothing except your time and effort. The return on the investment is excellent as well but the sales are dismal so that is a factor. People do buy them and copy for friends, I have had it happen repeatedly to me.

 

I would purchase one myself and sell authorized copies from Gary on my site.

 

The books still appeal to a broader range of people, non computer folks for one that will not see this question are missing from the vote.

 

Now the third option that I think will be the future is the e-book. Sold through the large retailers like Amazon or BN for $1.99 a copy are extraordinary values and are catching on as big sellers. They appeal to a broader range of people, can be used on readers, ipads and this is the big one... smart phones. You can sit back in your easy chair and read it on your large pad or even your TV casually through the evening and carry it in your pocket to every event, show, yard sales, etc because you have it in your phone. That is where the publication volume and industry is heading. Book sales on Amazon are impressive and hard to ignore any more.

 

Just my two cents from being in and watching the book sales over the last 30 years or so. As I sit here typing this I am surrounded by thousands of books in my library, it is a dying breed. The times they are a changin...

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

The times they are a changin...

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And not always for the better...