Website or Book?

jazzbass · **on:** June 20, 2013, 01:02:40 AM

I've been thinking a lot about somehow publishing all of the stuff I know about SAKs. Once and for all answer most of the "when was this made" questions, show knife and tool evolution over the last 120 years, etc. There are two main ways to do this these days - start a website or write a book. I have the technical background to do either. There are pros and cons to each idea:

Website - [pros] can get the site running immediately and update as time permits. Can edit stuff as new info is discovered. Easy to have others help/contribute/proof read. [cons] Easy for people to steal your hard work and claim it as their own. Websites don't last forever. Web hosting costs money.

Book - [pros] It's a book. Books are cool. Books last forever. When people take info from a book, its usually quoted in context. [cons] Big upfront costs in publishing. All or nothing - hard to edit once it goes to press. Long time from start of project until something is available. Questionable market size for such a niche hobby.

To be clear, I don't see either as a money making enterprise. In fact, I'd be happy to simply not lose money on whatever I decide to do. Even that may be tough to do.

The website probably makes more sense, but damn if I'm not old fashioned and like the idea of a book better. Maybe because I've built dozens of different websites, published a lot of technical manuals, but I've never written a proper book before.

Thoughts?

sir_mike · **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:22:42 AM

If you have a website you could always but the book up there as a pdf file!

enki_ck · **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:23:51 AM

How about self publishing it as an e-book first and selling it on amazon or something the like? A friend of mine is doing that with childrens books. I know I'd buy one. Once you get enough funds from it and people have proof read it and sent you any changes in info, you can make a short run of real books.

sawman · **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:26:21 AM

I prefer a book

GigaHz · **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:27:42 AM

I vote website. It can updated easier. It is a living thing, this knowledge of SAKs. Something new always comes along.

Jailbird · **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:44:39 AM

I'm kind of torn on this. I like the website because it can be updated and accessed from anywhere, but I like the book because you can hold it in your hands. I think enki_ck's idea is a great one, ebook to start, and printed when the funds allow. If it ever becomes time to print, let me know. My wife heads a pre-press department for a printer that specializes in "short run" custom printing. She can give you a smokin deal on printing.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:47:48 AM

In the end I'd probably prefer the book.

Let me propose maybe the best option; ebook. This way you can publish fast, with less up-front costs. You can publish updates easy, and it's easy to sell updates when you have collected a signifcant number, and you get a bit more money from the updates. When you have it all pretty solid you can use electronic publishing to book technologies and publish a paper book with minimal effort and greatly reduced costs.

There is even the trendy 4th option "The App". All the rage, and works mostly like an fancy ebook. Downside here is they often must be made special for each device which can be costly and a pain on maintenance. I've been recently playing with the iPad App for Grog Knots which was adapted from their illustrated knots website and it's pretty cool, but as always I'd like to tweek the interface as it has some real sore spots.

You can't copyright facts, so no matter what the information will move to other media, but it will feel very good to put it out there I think even if you don't get rich from it. My hard work and very considerable expenses go to generate ad revenue for this place and others... I wish it was not so, but for now that's the way it is. Have to accept the good with the bad.

In the mean time I'll just

thinking that it might happen.

ColoSwiss · **Reply #7 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:59:34 AM

I like the idea of a book. More permanent and (at least for me) easier to use.

jazzbass · **Reply #8 on:** June 20, 2013, 04:53:16 AM

Quote from: ICanFixThat on June 20, 2013, 01:47:48 AM

You can't copyright facts, so no matter what the information will move to other media, but it will feel very good to put it out there I think even if you don't get rich from it.

Nope, that is true and I have no desire to "own" any information. One reality of a website is that, for whatever reason, people have no problem copying your information and images verbatim without attribution whatsoever. I see unattributed SakWiki text on eBay all the time. Hell, sometimes I even see pictures of my own knives for sale on eBay - the seller has a similar one, and instead of taking a pic they steal one from SakWiki. A lot of eBay sellers contribute nothing to the knowledge base yet use it freely to increase their own sales. That bothers me for whatever reason.

Nor do I have any desire to make money from this. Knife collecting is a hobby for me - IME when you turn your hobby into a business it stops being fun (Syph might be the only exception to this I've ever seen). Plus, let's be realistic - remember, I track eBay sales. I don't see exactly who's buying but I do know that that the same 50 or so people buy probably 85% of what I'll call "collectible" knives, with about 15 serious collectors out there. Even is that under-represents to total market by a factor of 10, it's still not a huge market.

I really like the eBook idea the more I think about it, to be honest. I'll look in to that some more. For a collectible type book like this, I think a majority of the people who buy the eBook would also purchase a printed version. Especially if you did something like sell the printed book at a discount to anyone who purchased the eBook.

Thanks for all the feedback. Please keep it coming.

enki_ck · **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2013, 05:13:54 AM

We're working on something to prevent the theft of wiki pictures or at least making it traceable back to us.

AdmSlc · **Reply #10 on:** June 20, 2013, 05:22:26 AM

Go with a book. It makes it timeless and adding author to your resume is never a bad idea.

jazzbass · **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2013, 05:27:56 AM

One more FYI - the book I'm thinking about would be basically an "encyclopedia" of Victorinox 84mm and 91mm Officer's knives from 1897 - present. All models, variations, tool changes, tang stamps, etc. It's pretty ambitious in scope, so adding other types (54mm, 74mm, 93mm, or Wegners) would be a bit too much. Hell, it may be too much to even do what I'm thinking about doing. For a lot of the early 1900s stuff I'd need help from the factory. Fortunately they seem to be pretty helpful in this regard.

My goal with this is that for 84mm/91mm knives, someone would be able to pick one up and say "oh this is a Salesman made in 1982 - see page 105 of jazzbass' book".

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2013, 06:45:00 AM

I would say the easiest solution here is to make it an electronic print-on-demand book. People could have a digital version on their i-gadget, and get a hard copy if they wished. Sell the book electronically until it generates enough revenue to do a short print run, if you want.

From someone who's done some dead-tree publishing, and electronic publishing, and is an actual published author (not like make enough to live on it though)... that's my opinion. Don't sink your own money into hard copy, which you HAVE to do if you're doing a print run.

kkokkolis · **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2013, 07:57:45 AM

Do both.

First make a book. There are just a handful of books over there, we need more.
After seeing how hardcopies sell (we'll help I presume), put a ebook version on line.
Continue updating your data and after 4-5 years you might decide if a new edition or a website containing the info for free is the next step.

jaydar · **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2013, 08:26:17 AM

A book please

Web site by all means but I would love another SAK book on my shelf .... there are really not that many serious collector books out there.

ameeks · **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2013, 09:26:41 AM

I vote making a thorough ebook first then a print edition. I would buy both.
I have to use ebooks because I'm a quadriplegic therefore I can't hold/use a book but I also enjoy adding books to my library to pass on.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #16 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:20:07 PM

Quote from: jazzbass on June 20, 2013, 05:27:56 AM

One more FYI - the book I'm thinking about would be basically an "encyclopedia" of Victorinox 84mm and 91mm Officer's knives from 1897 - present. All models, variations, tool changes, tang stamps, etc. ....

Sounds great to me!

Syph007 · **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2013, 01:59:22 PM

I would love a book, and buy in a second if you went that route. But I will be happy if the knowledge locked up in your head on SAK evolution is available in any format you like.

marduk · **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2013, 02:08:22 PM

Jazzbass, as you note, a book is forever. I would suggest you do what most writers do: Write an introduction and perhaps a first chapter or book outline and send them to several publishers in the hobby and sports field and you may very well get a bite. I've done that in another field and it worked for me.

rmagralha · **Reply #19 on:** June 20, 2013, 04:59:29 PM

I vote for ebook as well, it will reach the world wide Sak addicted community easier and faster! Glad to hear that you are thinking about this jazzbass!

jazzbass · **Reply #20 on:** June 21, 2013, 12:08:58 AM

Looks like the book is the overwhelming favorite. Can't say I'm surprised; I like the idea better myself. Thanks for all of the input from the other published authors as well - I've written technical documentation as a part of my job for 20 years, but there's no trick to getting that published or printed. This is a whole different ballgame. I've already started looking into some e-publishing solutions.