So I saw this idea spitballed a few times in a few different threads and there seems to be some genuine interest in making it happen.
What is it?This would be a
small, printed, hardcover book of some of the most gorgeous keyboard pictures you've ever seen. All pictures would be user submissions from the related keyboarding communities. Since there seems to be no end to the wonderful pictures of our works of art, I've decided that this project will be in perpetuity and will consist of limited edition runs for a particular edition, such as the 2020 edition or the 2021 edition.
How much will it cost?This depends on the number of orders that we can get placed. Quantity will definitely make them cheaper. I'm thinking they should be around normal book prices $20-$25 usd, but I haven't gotten a quote yet.
How much will shipping be?Shipping in the US will be UPS Ground daily rates, which are the cheapest UPS ground rates available. Unless we drop ship each copy from the printing company, then their shipping rates apply. International shipping hasn't really been figured out yet, but katushkin has offered to be the EU proxy and I think that will yield the best rates unless drop shipping will be cheaper.
How can I order?As of now, this is the interest thread. If you are interested in ordering a copy, post with how many you would like and your shipping state/locality/country with zip/pin codes. This way, we can figure out what the distribution logistics demands will be. Once the official group buy thread is up, I'll figure out how the ordering process will be. I think I'll just make it a paypal buy link like how I do for stickers for my forum, but I'm not 100% sure about that yet.
How will payment be handled?I think the easiest way for payments to be handled is via paypal invoice. I have a paypal business account for my forum and I can use that to buy the books and then invoice out and get payments prior to shipping/drop shipping. This way, communications on individual orders will be easy since a paypal shipping update will automatically notify buyers.
What's the timeframe?Don't know yet. The first part of the project is obtaining all the media from users that would like their photos included as well as executing the appropriate licenses to allow them to be published in the book. I think this phase will take the longest time. The next step will be laying out the design of the book itself. The third step will be getting payments/sending it off for printing, which I think will actually be the shortest step. And the final will be the distribution of the final product, which may be included in the previous step if they're drop-shipped.
How do I submit my photos?Here's the upload link:
http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/upload/T4dgzJ/ULAfter uploading, you'll need to execute a license to grant permission for publishing. I'll put a link to the document here once I finish it.
How can I help?Here's my strengths--accounting, organizing the overall workflow, negotiating the pricing, US logistics, data storage and submissions, legal
Here's what I need--correspondence help (no one likes a question to go unanswered), book layout and design, photo submissions, EU logistics, any other International logistics, and probably some help in the areas of my strength just to keep the workload manageable.
Help curate the submissions here:
http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/Personal/KB/n-VHpKVP/I have another question.Post it below and I'll answer the best I can!
Edits:
More
- Revised size to not be small based on consensus in thread.
- Added photo submission information and link
- Added photo curation link
- Revised project to be multi-edition