Large Scale Central

Helping produce/write a book.... or not

Other Hobbies
#1

This year is our antique machinery club’s golden jubilee (50th year).

I opened my big mouth and ended up, along with 6 other fools, on the committee that’s charged with putting together the official album.

It’s not turning out as easy as it sounded, either. Let’s just say their are… creative differences and egos getting in the way. Some of them might be mine, but others have assured me it’s (mostly) not. The gentleman who edited the silver album seems to have problems with constructive criticism, and with actually allowing others’ much in the way of creative input.

There have been two committee meetings so far. The first one was a monologue by the gent in question informing the committee of publishing price quotes (He also produces the club newsletter, so he had a prior relationship with the printer), then a drawn out ‘discussion’ on selling advertising in the book that wasn’t even started yet - and when I say discussion, it was again pretty much one sided, but eventually a few folks did manage to get their suggestions heard, and all the boring business stuff was finally agreed upon.

Except it wasn’t.

Sometime between that meeting and the club directors meeting the following week (where all this stuff had to be officially “approved”) The “editor” (chosen by himself, as it was never actually discussed!) and ONE member of the committee decided to change all the numbers… back to closer to what HE had originally wanted… and after another 20 minutes of discussion, restating ALL of the same dissenting points that had been covered at the committee meeting the board approved a modified version somewhere between the committe’s recommendation and what the 'editor wanted… so Ok, call it “plan B”.

At Sunday’s meeting we were given the printed up advertising rates and application forms, with yet ANOTHER revision of the rates… (BTW, several directors are now more than just a little irritated. With Kim being a conscientious Secretary, everything is in her notes, so the revisions were pretty obvious upon review, and could NOT be changed without the board’s approval… “an honest mistake”? We’ll see.)

After me being (seriously!) told to “shut up and let (him) speak!” just like a child - for asking a relevant question during his now familiar, if unwelcome, monologue presentation. He FINALLY “allowed” us to start discussing the contents of the actual book… only to find that he’d already “decided” the entire layout all by himself, and really only wanted us to agree to it, then supply the stuff to fill it… HIS way!

Out of a 68 page book, 19 pages WILL be ads (Ok, it will help offset the printing costs IF we can actually sell that much!) 16 pages WILL be dedicated to his rehashing of old club projects from the newsletters (maybe, since it IS the club history album, but are we even certain that much space will be even NEEDED? especially to cover those times when nothing (besides bickering) was actually accomplished? Wouldn’t it make MORE sense to see what you actually HAVE, and that more than one person (or two) thinks is relevant FIRST? OMG! a creative difference! I’m so evil!) OTOH, things the other committee members felt were important enough to be included were met with, “Well, I’m not sure we’ll have space…”, and the photo pages (which IS actually the reason most folks will BUY the damned thing!) will be restricted to 2 for this section, 3 for that…(14-15 total?) without having any idea WHAT photos or other submissions we will actually GET and have to work with in the next few months - Ok, I have about 1000 photos of my own that could be used, so filling any “leftover” space was never an issue. However, saying “We won’t have room for that”, when there is no guarantee of even GETTING submission he DOES find acceptable… and expecting rest of the COMMITTEE to be “involved” only by meekly churning out stuff to suit him?.. Sorry, it is just NOT going to work that way.

By the end of two hours at least four of the other committee members were pretty near open revolt (one of whom actually has real book authorship credits to his name!). When Mr “Editor” snarkily asked me if I was going to do it ALL myself, when I had just finally had enough and pointed out once again that he didn’t HAVE any actual content yet to KNOW what space it needed… As much as I don’t want the blame for “forcing” him to step down (and he WILL paint it that way to anyone who will listen, or who can’t get away!) from his self-appointed editatorship, at this point I’m not sure I could actually do MUCH worse!..

Sorry for the rant, but let it serve as a reminder for anybody who decides they’re “in charge” of a volunteer committee. – You can ask for what you need, or you can tell how YOU’RE going to do it. But if you choose option B, don’t DARE cry that you couldn’t get any “help”!

#2

I finally put down what I was thinking and sent it to the rest of the committee… Did this come across as ‘arrogant’?

"The last few days I sat down and re-read ----'s proposals, and the 25th Album, and the following few things occurred to me.-

At the meeting he said “We’re going to learn from the mistakes we made last time.” All well and good, IF you’re willing to actually recognize said mistakes AS mistakes

Which brings me to the question: Do we want to produce an album that spectators (the general public) will actually buy? Or do we just want to cater to club members?

If it is the first, WHAT will make those folks decide it’s worth spending their money on? I have a few thoughts, I’m sure you do as well. Mine, in order are:

  1. Photos - lots and lots of photos, the more the better
  2. Personal interest bits - interviews on why folks (exhibitors/members) come, and their collections.
  3. Stuff about their friends and relations.
  4. A general overview of the club.

As you notice, —'s first two items - advertisements and a reprint of of old newsletter items aren’t real high on this list at all. I’m not really criticizing his prioritization of ads so much. The thing has to be paid for somehow - either by these subscriptions, or a higher cover price. I DO have issues with saying “We don’t have room” for those other things that WOULD help it sell because over half the book - 28% (19 out of 68) dedicated to ads, and 24% (16 pages out of 68) dedicated to only PART of the “history”. Again, what is our priority to be?

About the ‘history’… Yes, recognizing the folks that DO stuff to improve the grounds IS important. But which way sounds more interesting AND enticing to somebody who is a visitor? “In 200X such and such was done by the following members…” or “Meet so-and-so, a member of the organization for x years, his passion is (old rusty junque), and he’s also been active in helping the club by volunteering on blah, blah projects”? I think I know the answer, but I’d like your inputs as well. Yes, option 2 would be more work, a lot more. But would it produce superior and more saleable enough product to justify that work? Are we willing to do it? CAN we realistically even get, say 20 members (both long time and a few new) to give us material (at about 1/3 to 1/2 page each), and cut the other “history” (newsletter) bits down, if needed? Isn’t that why we HAVE a committee? To decide on such issues, as well as to share the grunt work?

What about the “Remembrance” pages? Is there really “No Room” to recognize those long term, active members who have passed? Yes, a full page each is unrealistic given the space limitations. But to mostly just ignore them (beyond a name in a list)? Why CAN’T we spare 1/3 of a page for someone that helped us for a large portion of their life? What ARE our priorities here? And WHY? And isn’t this a decision the committee as a whole should be making?

On a committee of 7 theoretical equals, how many SHOULD be consulted before these major decisions are made? Is “so-and-so and I agreed to this” enough? or is a conference call, or group email needed?

What are your thoughts?

I’m actually glad — wants to be the editor. I’m really not so sure I’d be a very good one - I don’t have much in the way of patience. But honestly, shouldn’t a good editor at least listen to what others have to say before charging ahead with his own ideas?

Thanks for listening, your turn."

#3
Mik said:
I have a few thoughts, I'm sure you do as well.
Yes...and thanks for asking!

I would like a pony!

#4
David Russell said:
Mik said:
I have a few thoughts, I'm sure you do as well.
Yes...and thanks for asking!

I would like a pony!


Not entirely unexpected from you.

#5

Mik:
My 2 cents. If I want to buy a book about a club or any other topic along those lines, I want to know about the people and lot’s of pictures of what they have done. One or 2 pages devoted to historical highlights of what has been done the last couple of years is enough. Tel me what get’s the club members excited and why.

Steve

#6

Mik what usually grabs my attention to books ect… is pictures. I think pictures are important. Thats what people look at first. (As the saying goes: You cant judge a book by its cover) When you think about it how many people still judge something by the cover. Lets face it if I see a train book with roosters picture on the cover Im not going to thumb through the pages. Put a nice steam train going over a trestle, now you have my attention. As an editor he should be listening to everyones input and make a decion based on everyone not what he wants. What he wants might be different from what the majority wants. He needs to understand the book is not for him, its for the public. Here are few things I look for

  1. If you use pictures they have to be of good quality. Unless they are Vintage photos. Lots of photos.
  2. keep the reading simple (readers digest version)
  3. History in the begining of the book is good but again readers digest version.
  4. A little about the members, club, what they do is good. Its always nice to hear how people got started. Again keep it simple. An entire page on one member might get boring to non club members.
    The important things is too keep it simple. You dont want to talk about something to the point the person reading gets tired.
#7

I was on a committee once, long ago. Never again, I said.

Mik: you’re an eagle, wasting your time and talent on a committee with a bunch of flopping turkeys.
Go.
And with your time, do something useful or creative for yourself and your loved ones.
Stop attending, and do not under any circumstances make any committments or promises.

Don’t cast your pearls before swine. It’s biblical, isn’t it?

#8
John Le Forestier said:
Mik: you're an eagle...
Rumor has it I'm a lazy troublemaker, with a short fuse and a big mouth, and can't be trusted....................................

I prefer to look at it as having no patience to spare for fools.

And I’m not sure why they decided to make me the scapegoat for everything they misplace… but I certainly don’t get any apologies when the stuff eventually turns up… usually right where they forgot they left it.

#9

A month has passed. We finally started working on the content of the book the middle of February…

Looks like they want to use about 50 of my pictures. Not too bad. I don’t mind where they managed to find better ones. Some of their other choices were questionable (at least from a photographic standpoint - framing, clutter, etc), but I’m choosing my battles carefully.

Mr Editor presented his ‘history’ section… and is mad as a wet hen because some of us think it really, really needs improvement in several places. He also wants the book “finished” by the end of March because he has grass to mow and other outdoor things to do after that.

Not sure why he wants to be the book’s editor when his priorities seem to be everything BUT the book.

I told him if he wants ‘help’ he needs to learn to accept constructive criticism, too. Pigs may fly first.

Next meeting is the 11th. It may be my last.

#10

Mik, this is a subject that is way too close to home for me, since I’m still involved in magazines and actually have produced, published (and sold) four Porsche annuals on my own. I prefer complete creative control, unless you are dealing with pros, in which case, intelligent discussion can ensue. But dealing with others who may not be qualified to create and publish something that is commercially viable, is asking for trouble. There’s an old quote that we used decribing a bad car design: “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.”

#11

Well, it’s the eleventh. Get outta’ there, you poor sap! Give ‘em your pictures and go. Live your life, work on your trains. Who cares about their book… If you like it when they’re done, buy yourself a copy for old times’ sake and forget all this committee stuff. Be happy.

#12

A funny thing happened at the March 11 meeting. – I stayed home, and the group adopted about 80% of my recommendations with only TWO hold outs!!!

Mr editor actually said that I was right about the history section, and another committee member volunteered to rework it into a narrative style grouped by decades. – Which she thinks may even free up as many as 4 pages WITHOUT losing anything interesting!!!

PROGRESS AT LAST!!!

#13

Any News on your committee work & book, Mik?
BTW - You going to Ottawa this Summer?

#14

News on the book? My mother talked me into going to the last meeting. Mr. Editor snapped at me like a dog to “shut up” because I interrupted him to remind him that Kim found a picture to go with the article he was discussing.
Other than that, a little behind the scenes networking got the rest of the committee to commit to purchasing an extra 6 pages so we would have more room for photos and stories.

Meanwhile I got in a tangle with Mr editor’s older brother over cutting trees that weren’t dead and damaging other people’s stuff while doing it. Some were infected by Emerald Ash Borers, but it was too much like work to just cut off the dead or dying limbs and burn them. They’d rather cut down all the ash trees, infected or not… about 20 of them total… Half the board of directors were against them, but I was the one he jumped on because 1. he was mad at my father, and 2. I’m not a director so berating me wouldn’t openly split the board. I told Kim she’d have to drive herself to those meetings from now on because otherwise I’d be starting a really huge stink the next time.

All this crap is why I’ve avoided most meetings and committees for the last 25+ years. My Gram was secretary of the club for 15 years (Pap was president for 5 and director for 30) and her final thoughts on it before she died was, “Time to just shut the damned thing down, because they’ll never learn!”

#15

Weelllll, I was put in charge of 16 photo pages. Final photo selection, and captions. That’s the up side. The down side is I have exactly 7 days to do it in…

It’s a good thing there is a general meeting Friday. I hope the other members have an idea who some of the folks IN the photos are, and exactly what the rusty junque IS… Otherwise I was told to “just make up generic captions”

#16

Is that like when you see a photo of a locomotive that has ‘LSR 99’ painted on it, sitting on a trestle, and the very helpful caption reads ‘L.S. Railroad Engine 99 stopped on bridge’? :stuck_out_tongue:

They might as well say ‘here’s a picture of a choo-choo train.’ Oh, so… books like this are made by COMMITTEES… :rolleyes:

I get it now. Oh Mik, as I said before, I was on a committee once. :o Never again! Nice weather we’re having for playing with trains these days… :lol:

#17
Lazarus Long said:
A committee is a life form with six or more legs, and no brain.
#18

Book is ‘put to bed’ (ready for the printers).

My last job, and fight, was I got elected to redo the filler photo collage pages. The lady who did them did it “scrapbook” style, and everyone got queasy looking at them (plus she re-used a whole bunch of photos that were already elsewhere in the book). So now she’s mad about it…

My mother said we COULD have left them, and just sold a bottle of Dramamine with every book…

I think it came out pretty good. i just hope it sells.

#19

Relief at last, huh?