Hi all, posted this at ppcb but realised this is a more appropriate forum as I'm aware RGK shows up here occasionally.
I'm certain this has been asked before but it's a question that remains relevant based on lack of distribution...
Does anyone know where I could source a copy of this RG Keen publication? Or alternatively help me track down a contact for him so I could attempt to purchase one directly (this seems like a long shot).
Any help is obviously appreciated :)
I bought mine from Small Bear Electronics but they don't appear to have stock anymore. You can try sending him a PM. His user name here is 'R.G.': https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=13
I loaned mine to someone about 7 years ago and never got it back, haha. It's been so long I don't even remember who has it.
Maybe RG will make a pdf available for purchase some day.
I vigorously supported Small Bear's business model and ethics. As a result, the book was only available through Small Bear. I hate to see them shutting down. I wish Steve and all the people at Small Bear the very best.
First, the apology. I do not plan to offer the book as a pdf for "purchase". In my experience (and I have tried, several times) soft copy material is nearly immediately pirated and all sales stop. Sad, but true. I learned long ago that hard copy was the only viable medium that didn't just make me mad when stuff was stolen. Sorry - I know it's a PITA for you - and for me! - but hard copy is all that works for me. The second, third, and fourth editions would never have been done if it was sold as soft copy.
That being said, I've decided to see if the publisher for my books on Thomas Organ Vox amplifiers can handle this. I put PCB Layout up for sale at The Book Patch. Here's the link:
http://thebp.site/77462 (http://thebp.site/77462)
Please tell me if this works well or not.
Thanks to all who replied and to RG especially :) I understand your desire to keep the book physical only, I just thought it would be a shame if, given the unfortunate news re Small Bear, it were no longer available...
I have just attempted to purchase a copy from The Book Patch but unfortunately received this alert at checkout - "We are having some trouble communicating with our shipping provider. You may try again now or in a few minutes. We are sorry for this unexpected trouble and any inconvenience it has caused."
It may have something to do with the fact that I am based in Australia. I'll attempt again this afternoon or tomorrow and update here accordingly.
Cheers!
Let me know if that continues to be a problem. I don't know that I can fix it, but I'll see if there's a way to do so.
Small Bear had some problems with international shipping too, as I remember. There was a fellow in Germany that wanted to stock them locally because the rate for shipping a single copy to parts of Europe is or was so expensive.
I have a friend who runs a small technical parts business on his website and ebay. He regularly complains about the difficulty of shipping to another country - the paperwork, the delays, and the expense to him and his customers. I still don't understand how we can get Arduino and Raspberry Pi add-on boards from China for a price including shipping that is less than the cost of the ICs on them here in the USA. It's weird.
Are there other print-on-demand outfits that might be more local? I've bought a couple of Thomas Henry's books, and I don't believe they came from the US.
If all else fails there are US re-shipping companies that will provide a US address and then forward the parcel on. I am not sure how they work - have never used one. I expect they add to the cost though.
Good point, bluebunny. If someone would provide me with pointers to local print-on-demand outfits in Australia, Europe, someplace local, I'll check them out and see if I can work with them for local orders.
That's a version of sending the bits I could work with if they're reliable.
Quote from: R.G. on October 25, 2021, 10:40:41 AM
Good point, bluebunny. If someone would provide me with pointers to local print-on-demand outfits in Australia, Europe, someplace local, I'll check them out and see if I can work with them for local orders.
That's a version of sending the bits I could work with if they're reliable.
Amazon does have a print on demand service. I'm pretty sure that includes digital copies through the Kindle app which I think precludes the possibility of file sharing.Jack Orman has published a couple of books like that.
Quote from: bean on October 25, 2021, 12:31:06 PM
Quote from: R.G. on October 25, 2021, 10:40:41 AM
Good point, bluebunny. If someone would provide me with pointers to local print-on-demand outfits in Australia, Europe, someplace local, I'll check them out and see if I can work with them for local orders.
That's a version of sending the bits I could work with if they're reliable.
Amazon does have a print on demand service. I'm pretty sure that includes digital copies through the Kindle app which I think precludes the possibility of file sharing.Jack Orman has published a couple of books like that.
I can't be sure but i thought Merlin at one time was using Lulu for his,? I wait to be corrected.
dave
Yes, Merlin's books do appear to be on Lulu (it's where I got my Thomas Henry books). But I got my copy of Merlin's preamp book from Amazon.
Quote from: bluebunny on October 25, 2021, 01:28:56 PM
Yes, Merlin's books do appear to be on Lulu (it's where I got my Thomas Henry books). But I got my copy of Merlin's preamp book from Amazon.
My copy of Merlin's preamp book would have come from Amazon as well. Have one Thomas Henry book, has a price sticker on the back as well as hand written inside on the front cover facing page, it would have come from some bookstore in Toronto but i can't remember the one.
dave
I'll go check out Amazon. I looked at them some years ago, and their business arrangements were not a match then. Perhaps they have changed their terms and it could be made to work now.
I was able to place an order on the Book Patch, seemed to go through fine. Just under $40 shipped USPS media mail.
OK so I attempted to purchase it several times yesterday at different hours of the day but came up against the same alert each time. I have emailed the Book Patch with the error message, I received automated responses letting me know my help request was received and to sit tight... I guess I'll update here if anything comes if it.
RG, if you do decide to go through Amazon or another self publishing house please let me know.
Bean, if you're reading this I was wondering if your Eagle library is still available over at your site?
Thanks to everyone that has weighed in so far, it's appreciated.
Quote from: bean on October 25, 2021, 12:31:06 PM
Amazon does have a print on demand service. I'm pretty sure that includes digital copies through the Kindle app which I think precludes the possibility of file sharing.
Amazon might think that, but it's not really true, just like everything else. File-sharing sites are full of Kindle books. Ok, they're not as popular as Marvel movies or whatever, but they're still there and you can download them for free. If one person can think up some file-protection, someone else can think up a way around it...
Ultimately, ease of use and guarantees of quality are something that many people are willing to pay for, and that's Kindle's biggest protection. Lots of people don't want to be bothered mucking about on dodgy download sites getting something potentially infectious and/or of dubious utility. At the same time, lots of people love to get something for nothing. So both things exist.
Yeah, cracking Kindle is not the toughest nut in the deck. Hardly worth it for the run of best-sellers (ech), or the amazing heap of $0.99 old fiction (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0925BHP1Y/), but once in a while I am tempted.
A side-note: the Kindle is not good for image-heavy books like I assume RG's PCB is. (I just sent back another book because I could not read it on an e-reader.) Of course the Kindle For PC app gives size and color (and screen-shots). Adobe has a "secure" format which needs to call-home to get permission (and I understand it is trivially tricked), nobody seriously uses it.
A friend has been publishing through Amazon, print and e-book. It is an enormous headache. Lawrence Block does too, but he found a guru to format files and has helper-kids to wrestle Amazon. Kuehnel was self-printing and distributing through Amazon and AES, but the Amazon hassle got bad and I think his printer now does his fulfillment.
Lulu.com is an old-time POD + fulfillment and could be a buck cheaper than Book Patch. Or maybe not, depending on color and paper.
Thanks, Paul. I'll go check Lulu again.
Any ideas for our international compatriots? Postage is quite expensive to Canada, even.
> Any ideas for our international compatriots? Postage is quite expensive to Canada, even.
Chinese printer. As an impoverished country (as of the last time the rules were negotiated) China gets the best end of the stick on postage. Also there's government money. Regular China Air flights over the Pole (any pole). Not to mention still-low labor. Search "book printing in china" finds many links. Most do not do fulfillment, what we also want to get cheap.
Final Size 5.5X8.5"(140*216)
Quantity 1000
Cover 80gsm matte art paper
Inner 200 pages 80gsm gloss art paper
Binding Perfect binding
EXW our factory price: USD 1529
Estimate weight： 260 kg
So: buck and a half each in quan 1000. ($8 in quan 100.) Half ton of paper on your mailbox. Such a deal, but can't afford it.
Alibaba has pages of pages:
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/book-printing.html
And of course: no copyrights in China. (Ask the English about US copy-cats 200 years ago.)
Back in/near the USA: Ingram Spark is another major bookmaker. I never heard of BookBaby but they do the same things, and also have pages comparing:
BookBaby vs. CreateSpace
BookBaby vs. Lulu
BookBaby vs. Author Solutions (AuthorHouse. iUniverse. Xlibris. Wordclay. Trafford.)
BookBaby vs. Ingram Spark
BookBaby vs. DiggyPOD
BookBaby vs. Outskirts Press
BookBaby vs. Christian Faith Publishing
I found my old Lulu order. It mentions VAT registration details for the UK, France and Italy, but I'm not sure if that implies POD from those locations. I guess you'd have to ask. Postage for me for two spiral-bound books was £3.99 (five years ago). Not exactly cheap, but not a showstopper.
Quote from: R.G. on October 24, 2021, 12:09:08 PM
I vigorously supported Small Bear's business model and ethics. As a result, the book was only available through Small Bear. I hate to see them shutting down. I wish Steve and all the people at Small Bear the very best.
First, the apology. I do not plan to offer the book as a pdf for "purchase". In my experience (and I have tried, several times) soft copy material is nearly immediately pirated and all sales stop. Sad, but true. I learned long ago that hard copy was the only viable medium that didn't just make me mad when stuff was stolen. Sorry - I know it's a PITA for you - and for me! - but hard copy is all that works for me. The second, third, and fourth editions would never have been done if it was sold as soft copy.
That being said, I've decided to see if the publisher for my books on Thomas Organ Vox amplifiers can handle this. I put PCB Layout up for sale at The Book Patch. Here's the link:
http://thebp.site/77462 (http://thebp.site/77462)
Please tell me if this works well or not.
I just ordered a copy from the Book Patch. Looking forward to reading it. Approximately $40 shipped to a US address. I will update the thread with how well it worked when I receive my book.
I'm glad people in the US are able to order. I'm still having no luck getting a copy to AU... The Book Patch are yet to respond to my incident request (aside from the initial automated responses). Real shame, hoping I can get a copy somehow :(
I do know that Book Patch is a very small outfit with a Xerox book printing machine. Or they were when I first checked them out. I'll get in touch with them and see if I can help.
Thanks RG, I really appreciate it! Probs goes without saying but I'm v keen to grab a copy so if they get in touch and have a solution I'll be ready to order :)
I just ordered from The Book Patch. $40 shipped US Media Mail shipped in the US.
Quote from: dubspecialist on October 26, 2021, 10:45:19 PM
I'm glad people in the US are able to order. I'm still having no luck getting a copy to AU... The Book Patch are yet to respond to my incident request (aside from the initial automated responses). Real shame, hoping I can get a copy somehow :(
The Book Patch says they ship worldwide on their website. Let me know if they say they can't ship to you and I'll ship you a copy if you'll reimburse the cost of the book, US shipping cost to me, and AU shipping cost from me to you.
Just checked out shipping to Australia on Book Patch, it's only slightly insane...
UPS Worldwide Express $180.40USD
UPS Worldwide Saver $176.96USD
UPS Worldwide Expedited $169.15USD
I'd love to get a copy, but shipping that's 5x the book+handling is a bit excessive, sorry!
FWIW I've had good experiences as a customer with Lulu (apart from when they closed their Adobe Digital Editions server and cut me off from my digital purchases - though I agree that digital distribution probably isn't a great idea for most authors and support you in resisting that).
Hope you can find a publisher that can serve most of the world with minimal complications/effort. Please keep us updated on any other vendors!
Wow.
I don't go order my own books much, so I'm a little out of touch with their shipping costs.
[grind... rumble... crash... shriek... grind]
OK. I went off to Book Patch to see what shipping to Australia by postal service instead of UPS costs. Got the "can't communicate with our shipping provider" message. I'll keep trying. I've received books from Europe for much less than those prices.
I wonder if UPS isn't trying to use social engineering to limit how much they ship to Australia. I think the book rate for ordinary mail is much lower, though.
More info as I find it.
Quote from: R.G. on October 28, 2021, 10:09:20 AMI don't go order my own books much, so I'm a little out of touch with their shipping costs.
;D
Quote from: R.G. on October 28, 2021, 10:09:20 AMI wonder if UPS isn't trying to use social engineering to limit how much they ship to Australia.
I fairly regularly have things shipped by UPS from the US, much larger and heavier than a book, at much lower rates than the Book Patch quotes I listed above. Of course prices are going to vary by account and volumes, but I suspect there's probably some sort of error in their price fetching system.
I wouldn't be
shocked to see a price of up to maybe $50USD for shipping US to AUS for a book size item given what I've seen when internet "window shopping" at similar smaller retailers (though I'd still shop around for alternative sources with lower rates or try and make a larger purchase to better amortize the expense).
Thanks for looking into it RG, hope the effort is rewarded by more international purchases!
Quote from: Phoenix on October 28, 2021, 03:32:16 AM
Just checked out shipping to Australia on Book Patch, it's only slightly insane...
UPS Worldwide Express $180.40USD
UPS Worldwide Saver $176.96USD
UPS Worldwide Expedited $169.15USD......
Yow! And yet, that IS what UPS charges. On the UPS site I was quoted:
Ship To: 2601 Australia (Acton/Canberra)
Ship From: ~~~~~~~~ United States
Customs Value: 40 USD
12 x 8 x 2 in. Package Weight: 2 lbs.
UPS Worldwide Saver 168.89 USD *
UPS Worldwide Expedited® 154.67 USD *
I did not know the exact size/weight or use specific ZIP/Post codes, figuring the 11,000 mile run and the customs paperwork were the main cost.
This is entirely what most National Postal Services do (Sears catalogs etc) so Book Patch needs to patch-up their USPS link.
================================
US Post Office quote:
Large Envelope, weight 2 lb 0 oz (0.907 kg) to Australia
USPS GXG™ Envelopes**
USPS-Produced regular size cardboard envelope (12-1/2" x 9-1/2"),
Normal Delivery Time 1 - 3 business days to many major markets $123.85
Priority Mail Express International™ Flat Rate Envelope
USPS-Produced Envelope: 12-1/2" x 9-1/2" or 15" x 9-1/2"
Maximum weight 4 pounds.
Normal Delivery Time 3 - 5 business days to many major markets1,2 $69.95
Quote from: PRR on October 28, 2021, 01:16:37 PM
Yow! And yet, that IS what UPS charges.
Yes, I had to cancel a couple orders to Australia and New Zealand recently as USPS has suspended first class and priority international to that part of the world, so the cheapest way to send a single pedal (about 1 pound) is about $75. UPS quoted around $80, Fedex was $150, DHL was $170.
I had a talk with author's support at Book Patch. Here's the short version.
They, like many internet shipping businesses, have built-in links inside their web site to query their shippers, which includes postal service, UPS, and Fedex. This happens automatically, in the checkout page code. The shippers respond and the checkout page offers only the shipping options which the shipping providers send back, on the fly. It's all automated.
If all their shippers send back errors or none reply, the page responds with the message that they are having problems with their shipping providers. This can happen if:
- the target country is not accepting USA shipments, or
- the shippers in the USA don't ship to that country;
Clearly, this is not an issue with Australia, although Canada was refusing USA shipments due to Covid for a while. In other countries, this may vary in real time, so it depends on the country.
Selectable shipping methods which are presented for checkout depends on the behind-the-scenes replies from the shippers. This can be an issue not only for the country and the state of interactions between the shippers and the countries, as above, but also if the address as entered has not been recognized as a valid address by the shipper(s). For instance, an address may be missing some shipping code, or the street designation may be slightly wrong, or they don't serve that part of that country.
I really hope that this is not one of those systems problems where the machines are all doing what they've been told, but some magic combination of circumstances makes the combination of machines not work. I've seen those issues in my past professional life, and they are maddening. Every single machine is operating "correctly", and every machine owner is unable to find errors, because they don't exist in that machine. Everyone is absolutely right, but the end result doesn't work. I have scars from some of those systems issues. Ugh!!
In the case with Australia, my test order showed only the UPS options too. UPS is supposedly having some kind of difficulty with Australia, and apparently they were the only response. They are currently charging exorbitant rates for shipments to Australia.
I don't know why USPS media rate shipping didn't show up as an option, and neither did the Book Patch rep. I'm pretty sure they will deliver to most places in Australia, albeit taking a long time to do it.
I have started searching for a publish-on-demand service in Australia and Europe. I'm trying to find one with a similar structure to Book Patch, which works GREAT in the USA. I haven't found one yet, but then I just started.
There's even a lot of news about this. A LOT of news saying different things.
USPS has internal clogs and can't handle outgoing (to certain countries?).
USPS can't find flights, generally or to specific places.
NZ was closed for months, so no passenger flights, which is how small/medium mail usually travels.
Aus has been local quarantine open/closed for months. And few passenger flights.
Aus Post (also USPS!) has many workers on sick-leave.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/126562992/covid19-usps-stops-nz-mail-service-due-to-unavailability-of-transportation
https://powerretail.com.au/news/slower-than-in-the-70s-usps-temporarily-suspends-deliveries-to-australia/
https://blog.stamps.com/2021/09/02/usps-service-suspension-to-australia/
https://www.smh.com.au/national/consumers-fume-after-us-postal-service-suspends-australian-deliveries-20211001-p58wb8.html
A friend has a book small-published in the USA.
This UK bookstore claims to have it, and would Print On Demand and ship it to me (Maine) for US$ 18.14 plus US$ 9.60 shipping.
https://riachristiecollections.com/
I put a different book, £5.59 in my 'basket' and faked-up an Australian address. The quote said Standard Shipping: £6.93.
So POD in UK and ship to AUS? It may be $13USD to ship but that's way better than we see in the US.
However a lot of these online 'baskets' are unattended algorithms and may be out of sync with some Real World.
I've dug into publish on demand services local to Australia. That's going to be about the lowest shipping cost and fastest service. I think. A couple of them are sending me quotes and setup rigamaroles that would be involved.
Shipping IS f*cked-up.
I was expecting a box via UPS. Around here UPS runs a fleet of the big brown vans. At the expected time (just now) a family mini-van appeared in the drive. The driver had a right-size box and a UPS safety-vest, so I just complemented his ride. But for UPS to NOT be running their custom brown rigs says something odd.
Saves wear and tear on the dog, though. She hates those big diesels! Minivan not so much.
(Yes, here FedEx runs company, subcontract, and temp vans, and can show up in anything.)
Australia is also opening up more to international passenger flights over then next little bit, so mail might get through more easily too.
I may have located a print-on-demand outfit in Australia. The printing and handling costs and hidden taxes are higher, but it will involve only postage and shipping within Australia. That is a lot cheaper than mailing from the USA.
A lot. :icon_exclaim:
We're still doing the dance on the deal and I'm trying to get up to speed on Australia's laws on printed works sold within Australia, registration, yada, yada, yada. But it's a possibility.
I don't know if using them to ship to Europe or other places would be cost effective and timely or not.
Thanks for the efforts RG, I hope it's worth your time investment and not just to satisfy a couple of us grumpy buggers down under!
FWIW, BookBaby is the old DiscMakers. I was down there a lot producing CD promos for the school. That was a long time ago. (Rt90 cut off their driveway...) And while they have expanded to DVD BluRay USB and even retroVinyl (where they started 1947), that market must be way shrunken. But the collapse of traditional publishing makes self-publishing almost respectable (no offense intended, R.G.). And it is the same racket, just different presses.
@ Phoenix: I'm a grumpy bugger, too, so it's very well worth the effort! :icon_lol:
@ PRR: None taken. The self publishing game is indeed a racket from the publisher side.
They prey on a large number of would-be authors who want to see their names in print. The deals offered to WBAs are generally stacked against them, sometimes by thousands of dollars.
PCB Layout is different. It's intended for a microscopic (by book publishing standards) market that is specifically interested in the technical info in it; and that I don't mind if the books sell as slowly as one every several months. It's completely outside the normal publishing business model.
Sorry to throw my hat into the ring like this, but is there any plans to make it available in the UK? :D I could possibly buy from an EU outlet, but since Britain left the EU it's possible that it would be subject to an import tax (it could also be exempt from this tax being that it's a book, not quite sure!). You'd definitely make at least one sale if you did. ;)
No biggie. I was kind of hoping that publishing in Oz would make it easier to ship to Europe. If not, I'll try to find a Euro/UK local place that doesn't make the process prohibitive.
Thanks, I'll check out that Oz link when it's available and see how much for shipping!
Thanks, R.G., just picked up a copy as well.
Sorry RG, been knee deep in prototyping so off the forum for a few days. I'm really glad to see other people are grabbing copies from the Book Patch thanks to this thread and seriously appreciate you doing the leg work to find a publisher in AUS. If you have any luck I'll be the first to purchase :)
Just got my shipping notice from the book patch, hopefully I'll see it in a few days or so.
Quote from: R.G. on October 24, 2021, 12:09:08 PM
That being said, I've decided to see if the publisher for my books on Thomas Organ Vox amplifiers can handle this. I put PCB Layout up for sale at The Book Patch. Here's the link:
http://thebp.site/77462 (http://thebp.site/77462)
Please tell me if this works well or not.
My book arrived today. I'd say that the Book Patch works well for US customers. Approximately two weeks from order to delivery via USPS Media Mail.
Quote from: toybuilder on November 08, 2021, 03:49:26 PM
Quote from: R.G. on October 24, 2021, 12:09:08 PM
That being said, I've decided to see if the publisher for my books on Thomas Organ Vox amplifiers can handle this. I put PCB Layout up for sale at The Book Patch. Here's the link:
http://thebp.site/77462 (http://thebp.site/77462)
Please tell me if this works well or not.
My book arrived today. I'd say that the Book Patch works well for US customers. Approximately two weeks from order to delivery via USPS Media Mail.
Mine came in a couple of days ago. (USA)
Mine showed up yesterday, agreed that Book Patch seems to be good for US customers.
Quote from: R.G. on October 24, 2021, 12:09:08 PM
I vigorously supported Small Bear's business model and ethics. As a result, the book was only available through Small Bear. I hate to see them shutting down. I wish Steve and all the people at Small Bear the very best.
First, the apology. I do not plan to offer the book as a pdf for "purchase". In my experience (and I have tried, several times) soft copy material is nearly immediately pirated and all sales stop. Sad, but true. I learned long ago that hard copy was the only viable medium that didn't just make me mad when stuff was stolen. Sorry - I know it's a PITA for you - and for me! - but hard copy is all that works for me. The second, third, and fourth editions would never have been done if it was sold as soft copy.
That being said, I've decided to see if the publisher for my books on Thomas Organ Vox amplifiers can handle this. I put PCB Layout up for sale at The Book Patch. Here's the link:
http://thebp.site/77462 (http://thebp.site/77462)
Please tell me if this works well or not.
at least for me, the site never loads. i'd buy a hardcover copy if it were available and affordable
> site never loads
What R.G. posted looks like a clever shortcut, and it works for me. But instead try :
https://app.thebookpatch.com/BookStore/pcb-layout-for-musical-effects/5cfb5bb2-4c9e-4b4f-864d-b03134a327a2
Or drill from:
https://www.thebookpatch.com/
or:
https://app.thebookpatch.com/BookStore.aspx
From that BookStore page, search on "keen" finds some other stuff, then the RG PCB book, more other-stuff, then R.G.'s Thomas/VOX works.
thank you paul! i'm in.... soon as i get paid for the most recent batch of noisemakers, i'm in
Maybe I can help out a fellow Aussie.
I'm interested in the book myself, I have a US Postal address where I
consolidate all my US purchases and have them shipped over ever couple
of months. I'm due to package everything up shorty and organising a shipment.
If you wanted, happy to order a couple and we can square up when the book arrives.
We can sort out a small postal charge and then also include shipping cost within Australia.
Australia Post seems to getting back on track.
Does that help you out?
Nik Wolf
Good on you, Wolf. That's a great way to help out your fellows.
I'm slogging through the copyright proof stuff with the USA PTO to get the Australia printer set up. This may take a while, unfortunately.
Quote from: R.G. on November 12, 2021, 09:31:52 AM
Good on you, Wolf. That's a great way to help out your fellows.
I'm slogging through the copyright proof stuff with the USA PTO to get the Australia printer set up. This may take a while, unfortunately.
RG, any update on how to get your book "PCB Layout for Musical Effects" in Europe? They only option I found so far was Book Patch but they ask over 200USD for the delivery.
What is with the Book Patch web site, they advertise as having for sale RG Keen's Book "PCB Layout for Musical Effects"
Fair enough, I go to purchase expecting a postage rate similar to the book value, since I live in Australia, and realize that international postage is not cheap, and yet check the postage rates they offer.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGSbjKYH/Book-Patch-Goudgers.png) (https://postimg.cc/YGSbjKYH)
Like are they based on the Moon, to justify such excessive postage rates, or is this just another case of self imposed over entitlement
gouging to bolster their back pocket?
I mean fairs fair, and this just reeks!
Shout out to RG, are you aware of this?, and is there a means to pick up your publication here in Australia, in a fairer more equitably friendly manner?
Maybe you could set up an alliance with a couple or more the local DIY Pedal stores here in Australia to represent and sell your publication, as a means to making the product available here, it sure would be a better alternative than purchasing from those Book Patch unscrupulous rogues! Alright maybe not unscrupulous and maybe not rogues, but definitely bad bossiness people to not be able to make a fairer postage rate available to international buyers, when clearly there are better postage rates available elsewhere, even USPS is at least reasonable when compared, and no they cant blame covid any longer for postage interuptions, and yet since then it has incresed another $40 odd through UPS.
Who charges that much for postage on a book??
https://www.diyguitarpedals.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page=advanced_search&search_in_description=1&keyword=PCB%20Layout%20for%20Musical%20Effects&inc_subcat=0&sort=20a (https://www.diyguitarpedals.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page=advanced_search&search_in_description=1&keyword=PCB%20Layout%20for%20Musical%20Effects&inc_subcat=0&sort=20a)
https://www.pedalpartsaustralia.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search&search_in_description=1&keyword=PCB%20Layout%20for%20Musical%20Effects&inc_subcat=0&sort=20a (https://www.pedalpartsaustralia.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search&search_in_description=1&keyword=PCB%20Layout%20for%20Musical%20Effects&inc_subcat=0&sort=20a)
Quote from: bluelagoon on August 30, 2023, 01:01:03 AM...Shout out to RG, are you aware of this?, ...
Yes, he is. Did you read the thread before posting?
Last mention shipping to Aus was only at $180, seems inflation over last 2 years has upped it over $220. Yeah that seems fair.
Might possibly get on a Qantas airplane and pick it up in person for cheaper, Doubtful, but almost!
Quote from: Phoenix on October 28, 2021, 03:32:16 AM
Just checked out shipping to Australia on Book Patch, it's only slightly insane...
UPS Worldwide Expedited $169.15USD....
I think BookPatch just does not want to deal with it. (The customs forms ARE a real pain.)
It is $43 on the US Post Office site, large book-size envelope to Australia, slow-boat (there is an $80 rush option too).
I have no idea why price and postage should have ANY relation to each other. USPS won't write it. R.G. is not going to carry it down under. It is comparing apples and llamas. Or should R.G. raise the "value" of his words to say $400, so the "shipping is less than the cost? Internet and Chinese manufacturing has really spoiled us.
I believe reasonable priced books and reasonable priced postage can be expected, even outside of China, as both are still achievable without excessive exorbitant over priced unnecessary fat cat back pocket lining price gouging, where both authors, postal services and go between retailers can still make out well enough.
If I can send a 500 gram effect pedal with tracking from Australia to the USA for $30 USD, then there is definitely something broke about the Book Patch's postal arrangements, if it aint gouging which I don't suspect it is, then it is definitely poor business management, when there are obviously cheaper more formidable postage services and prices available.
QuoteI think Book Patch just does not want to deal with it. (The customs forms ARE a real pain.)
And if that is the case, then they do a severe disservice to those whose product they represent
Customs forms are a breeze once you've done one or two. no excuses
I would import them and sell them here myself, if RG gave me the same price breakdown as he does the Book Patch, and a more sensible postage rate out of the USA.
Even looked into importing 10 of them from the Book Patch. Guess what postage went up to for 10 of RG's books?
Over $600 USD.
Are they for real?, like what did RG print his book on, Lead Sheet?
Here's a suggestion for RG, to take onboard as a potential solution. Why not take up an alliance with Tayda Electronics, based in Thailand, who also have facilities in the USA.
For stocking and selling of the "PCB Layout for Musical Effects" book, Then I am sure we would get RG's book posted out with no more than $30 USD Postage attached, as they are by far one of the cheapest on international postage.
And a lot of people with effects building interest shop there.
This would make it more accessable to a worldwide audience than what the Book Patch offers us.
https://www.taydaelectronics.com/about (https://www.taydaelectronics.com/about)