PCB Layout for Musical Effects

[dubspecialist]

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

[GGBB]

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

[bean]

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.

[R.G.]

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
Please tell me if this works well or not.

[dubspecialist]

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!

[R.G.]

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.

[bluebunny]

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.

[DIY Bass]

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.

[R.G.]

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.

[bean]

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.

[davent]

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

[bluebunny]

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.

[davent]

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

[R.G.]

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.

[vigilante397]

I was able to place an order on the Book Patch, seemed to go through fine. Just under $40 shipped USPS media mail.

[dubspecialist]

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.

[ElectricDruid]

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.

[PRR]

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, 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.

[R.G.]

Thanks, Paul. I'll go check Lulu again.
Any ideas for our international compatriots? Postage is quite expensive to Canada, even.

[PRR]

> 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