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Subject:Re: Secret of success... From:Tim Altom <taltom -at- IQUEST -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 18 Nov 1997 06:47:38 -0600
At 06:12 PM 11/17/97 -0800, you wrote:
>On Mon, 17 Nov 1997 15:16:42 -0600, DAVE SNODGRASS, EXT. 7562 wrote:
>
>>Although I have yet to buy any "dummies" books, I seem to be hooked on books
>>with "Secrets" in the title. "Word for Windows 95 Secrets" by Doug Lowe is
>>quite a nice book (all 880 pages + CD). I peaked at the About the Author page
>>and he has written several Dummies books published by IDG. I guess I'll wait
>>for "Secrets for Dummies".
>
>I've got the ultimate get-rich plan: Buy one of each Windows 95 book on
>the market (Windows 95 Secrets, 10001 Tips for Windows 95, etc.), run
>them all through a shredder, glue the pieces back together in random
>order, and bind them in a cover featuring "Windows 95" prominently in the
>title. It's a guaranteed bestseller, and it does exactly the same thing
>as most other Windows 95 books: take the same information, mix it up and
>regurgitate it in a different shape.
>
><sigh>
>
>
> Your friend and mine,
> Matt
> <All standard disclaimers apply>
True, to a point. We work with a couple of publishers in Indianapolis (one
of which is IDG) and you're absolutely correct, the indexes for most books
on the same subject can be virtually interchanged except for page numbers.
But that's to be expected...the book subject matter dictates the
subcategories within it. The difference is in the written approach. Learning
styles vary among readers the same way they vary among students in college.
The Dummies series, for example, is usually not as rigidly structured as a
New Riders book, nor does it use the same writing tone. Different audience,
different expectations. I've done a book for Sams and my partner is
considering doing a book for the "Dummies" series. Believe me, the approach
I used for Sams wouldn't work at all dealing with IDG. Book publishers
usually know their audiences pretty well after awhile, because of their
experience with sales figures. The computer book industry isn't quite the
"fire a broadside" bunch they might seem to be. In reality, the industry is
slicing the market up into specialties, then slicing it again until the
market isn't big enough to sustain the book series. All those books may sit
together on the shelf together, the "Dummies," "Experts", "Secrets" and
whatnot, and a desperate buyer may lug all of them out of the bookstore. But
the average reader will settle on one as a favorite and let the others go to
colleagues or gather dust.
Tim Altom
Vice President, Simply Written, Inc.
317.899.5882 (voice) 317.899.5987 (fax)
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