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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 04/29/2008 : 09:35:15 AM
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To our song writer friends out there, maybe you could make some $$$ by making music book of your songs.
Everyone just about has "He Mele Aloha" and the Iz songbook. People have collected their own tabs over the years and keep notebooks for stuff. We can find a goodly supply of at least chords to older stuff, but how about the more modern stuff.
There is bound to be a ready made market for a product such as this.
How about the definitive Dennis Kamakahi song collection? Or how about the Keali`i Reichel/Puakea Nogelmeier Songbook? How about George Kahumoku Lyrics and chords? Or John Cruz?
Or even a compilation of favorites that don't happen to be in He Mele Aloha. I think it said in there that they had a hard time limiting the songs to put in there.
Ooh, ooh, how about even Hawai`i Magazine's 50 top Hawaiian songs in a music book, all in one place, just pick it up and take it to your kanikapila?
What does it entail to publish a music book?
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 10:52:06 AM
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quote:
What does it entail to publish a music book?
Permission from the copyright owners.
And a large supply of aspirin for the headaches that entails. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 11:01:38 AM
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| But, then, couldn't someone, say for instance, Dennis make and market his own music book? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 1:09:17 PM
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quote:
But, then, couldn't someone, say for instance, Dennis make and market his own music book?
Dennis certainly could, and he probably should, even if he had to limit it to only few dozen or so of his many hundreds of songs (to keep the book from being too large!). I am sure he would want to have someone help with music notation/tab for such a project and finding such help within a reasonable budget is another constraint. And whether the sales will be enough to offset the costs is always an issue with publishing. These kinds of books, unfortunately, do not sell like Harry Potter novels.
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 04/29/2008 1:10:15 PM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 1:14:26 PM
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| I'll bet Aaron Mahi could help. Heck, I would help. I do not know tab, but I could put musical notation, or even my daughter, or even software programs. Books. Hungry for Books. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 3:01:04 PM
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| These types of books rarely cover the production costs. However, printing on demand is a technology that has lots of potential for very small run volumes. (I wonder how Mark is doing with his slack key book.) Then, of course, there is the large amount of work needed to get the text ready for print. (I have 3 volumes published by small - medium size presses. I think I've made a total of about $850 on them, and when I speak with friends and others who have published small press works, they tell me that I'm doing good.) I, too, would like a larger library, but completely understand why any musician would not go that route. Too much work for too little return. |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2008 : 05:33:23 AM
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For a non-mass-appeal book, the return on investment, whether you're talking about money or effort, is pretty small. Even if there's a major publisher involved (such as the one with which I have a contract for my slack key book), you'd better be doing it for love, because the money ain't big. I will not recover my expenses unless and until the book (should I finish it before it finishes me) goes into a second printing. Note that the printer gets paid, the warehouser gets paid, the publisher's office people get paid, the music publishers and rights-holders (if any are involved) get paid, the UPS guy gets paid, the gummint tax collector gets paid, the B&N clerk gets paid (badly, to be sure)--and the writer sits at the end of that queue with a tin cup and an expectant expression to collect the pocket lint that's left over.
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2008 : 08:50:31 AM
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However, printing on demand is a technology that has lots of potential for very small run volumes. (I wonder how Mark is doing with his slack key book.)
Like a local gold miner once told me, "I ain't makin' dinner yet, but I am makin' lunch..."
As with my comment on the digital downloads thread, I see the print-on-demand option as a boon for independent artists. When someone buys one of my self-published slack key or dulcimer books either via my website or Amazon, it is new money, with zero overhead on my part. Essentially, I started making money (or at least paying me back for the time invested) with the first sale.
And it allows me to keep a very small inventory for sales off the stage, unlike the garage full of stuff I used to have to order to make a self-published title cost effective..
So, while sales are nothing like what I get from the Mel Bay stuff, it still adds up.
That being said, I am very happy that Mel Bay has picked up both my "Old Time Slack" and Hawaiian dulcimer titles for distribution next year.
To the subject at hand: I'd buy any book Dennis puts out in a heartbeat. Ditto Peter's.. and as for that alleged book Russell keeps tantalizing us with...
If Dennis (or anyone else) wants to talk about the on-demand self publish route, zap me an e-mail. Or just go to CreateSpace.com and check it out. (No affiliation, 'natch.) |
Edited by - Mark on 04/30/2008 08:53:07 AM |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2008 : 09:04:28 AM
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Dennis used to sell some of his songs in "standard notation", and autographed, too. We bought several of them years ago. In fact, they were so cheap (about $1 or $2 a copy) Sarah bought 2 copies of each, just to have them if we messed up the first.
...Reid |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2008 : 12:23:32 PM
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I wrote to Reverend Kamakahi a couple years ago regarding a songbook. I think he answered that he was considering the idea, but nothing was available at that time. If he self published his songs, and retained the rights, he may be able to put out a book on his own. On the other hand, if the record companies he recorded for at various times owns the rights, he may not be able to release a book of his own songs.Perhaps he'll chime in on this when he sees it.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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