[Fe26]

Originally Posted by jerry grayson

You know, I never knew what price for the pickup book that the EFV8 board used to calculate break even. The 35-36 passenger book is $29.95, the 32 book is 84.95, the 33-34 is 64.95, the 37 is 44.95, the 38-39 is 49.95. So, how is the price figured? What price would be too high for a very interested V8er to pay? If you are restoring a car and suddenly rare information is available, would you dig deep in your pocket to get this? By the way, if you are interested, you can get from the EFV8 club a cook book with a model "T" on the front cover for $9.95!

Of all the points made/raised so far, this is the most relevant. It appears the club sets the price according to a given criteria. Whatever criteria they use should be made known to all authors. In this regard authors may then make an informed decision whether to proceed with their venture, and what risks they may face should they decide to proceed.

In the case of the 35-36 pickup book, it appears the authors were not given these salient facts or details. If this is so, the authors were operating in the belief the club would publish the book according to the publishing criteria of the club. If they were never informed of the risk of the club abandoning the project, they have been treated unfairly and very shabbily. Likewise, either as a preliminary, or shortly after a project begins one of the first tasks is to estimate time and cost. Armed with these facts the decision is then made whether or not to proceed, this is usually done in consultations between the author/s and the publisher. To allow the authors to proceed for years, then arbitrarily abandon the project without giving due consideration to the authors, is reprehensible. To abandon the project without having first informed the authors of the peril they faced is again, reprehensible.

If I read the situation correctly it seems the club approached the authors, thereby commissioning the book. In doing so, certain procedures; legal, copyright, dispute resolution, project management, marketing etc, come into play. Both sides must be aware of all of the factors, in order that the project is conducted in a professional manner. It seems the authors have been deprived of much information regarding protocols and procedures, indeed even their rights (in so far that they may exist).

For there to be such a wide range of prices across the published range of books, indicates to me that prices are set per individual publication, or to put it another way, on a 'cost plus' basis. If this is so, then the club has no legitimate argument to withhold publication. The cost may be higher for an (club alleged) low volume book, however the owners of the marque will pay for the privilege of having a club sanctioned document.

I suggest that based on the price of the 1932 book of $84.95, any price that is under a ceiling of say, $99.95 would be an acceptable price. The question to ask the club is this; what price did the club determine the book would retail at? The club must have this figure, how else could a board of directors make their decision without the most pertinent facts of; a) the cost to publish the book, and, b) the retail cost of the book. This information should be disclosed to the authors as a matter of urgency, and as a courtesy.

It is unacceptable for a Board of Directors to simply issue a Fiat without giving reasons why, and when asked what information and/or data they used to arrive at their decision, the BoD should provide the information and data they used in making their decision. I have mentioned in a previous post, the authors should have been given access to the reasoning of the board, in order that they may have exercised their right of reply, and made their submissions to the board, stating their reasons why the project should be continued. Failure to observe procedural fairness is a cause for concern.