FRPC GENEALOGY NEWSLETTER – Vol. 1 #2 – August 13, 2009 – The Recession Takes Its Toll.
This is the second newsletter published by Family Roots Publishing. It’s now the plan to do just two newsletters per week – and I promise I won’t flood your inbox with advertising between newsletters! In the publication of the first newsletter, I learned a few lessons about linking from this newsletter as well as a bit about offering premiums from the FRPC website.
The FREE FRPC Genealogy Newsletter (FRPC standing for Family Roots Publishing Company) contains genealogy-related tips, news, links, and product information. This is an “opt-in” newsletter. You are receiving it because you may have signed up for it at the Family Roots Publishing Company home page (upper left-hand corner), and/or purchased product from Family Roots Publishing Company recently.
DISCOUNT BOX ORDER PROBLEMS AT THE FRPC WEBSITE
In the last newsletter, I wrote that my friend, Bill Dollarhide, has been writing for several years on a book titled “Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era – Online and Published Military or Civilian Name Lists, 1861-1869, and Post-War Veteran Lists.” It’s finally finished, and is now available for purchase at: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=281 I made the mistake of telling readers to include the words “Newsletter 1-1” in the Discount Code box on checkout. Well – It should have said “Order Notes.” All of you that tried to order had problems with that “Discount Box.” I sent everyone the free wall chart anyway – but just in case you tried to order, and gave up – try again and I’ll send along a free wall chart titled “Kinship Connections” This is a universal “family bush” which illustrates every type of relationship by consanguinity (blood) and affinity (marriage), for seven generations. Click on the above link to order.
Again, as a preview, a column that was used in the introduction to Bill’s new “Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era” book is online at: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=2448
THE RECESSION TAKES IT TOLL ON GENEALOGY PUBLISHERS
Genealogy publishing is certainly different today than it was just a year or even two years ago. Virtually every publisher of genealogy books is making adjustments to compensate for a dramatic downturn in business. Libraries are dealing with tight budgets, if they have a budget at all. The business isn’t a whole lot different than most any other consumer-oriented enterprise, and the lack of consumer confidence hasn’t helped. Genealogical Publishing Company, of Baltimore, Maryland – one of the leading, and oldest, of the major genealogy publishers – has moved into smaller quarters, begun printing of most titles as print-on-demand, and cut dealer discounts from the normal trade discount of 40% to just 25%. Heritage Books has now set up shipping of their books from two locations, neither of which are operated by the company. Books will now be housed and shipped from subcontractor’s warehouses – one in Ohio, and the other in Utah. The subcontractors are paid a small percentage of the retail sale price of the books, allowing the publisher to get out of hiring employees, and the overhead of running one’s own warehousing and shipping operation. I know another genealogy publisher that’s having all of his books printed in China – believe it or not.
Print on Demand vs. typical Short-Run Printing
In the past, most genealogy publishers would print about 200 to 500 copies of most of their titles. I consider this to be short-run printing. If the title had broad appeal, they might print several thousand. Today’s technology, using what amounts to huge laser printers, allows the publisher to print very few copies, with runs of 50 to 200 books (typically called print-on-demand) being profitable. Don’t get me wrong – these print-on-demand books are more expensive per copy than books printed using typical offset printing with longer runs. However, it saves the publisher the up-front costs of case after case of books in stock. At Family Roots Publishing, we typically print books with broad appeal, allowing for longer runs, but we’re also being very careful about how much we’re trying to stock. Even after the recession ends, I doubt that genealogy publishers will go back to the practices of old, but only time will tell.
A-ZAX NOW AT THE FAMILY ROOTS PUBLISHING COMPANY WEBSITE
We just bought in a stock of A-Zax: A Comprehensive Dictionary for Genealogists and Historians – 3rd Edition, by Barbara J. Evans. This book contains thousands of words and terms that are largely unknown to us today. We have it on sale at just $14.65 at the FRPC website. See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=307
NEWS
George Morgan Reviews Dollarhide’s Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era.” See: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5599
Surname Distribution Maps for the USA, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, & Switzerland on dynastree (complete with direct links to the maps for the various countries) See: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5566
FGS Conference Syllabus Now Online for Registrants. See: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5589
FREE Genealogy Newsletter Feed Now Available from OneGreatFamily.com. See: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5556
FEATURED PRODUCTS AT FRPC
Carmack’s Guide to Copyright & Contracts, by Sharon Carmack – See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=96
The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy – 3rd Edition, by Val Greenwood – See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=129
Map Guide to German Parish Registers, Vol. 24 – Thuringia, by Kevan Hansen – See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=278
County Map of the United States – 39×27 inches – folded. See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=279
Twenty-Three Generation Ahnentafel Wall Chart – 28″x40″ – folded – The chart allows nine generations with all the statistics and another four lines extending all the way to the 23rd generation. See: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=161
THE SALT LAKE CHRISTMAS TOUR
The Salt Lake Christmas Tour is known for having the highest ratio of consulting professional genealogists per attendee of any research tour to the Family History Library. Join us this year December 6 through 12, 2009. See: http://www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The newsletter is written by Leland K. Meitzler, the publisher at FRPC. Leland is best known as the founder of Heritage Quest (in 1985), and his editorship of Heritage Quest Magazine (1985-2005), and Everton’s Genealogical Helper (2006-2009). Leland is also known as a genealogy lecturer with over 2,000 genealogy lectures to his credit.
CONTACT INFO:
Family Roots Publishing Company, PO Box 830, Bountiful, Utah 84011; Phone 801-992-3705; Fax: 815-642-0103; Cell: 801-949-7259; email: Lmeitzler@gmail.com; http://www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com ; http://GenealogyBlog.com ; http://Salt Lake ChristmasTour.com ; Written by Leland K. Meitzler; Owned by Leland & Patty Meitzler.
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