Book disappointments

[Sheff]

I was thumbing-through Britmodeller's site and spotted this:-

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/inde ... opic=56793" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The last comment really does amaze me. Okay, if someone doesn't like a book that's fine, but I don't quite understand what he was expecting. He complains that my Hunter book didn't offer anything new. Point is, what is this mysterious "new" information that he was expecting? A story is a story and the facts don't change no matter how many times they are written. Likewise, there's a fairly finite amount of photography out there and it's rare that anyone finds anything that hasn't been seen before. Sadly, you can't re-write history, you can only record histories as they happened.

So, it prompts me to ask the question, what more might you expect from a book? Serious question, as publishers and writers are only too happy to cater for readers' tastes, but I don't quite know where you go with this kind of reaction. More colour scheme drawings? More close-up photographs? More "pilot tales" or what?

What does the "ideal book" look like?

[alnewhaven]

Guess its in the eye of the beholder. Everybody will be looking for diffrent things. I do note he says that "if you haven't got any Hunter books at all then it'll probably be a good option."

I have no Hunter books, but have several on the F-4....yes the same pics can come up again and again, but each volume has different views, anecdotes etc .

Maybe we need more old fashioned book shops to browse in and decide if a particular volume has what you are looking for!!

[Flyingmonster]

The only thing I can think mate is that he was expecting more he could use to model from? A book is a book and yes people do write about the same thing and pictures are the same but there is always something different you learn or hear about I have books about the same aeroplane by different people but love the fact there is always something to bite your teeth into. Maybe is a good topic for the Mess Sheff? This could get some people talking

[Sheff]

It's a difficult issue. Obviously it's in the interests of both authors and publishers to produce what readers want, but it's very frustrating when people just say "it told me nothing new" as if there's some secret story waiting to be revealed. As has been said, I guess it depends on what your tastes are, but for my part I'm always keen to hear what people like or don't like. No book is ever perfect but it is always nice to produce something that people like. Trouble is, it's very difficult to guess what people want, either in terms of the subject matter, the way it's covered, the format, size and so on.

[viper3111]

This is only one persons opinion so I really wouldnt worry that much Tim.

I know it cant be nice having bad things said about your work, ive just found that out on here recently but unfortunately you cant please everyone

Some people have very high expectation on things they buy, so when there is one little thing they dont like they put it down. Ive read many a review about something but when Ive bought it I really like it and have no problems.


Not much help Tim but thats my thoughts

[GaryS]

As has already been pointed out,'you can't please all the people all the time'.
But then you also get those that'll bitch for the sake of bitching!

Reading that last post on BM it looks to me more like a dig at you Tim?
Just rise above it

[Sheff]

Well in most cases I don't really worry about comments from individuals because, as has been said, you can't please everyone, and what one person likes another person will hate. The thing that prompted me to mention this though, was the implication that (in the case of the Hunter book) there was somehow something "missing" which could have made my book (or presumably anyone else's Hunter book) better. What I don't understand is what else could have been added, given that the story of an aircraft remains the same, no matter how many times you tell it. As I've said, if there are some obvious deficiencies that people think publishers should be addressing, then do please say so! It is always a bit of a problem trying to imagine what a reader might like or dislike, but I really do scratch my head when people say that a book "adds nothing new" to a subject - because it implies that there's some hidden treasure-trove of information which hasn't been explored. If only there was!

As for the Harrier book Damien, it's another juggling act between what I want (or what I think readers would like), what the publisher wants, and what we can actually fit-in (the book is smaller than originally envisaged now). It certainly isn't going to be a "definitive" Harrier book, but hopefully a decent celebration of a great aeroplane. I think the ultimate Harrier book would require something rather like Stewart Scott's Lightning books - and commercially-speaking, that sure ain't gonna happen, sadly! I agree though that really thorough books require an awful lot of time and a publisher that is able to lavish a huge amount of print space to any given subject. Of course the problem here is that mainstream publishers really can't work like that - they go bust! Still, I do what I can, but going back to the subject of this thread, I do sometimes wonder whether I'm really clear as to what readers honestly do want to see in books...


Answers on a postcard and all that...

[GOOSE]

Tit for tat comments are beginning to try a lot of people's patience now.

Tim and Damien, Fighter Control will no longer tolerate you using this forum to continue your war of words.

DO NOT POST ANY FURTHER COMMENTS to entice such antagonism.

Please accept this warning, both the staff and membership are sick of it!