"The Smiths File" - proposed new Smiths book

Since October 2009 I have had a book deal in development with the UK publisher Omnibus Press. The book is titled The Smiths File - a collection of facsmilies of original music press items taken from various rock and pop publications, including Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Sounds, Record Mirror and Rolling Stone. The book tells the story of The Smiths through the pages of the rock music press, and it is very much intended as a celebration of the group. Journalist, broadcaster and Smiths supporter Len Brown has kindly agreed to contribute the foreword. Tony Fletcher, author of the upcoming Smiths biography A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths and owner of Jamming! magazine, has also lent his support to the project. Regretably Omnibus Press has declined to publish the book, and instead will consider putting out an expanded re-issue of a previously published Smiths book title to compete with Mr Fletcher's biography. So the hunt for a new publisher begins. Permissions for the use of all material earmarked for the Smiths File book (excepting the photographs) has been granted by either the relevant publishing company or the individual writer. The support, interest and enthusiasm I have received from the writers has been overwhelming; and it is my belief that The Smiths File will be a popular item among fans of the group. My plan is to have The Smiths File on the shelves within a year of securing a publishing deal. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Jack Barrett
 
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1 suggestion

enough is too much

and Morrissey has said he's gonna release his biography/book, planned for release dec 2012

[hope it's about his musiccarreer, well he could write about his liffe in LA:confused:]

anyway, anxiously waiting for Morrissey's release

lots and lots you're want to release is in Comtesse Despair awesome website, linked on this ;' the old acrane wardrobe' , which months of reading material,
so Jack,... try Elvis Costello or Ian McCullough,... eek-a-mouse

' and they say I;m mental' :crazy:
 
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I have eagerly collected magazines with Morrissey on the cover since 1988. I don't have them all, but if you're interested in what I do have for the project, I can be reached here: [email protected]
 
Sounds like a lame cut and paste job to me.

May be. May not be. Could be wise to see the finished product before calling it a lame cut and paste. Out of interest, from where would you cut and paste the original articles, as is postulated?

P.
 
That's why I said 'sounds like' as opposed to 'it is'. I would order them up from a cuttings service and copy them. What would you do?
 
Unfortunately I have no suggestions, but I wish you good luck - I hope you'll find a publisher soon. It sounds like it would be a lovely book for dark winter evenings. :)
 
Unfortunately I have no suggestions, but I wish you good luck - I hope you'll find a publisher soon. It sounds like it would be a lovely book for dark winter evenings. :)


try http://www.jawbonepress.com/

or probably better, publish it yourself. you can get books printed reasonably cheaply at exactly the same quality as standard publishers use.

you set up a website, take enough pre-orders to cover initial print run, maybe offer some incentive to get the early orders in (eg a poster or some extra supplement that's not in the full book - if it was me I'd compile all of moz's letters to the music press as an individual premium giveaway)

except for finding all the cuttings its not as though you need money to fund research/ interviews etc. The material already exists, you're just compiling it. If you can't design it youself then you can hire in somebody. Probably somebody on this board works in design.

It's 2011, time to look outside the usual book publishing routes...
 
Sounds like a lame cut and paste job to me.

As I understand the term, a cut and paste job is an 'original' biography pieced together using excerpts from interviews and other books. No new interviews are conducted, and no new material is included. The Smiths File is not intended as a biography but as a collection of facsimiles of original music press items. The point is not to present an original biography - in this way the project differs from Morrissey's autobiography or Tony Fletcher's book - but rather a collection of music press articles, LP and single reviews, live reviews and news items.
 
try http://www.jawbonepress.com/

or probably better, publish it yourself. you can get books printed reasonably cheaply at exactly the same quality as standard publishers use.

you set up a website, take enough pre-orders to cover initial print run, maybe offer some incentive to get the early orders in (eg a poster or some extra supplement that's not in the full book - if it was me I'd compile all of moz's letters to the music press as an individual premium giveaway)

except for finding all the cuttings its not as though you need money to fund research/ interviews etc. The material already exists, you're just compiling it. If you can't design it youself then you can hire in somebody. Probably somebody on this board works in design.

It's 2011, time to look outside the usual book publishing routes...

You make some good suggestions. Cost is an issue, however. Permissions for all written materials and photographs must be sought and paid for.
 
1 suggestion

enough is too much

and Morrissey has said he's gonna release his biography/book, planned for release dec 2012

[hope it's about his musiccarreer, well he could write about his liffe in LA:confused:]

anyway, anxiously waiting for Morrissey's release

lots and lots you're want to release is in Comtesse Despair awesome website, linked on this ;' the old acrane wardrobe' , which months of reading material,
so Jack,... try Elvis Costello or Ian McCullough,... eek-a-mouse

' and they say I;m mental' :crazy:

The enduring popularity of excellent Smiths websites like Plundering Desire and Forever Ill is one reason I decided to compile the best of these items into a book, in their original form. Someone posted a comment here about cuddling up with the book on dark nights. It is this sort of intimate, tactile experience I wish to give readers. A book is also more 'Smiths-like' than a website.
 
Well, isn't this just a novel idea! I don't know why I don't just repackage my entire website as a book and charge people to purchase my compilation of other people's work!!! Oooooh, the sickening greed!!!
 
Well, isn't this just a novel idea! I don't know why I don't just repackage my entire website as a book and charge people to purchase my compilation of other people's work!!! Oooooh, the sickening greed!!!

Settle, petal! The owners of the material - which is not always the individual writer but frequently the publishing company - would first have to approve the use of the material. Then they would be paid for it. Any royalties would be above board, and well-earned! Peace.
 
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Only my encouragements : Everything new (or not) relating The Smiths and Morissey's carreer will be welcome for many of fans.
I will be by the first ones to buy it without any pb.
 
Well, isn't this just a novel idea! I don't know why I don't just repackage my entire website as a book and charge people to purchase my compilation of other people's work!!! Oooooh, the sickening greed!!!

yeah, but this is a book, as opposed to a series of websites that people may be unaware of. I see it as some people like to have MP3's littered all over ipods, computers and hard drives, whereas some prefer to have everything compiled in one format on a professional CD.
Personally, I think it's a good idea and would buy it, as long as it was complete enough in terms of material. I do like websites, but the idea of a book is nice.
 

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