J
John L
Guest
Just curious if it went out yesterday or today?
Thx,
John L.
Thx,
John L.
-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
S
Shaun O'Berry
Guest
John,
I spoke to the publisher a few minutes ago, here's the latest:
They are burning CDs today and tomorrow. Some may be shipped this Friday, but most will be next Monday or Tuesday. The books get shipped at 'book rate' as small packages. You can expect to receive the book 7-10 days from the shipping date, sooner if you live in the Los Angeles area. So probably you won't see it in your mailbox until the end of November or beginning of December.
Shaun
I spoke to the publisher a few minutes ago, here's the latest:
They are burning CDs today and tomorrow. Some may be shipped this Friday, but most will be next Monday or Tuesday. The books get shipped at 'book rate' as small packages. You can expect to receive the book 7-10 days from the shipping date, sooner if you live in the Los Angeles area. So probably you won't see it in your mailbox until the end of November or beginning of December.
Shaun
I don't mean to sound unkind, (or maybe I do) but for the $6.00 we're being charged for shipping and handling, the publisher could go to the P.O., get a bunch of FREE Priority Mail Flat Mailers and send it to us priority mail, which has a $3.20 flat rate for anything under 2 pounds. They still make a $2.80 profit per piece on S&H and we get our stuff much, much faster. It's going to be packaged in the same kind of case that AOL sends unprotected through the US Mail and would certainly be protected enough in a cardboard Priority Flat mailer. My experiences with book rate lead me to believe that 7 to 10 days shipping time is unduly optimistic, particularly at this time of year.
I'm a little bit uncomfortable with a publisher that continually fails to meet it's stated deadlines, even though I'm familiar enough with publishing to understand some of it, but I'm also quite familiar with customer relations, and Book Rate is NOT good customer relations when you're already later than you said you'd be. Frankly, for $6.00 S&H I didn't expect Book Rate shipping.
Peter, are you listening? This is no way to treat your friends.
Pat Glenn
I'm a little bit uncomfortable with a publisher that continually fails to meet it's stated deadlines, even though I'm familiar enough with publishing to understand some of it, but I'm also quite familiar with customer relations, and Book Rate is NOT good customer relations when you're already later than you said you'd be. Frankly, for $6.00 S&H I didn't expect Book Rate shipping.
Peter, are you listening? This is no way to treat your friends.
Pat Glenn
C
Candace Jason
Guest
I totally agree that $6.00 paid for shipping and handling should not mean "book rate". Peter, please inform your publisher that they can get a business account with the USPS, have their own USPS representative service them, and can get the shipping materials needed free and delivered to them at no cost for priority mail shipping. We have a company that ships books and believe me, customers will get upset with the extreme length of time that book rate can (and usually does) entail.
Be happy you aren't living in Sweden then... I paid $70.95 for the book including postage and packing. I do hope I get the book as promised since my credit card was charged November 3rd!
Petra
Petra
Pat I totally agree that we are getting ripped off on the $6.00 postage
Priority mailers should have been the way to go on a little ole CD and
they will make about $3. They must have noticed all the books on e-bay.
I shipped some books at their cheap rate and they never did arrive at the destination. At least UPS is fast and has tracking. I didn"t think that it would be charged to your credit card until shipped.
John
Priority mailers should have been the way to go on a little ole CD and
they will make about $3. They must have noticed all the books on e-bay.
I shipped some books at their cheap rate and they never did arrive at the destination. At least UPS is fast and has tracking. I didn"t think that it would be charged to your credit card until shipped.
John
I didn't intend to start a war about this, but when Shaun said "Book Rate," I did the math. $2.80 should be adequate compensation for creating and putting a mailing label on a Priority Mail Flat. They should have already input the names and addresses in a label program, which would take any decent typist at most a couple of hours. Besides, the labels and packaging have to be done whether it's book rate or Priority. Labels aren't that expensive, either, and I'm assuming they're good enough businesspeople that they "dialed in" a profit on the book after the cost of production to arrive at the $49.95 figure appropriately. If they were smart, Peter won't make a nickel until the costs of production are met and four-color printing is expensive. (Poor Peter, all that work for (possibly) damned little return). (And I mean it). And, on the other hand, he's almost certainly not getting any part of the S&H costs. I hope when he reads this thread, he understands that it's not him we're fussing with, it's the publisher, but he's our only real link to the publisher. Sorry, Peter.
Pat
An afterthought: Think I'm being unfair? Book rate is $1.14 to $2.02 domestic for packages 1.5 pounds or less, depending on zone. And it's supposed to weigh 1 pound or more. (unlikely for what we're getting, as two regular CD cases with CD's weigh 7.2 ounces, and eight sheets of 8.5X11 paper weigh 1 ounce. Which makes me wonder where the other 7.8 ounces was going to come from). That gives them between $5.86 and 3.98 to play with, and has us paying an awful lot for a cardboard box. Obviously California mailroom lackeys make more per hour than Midwestern middle management.
Pat
An afterthought: Think I'm being unfair? Book rate is $1.14 to $2.02 domestic for packages 1.5 pounds or less, depending on zone. And it's supposed to weigh 1 pound or more. (unlikely for what we're getting, as two regular CD cases with CD's weigh 7.2 ounces, and eight sheets of 8.5X11 paper weigh 1 ounce. Which makes me wonder where the other 7.8 ounces was going to come from). That gives them between $5.86 and 3.98 to play with, and has us paying an awful lot for a cardboard box. Obviously California mailroom lackeys make more per hour than Midwestern middle management.
P
Peter iNova
Guest
It just this hour started out the door. Earliest orders go first.
Only fair. And thank you all for your extreme patience.
(Plug) Get your stocking-stuffer orders in early.
-iNova
P
Peter iNova
Guest
My publisher is experienced and wise. But he never had to deal with
the internet the way this project has. They started out the door today,
and my schedule is open enough to catch up by Saturday. Get ready
to rumble! This is going to be more fun than a Florida election count.
(Which, of course, I blame directly for all delays so far...
-iNova
ycloh
Well-known member
Ya... you can say that again, I live in Singapore and paying USD65.85 for the e-book including P&P. Just Fax in my order today. Looks like it going to be a long wait.
YC.
YC.
P
Peter iNova
Guest
You will be singing my publisher's praises when you see the difference
a REAL maile and an insured, receipted mailing looks like when it arrives.
Sorry about all the extra drama. But I can't treat my friends any better
than 18/7 for the last three months. Gotta eat, sleep, work, drive,
breathe and take care of biz, too.
I feel your pain:
-iNova
P
Peter iNova
Guest
I bought a OS-X beta disk from Apple for $29.95 with $10.00 postage and
handling.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO PLAY WITH IT FOR SIX WEEKS!
-iNova
P
Peter iNova
Guest
Note: the way Paypal works is that I have to verify that your copy
was sent before I get to access your money. My Paypal account
has bucks in it but my bank account has no money from any order
not shipped.
-iNova
Peter,
When I shop from Amazon.com they don't charge my creditcard until they actually ship the times I've ordered, so if they are on back-order I don't have to lose money on intrest. As it is now it seem that your publisher is earning money on intrest on MY money. OK, it's not much money in intrest I lose, but I'm not counting the cost to place the phone call to the US, to order the book since the Paypal system wasn't working.
I sure hope your book is worth all this! ;-)
Petra
PS, Love the Calvin & Hobes strips you posted... add 300% of impatience and you have ME :-D
When I shop from Amazon.com they don't charge my creditcard until they actually ship the times I've ordered, so if they are on back-order I don't have to lose money on intrest. As it is now it seem that your publisher is earning money on intrest on MY money. OK, it's not much money in intrest I lose, but I'm not counting the cost to place the phone call to the US, to order the book since the Paypal system wasn't working.
I sure hope your book is worth all this! ;-)
Petra
PS, Love the Calvin & Hobes strips you posted... add 300% of impatience and you have ME :-D
J
JimmieD
Guest
Peter,
Just an addition to the other posts here. I've had very bad experiences with book rates. Your publisher need only look to Amazon and B&N to realize this is not the way to do business in an internet world. I really think you will have more people than you realize who will balk at paying $56 for something they won't see for 2 or more weeks when we are so accustomed to receiving books from Amazon in 2 to 3 days.
I think everyone appreciates your hard work and I hope your work pays off for you. But just be aware that, right or wrong, customer service is just as important to many as the product itself.
JimmieD
Just an addition to the other posts here. I've had very bad experiences with book rates. Your publisher need only look to Amazon and B&N to realize this is not the way to do business in an internet world. I really think you will have more people than you realize who will balk at paying $56 for something they won't see for 2 or more weeks when we are so accustomed to receiving books from Amazon in 2 to 3 days.
I think everyone appreciates your hard work and I hope your work pays off for you. But just be aware that, right or wrong, customer service is just as important to many as the product itself.
JimmieD
You will be singing my publisher's praises when you see the difference
a REAL maile and an insured, receipted mailing looks like when it
arrives.
Sorry about all the extra drama. But I can't treat my friends any
better
than 18/7 for the last three months. Gotta eat, sleep, work, drive,
breathe and take care of biz, too.
I feel your pain:
-iNova
Sorry, Peter, but I'm not buying a mailer. I'm buying your e-book. I'm also not buying a receipt or insurance. I'm buying the e-book. I'd just as soon have mine sent Priority Mail and take my chances. I'm over half a century old, and I can't remember the last time I had a package truly "lost in the mail," if ever. (Note the word "package"). I'm just not happy with the idea of "book rate" I've had books sent to me that way and it can take WEEKS! especially during the holiday season, which is upon us. Please re-think this. I'm not six and this isn't a beanie. I work, too, lately about 60 hours a week, and have gear I haven't had time to take out of the box. I'm not asking you to spend more of your time, just to allow me to spend less of mine waiting.
Pat
Pat
P
Peter iNova
Guest
Hey. Publisher knows the mailing-the-book business. You know
the having-the-book business. I only know the making-the-book
business. Publisher's costs to prepare and package and stamp and
account for and label and post the book is a total wash at the six
bucks. You want me to risk a fifty dollar package without insurance
or proper packaging? Fine. I'll put a stamp on the outside of the
case, slip a 3 x 5 card with your name and address on it under the
clear plastic cover and take a picture of it in the hands of Mr. Postman
to verify that I sent it. You will be billed according to my having sent
it, not your having received it. I'll have the proof and you'll have the
credit card bill to pay. No guarantees in between. I can imagine what
that case is going to look like when it arrives. "Well, it used to be
clear plastic..." Who knows, maybe you'll luck out.
Or, maybe we do it the way the Publisher knows how to do it. You
open the box: A pristine case slides out, the CD still floating in the
brisk California air that it was packaged in. You read the booklet and
start muttering, "Cool," under your breath. You slide the full-color
printed title jacket out from under the clear wrap of transparent
plastic, invert the paper, slide it back under the clear wrap and what
do your wondering eyes behold?
A very handy color chart and 48 swatches of white balance filters
for your camera. Now your camera sees you playing with the package
and it starts salivating, too. You look at each other and both of you
wink in mutual understanding. All this and you haven't even started
to play the eBook off the author-signed CD. Of course, it arrived in
perfect working order, too, and your fingers are trembling as you
spin it up. The adventure begins...
And THAT's what you paid for, not the box, not the insurance: The data
intact and working.
Take your pick.
-iNova
PS: Grumbles will cease upon delivery. I predict. And thank you all
for your orders. Your money is only delivered to us AFTER your copy
goes to the Post Office.
J
John L
Guest
Nice reply Peter. Personaly - I have spent 6 bucks in much worse ways than guaranteeing a $50 eBook that I have been waiting for for quite a while. As a matter of fact - I would gladly pay another 6 bucks to get it here quicker. Thanks for all your effort in putting this together. Hopfully all this talk about "$6 is too much" will die down when everyone gets their eBook. Now about the $50 for the eBook.......
John L.
John L.
P
Peter iNova
Guest
True. And it wouldn't do any of us any good to have the product ship
without all the pieces exactly right. When you see it you will understand.
I'm sorry that it isn't possible to beam these directly into your computer.
The full resolution version is somewhat over 157 megabytes and
Web-download just wasn't an option for something I've worked this
hard to produce. The full set of eBook files are just over 253 megs and
you'll see why when it arrives.
My belief system holds that the customer needs to get the very best.
Sometimes Time becomes a factor in getting the thing to happen right.
(Perhaps you noticed how the July delivery date for the Nikon 3X tele,
slide copier attachment, and remote controls became October delivery
dates?)
To that end, I've been using all that time you've been waiting to make
it a killer product. And you be the judge of that when you spin it up.
This world sells SilverOxide's Color-to-B&W filters for $25 each. At that rate,
the filters in the eBook would go for just a shade over eight thousand dollars.
But for you, just this once, a bargain price: Fifty bucks. Plus I'll throw in a
250 page book with 650+ images, 48 color filters that cost me dearly when
I had to eat a press run that went bad the other day, and a Gallery of some
of the best Coolpix pix you ever saw. All in a handsome case that becomes
a living photo accessory as soon as you flip the "title jacket" over.
Customer service? I COULD have sent you the whole thing earlier with the
incorrectly printed covers and saved myself the grief of finding another
printing service, but not this guy. You deserve the best, and I won't send
you less than that.
So.
It took some more days.
You're worth it.
Customer's copies are going out in the order received. Now. Depending
on where you were in the queue, yours will be shipping soon, if it hasn't
already. The publisher is a class act, as am I (he said modestly) and while
ORDERS were instituted on November 1, your money has been at PayPal,
not my bank account, until your order is shipped. It's only fair. To you and
to my sense of doing things right.
At your service,
-iNova
You will be singing my publisher's praises when you see the difference
a REAL maile and an insured, receipted mailing looks like when it
arrives.
Sorry about all the extra drama. But I can't treat my friends any
better
than 18/7 for the last three months. Gotta eat, sleep, work, drive,
breathe and take care of biz, too.
I feel your pain:
-iNova
Obviously at some point you chose to deliberately miss my point. I am not grumbling about the $6.00. Except for saying that $6.00 is a bit high for a book rate package, I never suggested that I be given my money back. I'm grumbling about "Book Rate" in November and December. If this were August, 7 to 10 days might be realistic, now, 2 to 3 weeks is probably nearer the mark. I did not, and you know it, suggest that you stick a stamp on the cd case and mail it. What I suggested was that it be put in a FREE priority mailer and sent to me. Wherein I would get it in about three days. I didn't start the postage question to start a war or to see who could be the biggest smartass, I simply pointed out that for me, priority mail was the way to go, and why I felt that way.
I never intended to get into a "pissing match" or a "testosterone battle" with you, as, since I'm female, I'd lose on both counts. Personally, I'm willing to take a chance on Priority Mail if you're willing to send it that way. (Complete with picture, at your suggestion, of your mailing it, posted to this forum).
I don't know how old you are, but you're probably old enough to know there are no guarantees in this life anyway.
I actually have some sympathy for you, as I stated in one of my posts, but it's starting to wear thin, as I dislike being patronized or ridiculed.
Pat Glenn
I never intended to get into a "pissing match" or a "testosterone battle" with you, as, since I'm female, I'd lose on both counts. Personally, I'm willing to take a chance on Priority Mail if you're willing to send it that way. (Complete with picture, at your suggestion, of your mailing it, posted to this forum).
I don't know how old you are, but you're probably old enough to know there are no guarantees in this life anyway.
I actually have some sympathy for you, as I stated in one of my posts, but it's starting to wear thin, as I dislike being patronized or ridiculed.
Pat Glenn
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum