Queen Fan Club Biography / Discography now available to purchase

[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]
You actually proof read the final draft? Blimey, there's a first!
And you didn't then print one or two copies of the final version and proof read those again before printing 1,000's of them? I've used the word 'amateurs' too many times with every release recently that it's becoming boring...[/QUOTE]


Very valid comment if you ask me.

There are many aspects of it looking really good. But it is very important for discographies to include running time for songs (perhaps a total running time for a particular type of release as well) and the year of release. It looks from the photo here that all of the music home videos don't have a year listed after them.


Also in terms of sales for music releases I distinguish a number of things. How much something sold in a particular area of the world, i.e. the U.S. or worldwide, at the time of the project and or promotion and the totals at other important dates. One of the most important being the total thus far for the latest publication of a discography.

Thanks for all you do, Gary. I am really looking forward to getting my copy.

GT:  Since it would cost me a absurd price of $22, can you answer a couple of questions? 

[b]What do you mean when you say "Complete Discography"?[/b] [i]Do you mean what you personally have in your collection?  Because I have quite a few more

[/i][b]Is this completely in Black & White?[/b][i].  If so, your choice of glossy paper was useless and the cost of printing should have been about 25% the price of full color.   It must be like 200 pages, then, right?

[/i]

Microwave - as a person who has seen this book I dare to reply if you don't mind.
B & W - yes, it's completely black & white. It has a very "cheap" look.
"Complete" - well I would call it "almost complete" :-)

Anyway, I haven't seen so much relevant information in a Queen book for a long time

"It then took graphic designer Christoph Von Herrath months to design and lay out the text"

Hmmm..are you sure? I only ask because in some places the song titles are in UPPER CASE and in others in Upper and Lower Case.

I can't find any info on size or page count but from the pics above I'm guessing at A5 and about 112 pages tops

A design studio operative could type out the text in a day or two in Word. That file would then be flown into In-Design or Quark and a the layout done in a day.

I'm sorry but "months" is bollocks. I work in the industry.

And when I get back to work next week I'll run out a quote for print run of 1,000.

I think you'll find your printer has ripped you off or the uplift put on it is ridiculous.

[QUOTE] [b]dekipema wrote:[/b]
Is this book available to non-members of the fan club?[/QUOTE]

Hi dekipema, this booklet is available to non-fan club members. Just contact Jacky at the FC.

[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]
You actually proof read the final draft? Blimey, there's a first!
And you didn't then print one or two copies of the final version and proof read those again before printing 1,000's of them? I've used the word 'amateurs' too many times with every release recently that it's becoming boring...[/QUOTE]

Once all the work had been done it was in Jacky's and the printers control. There wouldn't of been time to proof read a finished copy as they had to be at the convention asap. In fact they arrived on the Saturday morning, the second day of the convention.

[QUOTE] [b]AlexRocks wrote:[/b]
There are many aspects of it looking really good. But it is very important for discographies to include running time for songs (perhaps a total running time for a particular type of release as well) and the year of release. It looks from the photo here that all of the music home videos don't have a year listed after them.
Also in terms of sales for music releases I distinguish a number of things. How much something sold in a particular area of the world, i.e. the U.S. or worldwide, at the time of the project and or promotion and the totals at other important dates. One of the most important being the total thus far for the latest publication of a discography.[/QUOTE]

We really didn't want to add running times as it would of taken up much more space and using more pages than had been planned. We were told that 100 pages was the max, nearly double the amount to the last bio that came out 15 years ago. So it was a bit of a squeeze. It actually ended up with 104 pages as we wanted some pics in there to break up the type. There is no way we could of included sales figures for the reason above and much of that info is not known.

All the releases have a release date including all the home videos and DVDs.

[QUOTE] [b]shannaschaffer wrote:[/b]
Thanks for all you do, Gary. I am really looking forward to getting my copy.[/QUOTE]

Thanks shanna, much appreciated. I have receievd many emails, FB and PM's regarding this booklet, most of which are positive.

[QUOTE] [b]Micrówave wrote:[/b]
GT:  Since it would cost me a absurd price of $22, can you answer a couple of questions? [b]What do you mean when you say "Complete Discography"?[/b] [i]Do you mean what you personally have in your collection?  Because I have quite a few more[/i][b]Is this completely in Black & White?[/b][i].  If so, your choice of glossy paper was useless and the cost of printing should have been about 25% the price of full color.   It must be like 200 pages, then, right?[/i][/QUOTE]

Like in previous FC booklets over the years, 'complete' means all the Queen and solo single, album and video releases from the beginning till whenever the booklet is published. On this occasion it was April 2012.
For this edition we wanted to add many more categories that hadn't been covered before like: cassette singles, USA 12" promo singles, other worldwide CD promo singles and Five Live releases. That is as well as bringing everything up to date on all the regular formats and releases.
That includes all the solo stuff and the collaborations - you can just imagine Brian's section!

The live Concerts section was also corrected, amended and brought up to date.

The type of paper used and the cost of printing was between Jacky and the printer. Not my domain I'm afraid.

Got to be said... glaring omissions like the Seven Sea of Rhye mentioned above, plus all black and white makes the whole thing look very amateur. For the same price proper books can be bought.

Shame.

[QUOTE] [b]splicksplack wrote:[/b]
"It then took graphic designer Christoph Von Herrath months to design and lay out the text"
Hmmm..are you sure? I only ask because in some places the song titles are in UPPER CASE and in others in Upper and Lower Case.
I can't find any info on size or page count but from the pics above I'm guessing at A5 and about 112 pages tops
A design studio operative could type out the text in a day or two in Word. That file would then be flown into In-Design or Quark and a the layout done in a day.
I'm sorry but "months" is bollocks. I work in the industry.
And when I get back to work next week I'll run out a quote for print run of 1,000.
I think you'll find your printer has ripped you off or the uplift put on it is ridiculous.
[/QUOTE]


It took many months because of the constant additions and corrections that were being thrown Christoph's way.
Yes it is A5 format.
Yes please, could you get me a quote on 1,000 copies with each booklet containing 104 pages on glossy paper, with a front and back cover in colour and on glossy also. We might have something else in mind.
Many thanks.

[QUOTE] [b]GT wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]
You actually proof read the final draft? Blimey, there's a first!
And you didn't then print one or two copies of the final version and proof read those again before printing 1,000's of them? I've used the word 'amateurs' too many times with every release recently that it's becoming boring...[/QUOTE]

Once all the work had been done it was in Jacky's and the printers control. There wouldn't of been time to proof read a finished copy as they had to be at the convention asap. In fact they arrived on the Saturday morning, the second day of the convention.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Gary - an honest reply is appreciated. I must say however that it seems a bit daft to leave it to the last minute when the date of the convention is known months in advance, and there can't have been that much change in Queen's history, or discography, in the last 6-9 months, to warrant so many last minute revisions?