As advertised, the author’s copies of my book have arrived! In a way it’s a bit disappointing, as it’s taken considerably longer than first thought or even suggested by the publishers (by about 3 years!) to get to this point and consequently, the person who would likely have been the proudest is no longer around to see it. But I could say that about a couple of other people as well, but that’s how life goes.
So now, I just need people to buy the darn thing! I might then recoup my costs paying for image rights for a start, but I’ve no idea as yet when it hits the shelves, nor where. You’d hope they supply the shops attached to most aircraft museums, being an ideal audience and all, but I certainly don’t recall seeing any by this publisher in the likes of Waterstones or W H Smiths for that matter, so most likely online orders only direct from Key Publishing or specialist aircraft bookshops.
Available Here!
https://shop.keypublishing.com/collections/aviation-books
It’s been a struggle at times, for more reasons than one, frustrating at others, especially the final 6 or so months sorting out the image rights, but it’s actually here and I still don’t quite believe I’ve done it. Volume 2 is basically done from my side, certainly my photos are, but it will doubtless need a trip or four through the proofreader process before I can say the text is done. Image rights for my photos are all done bar one and I’m expecting the invoice for that shortly, but doubtless it will be Key Publishing telling me a couple of their images I wanted to use, I actually can’t and then sorting out alternatives. Maybe, just maybe, it might be done and dusted by the end of the year.
Would I do it again….I wouldn’t be averse, trouble is I don’t have another stack of photos laying around to use as a starting point and you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that more famous authors (in the aircraft field at any rate) have already done an excellent job covering a similar topic for aircraft in France, Germany and Italy; so there goes my European tour! The other problem is most aircraft or military history topics, including one or two that I definitely have a thing about, have been done to death or at least well covered previously and a part timer like me isn’t likely to do a better job. We shall see.
