Myths of Ability

Hardly a week goes by without someone emailing me for a copy of the

Muslimgauze: Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones book.

Initially, SAF out of the UK was to publish the book, but went under during production. Then Soleilmoon was to release, but lead graphic designer Josh Burger, suffered severe head trauma from a bicycle accident with no recovery time line in sight. Vinyl on Demand swooped in and published a book ready for production. Chasing the Shadow is the only full-on 'book' they ever released. They did a good job with packaging, however, they are a record label, not a book publisher. This explains the missed opportunities. Layout for book design, editing, and publishing are not like preparing a record for release. Since the book is music related, VoD know asegment of the market and were able to successfully distribute and sell without the likes of Amazon being involved. Amazon being a scourge to all book publishing. VoD are foremost a re-issue record label with a focus on collectible items and are less concerned with something like an inexpensive softcover. Indeed, I receive emails, again, mostly from youth, who decry they cannot afford the $80 USD (now even more). I can say, as understatement, buying opportunities were lost. But sometimes good comes out of bad as in, something better, cooler and more attractively priced is in the works, independently.

Micropublishers approached and did offer to republish the Muslimgauze book, but they wanted to re-issue, ‘as-is’. They want to avoid costs associated with any update. This is not acceptable. The first edition is in fact a ‘snap shot’, reflecting what was known about the topic at the time. In the years since, new things are learned. I try to build-upon and refine expressions of what is now known. Books on topics as expansive as Muslimgauze ought to have more than one updated and corrected edition. I am proud of the research and work that went into the first edition, but part of being human is to also do better and excel in future iterations. This book will need to be done outside of VoD and closer in line with the way a traditional book publisher may handle.

To understate, I am not a moneyed person. I do not even have the ten LP box set edition. I do love and collect books however, but rarely would I spend $80 USD for one. Most books I own are at trade price. Potential (mostly young) buyers did say that they could better afford something around the half-way mark. The challenge: to develop a softcover corrected and updated, book, that is no less cool and collectible yet more affordable. This is possible. There are many examples of comparatively inexpensive books that are highly sought-after since publication such as Wreckers of Civilisation: The Story of Coum Transmissions & Throbbing Gristle by Simon Ford, published by Black Dog Press. This would mean a redesign to accommodate new content, a smaller, lighter shape to facilitate ease of shipping, yet relatively durable.

So, why would anyone want an updated edition? Does not the first one suffice? Good question. ‘It depends’. If you are a collector and not as interested in the topic and just want something that looks nice on your shelf, than join the bidding wars. If the topic is of greater interest and you want to go deeper into learning about Bryn Jones and what informs Muslimgauze, then you need the updated edition(s).

In the updated edition, investment is required for development that encompasses editors, design, and fees for additional information. The first edition was what I could process at the time and only had a budget for a copy editor. This time there will be editors to make for a better, organized work and to facilitate further ease of reading. Professional layout is not cheap, particularly when coordinating many images. Most book designers work from templates. With a book like this, the designer has to take time to choreograph images with text and that costs. In the Muslimgauze book, there are in fact two non-fiction stories, that of Bryn Jones and his artistry and that of the conflicts in the so-called Muslim world that darkly inspires the music.

Jones was in fact a graphic designer by trade and to better understand him, one must look closer at his art. From 1982 to 1989, Jones did his own album and insert art work. By 1990 onward, the majority of album designs are done by labels and attendant artists. It was not unusual for Jones to dislike Muslimgauze album covers, but was too busy making music to be too concerned. Further, he never kept a back catalog, preferring to instead sell copies to get money for bits of music making and recording equipment he could afford. The times he did listen to back catalog, Jones was pleasantly surprised.

In other words, money is needed for production of the updated edition, from design to edits to more information to print and manufacture. How updated will this edition be? Enough to give the book a new title and look. It will be a different work. I will never be compensated for the work that went into this book, but I do hope to recover some costs. Lots of time, resources and effort is going into the rewrite. There will be a point in the update where I cannot move further without investment, that is when I need to rely on you, the reader, to help bridge. The updated edition, of a thousand, will be funded via pre orders. I need a minimum of a thousand copies sold to cover costs. I will be soliciting expressions of interest for said thousand, limited and numbered. Within this run, there will be something for collectors and something for those who just want to read. Once there are a thousand buyers, a transaction will be made so I can sort out the editors, designers, printers and such. Note that shipping is a different cost and must be factored independently and range depending on location. Shipping will not be bloody murder like the first edition, which is both unwieldy and misery at the post office. Shipping ought to be Goldilocks, just right.

Please stay tuned for further details on pre orders. Book cover designs, chapter sample(s), disc offers and more to be announced. If we get those 1000 advance preorders, this will happen. Something really cool that even someone like me might be able to afford and look good on your shelf. Hells yeah.

But why stop there? Why not even more cool stuff coming...? Sure...why not. Again, stay tuned.