PURDY CHESS CHRONICLES #3

Now that #2 of Purdy's Chess Chronicles has been released to subscribers, I admit, I can't wait to begin starting on #3! Here's how it works:

When reproofing the contents and looking up pages invariably one stumbles across other articles, photos, concepts... and I did this last night. Wow, the Bled 1931 tournament, a playoff match with Goldstein of 6 games, 4 reported on, and lots of little anecdotes, stories on Alekhine, Lasker and such. In fact, one or two stories will end up in Lasker & His Contemporaries #7 such as an interview with Lasker.

Is this how it's done with other publishers? I doubt it. I think the $$$ laden sit down with an organization chart, partition stuff out to the "right" people, set up the calendars, haul their laptops around, have meetings, get advertising, and somewhere down the road, put something together. I don't know what their lead time is... but that is for ONE project.

At Thinkers' Press it is one person, and one library, but having internet services where I can connect with others. Then I look at which wheels need the most greasing. Lastly I begin looking through documents which have been saved or are piled in a certain area and go through them.

When I have some idea, maybe from previous work, how much time will be needed to flesh out the next one... I get to work. Sometimes from a sketchy clipboard outline. During all that flossing I pack orders, make up new flyers and catalogs.

All this keeps me pretty busy and keeps vacations from happening.

I should be working more on the web site and a new catalog. The catalog can wait a little bit because very few people order from them. The main object of getting a catalog is to GET a new catalog, look through it and query, "I wonder when they will release their next one... I didn't find much of interest here." In general that is because that person is not committed to anything except being a dilettante. Your hear these conversations at Borders and elsewhere when people talk about cars, science fiction, women, their job, and so on. Lots of talk. The one I used to HEAR most, in person, to me, was: "I want to write a children's book!" One person actually told me that they did!

C.J.S. Purdy was committed. He read, he played, he wrote, he published. Seems like a good model to follow to me.

For any further info, contact: bob@thinkerspressinc.com