The objectives
and governing statutes of the Trust(s) specifies the disclosure, as widely as
possible, of the information contained in the document Archives; whilst at the
same time the generation of donations to the ultimate beneficiaries. Thereby,
there is a certain conflict or dichotomy which concerns the retail price of the
publications (the lower the price, the greater the readership) versus the
revenue gained for donations to the beneficiaries of the Trusts. By taking
control of the publication process the Trusts can decide both the publishing and
media formats, and the eventual retail prices; and thus ensure the maximum
revenues for the donations provided to the charities.
The
decision of the Trust to publish independently also has a number of benefits in
that the costs and margins associated with traditional publishing can be
reduced, and those cost reductions can be passed on to the readers in lower retail
prices.
The
decision to initially produce the publications as PDF and eBook editions will
also greatly reduce the retail prices of the publications. Furthermore, the
fact that some of the books are up to 1,500 pages (paperback size) in length
makes them impractical to publish as printed editions.
The traditional
book publishing model is to produce a great deal of hoopla and a small number
of expensive hardcopy books that are purchased as a fashion accessory, and which
are rarely read; and then they are relegated to the bookshelf which is the
backdrop to Zoom calls and social media video posts. Traditional book
publishing is all about producing an interior design product to sit on a dusty
bookshelf or on the coffee table; often, book publishing was never about the
efficient or cost-effective transfer of information.
The
publication and media will essentially be Non-Fiction, Biographical, Social
Issues, Memoirs, Chronicles, et al. These are both Historic and Topical titles
which cover the period 1960 to 2024; and then updated publications for the
period after 2024 to cover issues currently impacting society.
This
project was always probably going to be too difficult for a Publisher based in
the Britain because the topics and issues covered are going to be extremely
sensitive to certain individuals, and to establishment interests. This series
of publications will be Spycatcher meets The Crown; albeit, such controversy is often
good for sales revenues. Nonetheless, the publishing strategies are being
developed, and indeed some of the titles will first be published in the United
States or otherwise outside of Britain.
The
prototypes for the publishing methodology to be used will be tested with the
first 19 titles. Thereafter, the subsequent Trusts constituted annually will be
publishing about 20 new titles per year thereafter.
Currently
we have produced the first tranche of 19 test publications in 3 formats (PDF,
eBook and hardcopy manuscript). In that for reader less than 50 years of age
many of the topics covered will be a matter of history; the PDF and eBook
editions will contain colour images, and dynamic links to audio-visual content
and music. This will often give voice to, and put into context, some of the
events and emotions covered in the publications. Furthermore, such dynamic
content will assist non-British readers whom are unfamiliar with some of the
domestic points of reference.
Unfortunately,
when one is narrating or chronicling events (covering many decades) one tends
to be somewhat over-explanatory (and there is the use of the dreaded
Retroactive Continuity Recap); albeit, in the less expensive digital versions
one can skip over the boring bits. Thus, for the print editions one might
consider a more literary (and economical) approach, and in that the
publications are between 200,000 to 400,000 words each, the use of an
aggressive Editor, with a sharp pair of scissors to prune down the number of
words, would produce a more elegant print product.
The first 19
publications are:
The order
of publication of the 15 Diana Series titles is important because Title 1 is
setting the scene and listing/explaining the forthcoming publications, Title 2
explains the problems and challenges faced by the ‘author’ during her life,
Title 3 covers how the project started and the organisation of the work, and so on.
The Diana
Series has a further 120 titles for which research has been done and draft
manuscripts composed, and these will be processed and updated for final publication.
The initial 4 titles are both an expose of Forstmann’s views of the state of the world, and then his speculations on the future. Forstmann was always very aware and conscious of the predictions made in George Orwell’s novel 1984, and indeed during his lifetime he saw many of Orwell’s predictions come true. Forstmann was very concerned and alarmed by the inability of politicians, countries, and tribes, to effectively and logically manage their affairs; and, avoid the chaos and violence that the world seems to be destined to repeatedly experience time and time again. In the last two titles, it is clear that Forstmann’s ideas were also influenced by the works of Aldous Huxley and his prognostications on the development of human society.
The Forstmann Series has a further 15 titles for which research has been done and draft manuscripts composed, and these will be output for publication.