" Much as I appreciate all the work that went into making such a book, I'm not very willing to pay $70 for it (not to mention shipping costs). Especially when I see books like Werner Girbig's Jagdgeschwader 5, a hardcover, 320-page book to be published this month by Schiffer (in English), which I have just pre-ordered at Amazon at a mere $27.10..."
The comment above was posted on the TOCH forum in response to an announcement regarding the publication of the latest volume in Erik Mombeek's history of Jagdgeschwader 2 which was previously covered on the Luftwaffe blog here. Erik Mombeek is of course the leading author of self-published Luftwaffe fighter unit histories and has already produced the histories of JG 1, JG 4, and JG 5. The two volume history of Jagdgeschwader 4 was translated from the original French and German text by this blog author. The third volume of Erik's on-going series devoted to JG 2 has just appeared in French. Volume 1 in English, translated by myself, is still available from Erik's website. I post Erik's response to the comment above here, not only because I had a hand in composing it, but because it offers a rare insight into the trials and tribulations of self-publishing large Luftwaffe unit histories and because of the rare information contained in Erik's reply on a member of Oblt. Frank Liesendahl's noted Jabostaffel...
" ...First of all, thank you for starting this debate and my thanks to those
who have participated or who are willing to offer a comment here. I am very
interested to read all your opinions since I have recently been considering
exactly how to proceed with my book series especially with regards to the
sensitive issue of pricing. In fact on price I have already taken a decision
communicated just last month to the various bookshops stocking my books and
which I will attempt to explain here.
To return to certain points raised in the various posts here. In my view
the general and ‘elderly’ history of JG 5 – dating from the 1970s- that
Schiffer are finally publishing is frankly a long way from my detailed JG 5
history published over four large-format volumes representing more than 1,000
pages and nearly 2,000 photos in a day-by-day diary format. Incidentally, while
the Schiffer book appears under Girbig’s name, it was largely researched and
compiled by Erich Mikat. The original manuscript was entrusted to me by the JG
5 veterans association along with their archive when I took on the task of
writing the history of this Geschwader. Of
course if a general Osprey-style overview is all that the reader is looking for
then this new book is probably fine – so far as it goes.
I suppose we should note – if not perhaps entirely understand – a work
that skims the surface is probably adequate for a certain readership. However
if the enthusiast wants more detail, more pictures – in short much more depth -
then we get into much more specialised areas. That of course involves its own costs.
Speaking personally, lists of names whether of aces or their claims has
never been enough for me. Those who know my books will appreciate that I always
try where possible to place a person in a precise historical context, both
militarily and, where I can, on a human level. I tend to think that this is not
just ‘history’ but on one level ‘psychology’ and such a presentation lends
itself to a better understanding of events that took place seventy years ago
and helps to inject a ‘spark of life’ into the stories of those young men whose
lives were cruelly cut short in their 20s. Perhaps some readers are not at all
interested in the sort of information that appear in letters such as the one
that follows, but these are the types of details – if I can find them - that I
want in my books.
Take one particular example that comes to mind from the latest volume of
my JG 2 history; the death of Gottfried Weiser, a member of Liesendahl’s
Jabostaffel, who was KIA on 31 March 1942. Does the following letter add
anything to our understanding of events in the history of JG 2. I personally
tend to think so. Others though may find it superfluous;
“ Dear Mr. Oblt. Liesendahl,
.. I received your news that our son Gottfried is not coming back home.
We have received his personal effects. Unfortunately on the day that Uffz.
Mücke delivered them to Brieg, my wife was visiting me at Schießwasser. We only
returned home the following day. We so much wanted to talk to your officer!
“ So we know that Gottfried has died. He has thus joined his elder
brother Erich, an Oberleutnant in a Stuka unit, who was killed on 1 June 1940
near Dunkirk as he was leading an attack against a troop transport vessel in
the port itself. What a horrible coincidence of fate! Erich’s last words as
reported to us were “ I am attempting an emergency landing..” Despite all our
efforts we have been unable since to ascertain the whereabouts, either of Erich
himself, his radio operator or his aircraft. Gottfried was driven to avenge the
death of his brother. He was eager to go into combat and now he has been taken
in his prime.
“ And can you imagine, Monsieur Liesendahl, that on the very same day in
Schießwasser that we learnt of Gottfried’s death we were told that our last son
had also fallen on the Western Front on March 1st. For us as parents
this is an unbearable burden, especially if we tell you that our brother-in-law
Doctor Strauss was also killed last February with the rank of Leutnant on the
Eastern Front.
In three months we have received three death notices in the family! Yet
we carry on because we want to win this war, we must win this war and a war
such as this demands sacrifices. Has any trace of Gottfried been found on a
beach somewhere or has the Channel swallowed up both our sons so completely
that we shall never know where either one lies.
“ In conclusion I would like to send to both you and your Staffel, to
which Gottfried was so proud to belong, and to all his comrades, our best
wishes and much success, but also our hopes that you will all one day return
home to us here in Germany..
Sincere greetings,
your J. Weiser Hauptmann”
So you will probably say, "OK, that’s fine, but is it a reason to
make your books so expensive?” Well, try to put a cost on 50 hotel nights per
year in Germany, two or three hours of work on a manuscript per day over the
past twenty five years; printing and postage costs, storage costs and
wholesalers who offer you a margin of just $1 per book for your own book - you
can appreciate that only a small percentage of my costs in writing, research
and book production, whether financial, or in time and energy, are covered. It
is easy to get discouraged and sometimes I wonder whether the amount of work
and effort involved in producing such volumes is appreciated at all. It has
never been my intention to ‘make money’ from this hobby (which by definition
brings no financial reward) but the past twenty five years has been rich in
rewarding contacts...even so to pay for the second volume in a series, the
first has to pay its way..
Take the example of the first English-language volume in this series, JG
2/1. As I believed the American market would be interested in this work, I
organised a print run in China for distribution via the West coast of the US.
With hindsight this was a mistake – the print and binding quality was inferior
to what I could have expected from a book produced in Europe – Jukka’s remark
hit the nail on the head. Importing the book into the US was out of the
question since my original distributor ripped me off and I am now paying to
‘re-import’ my books back to Europe. Roughly speaking I have covered my
production and distribution costs when I have sold two thirds (2/3) of the
print run. The last third is not exactly ‘profit’ but represents a cash sum
that is re-invested into the production of the following volume in the series.
Thus far I have sold only 300 copies of JG 2/1 in English – I need to sell an
equivalent number before even considering JG 2/2 in English.
Of course the numbers of veterans that I can contact is diminishing
rapidly and with their disappearance my travel costs are also decreasing –
there are correspondingly fewer trips to Germany and Austria to make. Therefore
the costs of producing each book are consequently decreasing. This is why I
have recently decided that I can price my large unit history volumes at under
50 Euros for those books purchased directly from myself. However I doubt
whether my books are price sensitive – the audience is simply too restricted. I also doubt whether book sellers will bring
their prices down in line with my new pricing structure as they of course have
their own costs and sales criteria to take into consideration. So much for my
contribution to this debate. Thanks for reading!
Erik Mombeeck