A Dolph book

[Jox]

Would you fancy a book about Dolph?

A book featuring a biography and covering his career...

Do you think there would be a demand for it? How many would buy it?

What would be your dream book and what would like to be in it?

[Nathan]

I would buy it yes - there are not enough books about action heroes.

If you featured him as the preacher in johnny mnemonic, ivan drago and andrew scott on the front i think ppl would buy it.

A book about his career and his hopes for the future would be good and where he thinks he will be in 25 years time with lots of rare pictures. Also some discussion on dead projects and sequels.

My dream book
hmm..
A book about the biggest action heroes of the past 50 years.

[Jox]

Thanks for the feedback Nathan.

I just forgot to precise my question: how would your dream Dolph book be like?

[The_Canadian]

Do we get to win this time: The best Action Heroes of the past 50 years

Would this book be characters or actors?

(John Wayne, Stallone, Willis, Mel GIbson, Humphrey Bogart...)
(John McClane, Rambo, Rocky, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...)

Somehow I doubt most editor would include Dolph in here, 50 years is a lot to get selections from!

[Nathan]

No problem Jox - I would have a lot of rare behind the set picutures and a big section at the end of all movie posters to date. And I would also have him talking about being a director and every director he's worked with, the same for actors and share and really good/bad experiences with directors and actors and also talk about his family and if they like action movies too and perhaps a little bit of his opinion on other action stars of the past and the present.

[Jox]

This is a serious survey, not some random thought, if you wish this to happen, I would need input and feedback from everyone here, thanks guys...

[Mosquito]

It should be hardcover, with nice, good quality photos and interesting facts.

But I doubt (unfortunately) that the target group is big enough for something like that to happen. How many books do you have to produce and sell until it pays off? The higher the quality, the more books you must sell, right?

But maybe I'm just a pessimist. Don't let me stop you.

[Jox]

Although I'm gonna try to get a publisher, chances are this will be self-published but it seems almost easy nowadays with online services with descent and affordable packages to publish your own material. One big advantage too is that the books only get printed on demand (so when ordered) or sold as eBooks, so you don't risk to print too many and you get distribution on amazon, barns and nobles and the likes... So if it's sold say $20 or 25, the costs should be quickly and easily covered... A book about the Death Wish movies was just published this way (http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-37982-6)

[dolphage]

If you were serious about it you should really try to get interviews with Dolph (and ask some rarely asked questions). Meaning; information that we don´t already have on him.
Interviews with co-stars and directors etc, aswell, trying to get some good anecdotes on Dolph.
The same, I would say, goes for photographs. Behind the scenes pic´s and unseen photos are important.
Those are my two cents. Just to make it unique and new.

[Jox]

Cool...

the tricky thing I'm looking into for the photos is clearance (authorization to use them) from the rights owners although I know even publishers don't always ask for it and just credit the copyrights owner...

[Nathan]

Yeah you are right. Copyright is always a problem. I suppose Dolph could get you clearance on screenshots from his self-directed movies and behind the sceens pics.

[Dawn]

Copyright is sometimes even a problem for stars when putting up their web page. They don't own the rights to the photos, its sometimes easier just to pay a new photographer and set the copyright limits before taking the photos. We tend do business with a lot of photographers at my work, and they are very picky about how the photograph is used, even in a non-profit atmosphere. I would be very careful about getting permission for every photo used and document it just in case.

As for what I would want, I really would like a book that had a lot more information on early history, his training techniques and photos and his thoughts on projects he has done. A couple family photos wouldn't hurt either.

[Mosquito]

I think that Dolph would try to help you even if he doesn't own all the rights. I'm pretty sure that he knows and honours your work and effort.

[Heavana]

I have been waiting for years for a book about Dolph and if you wrote it you'd make me pretty happy I'd be first in line to buy it!

[Jox]

It should be hardcover, with nice, good quality photos and interesting facts.

But I doubt (unfortunately) that the target group is big enough for something like that to happen. How many books do you have to produce and sell until it pays off? The higher the quality, the more books you must sell, right?

But maybe I'm just a pessimist. Don't let me stop you.

The Bronson/Death Wish book sold about 1,000 copies (with no advertising whatsoever) in less than a year and it's still running, so I guess a book about Dolph could do the same and maybe more...