Author Topic: Book Discussion About DB Cooper (Read 337155 times)

Parrotheadvol · « **Reply #90 on:** October 28, 2015, 07:26:11 PM »

Bruce, I would gladly pay for a signed copy of your book when available!!

andrade1812 · « **Reply #91 on:** October 28, 2015, 09:03:10 PM »

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Update: Hard-Copy edition, DB Cooper and the FBI

I've been asked a bit when the hard-copy version will be available. Producing a book via the Print on Demand method is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be initially. Here's the current status that I emailed off to Hank Bertsch:

"The hard-copy will also have an Index, which I am working on at present. It takes a lot of work to clean that sucker up. Whew.

"Size is also becoming an issue. I'm over 500 pages. In the e-Book that wasn't a problem, but with paper and bindings, it is. I've begun thinking of divvying the book up into separate works. One would be the "Case Study," with the skyjacking, search, suspects and confessees. Number Two would be the FBI and all of their inconsistencies, titled: "Why Can't the FBI Find DB Cooper?" Not sure where to put the documentaries and cultural stuff, like Ariel. That is a separate angle on this story. I've been involved in a few docus, and it is becoming increasingly frustrating and disappointing to deal with these guys. Their heart is just not into investigation."

I know it's a pain to create a large book POD, but it's worth it to get everything into one volume... Though part of me wonders if making two volumes might help sales...

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #92 on:** October 29, 2015, 04:08:01 AM »

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Bruce, I would gladly pay for a signed copy of your book when available!!

You're on, my friend.

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #93 on:** October 29, 2015, 04:18:44 AM »

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Update: Hard-Copy edition, DB Cooper and the FBI

I've been asked a bit when the hard-copy version will be available. Producing a book via the Print on Demand method is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be initially. Here's the current status that I emailed off to Hank Bertsch:

"The hard-copy will also have an Index, which I am working on at present. It takes a lot of work to clean that sucker up. Whew.

"Size is also becoming an issue. I'm over 500 pages. In the e-Book that wasn't a problem, but with paper and bindings, it is. I've begun thinking of divvying the book up into separate works. One would be the "Case Study," with the skyjacking, search, suspects and confessees. Number Two would be the FBI and all of their inconsistencies, titled: "Why Can't the FBI Find DB Cooper?" Not sure where to put the documentaries and cultural stuff, like Ariel. That is a separate angle on this story. I've been involved in a few docus, and it is becoming increasingly frustrating and disappointing to deal with these guys. Their heart is just not into investigation."

I know it's a pain to create a large book POD, but it's worth it to get everything into one volume... Though part of me wonders if making two volumes might help sales...

I talked with a local editor who specializes in assisting guys like we - either eBooks or POD. When I described what I had and where I wanted to go, I couldn't tell if she was rolling her eye balls or lickin' her chops. Or both...

Specifically, one POD outfit, Lulu, said my book, as described, was going to retail in the $45 range due to its size. That might be okay for folks who want a reference book at their fingertips that has a LOT of juicy stuff in it, as my book does currently, but the average reader may not. I was surprised to learn that my #1 audience are single women with cats (true-crime, narrative non-fiction), so I'm not sure that compelling those ladies to squeeze the Friskees budget for the month is a financially sound idea.

Maybe I'm destined to be famous, rich, and a Sex Object? Whew.

andrade1812 · « **Reply #94 on:** October 29, 2015, 03:52:27 PM »

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Update: Hard-Copy edition, DB Cooper and the FBI

"Size is also becoming an issue. I'm over 500 pages. In the e-Book that wasn't a problem, but with paper and bindings, it is. I've begun thinking of divvying the book up into separate works.

I know it's a pain to create a large book POD, but it's worth it to get everything into one volume... Though part of me wonders if making two volumes might help sales...

I talked with a local editor who specializes in assisting guys like we - either eBooks or POD. When I described what I had and where I wanted to go, I couldn't tell if she was rolling her eye balls or lickin' her chops. Or both...

Specifically, one POD outfit, Lulu, said my book, as described, was going to retail in the $45 range due to its size. That might be okay for folks who want a reference book at their fingertips that has a LOT of juicy stuff in it, as my book does currently, but the average reader may not. I was surprised to learn that my #1 audience are single women with cats (true-crime, narrative non-fiction), so I'm not sure that compelling those ladies to squeeze the Friskees budget for the month is a financially sound idea.

Maybe I'm destined to be famous, rich, and a Sex Object? Whew.

I see no reason why you can't do both, do a slimmer version for the casual true-crime reader, and still create a definitive version (maybe under some more technical-sounding title like "inconsistencies in historical accounts; a challenge to modern historicity in aviation hijackings" to avoid selling the wrong book to the wrong audience).

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #95 on:** October 29, 2015, 04:35:31 PM »

I like how you're thinking, Andrade. 377 is asking me questions along these lines, too. Here's my current view, as I just expressed to him in an email:

"E-sales appear to be non-existent this month. Not sure why. BTW: modifying an e-Book ain't that easy. It can be done, but it's a lot of work. That's why I haven't changed the e-Book in five months despite the 30 typos, ten misspellings and hundreds of grammatical errors. Plus, it has a couple factual errors. Sigh.

Besides, I want to tell stories, and I need a hard-copy to sell on my book tour. Yeah, 45 bucks is steep. Maybe two versions? Pro model and a slimmed-down Whuffo version??? We can call them the Paracommander Edition and the NB-6 Edition....

What to dump for the Whuffo edition?
- remote viewing chapter.
- All reference chapters, except the "who's who."
- Index
- Interviews with Marla's people (Arden, Santa, Grace and the sisters-in-law)
- no photo gallery, just the composite sketches, (well, maybe Tina, me and Galen...)

That might cut a hundred pages. Half the costs, too, according to my editor."

Any suggestions on what to cut for the skinny version?

BTW, A: "...a challenge to modern historicity in aviation hijackings..." for a book title? Did you take your meds this morning? I did. Just sayin'. Well, I'm on a med holiday this week for the Wellbutrin...

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #96 on:** January 13, 2016, 01:46:02 AM »

Update on DB Cooper and the FBI - the book and docu:

Lots has been happening of a variety of fronts in the book and documentary arena. Most exciting are a few realizations and developments with broadcasting documentaries.

To begin, it has become ABUNDANTLY clear to me that for my work, DB Cooper and the FBI - A Case Study of America's Only Unsolved Skyjacking, to be aired - where a full examination of the FBI's investigation is undertaken - will require a production team outside of the current array of History/Discovery/Nat Geo channels. What will be necessary, in my opinion, is an approach more along the lines of Netflix's "Making of a Murderer." Further, I will have to be intimately involved in the production process, such as being an Assistant Executive Producer, writer and editor.

I've got some leads on who to talk with about all of this, such as at Netflix, and I've begun taking with entertainment attorneys to craft the early stages of how to develop a project like this. Also under consideration is how to put the FBI's feet to the fire publicly and not get too singed. Or totally conflagrated. If I remain more than six feet under and only get railroaded into priz, I hope you will all write to me on occasion. I might even welcome a call from Mrs. Cooper under those conditions!

As for the book, I'm still searching for how to downsize my 8.5x11 inch manuscript on Apache Open Office 4.0 to some kind of 6x9 size for the hard-copy edition. Afterwards, I can also begin to format margins, line spacing, font sizes and compression factors. Then, I can then develop an index for the hard-copy edition.

In the meantime, I'm working on legal stuff, such as permission to publish certain photos from the Associated Press and the Seattle PI. Currently, AP wants about 350 bucks per photo. I'd like to use the pix of 305 on the runway at Sea-Tac, the crew at Reno, the laminate, Himms in the trench at T-Bar, and a few others. Where that money is gonna come from, well, Divine Intervention is clearly sought after these days, if you catch my drift...

As for the e-book, I'm still making about 75 bucks a month on royalties, which is paying for my new computer, which quit last August and I'm making payments on. As for the AP pix in the e-book, which I haven't paid for, well, I asked for forgiveness today from the NY agent of AP for licensing and she seems like a very nice gal...

Parrotheadvol · « **Reply #97 on:** January 13, 2016, 09:55:12 AM »

I often find that it is easier to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. I put this to the test often, very often!

georger · « **Reply #98 on:** January 13, 2016, 12:02:28 PM »

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I often find that it is easier to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. I put this to the test often, very often!

When writing a "tell-all" it's usually best to have a few solid facts one can then pass off as "all of the facts"! When all else fails you can fall back on the premise: "facts are not all of the truth". That allows invention in "telling all"!

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #99 on:** January 13, 2016, 06:40:40 PM »

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I often find that it is easier to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. I put this to the test often, very often!

Words to live by!

sailshaw · « **Reply #100 on:** January 17, 2016, 02:05:57 AM »

Bruce: Your book is the best and most complete. However, a new book is out "The case of DB Cooper's Parachute" by William L. Sullivan which tries to steal the thunder of the Cooper case and fails to have much in it of real interest. It is a no buy in my book even though I bought a copy for my Kindle.

Bob Sailshaw
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georger · « **Reply #101 on:** January 17, 2016, 03:46:46 AM »

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Bruce: Your book is the best and most complete. However, a new book is out "The case of DB Cooper's Parachute" by William L. Sullivan which tries to steal the thunder of the Cooper case and fails to have much in it of real interest. It is a no buy in my book even though I bought a copy for my Kindle.

Bob Sailshaw
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Did you miss the part about it being a "novel"? It does not claim to be an authoritative book on DB Cooper, but a novel using Cooper's parachute as a literary device for a story and a character study ... it is winning awards - lotsa people like it!

bout William L. Sullivan

Sullivan completed his B.A. in English at Cornell University, studied linguistics at Germany's Heidelberg University, and earned an M.A. in German at the University of Oregon.
In 1985 he backpacked 1000 miles across Oregon's wilderness. His journal of that adventure, "Listening for Coyote", topped the New York Times' year-end review of travel books and was chosen one of the 100 most significant books in Oregon history.
Since then he has written many novels novels, hiking guidebooks, and historical works. His memoir, "Cabin Fever", describes the 25 summers he and his wife Janell spent building a log cabin by hand along a roadless river in the wilds of Oregon's Coast Range. Each summer he still lives and writes at the cabin. Sullivan reads in seven languages, plays the pipe organ, undertakes backcountry ski expeditions, and volunteers to support libraries.

PRAISE FOR "The Case of D.B. Cooper's Parachute"
“Bravo! Great characterization, complexity, and detail.” -- L.J. Sellers, author of the Detective Jackson mystery series
“This book is great -- you’ll find out who D.B. Cooper is, and you’ll be surprised.” -- Amanda MacNaughton, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters
“I couldn’t put the book down. I especially enjoyed the familiarity of Portland. A great read!” -- Sue Bernt, The Willamette Store, Salem
“This story is jam packed with exciting moments of high-speed chases, encounters and near misses with the Russian Mob, and of course murders of a most foul nature, all within the familiarity of our most beloved state, Oregon." --Amanda, University of Oregon Duck Store
"The story of D.B. Cooper has fascinated people for decades and there have been many theories about who Cooper might really have been. This novel, D.B. Cooper's Parachute, is an equally fascinating fictionalized account about who the real D.B. Cooper is. The novel is well-written and increasingly thrilling as it shows [detective] Neil get further in over his head as he follows the clues that take him from Portland to Russia -- in addition to dealing with a new romance, work politics and his autistic daughter. This hard-to-put-down book is something mystery fans should read.” -- Barbara Cothern, Portland Book Review
“Sullivan draws on a deep knowledge of the Pacific Northwest to create an imaginative, fast-paced tale. The intricate plot stretches from Portland to the bleak Russian city of Murmansk. A fun, home-grown mind teaser of a mystery.” -- Alice Tallmadge, UO School of Journalism & Communications
"A nice blend of history and intrigue." -- Lee Juillerat, Herald and News
“The Case of D.B. Cooper’s Parachute suggests that Eugene hiking guru Bill Sullivan is not just listening to birdsong while on the trail. His wheels are spinning, and the results are imaginative and entertaining in this internationally flavored Northwest mystery thriller.” -- Brain Juenemann, Eugene Register-Guard
“Well researched and intriguing. Throughout, the reader must ask, ‘Is there more than one D.B. Cooper?’ All will be answered, and some of the answers are a complete surprise.” -- Alec Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver
“One Oregon legend writes about another, and the result is unequaled suspense fiction.” -- Joe Blakely, Kidnapped!
“Non-stop action from Oregon’s master storyteller. I defy you to put this book down!” -- Martha Bayless, University of Oregon
“An exciting novel that draws the reader with exquisite storytelling and character shaping. Fast paced, filled with action, and compelling from start to finish.” --Grant McHill, KUGN morning show host

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #102 on:** February 13, 2016, 07:33:15 PM »

Publication Update

My hard-copy edition is being prepped for publication as a Print On Demand book at Amazon, and I'm soliciting blurbs for the back cover. Nice thoughts, please....

The book will have 492 pages, as it is seen in the moment. All AP and PI pix have been removed in this edition due to cost, which is about $350 per pix. It will have an Index. Also, I left in the chapter on remote viewing, as I truly believe that it is one of the directions forensic science will be heading over the next twenty years.

The hard-copy, which is being titled DB Cooper and the FBI, 2nd Edition, is different in many ways from the e-Book edition, which came out about a year ago. 2nd Edition has a sharpened focus on the FBI's investigation, and includes many of the conversations that we have had here at the Forum, such as the timeline on the ground search, or the efforts to obtain meaningful DNA samples. In fact, it can be said that the e-Book is heavily derived from the DZ, while the hard-copy is more reflective of this Forum.

In addition, the 2nd Edition has hundreds of typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes corrected, with tons of hyphens removed thanks to Andrade.

Publication date should be St. Patrick's Day, if things continue as planned. Thanks to everyone for your help.

andrade1812 · « **Reply #103 on:** February 14, 2016, 08:32:43 PM »

I look forward to reading the book... again...

Bruce A. Smith · « **Reply #104 on:** February 15, 2016, 04:48:02 AM »

...imagine how I feel...

It's a good thing that it's an interesting topic and well-written! And superbly Edited!!!

Author Topic: Book Discussion About DB Cooper (Read 337155 times)

Parrotheadvol

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andrade1812

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Bruce A. Smith

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Bruce A. Smith

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andrade1812

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Bruce A. Smith

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Bruce A. Smith

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Parrotheadvol

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georger

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Bruce A. Smith

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sailshaw

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georger

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Bruce A. Smith

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andrade1812

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Bruce A. Smith

Re: Book Discussion About DB Cooper