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Thread: Stud Marks On The Summit

  1. #1
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    Stud Marks On The Summits

    All,

    I just wanted to extend the debate on a subject some of you will have seen raised on the FRA Facebook page. I wondered whether anybody had ever looked into a printed reissue of Stud Marks On The Summit? I’m aware that many of you (including Alan and Yiannis) knew Bill well and your opinions on the issue matter greatly.

    It seems a great shame that a significant number of enthusiasts would like to own a paper copy of this tome yet there are so few about. Mention was made in the Facebook thread that Bill might not have been keen for another print run. Does anybody know on what grounds this might have been; print costs? Number in circulation etc.? Times have certainly changed since the year in which it was published and with the prevalence of Kickstarter-style funding, appetite for a product or service can be gleaned in advance to any monetary commitment being made. One certainly wouldn’t want to go against the author’s wishes if these were clearly expressed but as a fellow Liverpudlian, it would be fantastic to see all of Bill’s hard work and dedication live on in print.

    Further, if the applicable licenses were in place an idea might be for the FRA to sell copies of it via an ecommerce facility on their page. Sales of the book could run as a not for profit operation with all surplus going either back to the FRA (as I understand was originally the case with the first edition) or to mountain rescue charities (or one of Bill’s preferred if anybody happened to know of one).

    Some light was shed on the publishing setup at the time with the link between SKG Publications and the FRA mentioned by Anthony Kay. I know little about acquiring licenses for copyrighted work but I do have some useful publishing/print contacts that could be of use to a project group if this were to extend beyond a feasibility discussion.

    In summary, it would be good to hear the views of the FRA Committee, members and anybody else with an interest in this matter.

    Bests,

    Tom.
    Last edited by Monolith; 13-08-2015 at 12:31 PM.

  2. #2
    Member RobCVFR's Avatar
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    I've recently been entertaining this with Tom (Monolith), and a speculative post on the FRA group on Facebook has attracted over 160 comments and 170 likes. The appetite seems strong for a modest reissue of this book, which has a great reputation by its name.

    One idea, as above, would be to sell the reprint via the FRA and its website. This way the FRA would pick up any profit and also assure that the publication stays within fell running circles, rather than advertising it to the larger running/adrenaline sports sphere.

  3. #3
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    I *think* this has been discussed here (and dismissed) before
    Poacher turned game-keeper

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    Thanks Derby Tup - I found mention of this topic within the thread below:

    http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showt...+marks+summits

    On page 3 of the thread, Stringman says:

    Bill Smith came to help me at The Windmills Whizz a week or so back. We had a long natter and I brought up the subject of SMOTS and the interest and banter it generates on this Forum.

    He told me that he has already been asked by a member of the FRA committee about whether he would agree to the book being re-published, in whatever format - be it a reprint or simply put on the web as pdf's etc. and the upshot is, he doesn't have a problem with it.

    This is the rub...

    I suggested that it is an old out-of-date tome, though a historical gem, but even so, might just need an update. He told me that he would begin work straight away on bringing it up to date.

    discuss...

  5. #5
    Master Bob's Avatar
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    Not on FB so this might have been said already.

    SMOTS was of its time, a mixture of history and the then state of play. There was talk of a volume 2 which would move the story on to the present day (rather just short of publication date) but nothing came of it as far as I know.

    Reprinting? Well lots of classics get reprinted without detracting from the original print run, hence the market for first editions. I guess we'll never know why Bill was against a reprint, maybe he felt something akin to the above paragraph and that reprinting was nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. Maybe an eBook "reprint" might be the way forward, no printing costs so there'd be greater proceeds to give to whatever worthwhile cause is decided upon.

    I'm lucky in that I have a copy so I'm neutral on the idea.
    Bob

    http://bobwightman.co.uk/run/bob_graham.php

    Without me you'd be one place nearer the back

  6. #6
    Senior Member barnyc's Avatar
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    Note that the 'out of date' comment does not appear to have come from Bill, his comments seems to suggest he would be ok with a re-print.

    For me, the safest option would be a faithful reproduction, cover photo and all; people would, I expect, be clear as to what they are buying, specifically, a snapshot in time of fell running and the wider community.

  7. #7
    Master
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    Part of it is already on the FRA site. Anyone know why the rest wasn't included?
    http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/studmarks/

  8. #8
    Grandmaster dominion's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barnyc View Post
    Note that the 'out of date' comment does not appear to have come from Bill, his comments seems to suggest he would be ok with a re-print.

    For me, the safest option would be a faithful reproduction, cover photo and all; people would, I expect, be clear as to what they are buying, specifically, a snapshot in time of fell running and the wider community.
    Post 3,

    http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?15883

  9. #9
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    By way of an update; contact has been made with Bill's sister who has no copyright or republishing objections. I'm told that she was happy for surplus to be given to charity. More to follow on the issue...

  10. #10
    Senior Member barnyc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dominion View Post
    ok, clashes with the quote in Post 4 of this thread:

    and the upshot is, he doesn't have a problem with it.

    anyway, I'd buy a copy!

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