Re[2]: [at-l] Busy little hikers

[Bob C." <ellen@xxxxxxxxxx (Bob C.)]

>"... Wasn't he telling people they could only buy it if they sent him a
>personal check?"

I don't remember Wingfoot saying that. He did say it could not be bought at EMS
because they insist on buying through a distributor, who demands a 40% discount.
But hikers have reported buying the book at a number of local gear shops.

 His method of printing is very expensive, but essential in the current book
 market in which a few large companies increasingly control the distribution of
 books.

 Wingfoot's book has a potential market of a few hundred, possibly, a few
 thousand. Very few commercial publishers are interested in that market. I
 suspect he decided how to market the book based on his best guesses about how
 to maximize his income, which seems from all appearances to be pretty minimal.

 FWIW, I think it is an excellent book, despite the inevitable errors and
 omissions in any guide that purports to cover 2,170 miles of ever-changing
 trail and trail businesses.

 Weary