Why Did the DS9 Technical Manual Sell So Poorly?

[Dayton Ward]

^ Well, the SotL calendar is one of the few Trek calendars that keeps getting a new edition each year, so it's at least doing well enough to justify going from year to year. I'm not privvy to any numbers or related info, though. All I know is that I faithfully buy my copy every year

The idea of a tech centerfold might work (again, he says, speaking only for himself).

 

[JD]

Hmm, that's an interesting idea, but I would rather see that kind of stuff in the magazine.

 

[elaithin]

The idea of a tech centerfold might work (again, he says, speaking only for himself).

For some reason, that brings to mind the word 'nerdporn'.

Mind you, I don't know if that's actually a word. But it is now.

 

[EmperorKalan]

The idea of a tech centerfold might work (again, he says, speaking only for himself).

For some reason, that brings to mind the word 'nerdporn'.

Mind you, I don't know if that's actually a word. But it is now.

"Whoo-hoo! Cutaway, baby! Show us AAAALLLL your decks!"

 

[PaulSimpson]

Hmm, that's an interesting idea, but I would rather see that kind of stuff in the magazine.

I don't know - go away for a three day break in New York and come back and find the magazine contents sorted for me. Note to self: go away more often!

Straw poll then folks - and I emphasise that this is to gain an idea of interest, not saying that it would definitely happen (there being numerous hoops to jump through before such a thing could even get onto the drawing board let alone in print) - would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

Paul Simpson
Editor, Star Trek Magazine

 

[FalTorPan]

Hmm, that's an interesting idea, but I would rather see that kind of stuff in the magazine.

I don't know - go away for a three day break in New York and come back and find the magazine contents sorted for me. Note to self: go away more often!

Straw poll then folks - and I emphasise that this is to gain an idea of interest, not saying that it would definitely happen (there being numerous hoops to jump through before such a thing could even get onto the drawing board let alone in print) - would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

Paul Simpson
Editor, Star Trek Magazine

I'd like to see more technical stuff, as well as a possible multi-part article with the latest updates to the Chronology -- perhaps a new chronology altogether -- maybe with specially formatted pages that can be "clipped" and assembled into a binder.

 

[Rosalind]

would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

YES! If it's new material, definitely.

 

[Christopher]

Yes, especially if I get to write some of it.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Only if you sell it in regular as well as special collector's "Scratch N' Sniff" editions.

 

[Steve Roby]

Straw poll then folks - and I emphasise that this is to gain an idea of interest, not saying that it would definitely happen (there being numerous hoops to jump through before such a thing could even get onto the drawing board let alone in print) - would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

It's not something that interests me a heck of a lot. I finally read the DS9 issue and enjoyed it, and I don't think it would have been any better by having a five-page tech readout on Cardassian starship classes. When that tech-heavy Star Trek: The Magazine was being published, I skipped over a lot of the tech stuff, which sometimes didn't leave me with much else to read.

While we're blue-skying and brainstorming here, what I'd like to see is original Trek short stories as an occasional change from the novel excerpts. Or as a regular feature.

 

[Mysterion]

Straw poll then folks - and I emphasise that this is to gain an idea of interest, not saying that it would definitely happen (there being numerous hoops to jump through before such a thing could even get onto the drawing board let alone in print) - would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

Yes. And the chronology idea that another posted above sounds good, also. Extra double-plus good if you could entice folks like Sternbach and/or Okuda to write some of it.

 

[PaulSimpson]

Only if you sell it in regular as well as special collector's "Scratch N' Sniff" editions.

Didn't you realise your copy of issue 11 was the special edition?! Special "Eau de Porthos" edition???

P

 

[PaulSimpson]

When that tech-heavy Star Trek: The Magazine was being published, I skipped over a lot of the tech stuff, which sometimes didn't leave me with much else to read.

While we're blue-skying and brainstorming here, what I'd like to see is original Trek short stories as an occasional change from the novel excerpts. Or as a regular feature.

Steve's first point is one I heard a lot in my first year as editor - it's interesting to hear the other side in this thread.

The fiction extracts will certainly continue as is for the next year - Marco and I have discussed what where and how this week, so look out for a few treats in the coming months!

Paul

 

[Steve Roby]

The fiction extracts will certainly continue as is for the next year - Marco and I have discussed what where and how this week, so look out for a few treats in the coming months!

For the sake of clarity -- I wouldn't want to see the novel excerpts stop if you were somehow able to run original fiction. The magazine's been doing a great job of promoting the books, and I suspect everyone around here agrees that that's a good thing.

 

[TheAlmanac]

Straw poll then folks - and I emphasise that this is to gain an idea of interest, not saying that it would definitely happen (there being numerous hoops to jump through before such a thing could even get onto the drawing board let alone in print) - would there be a mass interest in this sort of tech stuff in the mag?

Paul Simpson
Editor, Star Trek Magazine

I'd be interested in reading any sort of "reference material" that relates back to the books, whether that takes the form of tech articles, encyclopedic entries, chronologies/timelines...anything that reveals more about the original material would be cool.

There must be many tech concepts in the novel/eBook-only series which could be expanded on in this way...

 

[PaulSimpson]

The fiction extracts will certainly continue as is for the next year - Marco and I have discussed what where and how this week, so look out for a few treats in the coming months!

For the sake of clarity -- I wouldn't want to see the novel excerpts stop if you were somehow able to run original fiction. The magazine's been doing a great job of promoting the books, and I suspect everyone around here agrees that that's a good thing.

I don't think it would be feasible to do both - bearing in mind I have 68 pages (minus adverts) to cover 5 franchises, 11 films plus all the spin-offs!

Paul

 

[Defcon]

The fiction extracts will certainly continue as is for the next year - Marco and I have discussed what where and how this week, so look out for a few treats in the coming months!

For the sake of clarity -- I wouldn't want to see the novel excerpts stop if you were somehow able to run original fiction. The magazine's been doing a great job of promoting the books, and I suspect everyone around here agrees that that's a good thing.

I don't think it would be feasible to do both - bearing in mind I have 68 pages (minus adverts) to cover 5 franchises, 11 films plus all the spin-offs!

Paul

I think Steve had something in mind like changing between excerpts and orginial stories from issue to issue.

 

[Greg Cox]

It doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me what's canon and what's not.

It shouldn't matter to anyone who isn't actually writing for the source material. In fact, it doesn't matter to anyone who isn't actually writing for the source material.

But then, I genuinely do not comprehend why people get their knickers in a twist over what's "real" in a fictional construct....

I'll take that one step further and say that, in my experience, "canon" is something that only fans (and the ghost of Gene Roddenberry) worries about. When I was editing the FARSCAPE novels, I was on the phone to the Henson people nearly every day and, you know what, I don't think the word "canon" ever came up in a single conversation. Amidst the mountain of memos, faxes, contracts, and agreements generated by that project, the word "canon" never appears. Hell, I suspect I would've got baffled looks if I had brought the topic up at any of my meetings with the Henson people. It simply wasn't a matter anybody cared about. Trust, me were too busy haggling over deadlines and royalty rates to worry about whether the books were "canon" or not.

That's just the way things work in the real world.

 

[PaulSimpson]

I think Steve had something in mind like changing between excerpts and orginial stories from issue to issue.

If we were to do something, it would have to have a run of issues just to build up an audience - no point doing it once, unless it was a special.

P

 

[Ronald Held]

Yes, please update the encyclopedia and the Okudachron!