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PUBLICATIONS
The production of cultural guides were one of the important aims of the Society, following on from
the
production
of
a
Journal. The cultural guides have certainly been a factor in earning our Society both a national
and international reputation. We know copies of the publications have been sent to the United States, Canada, Australia
and the United Kingdom.
Recently, mail has been received from France, Germany, Italy, Thailand
and
Singapore,
all requesting details of the publications produced.
The start of the publications derived from a series of articles produced in the Journal. In view of the long term aims of local relevant cultural guides, and with the material available,
the guides were produced. The typesetting of Daphne Williams, and plate making skills of Danny Nel allowed the professional and economic production of the initial guides.
The possibilities of cultural guides had been confirmed to some degree when Dot Cooper and
the Society jointly published (but commercially produced) the Native Orchid Field Guide, the compilation of all the native
orchid articles that had appeared in the Journal from 1978. This publication was issued in 1981, and enjoyed considerable popularity, quickly selling
out.
But perhaps one should start at the beginning. The late Tom Grant-Taylor sowed the seeds of the cultural guides during many conversations
over a period of time while we were both involved in the production of the Journal. When I commenced Editorship
of the Journal, I commenced research into a number of orchid groups that I was interested in, and from 1976 was able to build up a considerable store
of relevant material on some plant groups. This material was initially designed for the production of Journal articles,
but eventually formed the essential basis for the larger works.
It was apparent that if we were to produce anything it would be a guide on Cymbidiums that
would have the greatest chance of success -and success was not something that was obvious that we could achieve.
No
other Society in the country has attempted such a project
As editor of the Journal I produced a number of articles on
cymbidium culture, and these appeared suitable for inclusion in a cultural guide, with other material added. I approached the committee to secure their agreement, and it is
fair to say that there was not full agreement, as a number of members
did not feel that it was financially feasible. However, after a full
discussion, there was agreement to continue with a limited printing.
Right from the start it was clearly stated that the publications must be financially separate and self-supporting and funding once established.
It was also agreed that it was important that the Society itself must finance and support its own activities without
recourse to the Printing Account. Financial assistance to the Society from the Printing Account would be for special projects;
anything else would distort the true costs etc. of running the Society that would not be in anyone's interests.
The Society committee agreed that $1, 000 would be available to allow the printing of
1,
000 copies
of
the Cymbidium Guide, and in due course this was completed. Initially, however, the design of the cover had to be settled. I finally decided that the basic design of the Journal cover should be followed, but with an illustration of a cymbidium flower. The late Frank Askin stated that his daughter in law, Elizabeth Askin, was an artist, and
would be able to produce a satisfactory design. In due course Frank provided a flower, and subsequently a most satisfactory flower picture was produced which gave an eye catching cover.
A number off local orchid nurseries were approached to ascertain if they would advertise in the guide, and most did so. It was always believed
that the guides were provided as a service to encourage the growing of orchids. The advertisements were provided basically at printing and production costs, but the nurseries
involved were encouraged to stock the guide for resale to their clients. Such a policy seems to have been very successful.
All the orchid societies in New Zealand were approached to sell the guide. It was priced
in such a way that they were able to also secure funds for their own use. When copies of that first edition became
available we had 700 for sale, reserving 300 for free distribution to members of the Society by way of a supplement to the Journal. The demand
was far in excess of what we could have expected, given even the most optimistic of estimates. The guide was available
in June 1983, and all available copies were sold in 3 weeks, with payment received before we had even received
the account for printing from the printer. This support also meant that we did not have to avail ourselves of the $1, 000 initial establishment
loan from the main Society, and the funds were immediately repaid.
With the aim to reduce costs, Society members collated the publication, quite a large job. At all stages, with this and all subsequent guides,
our intention was to produce inexpensive publications providing excellent value for money, and certainly much of their popularity must derive from this
aspect.
With the strong support from both many orchid nurseries and orchid societies, the next printing included advertisements from right around the country. 3750 copies were produced
in August 1983, and even this number only lasted 3 months. Further advertising was sought for the next reprinting
which became available the following year This third printing was 7, 200 copies, and lasted less than a year; a total of 12, 000 copies
sold
in
2
years.
Because of the delay between the second and third printings, there had been a build up in orders, to the extent
that when this edition became available, it took me a whole weekend to make up the orders, and they filled the entire back of my Cortina station wagon. The Post Office was not very pleased on Monday morning, but it did boost their turnover
that day!
With the Second International Orchid Conference in Wellington (jointly sponsored by
the Society) it was decided to revise this guide. With the cooperation of Daphne Williams with typesetting,
and Danny Nel with plates and his contacts
in. the printing industry,
this major project was embarked upon. With Danny's encouragement we decided
that color was important,
and this was introduced.
Our problem was obtaining colour photographs; I had some but insufficient for the number
required, but Norm Porter made available his slides so that we could
include a good range of plants.
With the conference coming up, advertising was forthcoming, but
our finances were stretched with this and a number of other projects. Wes
Ross Taylor, of South Pacific Orchids decided to take a 4 page 'centerfold', including 2 pages of colour.
In addition, he had developed the habit, (as had a number of
other orchid nurseries) of including a copy of the guide with larger orders,
and he placed a large order for the new printing. With this assured
sale in particular, the financial viability of the project was assured.
10, 000 copies of this new edition were produced, and supplies lasted from August 1985 to December 1988.
I believe that the sale of 22, 000 copies of this guide to be an amazing achievement.
Sales
at this level were far beyond even our most optimistic estimates. Interestingly, the inclusion of the monthly calendar
of operations, not seen in many books, seems to have been a significant feature in its popularity. Obviously they have gone far beyond
the
orchid
society
members, a result that can only be positive. All copies include a list of all orchid societies in New Zealand,
as well as a plug for Conzed and Orchids in New Zealand magazine as part of our encouragement of orchid growing
in this country. It would be interesting to know how many members in. societies right throughout the country joined, as a result of reading this book.
Just after the first Cymbidium Guide was published, Lew Wyatt produced a good article on
Odontoglossums. This was published in the Journal, but a number of intentional printers over-runs were bound
and put out as a small guide. Reprinted three times, this modest little publication has sold 3500 copies.
Commercial books were not always the aim. 1 completed articles on Oncidiums, and also Lycaste and Anguloas. With the 1985 International Orchid Conference coming up, these Journal articles were also
rewritten and issued as separate guides. The Oncidium Guide in particular set a concept and has been very popular - especially overseas.
Recently
guides on Paphiopedilums and the Cattleya Alliance have been added, the last in particular covering an extensive
field being a major effort. Literally hundreds of hours of work are involved in their production, with in some cases
the research extending over 10 years. They were certainly long term projects!!!
With Danny Nel's encouragement, we also produced a number of orchid postcards, notelets
and greeting cards. Produced in full colour they have been very successful, most of the 44, 000 cards printed having been sold since 1984. They replaced a small series of monochrome cards that had been produced by Tom Grant-Taylor.
Prior to the 1985 Conference, the Society assisted in the production of the Registration
Guide. I decided that our own publication efforts precluded me from a major role in that conference, but close to the conference I was called upon to assist
with the formal Conference Proceedings, including the provision of most of the illustrations.
John Addison was Secretary to the conference, and early on he asked if I would be able to
produce on behalf of the conference a suitable set of posters. I came up with a design concept, and a graphic artist refined the
placing of the text, and 4 different posters were finally produced. To spread costs, and with the consent of the
Conference committee, it was decided to incorporate the poster printing and design in to a special Conferences
calendar.
While
visually successful, this calendar only broke even financially as calendars are a very difficult field, but they
certainly achieved their other aims.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the publications activities has been the 'marketing' of the material. Initially it was through the orchid societies and orchid nurseries, especially those who
had taken advertising in the Cymbidium Guides. The Auckland region has been a very important market, and Societies
like North Shore have been responsible for the sale of many items. The use of the computer has allowed the production
of advertising material and personalised order forms, which alone have repaid their cost. To all those who have been involved, I must express my thanks. One of the most rewarding
aspects has been the honesty of those growing orchids, we virtually have had no bad debts. The very friendly correspondence has always made the job that much easier. It is interesting to receive correspondence from
growers who are obviously not connected with societies, who often seek cultural advice. While time consuming I
have always tried to assist as far as I can to repay the pleasure I have. Received from this hobby.
While the original intention was for guides for New Zealand orchid growers, over the last year or so there has been an increasing international interest in the publications, to the extent that now over half
of all sales are to overseas growers. The opportunity has always been grasped to take advantage of any overseas contacts, and
that with Twin Oak Orchids in the United States has been most beneficial. Currently orders of several hundred books worth over $1, 000 are regularly received, and his advertisements in The American Orchid Society Bulletin for example have helped spread the word. It is the individual requests from overseas
that are often puzzling - how did they find out about the publications in the first place?
A while
ago
we
sent advertising
to
Australian societies, and were somewhat
disappointed with the resulting orders.
We always had volume requirements
to qualify for bulk discounts in order to reduce the administrative workload. With a number
of
publications
now available, we
introduced
a system where provided the total
order exceeded $100 at the bulk price, for mixed title orders we would sell at the appropriate bulk price. This,
and contacting many Australian orchid nurseries, has now resulted in a pleasing flow of orders from over the Tasman
Sea.
The Publications activities have been largely run by only a
small group of enthusiasts. Daphne Williams, Danny Nel, and
myself (and also my family who have also been called in to assist on many occasions). There is still a considerable
demand for this type of publication, and I hope that we will be able to
continue for some years yet. All we want is more authors! It is worth noting, however, that the, changing demands may require
a rethink of how we do some things if we are not to abuse the
considerable voluntary contributions from
some members who have made all this possible.
It is surprising the amount of time this all takes, and that is not just the writing of
the guides. There is a considerable amount of mail to handle, and the banking, accounts, with lots of
miscellaneous running around with stock, posting and so on. I have been fortunate to have an understanding
family,
as on many, many occasions they have been called on to assist in many varying
ways.
During
this
period of involvement with the Journal and Publications I also had 6 years on the Committee of the Society, as
well as being Vice President for a period. It made easier communications but did take up a lot of time.
One associated benefit of this association with orchid growers and booksellers, and one
which may not be readily appreciated by some members, is that at times we have been able to obtain publications
which fit in with our aims for resale to members. In the main these have been resold at little or no profit, but members have received benefits. Even other Societies have taken advantage of this service. It may be that one member of the society would like to take on this job, it is not a very
big one but takes some organization and correspondence etc. The principal books introduced have been on Masdevallias by Joe Kelliher, the Australian Native Orchid Hybrid Guide
by
John Kavulak (the Australian author who incidentally unexpectedly turned up on my doorstep one day to talk about
his book), the small Golden Orchid Guide, and the important Handbook of Nomenclature and Registration.
It- is perhaps appropriate to record the publishing history of the guides that have been
produced to date.
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WELLINGTON
ORCHID SOCIETY
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CULTURAL
GUIDE
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PUBLISHING HISTORY
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GUIDE
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DATE
PUBLISHED
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NUMBER
PRINTED
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Cymbidiums
1st edition
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June 83
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1050
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August 83
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3750
|
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July 84
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7200
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2nd edition
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August 85
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10000
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Odontoglossum
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July 83
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1000
|
| |
October 83
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500
|
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May 84
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2000
|
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Lycaste
& Anguloa
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March 85
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2500
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Oncidium
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July 85
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2500
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January 89
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1700
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Paphiopedilums
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May 87
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2500
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Cattleya
Alliance
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June 88
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2500
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Greeting
cards*
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1984
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1000
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1985
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2500
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Notelets*
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1984
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1000
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Postcards*
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1984
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1000
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* sets of 8 different.
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Calendars
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1985
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1000
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For the International conference a colour-advertising brochure was also produced included
with one postcard in all registration packs.
In just over 5 years, a total of 30, 000 culture guides have been distributed, plus calendars
and a like number of individual cards and notelets, all in all a remarkable effort. The amazing thing is that there
have been relatively few problems over the years, Enid McSweeney has been responsible for many of the local orders,
working quietly behind the scenes but always getting on with the job in hand. Without her valuable assistance much of this would not have been possible.
The
support of the various Society committees and presidents (Frank Askin, Roger Cooper, Janet Mendoza and Helen O'Hara) have been invaluable at all times.
The question can rightly be asked, "What do the members of the Wellington Orchid Society
get from all this activity?" To start with they have had available cultural information that would not otherwise have
been seen. Members have either been given the guides free with the Journal, or had them made available
at a reduced price for an initial period. They have, however, received much more indirect benefit. The computer equipment used for the production of the guides has been used for the Journal
and the maintenance of the membership register. Without the publications support much of the Journal production would be much
more difficult. Many "extras" have also been provided - much of the photographic illustration cost, letraset, headliner and like facilities, maintenance and so on, have only been possible because there have been
funds available from this source. It is difficult to quantify this contribution, but over the years it would amount
to a quite considerable sum.
I am very proud of what we have achieved with the publications, and look forward to continuing
future success, as I am sure we have only really just started. There is still a demand for the Guides, and there
are a lot of genera not covered!!!
It is unfortunate in some ways that I leave at this time when the Society is experiencing difficulties. However, as Roger Cooper noted in February, a challenge was taken up and we made some real progress. There is absolutely no reason why this cannot be repeated again.
Published April 1989
No longer
associated with the Society, I do not know if the books are still available.
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FINAL COMMENT
Societies change with changing members and changing interests, and this was certainly true of this society.
The Publications activity was always run as a ‘Society’ activity with full involvement of members, but with the
changing interests of members, interest in publication activities waned. It is perhaps unique in orchid publication in this country and even overseas, but the activity
was never set up for personal profit, but for the wider good of orchid growing. This in effect was a small business activity, and needed to be run as such.
With
both Committee and society members not able to appreciate this aspect, and with members generally not able or interested
in books or publisshing activities, I withdrew from the activity and the Society.
From nothing a significant asset had been created separate from the ordinary society activities, and it is unfortunate
that the publications activity could not have been continued, as the circumstances under which the fund was established
is unlikely ever to be repeated again. There is still a significant demand for basic cultural information, and further publications
could have been produced, but this was not practicable under the circumstances.
Since this publication activity, I have become involved in web publishing. . From a very small start an extensive
web site on orchids has been established, receiving some 20,000 to 25,000 hits a month; over half a million hits
since it was established.
Regularly I receive requests from people growing orchids around the world for cultural assistance. I am happy to
assist in any way I can, but this to me seems to be something societies should be involved in, or even the national
orchid bodies. The american Orchid Society offers such a service, but perhaps more should. while many will not
become involved in orchid organisations, some will, and this is one way of faciliting the interest of orchid growing. |
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