From: rdickson <at> ACHILLES <dot> NET
Date: 27 may 1998
Subject: English Shogi Material

George Jost notes:<<the real problem with translating shogi is the lack of
financial incentive to publish material on the game....Perhaps the venture
may be actually a money loser ... publishing a book is not cheap.>>

He's right. I don't know any of the details, but Tony Hosking's experience
in publishing The Art of Shogi might provide some insight into this.

Traditional book publishing, which includes marketing, payment for the
author's time, editor's time, publisher's overhead, printing, more
marketing, distribution etc and still more marketing costs a lot of money.
Add on a translator's time and divide the sum by the limited market,
probably less than 1000 copies for an English shogi book, and you've got a
pricey product.

Perhaps, our goal of producing inexpensive, intelligible English books on
shogi can be met by avoiding some of these expenses. Would it be possible
for those necessary to the project to donate their time, and charge out of
pocket expenses (i.e. printing and mailing) at cost? Some of us are in this
business already so these commitments may not be all that difficult to
achieve. Marketing over the internet with the cooperation of certain list
servers and webmasters could be virtually free. As could printing and
distribution if virtual books were a solution.

The real problem is getting the people who have invested their lives to
become shogi experts to waive their legitimate fees for use in English of
their intellectual property.

The benefits: A resource that might encourage the growth outside of Japan
of the world's most perfect board game. The possibility that these players
be eventually able to support an English shogi publication. A printed
product distributed in a new market that could be used to promote those who
have contributed, particularly the original writers.

Ross