Your input requested

T

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
Please take this month's raeder poll. We are coming in to the home stretch in the cover design for my book, and some sample covers are posted. There are a couple of basic ideas for the cover, and I'd very much appreciate your input by completing the poll.

Here is a summary of the book:

Code: 
If you are a player who thinks blackjack is a team game, who believes
third base can steal the dealer's bust card, or who always takes even
money on blackjack, then the pages of this book were written for you.
This book is for the blackjack player who wants to know what works,
what doesn't and why.

In a casual, humorous, and easy-to-read manner, this book takes you
through basic strategy, the skills necessary to survive as a hobbyist,
and then on to card counting and advantage play.  To the average player,
the information in this book may be worth $200,000 or more.

This book is also a guide to the mind of the winner.  It explores the
life lessons that gambling provides to each of us, and gives us insights
into parts of ourselves that may need a little more basic strategy.

Thanks in advance,

--Mayor
 
S

Sohrab

Active Member
#2
#2
Team game? $200.000?

Summary. I think this first part is confusing, if you think blackjack is a team game. I know what you mean but maybe ploppies are confused after hearing about MIT team on TV, in bestselling book Bringing Down House.

Also $200,000 sounds like a lot. I think again I know what you mean, $200,000 not lost over lifetime of playing blackjack badly. Maybe if you say $200,000 over a lifetime of blackjack it is more credible.

1. Too much like roadtrip
2. More road trip, I think that pink thing is casino but not sure
3. You might get in trouble with Twilight zone people, also Twilight Zone is a bad place to be, not good place.
4. This I like - Vegas, casino, looks good.
5. I like 4 better but maybe 5 sells better - catches eye.
6. Too much road trip again.
7. Looks cheap somehow, not like book by standup professional guy like you.

Let us know when book is out, I would like to read it.
 
T

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Yep.

>Maybe if you say $200,000 over a lifetime of blackjack it is more credible.

That is exactly what the books says. Over a lifetime of play, the content is valued at about $200k. Of course, it is necessary to fix exactly what you mean by a lifetime of play to arrive at this number, and it is just an approximation (5000 lifetime hours of play for a hobbiest).
 
S

Stealth Bomber

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
How about Team 'Effort' instead

Other possible additions/changes:
...somebody who insures there hand of 20, bets and plays according to hunches.
...believes in "the flow of the cards".
$200,000 or more over time.

End with:
... may need a little tune up.

Many of the people who read the cover of your book won't even know yet what "Basic Strategy" means.

That's my 2 cents for what ever it's worth. Probably two cents. :)
 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
#8
#8
5 or 4

I like the aesthetics of 5 better. On 4 you did a very good job of deidentifying the casino trademarks. But on 5 I believe the MGM sign is going to have to go, remember MGM considers you an enemy and they could sue you just to bust your balls.
 
Z

ZOD

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
Thoughts

My vote is for #4 or #5. It's Vegas, baby! #5 is more pleasing to the eye, though. The letter coloring is better and I like the typeface choice. Picture wise, I think the enhanced spotlight effect draws attention and I like "MGM" being prominently displayed. (And why wouldn't MGM want their name on the cover?)

As to the summary, I like it a lot. The last paragraph practically speaks to me. The only thing qualm I have is the "$200k" sentence. Seems like too much hyperbole to me. I understand where the number comes from, but I beginner might just skim the back, see the dollar figure, think "yeah right, $200 grand..."

Either way, I hope the book is a resounding success. I currently have nine blackjack books. Here comes #10.

Best,

ZOD
 
T

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
Fair use

> From: "Bert P. Krages" <[email protected]>
> Reply-To: [email protected]
> Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 07:54:40 -0700
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [STOCKPHOTO] Property release question
>
> In general, property releases are not required for buildings and most other
> property. This is because the "privacy law" that prohibits the
> unauthorized use of another's image for advertising and promotion does not
> apply to property. An exception is copyrighted material although the fair
> use doctrine reduces the potential problems to photographers. While
> buildings can be copyrighted, the copyright statute specifically states
> that photographing a building will not infringe the copyright. There have
> been a few cases brought by building owners against photographers claiming
> trademark infringement but these have not been successful.
>
>> If If I'm shooting near a public building (school; city, county, state
>> bldg, etc.) or an abandoned house where finding ownership is quite
>> difficult, is a property release needed in those instances?
>
>
> Bert P. Krages
> Attorney at Law
> 6665 S.W. Hampton Street, Suite 200
> Portland, Oregon 97223
> <http://www.krages.com/lvaserv.htm>
>
> Author of:
> Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images
> <http://www.krages.com/lhp.htm>
This has the distinct advantage of
 
O

Ohio Jones

New Member
#13
#13
response

If I had to choose a cover this instant for print tomorrow I would choose number 4. I'm not sure what it is about the subtitle but it is not conveying the right message to me. Read other posts about subtitles and should have commented on this earlier. As I have read practically everything on this site that you have written, some twice or more, I understand exactly what you are conveying and what I believe the book might entail. Unfortunately I'm a practicing counter and to target a broader audience I feel that the subtitle is lacking the effective pull of someone undisciplined of correct play. Also blackjack being in the title and subtitle seems to lose some effictiveness. I see that you do have another subtitle so if it is not already a definite of the subtitle I'd like to suggest: TBJZ: Life Lessons, Learned, Earned, Lost and Loss; (more positive): TBJZ: Life Lessons, Earned and Learned; TBJZ: Fair Play For Life. If the subtitle is already decided kindly disregard the above. If it is still possible to change are there any ideas that the editor has mentioned? That is if the editor is not an AP. I think it would be more beneficial to have someone that just has a small interest in the game and who hasn't played it on an advanced level to say, "Wow, I have to read that!" Because there is no need to convince someone like me to read it. I want to read it no matter what the cover says or looks like just because I already know that I will appreciate reading the guts of it. I do believe cover 4 is convincing and flashy and that the subtitle is very direct. On the other hand I ask that you keep cover 7 with the A's and 7's and add it inside the jacket as a page. I know why you did this and I would like to add one suggestion to that cover (or page on the inside). A the bottome of the spiraling A's & 7's please add 3 cards in a row as | | |, A, 3, 7. First for the obvious great 21 that it is and secondly for the mysterious number of math, 137.
 
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