Thursday, July 23, 2009

"The Complete Gettysburg Guide" digital companion

After a couple weeks of finally "gittin' stuff done" around the house and catching up on lots of things, I have been talking with Steve Stanley about our upcoming projects. We're just now starting on what will be a digital companion to "The Complete Gettysburg Guide." We will have a downloadable and CD touring companion to the book that folks can take along and play in their vehicle and/or personal devices. In addition to including Steve's maps, the companion will complement and supplement the book with additional places to see and events to tour on the battlefield, in the town, and other places. Audio tours are extremely popular with folks, and many, many people have asked if/when we'll be doing an audio companion for the book.

This weekend I will begin writing the script, and Steve is starting to work on the package itself and the maps. If anyone has any suggestions, please pass them along to me. I will continually keep you posted here as to our progress!

15 comments:

  1. Jared, no there won't be music on it.

    Just Joking, that is a good suggestion -- we could offer it on iTunes. I will check into the policies there.

    Thanks,

    Steve

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  2. Just when you thought the guide could not be made better. ~Gary

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  3. I don't know how you improve such a great book.
    Will the maps be printable from the cd?
    REGARDS
    Roy

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  4. Roy,

    That is what we are working on and deciding? We are toying with having maps that are needed for the audio tour printable or even reworked so they are already in a small booklet with the CD. Also toying with getting the maps to work with GPS units so that you could actually place yourself in the middel of the action.

    Steve

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  5. A booklet with a spiral type binding would probably work well given the format. ~Gary

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  6. Gary,

    Originally that was my way of thinking, but when we discussed the binding with our publisher we were informed that for distribution purposes (i.e. Amazon, Borders, etc) that type of binding is unacceptable. So we are still discussing the entire packaging.

    Thanks,

    Steve

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  7. I agree with Gary, a booklet with a apiral binding would have been perfect. Oh well.

    Tim Carnahan

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  8. Spiral binding would be nifty, but as Steve says it isn't workable for distribution. Plus it also makes it harder to package. But a stapled (or whatever) booklet that easily opens flat would work just as well I think.

    J.D.

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  9. Just to clarify, the CD companion will not be a replacement for the Guide book. It is being developed to help compliment the book, so not every map that was created for the Guide book will be on the CD. There will be some maps, either on the CD for self printing and/or in booklet form, that are combinations of maps found in the Guide that are there just incase someone hasn't bought the guide. But our main goal is to have folks have the Guide book in hand and tour the battlefield while listening to the CD. They both will compliment each other.

    Thanks,

    Steve

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  10. Hey J.D. and Steve,

    How about General John Buford for the CD narration. I'm sure Sam Elliot would love to be involved :) and I can't think of a better voice !

    Bill

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  11. Bill,

    Now that would be a cool voice to have on the CD. J.D., don't you know Sam Elliot?

    Thanks,

    Steve

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  12. Sam Elliot would be a perfect person to do the narration.

    Tim C.

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  13. Ha ha, wish we could get him! I met Sam once down in Maryland, but I doubt he'd remember me :)

    Maybe I could do my best "dramatic" voice... I have to work on that. In our town we had a retired Lt. Col. of the army who's voice was wonderful, but he passed away some time ago. He would have been impressive.

    J.D.

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