Starter Kit. Idea 389 of 500. Cluster 19
A publishing house for Sri Lankan history in English, since the good books are out of print
The mechanism, from the book
Eight World Heritage Sites and 2,300 years of records, and the country's story is told to the world by other people.
The first step
List 10 out-of-print books on Sri Lankan history that people still hunt for in second-hand bookshops, and find out who holds the rights to each. Pick the one where the rights are clear, and take pre-orders through a Sri Lankan association abroad and a Colombo bookshop. Enough pre-orders to cover a print run is your proof.
- Who pays first
- A Sri Lankan reader abroad or a visitor who has looked for a good history of the island and found only expensive second-hand copies.
- What leaves today
- The good books on the island's history are out of print or published abroad; a local house holds the rights and keeps the income.
Ask first
- Department of Cultural Affairs. Ask whether support exists for republishing books on the island's history.
- Department of the Registrar of Companies. Ask which registration suits a small publishing house.
Check before you spend
Who holds the rights to each book, written permission from the rights holder, and the copyright status of any images inside.
Find out these three numbers
- How many pre-orders cover a print run?
- Who holds the rights to each wanted book?
- What does a small print run cost?
The test
Does it keep value that now leaves the island, or build the proof that lets somebody else do so?
From the appendix of Why Not Sri Lanka? by Dr Maheshika Halbeisen. The idea and the mechanism are the book's; this kit was written for the site.