The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 3, January 15, 2006, Article 19

PUBLISH ALREADY: THE PROBLEM OF UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS

In a recent post to the colonial coins mailing list, Ray
Williams writes: "I am not an author, but I know a number
of authors in colonial numismatics.  Some haven't published
yet but have put hundreds or thousands of hours of work
into their research in preparation to publish.  If I put
that time into research, I don't think I would want to
necessarily want to give away info before I published -
that might take away the importance of my book to the
numismatic world.  I'm speculating here, as I am not an
author.  But as a collector, I find it frustrating that
these researchers are so close to completion but there is
no book!  I'd like to know what's going to be in the
book, but I have to wait like everyone else.  I'm aware
of three important books in this state.  I "encourage"
these authors when I see them, and I hope they don't take
my encouragement as nagging...  but I'm not getting any
younger!  I do think these researchers have a moral
obligation and responsibility to the hobby to publish,
but that's my personal feeling.  Sometimes the first 90%
of the book is written easily without problems, but the
last 10% can take forever.  Getting that last picture,
making that last confirmation, visiting that last museum...

I enjoy a thorough reference book, but sometimes in the
quest for perfection it doesn't get completed or the author
loses interest in the process.  How many unpublished
manuscripts are there?  Second editions exist for the
purpose of updating the first edition."

[So how many other "unfinished symphonies" are out there
in the numismatic literature world?  How many would-be
authors died before getting around to actually publishing
their work?  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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