has anyone else got ...

chipbutty · 11-11-2009, 06:05 PM

uncorrected bound proof books by famous (or other) authors?

I consider myself lucky today to have got hold of John Le Carré's The Mission Song in all its 'not for sale or quotation' nakedness. 2006

I have a couple of others put away somewhere safe, but I want to know who else likes these when they stumble across them and what they have. Or perhaps are they considered less desirable because of their inherent required edits? All I know is that it gives me a buzz to see (especially) famous authors without all their stage make-up as it were; allows me to get a bit more insight into their writing processes.

oggbashan · 11-11-2009, 06:29 PM

Yes.

The value depends on the book's position in the author's output.

A proof copy of a first or early book by an author who became famous as a result of that book, or a subsequent one, can be valuable BUT proofs of later works can be worth less than the published edition.

It is also worth remembering that there will be proofs of different editions of the same book, or proofs for different markets. A proof UK 1st edition of a US author wouldn't have the same value as the proof US 1st edition. A proof of a Book Club edition is probably worth less than the trade paperback.

Some proofs are printed in thousands as review copies for the press and media, given away free, and then discarded.

There are also various states of proof: a proof for editing; a proof for layout; a proof for marketing; a proof for review. They can differ. So do their values.

Og (retired book dealer)

chipbutty · 11-11-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oggbashan

Yes.

The value depends on the book's position in the author's output.

A proof copy of a first or early book by an author who became famous as a result of that book, or a subsequent one, can be valuable BUT proofs of later works can be worth less than the published edition.

It is also worth remembering that there will be proofs of different editions of the same book, or proofs for different markets. A proof UK 1st edition of a US author wouldn't have the same value as the proof US 1st edition. A proof of a Book Club edition is probably worth less than the trade paperback.

Some proofs are printed in thousands as review copies for the press and media, given away free, and then discarded.

There are also various states of proof: a proof for editing; a proof for layout; a proof for marketing; a proof for review. They can differ. So do their values.

Og (retired book dealer)

thankyou for your reply!

Your information is really interesting and something to bear in mind. The actual monetary value is insignificant to me, though I might rescind that statement should I ever find myself the owner of a commercially valuable item! I simply enjoy seeing it in its more raw state.

What ones have you got, Og? Have you taken any greater pleasure in them than in the finished articles?

sr71plt · 11-11-2009, 08:14 PM

I've seen a couple of Tom Clancy's unedited manuscripts up close and personal, and as messy as the published versions were, these were almost undecipherable.

SeaCat · 11-11-2009, 10:42 PM

I don't have any proofs but I do happen to have a couple of manuscripts of best sellers. It's always interesting to see how the story/book changes from the manuscript to the published book.

Cat

sr71plt · 11-11-2009, 11:33 PM

I just remembered. I have one of the movie scripts for Gone With the Wind. I wonder what that's worth.

chipbutty · 11-12-2009, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sr71plt

I've seen a couple of Tom Clancy's unedited manuscripts up close and personal, and as messy as the published versions were, these were almost undecipherable.

ha

some editors have an unenviable job

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaCat

I don't have any proofs but I do happen to have a couple of manuscripts of best sellers. It's always interesting to see how the story/book changes from the manuscript to the published book.

Cat

yes- this is where most interest lies for me too. Seeing the changes, the mistakes, seeing the process in action.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sr71plt

I just remembered. I have one of the movie scripts for Gone With the Wind. I wonder what that's worth.

do they have any handwritten notations or doodles? it might bump the price if you ever sold it.Would you want to sell it, though? something like that's a little bit of cinematic history, isn't it?