Do FCPX book release dates imply anything?

[Tom Wolsky]

I think you’re reading too much into it.

The Weynand book is locked and with the printers. The Weynand book will release sooner. That’s the Amazon ship date.

The advanced FCP books are always later because they are dependent on the content of the first book. Some effort is made to reduce redundancy.

Young’s book is late because he doesn’t write for Peachpit but for Focal and doesn’t get an advance release of the software. Focal is slow.

I am surprised Lisa book is so far behind, and also this seems to be the first time she has a co-author.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

[Tom Wolsky] “I think you’re reading too much into it.

The Weynand book is locked and with the printers. The Weynand book will release sooner. That’s the Amazon ship date.”

Final Cut Studio was released in July 23 2009 and the official Peachpit book for FCP7 was released on Aug 11, 2009, just a three weeks later. Yet these books are being released nearly four months after FCPX, arguably a simpler program, was released.

The Peachpit release date is September 30th. so it’s only 10 days earlier than Amazon. Assuming Apple keeps to “summer” that date would be just after the next update (assuming it happens within 12 days). The other Peachpit vs Amazon release dates follow a similar time frame.

The FCPX Advanced book is Dec 15th for example. FCP7 Advanced was released Dec 23, 2009 which was 5 months past the released whereas FCPX Advanced is 6 months past the release.

So Peachpit FCPX is 3 months later and FCPX Advanced is 1 month later that previous equivalent version on a program which has much fewer features.

Also the shelf life of FCPX are likely to be shorter given that typical time span between major FCS updates was around 2 years. FCPX updates periods are likely to be shorter and more piecemeal. If anything one would want to rush FCPX books out because they may be dates in under six months.

And you mention the Brenneis book being late as well.
Rick Young’s equivalent FCP7 book was December 2009. His FCPX books is a four month longer span from the release of the program.

All the FCPX books show a common pattern. The Advanced book being the shortest but the other are as much as several months later.

So what’s slowing down the entire publishing cycle of FCPX books for everyone?
If not impending software update then something else has slowed the publishing of all books, some significantly.

As an addendum, although maybe not relevant, while Apple has PDFs of the new Motion and Compressor, they still don’t have one for FCPX (although easy enough to create with the print command).

[Tom Wolsky]

These are entirely new books on entirely new software. All previous books were rewrites.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

[Tom Wolsky] “These are entirely new books on entirely new software. All previous books were rewrites.”

But this didn’t cause a major change in the release for the video tutorials. Although those authors did have an advance. look. Even Mark Spencer’s Motion 5 book is much later than his Motion 4 book.

[Tom Wolsky]

Video tutorials are easy in comparison to book production. I don’t think you appreciate how many people are involved in book publication and how complex publishing is, though much of it is self-inflicted by the publishers, big companies driven by multiple layers of committees.

Steve and Mark produce their own stuff. They had beta releases of the software after the showing in Cupertino in February. Pre-release versions after NAB. Same with Larry Jordan. Same with the other Peachpit authors. For book publication that’s not much lead time. In fact it’s quite remarkable that Diana got her book out on a wholly new piece of software so quickly.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

This would be a serious problems especially for Peachpit if their “official” Apple FCP series were dated as soon as they were released, if a major FCPX update does happen. As it is, the shelf life is going to be shorter since I don’t think anyone expects a near two year wait for a single major FCPX update that used to happen with the FCS/FCP releasees.

BTW I spent about six years doing the marketing videos for DoubleDay/Anchor in the ’90s although these weren’t tech books. I am aware of the book publishing process generally.

[Ian Bailey]

I’ve been keeping an eye on the Weynand book release date thinking it might be delayed, but in the UK it’s supposedly available from tomorrow:
https://amzn.to/r7Mrzp

[Craig Seeman]

Interesting. Amazon US still says Oct 10
Peachpit has Sep 30 for both print and eBook.
Another interesting thing to note is that both Amazon sites have it listed as 600 pages but Peachpit has 544.

[Tom Wolsky]

I think it’s going to come in at under 500 unless that includes legal, filler, glossary, and index.

The Amazon number is still the pre-release number. Amazon puts up what the publisher puts out and it’s very slow.

I had an FCE5 book on Amazon for a long time in pre-release. Guess that’s not going to happen.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Chris Harlan]

[Craig Seeman] “I can’t help but believe they are expecting noteworthy changes in FCPX before then.
“

As weeks become months and summer becomes fall, ever the optimist, you read book leaves as if they were tea leaves, and look to October. You have a tenacious faith. Hey, I hope you are right.