Len Fehskens wrote:

>The only thing that will fix this problem (short of changing the tax laws,
>which seems unlikely) is "publishing on demand", for which the technology
>seems almost ready.

Actually we considered that, however it seem to mean that we had to issue
our stuff on CDR's which may not last as long.  Unfortunately much of our
cost is in the printing.

However that would be viable if the manufacturer (record company) were also
the vendor...which is how one company (Dell Computers) here in Austin,
seems to work.

It is interesting to see how different record companies manage.  I
correspond with several other guys with their own labels.  One has a fine
web site but won't sell to individuals.  Another one lists only on the
WEB and will only sell to a distributor...they seek him out...he produces
recordings of experimental music both pop and what we used to call avant
garde.  Everyone seems to go their own way.  I know of at least one record
dealer who does his own one offs of things...but I don't know he is paying
for rights.  The minimum license for mechanical rights is for 500 copies.
I don't know how that would work for the other costs, musician's fees etc.

I would be curious to hear thoughts of how on demand could work for a
record company.

Karl