NEWSLETTER NO. 3 OF 2007
AXIS OF EVIL MAPPING NEWSLETTER # 3: March and April, 2007
The Axis of Evil Mapping Newsletter is released irregularly. Any opinions expressed are strictly those of myself and are not intended to provoke anything more than the intellect.
INTRODUCTION
We enjoyed our recent trip to Austria, although all we saw was Salzburg and that only at night, as we were working the IMTA trade show during the day, committing six maps for printing and commissioning three new titles. I didn’t realize until this trip that the northern boundary of the city is also the Austrian border with Germany. We also spent a week in Egypt, researching our forthcoming map of that country. I think Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings and its temple complexes, would be an excellent future locale for an IMTA conference.
Lan flew off to Hanoi shortly after we returned from Europe/Africa, where pressing business matters necessitated a trip, while I held down the fort here.
We are now both in Britain (specifically, Jersey) preparing for the London Book Fair. LBF is being held in historic Earl’s Court for the first time and, as a bonus for us, is not being held in the dead of winter. We look forward to meeting with as many of our friends and colleagues as we can during this busy show.
Immediately following LBF, we will be attending another trade show in Royal Leamington Spa – the Rhodesian Study Circle’s annual philatelic conference. We will then be visiting the Isle of Man.
ITMB TITLES LOW ON STOCK AND BEING UPDATED
At the moment, we are fully occupied with updating titles, and preparing for another onslaught of brand new titles to overwhelm an unsuspecting world. I’m pleased that our product line is successful, but I do wish that we could avoid having five titles run out of inventory within a few days of each other. One updating exercise can take us a month, so having five to do at the same time really stretches our resources to the limit.
Mali is out of print. A new edition is at press for release in late April or early May.
Mauritania is out of print. A new edition is at press for release in late April or early May.
Mexico Central Region is out of print. A new edition is being prepared, hopefully for late April.
Mexico Pacific Coast is out of print. A new edition is almost complete, and stock is expected in May.
Morocco is out of print. A new edition is at press and should be available in late April or early May.
New Zealand (hard cover) is getting low in inventory. We are preparing new artwork for a brand new map of New Zealand, for release during summer.
Nicaragua is out of print. A new edition is at press and expected in sometime in April.
Nigeria is out of print. A new edition is at press and is expected sometime in April.
Oman/UAE is out of print. A new edition is at press and expected sometime in April.
Prairie Provinces (Canada) is out of print and has been discontinued as a title.
Puerto Rico is now out of print until a new edition can be updated and printed. No ETA at the moment.
Queen Charlotte Islands is running low on inventory. A new edition is being prepared.
Russia is very low in copies. We have not yet had time to complete an update.
Seoul, as a separate title, is still available. We found two boxes in our warehouse. Hooray!
WHAT ARE WE CLOSE TO COMPLETING?
In addition to the artwork noted above, we are moving ahead on several brand new titles. We have already completed sixteen projects in 2007, and have eight more at press and 21 in various stages of progress. At the moment, we have 281 titles in print, and expect to break 300 before the end of the year. We launched Israel/Palestine in Salzburg, as well as Madagascar, which arrived in our warehouse two hours before our flight to Frankfurt left. By the time we returned two weeks later, Tonga and Uganda were ready to be introduced.
Chile is on hold until current updating projects noted above are off to the printers. Sorry for the delay.
Croatia is in final checking stage and revision. It is also on hold until we complete several urgent updates.
Europe Road Map ishould be printed in May, for a June release.
Germany North and Germany South should be ready for printing in April, for release in late May.
Lombardy is being developed, for release in the spring, no ETA at the moment.
Samoa/American Samoa is at editorial checking stage. No release date is known at the moment.
Sweden is delayed slightly, and will not be available before May at the earliest.
Umbria and Marche is being printed, for release in May.
Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia Regional Map is out of print. A new edition has been prepared for release in late April.
FORTHCOMING TRADE SHOWS
London Book Fair, Earl’s Court, London April, 16-18 2007, Stand J920 Lan and I will be exhibiting our latest releases at this important book fair, in a stand in the travel section of the largest English-language publications fair ever held in Europe. This year, for the first time, it will be held in Earl’s Court in central London, on a direct tube line from Heathrow, and with easy connections to all parts of London. Hope to see you there!
BookExpo USA New York City (Jacob Javitts Centre, central Manhattan) June 1-3, 2007 Stand 4411 – Again, Lan and I will be at stand 4411 in the travel section throughout this important book fair. We have spare space for rent if any IMTA member wishes to display at BEA affordably.
IMTA Philadelphia, September 23-25 – Yes, we will be exhibiting at this trade show.
Frankfurt Book Fair, early October. – Yes, we will be exhibiting at this very important trade show.
IMTA Gold Coast, Australia, November – At this point, I’ll say that we hope to be present.
GOOD STAFF ARE HARD TO FIND (or how do your staff compare?)
We have experienced some difficulties hiring staff to work in our retail department in Vancouver over the past six months. Perhaps some of you have similar experiences to our situation, but I doubt it! Our first case was a street person we hired last fall. This person exhibited strong anti-social behaviour, extreme negativism, racist tendencies, and a generally unhealthy attitude. We finally had to ask him to leave. Our second trial hiring ended suddenly after two weeks due to numerous errors in orders being sent out. His replacement had to leave in less than two weeks when he making sexually negative comments about a fellow staff person. A fourth new staff member, hired in December, had to be let go fairly rapidly within a three weeks of being hired when he started exhibiting bizarre mood changes and shouting at customers. Another person, hired early this year, turned out to be a raging alcoholic and drug abuser with a huge chip on his shoulder. He walked out without notice just after being formally cautioned for unacceptable behaviour (drinking an entire bottle of Tequila while working, in the store, in front of customers). The next person could not seem to understand why he had to be at work on time or why he couldn’t leave early and still claim pay as if he were here. He also couldn’t understand why he couldn’t download potentially virus-ridden games software on to our network system or read a newspaper during working hours. He lasted one pay period. Now we’ve had yet a further example. The person who started work on Thursday quit after an hour, saying he couldn’t remember the training instructions related to picking a topographic map order.
It is scary to realize that there are so many people with severe mental and emotional problems walking around. One of these former short-term employees has apparently focused his anger and frustration at ‘life’ and his miserable self-destruction on ITMB and on myself as owner. Fortunately, his ability to harm us is limited, but he has been able to damage our e-commerce shop, which has forced us to take it off line for the moment. I’m actually not very upset by this. Our web shop was designed five years ago, and has been breaking down regularly and can no longer be upgraded. We were planning on replacing it this summer anyway. So, for the short term, we are accepting orders by phone, fax, or email, but not through the web. So, have you had problems with new staff?
Now, I hasten to add that ITMB has an excellent reputation for training and retaining staff, and we have also hired some excellent staff over the past six month period. Iain, Laurent, and Norm are doing very well in retail, and Laura and Chris in production. Of particular note, my son Graeme has been instrumental in identifying a bad employee through his superior skills with computers. He has also been a stabilizing influence in the store for the other staff and is working hard to improve store security. These people are all doing sterling work and are much appreciated.
NEW TITLES RECENTLY RELEASED
Budapest ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2007 1:10,000 ISBN 9781553416104 $10.95cdn/8.95us/E7.95 – I know, we aren’t the first firm in the world to publish a map of Hungary’s capital city! What can I say? Romantic Buda-Pest, with its wonderful architecture, the blue Danube flowing through it, a city of culture and history and a World Heritage Area, is a world treasure. The world needs a better map of this wonderful city, and ITMB has provided it. The map shows both Buda and Pest to good advantage, particularly the Buda castle district and the Andrassy Avenue area. Printed on paper, single-sided, indexed. AVAILABLE
China Travel Reference Map 6th Ed. 2007 1:3,800,000 ISBN 9781553411680 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95 – There is no question that China is a ‘hot’ travel destination. The country is not only popular, it is changing rapidly, and this update, even though it follows the 5th Ed. by less than a year, has significant changes to it. China’s new motorway construction program is not only astounding in its scope, but is being pieced together rapidly. We have also made some style changes and replaced the cover with a new picture; printed on paper, double-sided, indexed, with and inset of central Beijing. AVAILABLE
Fraser Valley and Vancouver Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 1:250,000/50,000 ISBN 9781553419822 $8.95cdn/us/E – This is a tough map to classify, but an important map for local users. ITMB used to have a recreational map at a different scale called Fraser Valley, but this is our first attempt at covering the entire valley, so it is legitimately a completely new, first edition map. However, the second side is our Greater Vancouver map in its fifth edition. Confused? The Fraser Valley has Vancouver at its western end, from the ocean to Langley. That is one side and needs to be shown in greater detail due to the urban nature of most of that portion. The other side is Vancouver’s recreational hinterland – north to Whistler, east through the Chilliwack Valley to the ski and hiking heartland of Manning Provincial Park, north through the historic Fraser Canyon to Boston Bar and along the Coquihalla to Merritt. This is essentially a recreational map for local residents; it won’t have much appeal internationally. The map has an excellent inset map of Whistler Village, but its primary purpose is to show hiking areas, camp grounds, forest roads, wilderness areas, glaciers, and lakes within easy reach of Vancouver. Printed on paper, double-sided, indexed. AVAILABLE
Israel and Palestine Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 1st Ed. 2007 1:225,000 ISBN 9781553412571 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95 – ITMB is very pleased to announce the release of one of the most important maps that we have created, and one that has been twelve years in the making. The entire issue of the Middle East is a minefield of vested interest groups, and controversy, and I am sure that some will take issue with our double-sided cover of an Israeli orthodox Jew on one side and a proud Palestinian on the other – but this is exactly the reality of Israel and Palestine; printed on paper, double-sided, indexed. AVAILABLE
Madagascar Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2007 1:1,650,000 ISBN 9781553413066 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95 – Our most recent African release is of the fabled island republic off the eastern coast of southern Africa. ITMB’s third edition of Madagascar has our new cover design, updated road information, and more pictures; printed on paper, single-sided. AVAILABLE
Mauritania – being printed, due in April
Morocco – being printed, due in April
Nigeria – being printed, due in April
Oman/ UAE – being printed, due in April
Piedmont and Liguria Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553415770 $12.95cdn/10.95us/E8.95 – Italy is a fascinating country, one of my favourite places to visit. It is also densely populated and, although ITMB publishes a map of Italy as a country, and two maps covering North/Central and South Italy, the road network is so dense and the villages so numerous that it is easier to find one’s way with a very detailed map. ITMB has already published a very good map of Tuscany; we now are pleased to release the second detailed sectional map of Italy, covering the northern provinces of Piedmont and Liguria with the same care and attention to detail that has made Tuscany so popular. This map covers from the Swiss border in the north to the Mediterranean, and from the French border east to past Milan; printed on paper, double-sided. AVAILABLE
Tonga Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 scale varies from island to island, ISBN 9781553414346 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95 – ITMB is very pleased to introduce a map of the lovely Kingdom of the Tongan Islands, our most recent South Pacific title and the first time that a map of Tonga has been published commercially. Tonga is the Pacific’s only kingdom and is situated between Fiji and Samoa, north-east of New Zealand The ‘Friendly Islands’ archipelago consists of five island groups and 171 islands, most of which are uninhabited. The 100,000 people live mostly on Tongatapu Island. The map contains detailed maps of each major island and includes touristic information and hotels. An inset of the capital, Nuku Alofa, is included; printed on paper, single-sided. AVAILABLE
Uganda Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2007 1:800,000 ISBN 9781553414452 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95 – The emerald green landscape of lovely Uganda continues to be popular with visitors from around the world, and ITMB is pleased to be releasing its latest updated map of one of the real treats of the African continent. The map has a new inset map of Kampala, a new cover design, and modest updating of information; printed on paper, single-sided. AVAILABLE
TITLES RELEASED TO DATE IN 2007
Alaska Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553419020
Alps Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2006 ISBN 9781553410591
Australia Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553411192
Baltic States Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2006 ISBN 9781553410607
Belgium/Luxembourg Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2006 ISBN 9781553411321
Burundi Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. – see Rwanda and Burundi Map
Colombia Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553411727
Dominican Republic (&Haiti) Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553411918
Ecuador Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553411949
England (& Wales) Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553415824
Haiti Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. – see Dominican Republic and Haiti Map
Hanoi and North East Vietnam Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553416401
Helsinki ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553416418
Japan Travel Reference Map 6th Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553412663
Lesotho Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553412953
Mekong Delta/Southern Vietnam Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553415879
Myanmar (Burma) Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553411536
North Korea Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553412755
Palestine (and Israel) Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 – see Israel
Riga ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553416937
Rwanda Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553413806
Slovakia Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2006 ISBN 9781553413998
South Korea/Seoul Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553412786
Stockholm ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553417064
Switzerland Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2006 ISBN 9781553414216
Sydney ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553417101
Vancouver ITM City Map 5th Ed. 2007 ISBN 9781553417118
Wales (& England) Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2007 – see England