Breaking News – Don Danneberg Is NOT Dead.

I love when stories get a life, and in this case a death of their own. If you read the story and comments from yesterday you will see that at some point, some person tried to sell one of Don’s amazing books for $1,700 by telling the buyer that Don had died. Which of course is news to us, and even more importantly news to Don. Who is very much alive, and a little ticked that his book can’t be republished because the rights to the digital version are holding it all up.Here is Don’s comment. Or was it Don?

Don Danenberg

I’m sorry about what happened to my books, the publisher refuses to release the rights back to me as long as they can still sell the digital version, which costs them nothing to ‘print’.
I lost my shirt on those books anyway, over 20,000 sold, and MBI took 92% of the profit off the top. I got $1.10 per book royalty, less than it cost to write and photograph. I should have had a lawyer, rather than trust my ability to understand their fine print?

I intend to write more books, now that I have finally retired from running the shop, but this may take a year or two? I have also been advised of a new way to publish them. I have new publishing software and have purchased a license for ‘Danenberg Publishing’ and Ten (10) ISBN numbers for the books.
Once I write them, I can send the digital info to a POD (Print On Demand) printer and they can print them (so I’m told) in any quantity I ask for (larger quantity – lower price ea.) so they no longer have to be 5,000 copies per printing, and I do NOT have that kind of money anyway.
I wrote my first book in 1996 and for 5-years Classic Boating magazine split the chapters up into magazine articles, starting in Mar-’97. In 2000, MBI wrote and said ‘we can make a book of these’, I said ‘Ya think so?”.
Anyway, what I’m hoping for is the same format of glossy-page (enough to wipe 5200 and other products from), SHOP book, for hopefully near the same $29.95 range?

As for the 2018 Port Huron International show, I was there with two 19-ft barrelbacks, my last two projects before retiring to write books. The 1939 (38) #48510 “Pure Grain” won Platinum for ‘Best Runabout Preserved’ and the 1942 #48908 “Bad Behaviors” won Platinum for “Best Runabout Restored”. How’s that for going out with a bang?

As far of price of the existing books (Not in MY pocket)?
A guy called me and said “You’ve GOT to hear this.., I found your first book on eBay and the guy asked $1,700 !! When I asked WHY, he said ‘Because they are out of print….. and Danenberg is DEAD” !!”

Oh yeah?

Regardless of the book, what is wonderful news is that the man, the brain and asset to our culture is still going like a Timex! So we can now all go back to bitching and kvetching about awards. oh wait, that’s tomorrows story. Don is alive and that we can all agree on is a good thing. Best comment yesterday was MikeM who did express his sympathy’s to Don. Sorry For Your Loss. Dang! Rough crowd. But had Don and I in stitches all day!  YOU CAN VISIT DON’S WEBSITE HERE, It’s also not dead!

20 replies
  1. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    Are we absolutely certain Don is NOT dead? Perhaps he is attending boat shows and posting on the interwebs as a high functioning corpse.

  2. Rick
    Rick says:

    If he has some copies at home he should sign them. If an unsigned book can go for $1700 he should be able to recoup some money for a signed one. $2000? Market it as being signed post posthumously.

  3. Phil
    Phil says:

    Hey, the Geneva Lake Show is this weekend!
    Maybe Don can make a ghostly appearance, restoration tips from the great beyond.

    • Brandon W
      Brandon W says:

      I can already envision it–“How to Restore Your Life Vol 2″…but wait, if you order in the next 15mins you’ll receive Don’s ultimate complete guide: “What Wood Don Do?”.

  4. rob
    rob says:

    I find it shocking and delightful that the front page sports story is about soccer. Maybe there is hope for you guys yet.

  5. Russ
    Russ says:

    While I am certain everyone reading this blog is aware, Don’s site is exceptional! The people reading his forum and Don in particular have been instrumental in helping with my restoration project. Best for many more “trips around the sun”.

  6. don danenberg
    don danenberg says:

    Actually, that was a sample of reproduction leather I was having made for a 1931 CC Triple. I brought it to a number of shows to hopefully compare against any original?

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