Imagined Feelings at the Second Ballot Results

Something to distract us from the slow-news-period :) Without naming any titles, how would the potential results make you feel?

I am rooting for 4 titles, and would be almost equally happy if any one of them wins.

I’m okay with, though not horribly excited about a further 3 titles.

I am really hoping that the last 2 titles on my list do not win… as I have zero interest in the subject matter, and it will be a tough choice justifying spending any money on them in order to preserve the membership.

How is it for you?

There are six titles I would be quite content with, and specifically four of them I would be especially thrilled to see as the final pick. The remaining three I have low interest in, but are also the ones I suspect will be the top vote-getters. I'm almost always on the opposite end of the spectrum from the majority when these kinds of votes take place.

>1 BorisG: I have a definite favorite, and a close second.

There’s only one proposal that’s a “no” for me though, and two others that, similarly, I’m not particularly interested in the texts but would likely still order.

I'm not voting in what I personally call the "same old Consensus" Press. If I'm not purchasing, I don't feel I should participate in selecting the title or its design. There are two titles my FOMO might give a little thought to purchasing if they won but they are also ones I don't think will win, so I guess I'll be out in one book. But I love the idea of the press and wish it all the success in the world.

I'll know I burned and banned books in a previous life if my book karma manifests with the next book being something I would love to have and won't be able to. But such is the reading life.

I honestly don't care that much about which proposal is elected. I'm really excited for the Consensus Press process itself, so for me the proposal is beside the point. Therefore, I'd probably prefer to see one of the more feasible proposals elected. I'm very interested in seeing whether the consensus process leads members to embrace the outcome despite their personal preference for it. For example, I'll be curious to know what percentage of members who (A) voted "No" on the elected proposal in the first round and (B) ranked the elected proposal near the bottom, follow through and order the edition.

One thing to note which hasn't been brought up:

If the elected proposal is one of the three that require copyright for the text itself (the Canticles and Algernon ), the runner-up proposal, per the Consensus Press rules, will still have a decent shot.

If the selected proposal proves impossible, then the runner-up will be pursued instead.

>6 grifgon: I’m curious, does that extend to the runner-up only, or would you just keep working down the list if #2 proved impossible as well?

>7 NathanOv: I have to think if they can't do the impossible for the first pick, they wouldn't for any other that proved so. :)

It does lead to an interesting possible situation, though. What if the titles mentioned are the top three picks, and all prove unworkable? The winner could in theory be the fourth-place pick. This is akin to an athlete not medaling at the Olympics but still winning the event because the other three dropped dead on the podium.

>8 Shadekeep: It's possible, especially considering that two proposals share the same copyright, but seems unlikely.

The interesting question is this: If the elected proposal proves impossible because the membership doesn't order it in sufficient numbers to make the financing work, then does the runner-up proposal get a shot? Or does the Consensus Press experiment simply fail at that point?

>8 Shadekeep: “This is akin to an athlete not medaling at the Olympics but still winning the event because the other three dropped dead on the podium.”

Haha… check what happened in the 2002 Olympics Short Track event with Steven Bradbury 😄

>9 grifgon: Now that's an interesting quandary. My assumption was all-or-nothing - the winner gets funded or nothing happens. Some folks might cavil at grubby money affecting the outcome, though personally I'd like to see something get made. Still, if the top vote-getter can't get enough buyers, probably nothing else will either. The only way I see it being excluded by price is by being an inordinately expensive tome, and the alternate being affordable enough that the same number (or fewer) of buyers could sustain it.

>10 Dr.Fiddy: That's kind of heartwarming. And if someone gets their proposal made because all eight others prove unworkable, good on them. 😁

I'm strongly rooting for 4 of the titles but will almost certainly purchase whichever book is chosen.

>9 grifgon: Perhaps it should take the 3 strikes and you're out rule - if the top 3 choices fail for that reason, then CP fails and the endeavor is dissolved.

>8 Shadekeep: >9 grifgon: Right, my question was intended to be “Do we automatically keep moving down the list to the first feasible title, or if the runner up is also impossible do we go back to a vote / not proceed / some other situation?”

If I’m understanding you correctly though >9 grifgon:, it sounds like we’d still move ahead with the 3rd or 4th place title in that scenario, but enough members would still of course have to order.

I’m on board with Consensus Press regardless of the winner. I want to support and be a part of the experiment. That said, there are two proposals that I am hoping are not the final choice; however, I would still purchase and support the project. I would be content with any of the other seven titles, particularly my top three, but I don’t have a clear front runner.

Entirely unfounded speculation, but my intuition is telling me that final voting will show a strong risk aversion from members…

Potentially due to the board commentary that sets the stage for the proposal, or due to the fact that most members wouldn’t explicitly “want” the winner (no proposal received a majority yes), and don’t want to lose membership. That means that the cheapest most feasible proposals will win out.

I’m entirely biased (my proposal was expensive), but if so, I’ll be a little saddened given all the time and energy involved in the CP process… and the amount of established fine presses already available… it feels like we should swing-for-the-fences. Even if that makes the venture a bit more risky.

Either way excited to see the results, and enjoying the community/process!