[TimShelbourne]

Hi all,
Apologies for not having posted for so long, but life has been as mad as a box of frogs just lately. I'm happy to say that my first book, Photoshop Photo Effects Cookbook has finally been published, and the reaction to it seems very favorable. I have been lurking in the forum, just had no time to post.
I have an idea for a project I plan to get underway pretty soon, and just wanted some feedback on the idea. I hasten to add that this is not an attempt at a it of cheap advertising (you'll notice that there are no direct URL's, I'd just really value your opinions.
I’m in the very late stages of planning an online e-book or magazine called Photoshop Route Map.
The Photoshop Route Map, will be an interactive PDF based e-book which I intend to publish as a part work at two weekly intervals. Visitors to the Route Map website will have the opportunity to download the current issue of the e-book, or sign up for a complete subscription, enabling them to automatically download all of the isuues within the series.
The complete e-book will represent an entire course in using Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop, literally from installing it to creating full-blown digital creations, art effects, photo-montages etc. From the very start it will cover how to use each tool in Elements, exactly what each tool does, and as the series progresses it will teach how to use these tools and techniques to create full-blown digital works of art. Detailed step-by-step tutorials will be included in the fortnightly issues and each interactive PDF will feature embedded movie tutorials which you’ll be able to view on your own PC. You’ll also be able to print out each issue on your printer. I would be looking at a charge of approximately £2.50 per issue, or a substantially reduced price for anyone wishing to take out a subscription.
The inspiration for publishing this e-book comes from my feeling that Photoshop Elements is so often regarded as the “poor relation” of Photoshop proper, and I really think that there is call for a book that shows that this is really not the case, and that Elements can be used for equally advanced techniques and effects. To my mind, there are very few thing that can be done in Photoshop that can’t be done in Elements!
So (you’re no doubt asking!), why haven’t I gone to a publisher with this book? Simple, I’ve thus far written two books, and I have been longing to write an Elements book which is not limited by a publishers requirements, essentially one that’s written “my way”. I learnt digital imaging from the ground up, and I really want to write a book which shows people how to use Elements in an intuitive way, without all of the “fluff” in the middle. I guess it’s Photoshop Elements the way I did it!
The individual issues of the e-book will be downloadable from a website, where there’ll also be a users Forum, where readers and subscribers can swap ideas and problems, and where I’ll be on hand to answer any queries.
So, what do you think? I’d really like honest opinions here. You’re welcome to either email me privately, or post into the thread on the forum.
Cheers,
Tim Shelbourne.

[Janet Petty]

What do I think? I think go for it!!!

I teach a very beginning Photoshop class and usually learn within the first two hours of the class that most of the students are Elements users and that my class is the only place they can go to learn the essentials. Since my class is Photoshop and there is some disparity between the two programs (even though they can do a lot of the same things), I see a lot of confusion and discouragement as students try to make the change between the two programs.

With a place like yours and Richard Lynch's book to help Elements users along, these people would be in an element (pardon the pun) where they could be more comfortable in learning.

My $.02 worth,

Janet

P.S. On a personal note, thank you for use of the tutorial in my class. I had one student afterward who stated that was what he really wanted to learn.