ABBA blog

Last updated 16 August 2024

This page aims to collect all the relevant up-to-date information on my book ABBA On Record – Packaged Promoted Reviewed. When I have new information to share, this page will be updated. Important updates will also be announced in my social media channels and in my newsletter.

SUMMARY OF THE MUST IMPORTANT POINTS

● You may order ABBA On Record at abbaonrecord.com.

● The signing of 1,500 books that were pre-ordered before 22 October 2023 has now been completed.

● The Big Shipping of the book from Sweden for everyone who pre-ordered no later than 28 February 2024 takes place 11–15 March.

● Orders placed after 28 February 2024 will be shipped as soon as possible, but this may be after 15 March.

● The books will be wrapped in bubble wrap and then packed in sturdy cardboard packaging.

● Deliveries outside Sweden will be handled by UPS.

● I am unable to tell you exactly what day your copy ships or when you will receive it, but I expect everyone who pre-ordered should be in possession of their copies within a couple of weeks. If you're in continental Europe, probably sooner than that. If you're wondering where your book is, please be patient until 25 March.

● The ebook has been delayed from its previously announced publication date of 18 March 2024. There have been technical issues that need to be resolved, but we're hoping to deliver no later than 31 March 2024. The ebook will be delivered in two formats: PDF and ePub. Mobi will not be delivered as this format is now outdated, and Kindle readers can handle ePub files. More information in this ebook document.

THE PERKS FOR THOSE WHO PRE-ORDERED BEFORE 22 OCTOBER 2023
[Please visit abbaonrecord.com for more details about prices and packages, and to place your order.]

If you pre-ordered the book between 5 April 2019 and 31 October 2021: Your name is printed in the book as a pre-order contributor and your copy of the book has been signed by me, with a personal dedication (for example, "To John" and my signature).

If you pre ordered the book between 1 November 2021 and 21 October 2023: Your book has been signed by me, with a personal dedication (for example, "To John" and my signature).

Copies of ABBA On Record bought after 21 October 2023 will not be signed for as long as this edition remains in print.

I have all the orders made from 2019 until the present on file. No further instructions are needed, but do let me know if your address has changed since you placed your order.

PROJECT BACKGROUND
ABBA On Record started out as a companion volume to the 2017 book ABBA - The Complete Recording Sessions (revised and expanded edition). I began accepting pre-orders for this new book in April 2019, at which time I anticipated that it would be finished within a year or so. But then I realised that the story was much bigger than I had originally thought and, so, the project grew and resulted in an endless series of delays.

This has been the most painful part for me, as accepting pre-orders for a book and then not delivering as promised goes against every fibre of my being. While I'm very grateful that the overwhelming majority of people who have pre-ordered have been understanding, and insisted that they'd rather wait for a potentially great book than take delivery of a merely adequate one, I have not taken the delays lightly.

A further complication occurred when it transpired that ABBA were about to release a new album. I had originally intended to include an appendix about the two new songs that were announced in 2018, but when the Voyage album was announced in September 2021, I felt that I must include the story of the entire album, recording-sessions-style, in the book. Needless to say, this caused further delays in the writing of the book.

The book is now, finally, finished and shipped in mid-March 2024. To everyone who has pre-ordered ABBA On Record: my heartfelt thanks go out to you for your extraordinary patience.

WHAT ARE THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK?
A summary of what the book is about is available on the main page about the book on this website.

A description of a typical chapter is available in a blog post from October 2021.

There is a page of blog posts about the contents of the book, where you can find more detailed information.

WHEN WILL THE PDF APPENDICES BE MADE AVAILABLE?
I don't have a publication date for the PDF of the appendices I had to remove from the book for space reasons (The Music That Inspired Them, What Is A Schlager? and the Lyrics Sentiment Analysis). They will be delivered later in 2024 or early 2025.

WHY IS THE BOOK SELF-PUBLISHED?
ABBA On Record is a "special interest" title. While it's not impossible that a publisher would be interested in publishing it, sales expectations would be relatively low. This in turn means that very little money would trickle through to the author, and so, it would be impossible for me to stay afloat while researching and writing the book. However, by cutting out as many middlemen as possible, I can make it work. This is not a complaint towards any publishers I have worked with over the years – it's just the reality of the book business.

WHY IS THE BOOK SO EXPENSIVE?
The answer to this question is quite complex, but here's an attempt at a relatively brief explanation. A book like ABBA On Record will only have a limited readership. This has nothing to do with the quality of its contents, but is simply how things are: a certain kind of passion for the history of ABBA is required and the overwhelming majority of ABBA fans does not have this passion. This means that it's not possible to sell many copies of a book like ABBA On Record. Yet, the book requires a lot of research, which takes time and is also sometimes quite costly, as it requires trips (both within Sweden and abroad). I, as the writer, need to survive while I'm researching and writing the book, and dealing with all the other things related to its production and distribution. To put it succinctly, the book would not exist if I didn't charge a price that reflects the cost of producing it.

WHERE CAN I ORDER ABBA ON RECORD?
Please place your order at abbaonrecord.com.