Publishing With Hybrid Publishing Companies

So even Tarzan wants to publish a book? Well, everybody - or nearly everybody - is writing and writing or dreaming of doing just that. Some even have high hopes of turning their writings into a new career, but that part of their dreams may prove more difficult than they imagined, even for good authors. A truth that's not even news as it always has been that way, just think of e.g. Jane Austin and Mary Shelley who had to pay their way into the business and who didn't make much money out of it even though they wrote what has become classics.

Mary Shelley

These day one of the roads toward the status of "published writer" is what is called "the hybrid press". It's my impression that many authors who believe in their art are willing to pay some of the costs of publishing although that system seems to belong to an earlier time period. Modern times ideal has been the traditional publishing, and that's what the hybrid publishing resembles, but isn't. Traditional publishers live by the SALE of books which is what gives them their revenue, but the hybrids live by the authors paying them and, in some cases, the funds of some foundations which were set up to support art and literature. It goes without saying that the main purpose of publishing for publishers is to earn money and keep it without having to spend it on e.g. their clients: The authors. As the revenue for hybrid publishing companies isn't entirely tied up with sale, but with funds and the more or less substantial fees from authors they may skip what's one of the most important part of the deal for the authors: PR. 

The author, up on a cloud, may be dreaming of that new career as a published writer which is what he/she wants the most. I think that's the main reason why people may, sort of, overlook the real substance of the contracts with these publishers. Having published with traditional publishers one takes for granted that sale of one's book is the main point for the hybrids, but no, it's not. To keep what fees and funds they've got is what it's about so they feel free to e.g. state some of their most important obligations as "PR as planned by publisher" which in some cases means none at all. In my opinion that spells CHEATING! Both The Independent Book Publishers Association and The Society of Authors and the Writers Guild of Great Britain have tried to curb the most scandalous of the hybrid publishers, but seemingly without success. - By the way, as far as I can see, right now we only have one hybrid publishing company in Denmark, namely Mellemgård which always seems to be the focus of angry and unsatisfied clients ....

It's confusing that some/most of these new publishing companies doesn't even identify as "either-or" set-ups because the borders of each type are wavering. Hybrid publishing in many ways looks like traditional publishing, but is anything but. In other ways it looks like self-publishing with a twist. Right now the publishing industry is very confusing and I fear that it shall get worse in the future as it's not regulated and the offers by the companies aren't transparent. One may sign up for something which turns out to be very different from what it looks like to newbie authors ....

 

Wikipedia

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/337548986330055/permalink/481565705261715/ 

 

https://www.austinmacauley.com/about-us 

 

https://janeyburton.com/self-publishing-hybrid-vanity-a-simple-guide/ 

 

https://jerichowriters.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-hybrid-publishing/ 

 

https://www.authorimprints.com/hybrid-publishing-self-publishing-definition/ 

 

The Chaotic World of Publishing

OK, someone wants to become a writer, but what starts at the computer has to venture into the publishing world and that gives rise to some serious questions of HOW and WHERE. As far as I can see right now there are only two main roads to publishing one's works, but I hope that in time we shall get some more - and easier as well as worth-while passages - into publishing. 

I was brought up with the so-called "traditional publishing" that went by the same rules with all the publishing houses I worked with: One wrote a script, had it accepted, signed a contract, had a sum for one's script, and then waited for the day the book was published. It went like clockwork, in an orderly manner: Both the author and the publishers knew what was expected of them and did what was necessary, also when it came to PR. This process of this kind of publishing held some not-so-pleasant possibilities of e.g. rejections, (severe) criticism, rewrites, etc. because it was based on co-operations with the staff of the publishers. Or put another way: One may have ideas, but some of them may be rejected by what actually becomes one's boss, namely the publisher. On the other hand, look on some of the bright sides of traditional publishing: One's book may become noticed by "The literary world", one may even win prizes and gain fame as what is called a "Serious or Genuine Writer". Also one may earn more money as books which were published by reputable publishers enter the shelves of bookstores, may be turned into a movie, etc., etc.. However, there is a drawback as it seems that one can't get into traditional publishing without an agent ....

Self-publishing offers some traits that's very alluring to the writer who likes to work on his/her own: He or she decides the plot, the cover, etc. with no interference from a publisher. However, the literary world as such doesn't hold self-published authors in high esteem. Also, these books tend  not to sell very well, no matter what literary qualities they may hold. As it is, with time this special way of publishing has sort of split up into a kind of hybrid of traditional publishing, which in a way pretends to be self-publishing: "Vanity Presses". They are run by special publishing houses which somehow have gained hold of writers who, more or less, have to do the work of what used to be done by traditional publishers. Not only do they have to toil with e.g. PR, but they also have to pay to get their books out. Actually, they may have to pay for the entire process without any guarantee of earnings. Right now there are quite a lot of these "Vanity Presses" which succeed in bleeding writers where they should be the ones who paid them. Obviously, this is not the best of times for writers, beset by "leeches" as they are, but what other ways of publishing are there? As far as I can see writers don't have other choices at the moment, but I'm sure that sooner or later they shall find some as they have to in order to keep doing what they want to do: To write ....

 

 

Bridal-Exploitation

An Indonesian man, AK, was very happy to find a beautiful and dutiful wife, Adinda Kanza, right after the Muslim doctrine of obedience, etc.. However, a short time after the wedding AK started to wonder at his bride. Presumably she was an orphan without any family, and she seemed to enjoy just staying at home without seeing anyone. However, poor AK found out that he had been duped, not by a woman, but by another man who pretended to be female. Their private life must have been quite special for this ruse to work and I for one don't understand why it took AK a couple of weeks to find out that his bride was a man. Didn't he know anything about the physical differences in men and women??? 

                      The true face of the bride, "Adinda"

After some time the Indonesian police found the presumably non-existing family of AK's "bride". They told how their son had started to behave in a strange manner, to wear women's clothes and act feminine. Was he gay or transgender? That has not been revealed as yet, but I take it that that may be the case. Well, also it all may have been for greed as "Adinda" had plans of seducing a man and steal his assets ....

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3263558/indonesian-man-discovers-woman-he-married-after-year-person-romance-was-man-trying-scam-him-money 

 

https://sc.mp/u5y4c?utm_source=copy-link&utm_campaign=3263558&utm_medium=share_widget 

 

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/after-12-days-of-marriage-indonesian-man-discovers-his-wife-is-actually-a-man-5761263

 

Male Sex-Slave

 

Was Pata Seca from Brazil a SEX MACHINE or a slave? Well, he was both, as he was a male slave breeder who was set to breed, breed and breed more slaves with female slaves: A stud, pampered and well-fed, as he bred his way in a society which exploited him and his offspring of more than 200 children. I'm sure something like this happened many different  places where there were slaves, but Pata Seca was special as he also was a freedom fighter. Much about his life has been lost, but at some point he got off the hook, married the lady of his heart and had nine kids by her.

 

Old Pata Seca, but still good-looking in his own way

For several hundred years Brazil was kept going by slaves and slavery. It's an astonishing fact that black-skinned people being brought from Africa were considered - and used - as slaves from the outset of landing in what we call "The New World". In Brazil slavery was the key to good economics.

One of the many granddaughters of Pata Seca

 

https://medium.com/@davidsehyeonbaek/pata-seca-a-black-slave-forced-to-father-children-with-enslaved-women-b3aac510fa42 

 

https://medium.com/@davidsehyeonbaek/pata-seca-a-black-slave-forced-to-father-children-with-enslaved-women-b3aac510fa42 

 

https://www.freepressjournal.in/ampstories/lifestyle/6-facts-about-pata-seca-the-man-who-had-more-than-200-children 

 

 

Eternal life-projects

 

Oh, the pleasures of all those new inventions - OOPS!!!!! Not all that nice when they sort of turn upon us, the users ....

That makes me think of all those scientists, dreamers or just very wealthy people who focus on the fight against that eternal foe of humankind: AGE, i.e. OLD AGE. I suppose that 90% or so of all humans want to fend off the attacks by that Grim Reaper we've learnt to fear: It may happen to others, but not to us ....

"Come on, you elusive key to Eternal Life, hands up and surrender to science!!"

Life extension is what a lot of people are after, and they use all kinds of ways to find the magic formula that will give them what they want. However, one ought to weigh the benefits of gaining more time against the hardships of the time one spends trying to do so. To focus on regaining one's youth and all those more or less fake "eternal life-projects" one must accept the loss of time doing just that. And then what if one wins the fight against old age and death? What is one to do with all that spared time? 

I think most of us will find that eternal life isn't all it's been said to be, and that now we have to fight another mighty foe: Boredom ....

 

Kill People Who Are Dependent On You???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After reading about Trumps alleged recent comments about the "better choice" of letting the disabled son of a nephew die I came to think of an age-old practice which has given rise to some gruesome legends in Japan: The Ubasute. According to history the practice of bringing aging or sick family members who were dependent on the care of younger and healthier relatives to a remote place and leave them to die there more than a legend: It did happen. Actually there are some instances of the practice being alive even today, for instance there is the case of Ritsuko Tanaka: She, who was 46 at the time, abandoned her demented father on an expressway and then went home on her own. When the old man was found walking around, very confused and unable to remember his name, he only knew the name of his daughter which led to her arrest.

Another more or less recent Japan instance was when 63 year old Katsuo Kurokawa took his elderly, disabled sister, Sachiko, to a remote place and left her because "she had become "troublesome". Presumably she died shortly afterwards.

It's easy to condemn a Japanese habit like e.g. Ubasute, but we shouldn't forget that something like it, targeting unwanted children, the disabled or the elderly, has existed in many different countries all over the world: Those who are dependent on us are burdensome when they become an obligation. If they are with people who love them they may be protected, but that doesn't make them less burdensome: The problem is there to be SOLVED, but isn't always ....

Recently a young, Canadian woman with a grave illness was denounced by a nurse for being "selfish" for wanting to stay alive and live her life as best she could. When seen from the outside she may not have had the sort of life that appealed to a healthy woman, but who is she to make a judgment of that sort??? Most likely the sick woman finds pleasure and happiness in some areas of life the nurse doesn't have eye for, but which may be just as fulfilling as her own pastimes. 

However, there is an interesting detail one shouldn't forget: Canada has an euthanasia program. Did the nurse try to convince the sick woman to commit assisted suicide? If so then the program has led to a morally slippery slope that may lead to many future atrocities ....

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13625001/disabled-woman-euthanasia-Canada-nurse-suicide.html?ito=social-reddit 

 

 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-abandoned-newborn-dumpster/story?id=112246025 

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/24/trump-nephew-book-disabled-son-die 

 

 

https://easysociology.com/sociology-of-culture/ubasute-in-japanese-culture/ 

 

 

Wikipedia

 

The Ear That Didn't Budge ....

Well, I admit that there is a THIN line up there that may be the naughty bullet that allegedly was aimed at former president, Donald Trump. As I - more or less - trust the judgement of SNOPES I can't just reject the photo as fake, but I still find it extremely hard to accept it as solid evidence. To me it looks made up or like a natural bird- or cloud-formation. In my opinion that turns the incident of the shooting into a maybe-event: Maybe it happened the way it has been stated - maybe not! .... That being said one has to look at the event from another angle: It happened at at time when Don the Con was pressed very hard by legal cases, new revelations of former crimes, and maybe also a lot of voters turning away from him. Things were not running as smoothly for him as they - in his opinion - ought to. In that situation an attempt at one's life may be a wonderful way of reviving the public (voter-)interest in a politician.  

 Putin is reputed to have resorted to fake murder attempts for PR-reasons

Others, before him, like e.g. Francois Mitterand (France), did too, for instance in 1959. That being said it's obvious that a presumptive murderer may serve a political purpose, especially if he both failed and died. There is NO ROOM for a live murderer in these cases .... 

 This murder is a good example of "the perfect political assassination": Jack Ruby Shoots Lee Harvey Oswald in1963

I see the tRump-incident as what I call a Kosta Fotopoulos-case: This greedy Greek had married a rich woman, but he loved her money more than her so he got a young, naive follower, 18-year old Bryan Chase, to shoot her for money. At the same moment he shot Bryan, thus getting rid of his wife, and gaining a false reputation of being a hero. WOW, what a plot, but I bet it has been used both before and after, like e.g. in the tRump-shooting. Actually, I need a lot of evidence to start believing that the 20-year-old tRump-follower Thomas Matthew Crooks wasn't set up to fake a murder attempt on him.

Let's look at a possible scenery: The shooter is not very far away from The Orange Menace whom he, for weird reasons, admire. He takes an aim which is what he is there for, either because he feels that's what should be done with someone like tRump, or because he has been hired or persuaded into doing.

I find it strange that there presumably are no photos of the impact itself. Was he hit or just grazed - maybe neither ??? Anyway the former president falls to the ground whether by luck or on a clue that got him to turn his head at the right moment. At the same time he was losing his shoes which oddly enough seem to have been his biggest concern when he gets up again. How come when he was bleeding from the presumed shot? Who in their right mind would think of shoes in that situation? Well, there was blood, but who knows, it may have been fake or not as much as it was made out to be. 

Bleeding from some kind of wound, which we haven't seen yet, he raises his clenched hand in triumph. Something which have made his followers go bananas, some, quoting The Bible, even see it as a God-given signature of his so-called "holiness" which in my opinion turns their praise into blasphemy. 

Talking conspiracies often is seen as paranoia or something like that. OK, I say, but in my opinion this particular shooting has ALL the markings of a set up. Nothing about it makes me believe in it as anything but fake. As to conspiracies as such many which were seen as ludicrous proved to be genuine. That goes for instances like these ones: The Iran-Contra, Nixon and Watergate, as well as various CIA-assassination attempts at Fidel Castro ....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories

 

https://www.livescience.com/11375-top-ten-conspiracy-theories.html 

 

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP83-01042R000200090002-0.pdf 

 

Wikipedia