Comments on: Blogs and books

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:20:41 +0000

David Brake: The Friday Project went bust in spectacular fashion (err, they were my publisher) and what got bought was the name and the rubble.

By: JoB

JoB — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:04:47 +0000

I’d also propose a ‘philosophical poetry’ anthology: “Tides, or the Origin of Beaches.”

No, don’t work further from ‘beaches’, please.

By: JoB

JoB — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:02:24 +0000

John-19,

Hmm, we’re not able to see the contract you’re about to sign so we’ll have to take your word for it (& is the free copy offered including the shipping charges?). Say the book & shipping charges are worth 10 USD then the maximum return per word will be less than that of your own words if the contribution is one of 50 words or more (and it seems difficult to make contributions of less than 50 words). In other words, you stand to take a ‘word agent’ margin which is substantial.

And what will you do when sales are stratospheric? More free books?

But more importantly what about the career benefits of the non-John contributors? Would you be willing to invest in an on-line platform that gives them the chance of reaching the audience in a direct way? Thus dispensing with the need of middle men – aren’t they always men outside of a romantic comedy setting? – and building up credibility via the standard channels (I assume that the non-John contributors have an access issue here which is very to the point given the targets of on-line crowding vis à vis traditional access rites used in academia and what have you).

Of course I’m not serious (and I do hope you get access to Chicago, I do!) but isn’t there a dead idea somewhere in all of this?

By: ajay

ajay — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:22:28 +0000

12: can’t remember who came up with the Sellars and Yeatman-ish “Elocution, or the Origin of Speeches”…

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:48:45 +0000

#17. Looking at the contract I’m about to sign, a free copy for an insightful comment will be a pretty good deal, I think. Unless sales are stratospheric, I’m looking at about 20 cents a word.

Then there are the career benefits which in this case, I think, will consist of rendering me (more) unemployable at Chicago, Harvard, and any place that cares about what Chicago and Harvard think.

By: David Brake

David Brake — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:42:41 +0000

Blogs turn into books often enough these days that a boutique publisher specialising in finding book-able blogs was bought up by HarperCollins:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friday_Project

The connection between social media and conventional publishing is one I intend to take up now that the PhD is done…

By: JoB

JoB — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:35:41 +0000

MM-14, you’re not kidding! Don’t know about Todd as a writer but his title rocks. Should give him credits.

John, so what about the IPR if, say, lemuel brings a good insight here … will you stick to naming or actually reverse crowdsource the income?

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:48:58 +0000

I’m tempted a bit by “Dead Ideas from Live Economists”; not quite as good a play, but maybe better for the target market, most of whom probably won’t be aware of Bucholz.

Anyway, I’m typing as fast as I can, or I would be except that I foolishly supported an inquiry into the financial system and have been deluged with media ever since.

By: vivian

vivian — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:55:52 +0000

Let’s get Daniel and Ajay to write a species of oranges is not the only fruit.

By: Miracle Max

Miracle Max — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:35:56 +0000

The best and unmatched part of my blog was always the headlines.

FYI, the title is a play on the annoying Todd Bucholz and his “New Ideas from Dead Economists.”

Get to work, Quiggin. N0w we have to get a book out of Davies.

By: ingrid robeyns

ingrid robeyns — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:39:48 +0000

I think I said in that same comments section that I would buy it… and so I will. Congratulations, this is fantastic for you, and great for everyone who can read English.

By: Salient

Salient — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:48:05 +0000

The Species of Oranges is particularly inspired. :)

By: Bloix

Bloix — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:20:13 +0000

The title is so wonderfully bitchy that I can’t imagine PUP will allow you to use it. But maybe they’ve decided that edgy is in. Congratulations and good luck.

By: ajay

ajay — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:57:14 +0000

5: possible other titles in the series:
The Effluent Society
The Great Crush
The Theory of Moral Sentinels
The Nations of Wealth
The Species of Oranges

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:12:20 +0000

Shouldn’t the title really be Dead Ideas from Live Economists?