I'm currently in a kind of contest, where you write 1,667 words each day for the month of November, and by the end of the month, you'll have 50,000 words (novel size).
Anyway, I'm planning on going and getting the book published once I'm all completed. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on getting a book published while still adhering to libertarian values. From what I can see, the advice seems to be to get your manuscript copyrighted early on so you can ensure that it doesn't get stolen when you're shopping it around.
What do I do?
To be honest, I see nothing wrong with playing the game and copyrighting your material, just so long as you never actually sue or threaten to sue anyone over it. As long as there is copyright, there is always the danger that someone else will take your work and copyright it instead, therefore making it so that they could sue you. This is probably more of a danger with patents and trademarks than with copyright (I think it's harder to pull that BS with something like music or a book), but why take the risk of someone else using the government to screw you out of your work?
If there is a more libertarian way to go about this for the book publishing industry, then I would suggest that. But as it is, I consider it libertarian to use copyright as a preventative measure against other people copyrighting your work. Just don't threaten to sue or actually sue anyone if they do take it.
There are libertarians who consider copyright to be legitimate (I am not one of them), but considering your question, I'm assuming that you consider it to be illegitimate.
EDIT: Fixed a silly typo where I misrepresented OP's beliefs.
It doesn't seem he considers it legitimate.
Also, pass the book by us before publishing!
@ Wheylous
Can do!
@ gotlucky
Copyright, for me, is indeed one of the hardest parts of the state to let go of. I've gotten to the point now where I hold IP through the state to be bad, but IP through alternative methods to be good. However this is how the business is set up right now, and I feel like the only way to protect this work is to play the state copyright game.
(personally, I think Rothbard's suggestion of contracts are much more preferable, but that's not how these publishers operate)
I think you can play the game so long as you don't use the state as a proxy for aggression. Rothbard wrote an essay, Living in a State-Run World, and while it doesn't directly address your question, I think your situation is similar enough to what he talks about, that and it's a great essay anyway. The way I see it, it's not wrong to live in rent controlled housing, but it's wrong to use rent control laws to threaten your landlord or actually use them at all! I see copyright the same way, that it is not wrong to have your work copyrighted, but it is wrong to use copyright laws to threaten others regarding your work (or to sic the state on them).
If there is a better alternative, I would suggest that, but I don't know enough about it. If no one else here can point you in the right direction, then I would say that you could have a clear conscience if you were to copyright your work (again, so long as you don't actually use the copyright against anyone).
I see. Thank you very much for the advice, and don't worry - I don't plan on pulling a J. D. Salinger.
An unintended consequence of the lawsuit was that many details of Salinger's private life, including that he had spent the last twenty years writing, in his words, "Just a work of fiction ... That's all," became public in the form of court transcripts.
Wow. Karma's a bitch.
I'm a little confused about what he meant by "a work of fiction...That's all."
NaNoWriMo eh? I'm a writer too :) Not participating this year, even though I've got a few novels in me waiting to be written.
You might look at self-publishing instead; more in line with libertarian values and you get to keep the rights.
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
Or, even more in line libertarian values, give away the digital version and sell the hardcopy version. That's what the Mises bookstore does too.
You can use Calibre to make PDFs or MOBIs (I love mobis, read them with the Kindle reader).
Good luck :)
If you do actually want to go the traditional publishing route, it's a bear. You need to learn how to write a query-letter. I suggest following agent blogs that public query letters they receive from readers and critique them. You'll have to master the query letter if you ever expect to get an agent and thereby get published (that is the route).
Again, good luck.
Ha! I was wondering if anyone on here would have heard of NaNo.
Anyway, I don't know if I have the dough for self-publishing. At one point I was considering vanity publishers, but I've since ruled those guys out (or put them aside as a last resort).
Right now, I'm looking into the major publishers that DON'T require an agent, like these guys.
Digital self-publishing through Amazon is free. Well, they take a cut of sales, but at least people can access your work.
There's also lulu.com where ppl can get an on-demand hardcopy of your book.
All the benefits of going the traditional publishing route are basically tied to getting an agent and landing a big contract. If you're not gonna go for the home-run, it's probably not worth it. The middle has really dropped out of the market and the big pubs are only investing in what they perceive to be hits.
Here, give this a read:
Skeptic,
I'm curious, what do you think that the content of the book will consist of?
@ Anenome
Wow. But you get royalties, right?
By the way Anenome, I forgot to ask you, since you said you were a writer. Do you have any books that you could show me?
@ Neodoxy
I'm not sure what you mean, Neodoxy. Do you mean what the book I'm writing is about?
Yes
Let's just say that it's my version of Catcher in the Rye. It's like the Catcher in the Rye combined with Taxi Driver.
I wrote my first novel at 19, came out 102k words, from before I had even decided to take writing seriousl :P Never tried to publish it tho. Maybe one day, I'd need to re-edit it pretty massively I think.
Shoot for at least 70k, that's minimum publishable in paper-form.
As for royalties, Amazon does pay you royalties under their structure and there's various terms, read up on their offer :)
I've got a short novella up on Amazon now, check your PMs.
I see. Right now, I'm at over 10,000 words. I took a good look at the Amazon offer, looks pretty sweet.
Also, I checked my PMs. I accepted your friend request, but by your post it sounds like you sent me something, but I can't find anything. What is the name of your novella?
I'll PM you :)
Ah. I actually just created an account on CreateSpace. And I just got an e-mail...saying that they are required to report my royalty earnings to the IRS.
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
I was writing a book once, made it to about 26k words, and then realized that I have a problem making my prose flow properly. It just kind of alternates between "matter of fact description of events" and "infodump".
Yeah, I make it a point not to re-read my stuff when I'm writing it, it just takes away morale. I prefer to just let it all come out and then attack the rubbish afterwords.
May I ask what program you are using to write this book?
Do you also have an ereader to test on (Nook, Kindle, Kobo, etc.)?
Anenome:You can use Calibre to make PDFs or MOBIs (I love mobis, read them with the Kindle reader).
SkepticalMetal:Anyway, I'm planning on going and getting the book published once I'm all completed.
SkepticalMetal:I was wondering if anyone has any advice on getting a book published while still adhering to libertarian values.
Beyond that point, the rest of the stores only hold a very small market share, although some niche ones might be better depending on the genre. If you need any help converting things to EPUB, I would be glad to help with that. You can take a look at all of the EPUBs I converted here (some are already accepted on Mises): http://misesbooks.blogspot.com
Thanks for the info!
Youre gonna get alot of girls if youre published.
Even if the book sucks.
“Since people are concerned that ‘X’ will not be provided, ‘X’ will naturally be provided by those who are concerned by its absence.""The sweetest of minds can harbor the harshest of men.”
http://voluntaryistreader.wordpress.org
Nice.
And what if the book is good?
Youll get more.
And possibly become famous.
I was thinking of writing a kelvin's mannifesto and creating my own ideology (obviously a parody/joke).
But as you know, the public school system takes away time, and mental energy, and i never got around starting it, also coupled with my laziness and procrastination, yeah i never got it done.
Infact, there are many things i shouldve done, which i never got to do.
Now that i think about it, since im only 15, better get that shit done before seeing the face of God, as i lay dieing, recalling my pointless life of do nothing, obeying the state, and not thinking and acting outside the box, stroking my hospital blanket, smothering my stomach as i try to make myself feel as if 1 life mattered out of billions more.
Cool story bro.
"trading stuff on ebay"
I would certainly do this, but i have no credit card nor paypal.
And i dont want my parents involved in my activities, because some of them might be er.. illegal?
"buying precious metals"
I have no money, but fair enough...
"work odd jobs"
Only if school took less time, but fair enough i could work in the summer. But where do i find an "odd" job?
The only thing worth putting on my resume, which is also a skill many people have, is my ability to build computers, but theres no job for this kind of skill (computers are built in china, unless im mistaken).
Actually, I just wrote the script for an ultra low-budget libertarian short film dealing with the conscience of a Marxist revolutionary. Fun Fact: Lysander Spooner's ghost makes a guest appearence.
Yeah.
Anyway, I have the camera that I need. I'm going to build a 14 dollar stabilizer for it, and I'm going to make one of those "poor man's boom mic" things for the audio. The hardest thing about it though is getting the actors. I don't have...virtually...any friends right now, and the script requires 4 people (I'll play a part, and so will my Mom. I don't know who I'll get to play the revolutionary and Lysander, and be willing to put on a fake beard and wig for that matter)
Ay, in your book you can create a few words.
I love the invention of new words, it just tingles in my brain as i make a new word.
Do you live in Los Angeles? If you do, i might be able to play a part...
Have you read 1984, or Ayn Rand's We the Living?
The ayn rand book depicts alot of commnist thinking, the feel good, proletariat unity party power revolutionary collectivist crap.
I do not live in Smog City. On the other side of the continent, actually. Florida.
But my book really...doesn't have much to do with libertarianism. As I said before, it's done in the style of a cross between the Catcher in the Rye and Taxi Driver.
You should angle for some bullion this holiday season.
as for the jobs, the answer is in the looking. Do you have computer skills? Some people need artwork and graphics for business, you could learn to do that. Youre right its not the easiest thing to do. The idea is that you need to learn to be economically productive as soon as you can. By being here, youre already light-years ahead of your peers in head-knowledge but unless and until you can make some money, you will be a dependent. And the maturity difference shows, the sooner you can start putting into practice the theoretical knowledge you already have, the better off you will be. Youll make good habits and youll probably do alright. Sorry if this sounds like a cop-out. Everything that is possible to do as a job or self-employed requires some sort of capital, even if its just man-hours, calories, and willingness to work. if you dont have time, you dont have time. But its like peter Schiff said to congress, these kids need education, training. On the job training, because you hit the ground running, youre making money from day one. You know what profits mean, right? Wages are the profits earned by the individual firm whose output is labor.
I have Jim Morrison's outlook on careers. Do what you want to do for a living, because life is too short to make money just so you can eat and sleep so you can make more money again. (Don't worry, I subtracted drunkeness and drug use from the outlook)
Yeah. That's why if somebody tells me they want to be a rock star when they grow up, I don't say "let's be realistic here" I make a point to say "go for it." After all, I plan on becoming a filmmaker, and I've gotten a lot of crap over the years like "be realistic dude" and stuff like that. The way I see it, we all have a limited amount of time on this planet. Let's use that time to do something fun and not live for the sake of dragging on.
"The hardest thing about it though is getting the actors. I don't have...virtually...any friends right now, and the script requires 4 people"
Fun fact: There's lots of actors willing to work pro bono for a resume credit on Craig's List. But they would need to have libertarian sympathies perhaps.