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ORIGINAL: JWE

I love modeling of anything and to any scale. Railroads are cool, but I like wooden ships.

ORIGINAL: USS America

All my fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed, hoping that today is the day I get "The Call."  [:D]

(and get to give "My Notice") [;)]

ORIGINAL: JWE

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay
John, I think I can see part of your problem in getting publishers to take you seriously... [:'(]

I don't think you got the concept, Bradford.

I was the schmuk that said nothing, did nothing, just put my project out there. Once a publisher got hold of it, it was editor city.

Who the frik do you think you are to be talking about publishers anyway. I have a book contract, so they obviously take me seriously. So take your little attitude, and shove it in you brown place. Try writing a book and dealing with the publishing industry. Otherwise please refrain from commenting on what you know nothing about.

ORIGINAL: JWE

Hey Nik,

You might be able to use this in your book commentaries. I’ve been husting this concept for maybe ten years now, and have a sheaf of rejections bigger than the Manhattan phone book. Most were valid and dealt with organization (I was pretty loosey, goosey, there). So got right and tight, and zeroed into specifics.

Finally got some nibbles on a contract, but had to have some editorially directed content. They liked the concept, but thought, as expressed, it would be just another how-to manual for model boat building. They wanted something more sexy. Without saying who, they are in the line of Putnam, or Random House.

The premise of the work is a technical comparison between frigate construction in the US, Britain, and France, according to drawings, plans, and contemporary works by respective national Naval Architects. It goes a long way towards peeing on the “generally accepted” nonsense replicated endlessly (and falsely) in modern works (and on the internet).

Once the publisher got it, and figured out he could do a revisionist publication that would directly confront and challenge William James’ Naval History of Great Britain, I was in like Flynn.

Didn’t matter what I knew, didn’t matter what really happened, so long as I could defecate on William James. Turns out that I think Williams James is an arrogant piece of snot that deserves being peed on, so I had no issues with that.

But it’s important to understand that historical reference books aren’t being published as a public service. They have to make some money for the publisher, so they have to have what the publishers call a “spark”. They gotta say something sharp and they gotta pee on something that has gone before.

Welcome to the wonderful world of 20th century book publishing.

ORIGINAL: JWE

Ah, pooh, tried to do a new page. Yeah, couldn't do it, but probably let you all into my personal philosophy more than I would have wished.

Oh, well.

Ciao. John