Mais cedo, Mantega havia dito que "gostaria de ser esse felizardo que vai receber toda essa riqueza mineral". De acordo com o ministro, a riqueza com a exploração no pré-sal será de US$ 200 a US$ 500 bilhões, "que poderão ser utilizados pelo próximo governo em benefício da população brasileira".

Mantega disse também que esse dinheiro será utilizado para vários fins, entre eles, investimentos em saúde e educação e pagamento de dívidas. Parte dos recursos também será destinada para o Fundo Soberano do Brasil e para reforçar as reservas internacionais.

O ministro faz parte do grupo formado pelo governo para discutir as regras para exploração dessas reservas, que deve apresentar um relatório do presidente Lula até o final de setembro.

"O Brasil vai aumentar as suas exportações e não vai colocar dentro do país todos dos dólares da venda desse petróleo. Caso contrário, ele estará criando uma inflação muito forte e uma valorização excessiva da moeda brasileira", afirmou o ministro.

Outra decisão que será apresentada a Lula é a criação ou não de uma nova estatal para cuidar dessa área. Mantega não quis dar sua opinião sobre o assunto, mas indicou que a Petrobras deve mesmo ter a sua atuação limitada.

"O governo ainda não decidiu como fará a gestão dessa riqueza imensa que está no subsolo brasileiro. Mas uma coisa é certa, essa riqueza será utilizada não em benefício da empresa A, B ou C, mesmo que seja uma empresa estatal."

Bilhões de dólares

Mantega esteve reunido hoje com o presidente da Câmara, Arlindo Chinaglia, para falar sobre os principais projetos do governo que estão sendo analisados pela Casa.

Entre eles está o Fundo Soberano, que vai receber parte dos recursos do pré-sal, estimados em "centenas de bilhões de dólares".

"Nesse primeiro momento o Fundo vai receber recursos poupados do Orçamento de 2008. Futuramente, uma parte dos recursos do pré-sal poderá ir para o Fundo Soberano, que está habilitado para receber esses recursos".

Segundo ele, se o fundo não for aprovado neste ano, o dinheiro poupado para esse fim, R$ 14 bilhões, será utilizado para pagar os juros da dívida.
Folha online

Rizzolo: Não concordo com a criação de uma nova estatal, entendo que bastaria alterar o decreto das participações especiais impondo novas e maiores alíquotas e licitar tudo. O decreto na sua essência já foi instituído dessa forma e leva em consideração eventuais mudanças. Ademais, através da promoção de licitações, somente com o bônus de assinatura do leilão o Brasil poderia arrecadar bilhões de reais.

Na realidade a criação dessa nova estatal é esvaziar a Petrobras, existe sim, um receio do presidente Lula que a Petrobras se torne uma poderosa PDVSA, nos termos que ocorreu no governo Chavez. Quanto ao recurso ficar fora do País é medida necessária e sensata, vez que a entrada excessiva de dólares poderá comprometer a nossas exportações, mas acho uma tanto prematuro discutir no momento o que se fará com os recursos, até porque a extração do mineral se dará em 2010. Leia artigo na para Agência Estado: Esvaziando os barris da Petrobras

Five reasons I love Pandora:

1. It's free
2. It's easy to use (set up channels for favorite artists/albums/songs)
3. It'll play songs similar to the music type of your channels
4. It plays a continuous loop of music
5. It lets you learn about the artists/albums/songs you're listening to

I think the best feature is that you get to discover new music that you'll probably end up loving. Personally, I wouldn't even mind paying a  subscription fee. But I know Pandora is too cool for that nonsense. If only the people who come up with royalties were cool too.

NV

I am an artist and have my own label, so I completely agree with artists and labels getting paid. It is only right...but the royalty rates are starting to get so high that many online stations can no longer afford to pay them. That means good, legit online stations that try to do the right thing will die, and pirates will again be rampant, and the big labels won't really be able to stop them, so they will find ways to penalize legit music fans. There must be a compromise.

Read an article here that explains it better than I ever could.

Declining CD sales mean songwriters will earn more from performance rights - playback in shops and pubs, than recorded music sales.

MCPS-PRS increased revenue from internet downloads to £82.3m

The Observer

Songwriters see slump in profits from CD sales

Foi durante um caloroso discurso no Aterro do Flamengo, no Rio, que o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pediu apoio a estudantes para fazer mudanças na Lei nº 9.478/97, a Lei do Petróleo. Falou sobre os pobres, sobre a educação e sublinhou o fato de que "o povo precisa decidir o destino do petróleo. O petróleo brasileiro não pode ficar na mão de meia dúzia de empresas. Ele é do povo brasileiro", disse Lula.

Numa tentativa de reeditar a "Campanha do Petróleo é Nosso", organizada em 1947, o presidente Lula tentou, através de um discurso político e popular, estabelecer novas normas em relação a Lei do Petróleo, e mais, além de mencionar que a educação deveria ser beneficiada com os recursos da extração, defendeu um novo marco regulatório para o petróleo, quando mencionou a intenção de criar uma nova estatal.

O que com certeza não ficou claro é até que ponto o governo asseguraria o cumprimento das regras do jogo prevalecente por hora. Podemos inferir nas afirmações do presidente - e isso não ficou devidamente claro - que até mesmo nas áreas sob concessão, tanto a Petrobras quanto as demais exploradoras de petróleo poderiam estar subordinadas a essa nova estatal. Evidentemente, a criação desta nova estatal, que ainda não está bem clara em relação às suas atribuições, passa por uma questão mais política do que propriamente de gestão nos recursos da extração do mineral.

Vale ressaltar e sem o prejuízo do objetivo original - proporcionar uma maior arrecadação para fins sociais - que já existem formas de maximizar a receita a sociedade, vez que o decreto que regulamenta a participação especial (taxa cobrada sobre campos de alta produtividade) contempla as devidas alterações, ou seja, bastaria alterar o decreto das participações especiais impondo novas e maiores alíquotas e licitar tudo. O decreto na sua essência já foi instituído dessa forma e leva em consideração eventuais mudanças. Ademais, através da promoção de licitações, somente com o bônus de assinatura do leilão o Brasil poderia arrecadar bilhões de reais.

Mas o cerne da questão não passa apenas pelo viés arrecadatório. Lula teme uma Petrobras excessivamente poderosa e não deseja que aconteça com a Petrobras o mesmo que ocorreu com a estatal venezuelana, a PDVSA, cuja diretoria foi acusada de conspirar contra o presidente Hugo Chávez culminando na crise de 2003, em que Chávez se viu obrigado não só a destituir toda a diretoria, mas também os 18 mil funcionários da PDVSA. O problema crucial é a constituição dessa nova estatal sem antes ao menos começarmos a exploração, que está prevista para de 2010.

De qualquer forma, o que observamos é que ainda há pouca discussão no tocante ao gerenciamento dos recursos advindos da extração do petróleo, principalmente, àqueles para fins de viabilizar os nobres projetos sociais que originalmente sensibilizaram os estudantes da Une no Aterro do Flamengo. Talvez a criação da nova estatal seja mais interessante do ponto vista político, porque traz a simpatia do poder da gestão estatal e esvazia de certa forma os barris da Petrobras e seu poder, evitando o que ocorreu com Chávez, já conhecido por suas experiências com a PDVSA.

Resta-nos, enfim, e aos estudantes, um grande circo regado a petróleo, petróleo esse altamente inflamável, tão inflamável quanto os discursos sobre o assunto no Aterro do Flamengo.

Fernando Rizzolo

Why high net worth investors are looking at the energy sector.

Crude oil prices rose 46% during the first six months of 2008. As amazing as that seems, natural gas futures rose 78% and Appalachian coal futures 143% in the same two quarters.¹ With great gains like these, qualified high net worth investors are taking a serious look at a special class of income-producing investments: oil, gas, coal, and shale royalties.

How do you get into this market? Well, oil and gas royalty interests may be bought and sold like any other investment. But they are intended for accredited investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s definition of an “accredited investor” includes individuals with a net worth of $1 million or more or annual income of $200,000 or more, or trusts or partnerships with assets of $5 million or more.²

How do many people enter this market? Through a 1031 exchange. Commonly, a real estate investor will want to exchange out of an unwanted property, and find an alternative replacement property solution. Since oil and gas royalty interests represent ownership of a percentage of gross revenue from real property, exchanging into one of these royalty interests qualifies as a like-kind exchange (provided the exchange is properly structured).^{3, 4}

Royalty and overriding royalty interests. If you own a royalty interest or overriding royalty interest in a property producing oil, natural gas, coal or shale, that means that you get some of the resulting revenue without having to pay the drilling or operating expenses. But the word “royalty” is often used loosely, so let’s clarify how royalty interests and overriding royalty interests differ.

When you own a royalty interest, you own at least a portion of the minerals below the ground on that property. If you own an overriding royalty interest, you don’t own any of those minerals: you own a portion of the revenues generated. When you own an override, your ownership interest expires when the wells run dry or the mine plays out, and the energy company stops leasing the mineral rights.⁵

There are actually royalty funds that buy and sell royalty interests; these are conceived as long-range, income-producing investment programs.

Would you like to learn more? Then talk with a qualified, securities-licensed financial advisor today – particularly, one that understands this sector and this distinct investment opportunity. This way, you can explore investment in oil and gas royalties with the right guidance.

These are the views of Peter Montoya Inc., and should not be construed as investment advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.

Citations. ¹ cnbc.com/id/25462493 [6/30/08]

² sec.gov/answers/accred.htm [7/8/08]

³ irs.gov/irm/part4/ch35s03.html [7/31/02]

⁴ oscpa.com/cpa/enews/article-wire.asp?id=16204 [3/6/2008]

⁵ legacyroyalties.com/faq.htm#1 [7/8/08]

A nova estatal não vai concorrer com a Petrobras nem com as demais companhias petrolíferas, nacionais ou estrangeiras, mas, na prática, as novas regras não mais permitirão que empresas privadas tenham concessões para explorar o petróleo em campos do pré-sal. A ordem do Planalto é esta: "Descobertas futuras ficam totalmente com a União e com o Brasil".

Sobre contratos já assinados, o ministro de Minas e Energia, Edison Lobão (PMDB-MA), foi categórico: "É preciso que fique bem claro que nada afetará os contratos existentes. Todos os contratos serão respeitados porque esta é a conduta deste governo", disse. A estatal será criada por projeto de lei, e Lula já mandou os ministros, principalmente Dilma Rousseff (Casa Civil) e Lobão, conversar com líderes dos partidos para fechar um acordo político que facilite a tramitação e aprovação do projeto que criará a empresa. Além disso, Lula orientou o presidente da Petrobras, Sérgio Gabrielli, a mostrar aos acionistas da empresa que essa política para o pré-sal será adotada como "decisão de Estado", e não de maneira unilateral pela estatal petrolífera.

Lei do Petróleo

O governo aguarda uma melhor avaliação dos campos já concedidos na camada do pré-sal a nove consórcios de empresas petrolíferas para definir as mudanças na Lei do Petróleo. Antes de propor alterações, o governo quer saber se na área de 14 mil quilômetros quadrados já concedida, onde estão os blocos de Tupi, Júpiter e Carioca, para citar apenas alguns, existe apenas um campo gigantesco e contínuo de petróleo. Se for este o caso, a União terá parte do petróleo, pois ainda não concedeu as áreas limítrofes aos blocos já licitados.

Royalties

O governo já começou a negociar com alguns governadores aliados um acordo para não mexer nas regras de distribuição dos royalties (compensação financeira devida ao Estado pelas empresas) em troca do apoio às mudanças no marco regulatório de exploração do petróleo. Peemedebistas como os governadores do Rio, Sérgio Cabral, e do Espírito Santo, Paulo Hartung, são os principais interessados, já que administram Estados que - incluindo seus municípios - concentram 49% dos recursos pagos pelas empresas a título de indenização do poder público. As informações são do jornal O Estado de S. Paulo.

Rizzolo: A verdade é que a idéia da criação de uma nova estatal e a sua finalidade não estão ainda bem definidas, no bojo desse projeto existe claramente a idéia de esvaziar a Petrobras, o receio do governo, é que a Petrobras com mais poder, poderá se tornar uma PDVSA que durante o governo Chavez sua diretoria foi acusada de conspirar contra o governo venezuelano. Uma Petrobras poderosa não convém ao governo, contudo, essa idéia estatizante poderá ser constituída muito antes da efetiva extração dos campos no pré-sal, o que por sua vez também foge da lógica.

A questão é de poder e não só política, até porque existem mecanismos que garantem uma melhor remuneração sem ter que constituir uma nova estatal, que será com certeza, um imenso " cabide de emprego ". Hoje podemos nas área que não tem concessão, mudar o decreto das participações especiais, aumentar essa alíquota e conseqüentemente, aumentar a arrecadação do governo ao mesmo tempo em que licita-se tudo. O decreto já existe e leva em consideração essas mudanças. Ah! Mas isso não. Há sim, o interesse político e de poder em jogo, e mais uma vez os estudantes poderão gritar " o petróleo é nosso", e mais uma vez criaremos uma nova estatal que irá inchar a máquina pública oferecendo empregos aos petistas e à base aliada. É Chavez sussurrando no ouvido de Lula: cuidado com a Petrobras!

Some writers will be fortunate enough to fall into a lucrative writing career without much application beyond their natural talent, but let’s be realistic about the odds. With the publishing industry growing and changing, more and more people are actively participating in the market.

A colleague of mine, who works directly with emerging authors, actively reminds them not to expect full-time pay from their writing unless they are willing to put in full-time hours and effort. This is obvious, but surprisingly, many of writers are caught off-guard by this statement. Everyone would like to discover their "Golden Ticket," however if a book is published in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, truth is it probably won’t make a dime in royalties.

That said, it’s important to adapt to the changing environment of the book marketplace. Those other authors out there are competing in the same market as you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should work against them. Ask both the writers who employ literary agents and the ones who don’t – both will tell you that ultimately they are their own representatives.

As a former manager in a retail bookstore, trust me when I say that there were several instances during which famous authors would get booked for a signing at our store and wind up sitting quietly by themselves in the café area. That is until our staff approached the author, asked for their autograph and encouraged them to keep at their promotion.

Those authors were often from major publishing houses with a team of marketers working the area. Even in the best case scenario, there is still a chance that working hard won’t guarantee a title or author bestselling status. There is, however, almost no chance that an author who isn’t working to draw attention to their efforts (whether through local media, public appearances or hosting big release parties) will be able to rest on their own laurels or retire on royalties.

Most self-publishing authors already know first-hand that personal investment is what got you this far. The good news is that the more you focus on your projects (prior to and after their completion), the better acquainted you will become with the market and the general response to your work. The more you put into your promotion, the more you are likely to get out of it.

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
-William Shakespeare

Unfortunately, there aren’t any fortunetellers or crystal balls that can accurately predict the success of your book in the publishing marketplace, which can make your publishing decision all the scarier.

No author wants to gamble with their writing career, nor invent a large budget in promotional campaigns that may or may not work. Not only do you want to know what’s in store for your book once it reaches retailers, but what your marketing expenses will be and what revenue you can expect to earn from your book sales as well.

And who can blame you? Why waste time and money on a business venture that could cost you hundreds of dollar and bring you little returns? What you really want to know is the perfect way of producing an inexpensive book that will undoubtedly earn you high royalties.

Regrettably, there’s no perfect marketing strategy. Each book is different, and requires a different promotional approach based on (a) what audience you’re targeting, (b) what’s hot in the news or the publishing industry, (c) the events you host, (d) the contests you win, (e) the distribution to which you’ve subscribed, (f) the online communities of which you’re an active member, (g) the blogs you manage, (h) the magazines in which your writing appears, among countless other factors.

There are, however, certain book promotion areas you can (and should) explore that could increase the odds your book will be met with success in the marketplace. Unquestionably, how successful your book becomes in the book market depends mostly on your reputation and availability, both of which can be improved using time-tested book marketing techniques.

Say you’re thinking of publishing your short story collection. Instead of immediately publishing your book, you may want to submit individual stories to such respected literary journals or magazines as The Missouri Review or ZYZZYVA. Or you may want to enter some of your writing piece in contests, which could not only earn you extra money to reserve for your marketing budget, but also secure you the recognition from your intellectual peers you deserve.

For updates on writing contests, visit Newpages, LitLine or Poets & Writers.

Now say you’re ready to publish, you’ll want research various publishers to find the best one for your title. Wordclay, for example, allows you to publish for free from the comfort of your own home or office, and you’re always welcome to choose any number of marketing services that you believe will best serve your work.

Should you feel that global distribution will benefit your sales, you may want to upgrade to a Wordclay ISBN ($99.00). If you’re approaching bookstores with your new publications, you may want to look into a year of Retail Return Insurance ($799.00). Or maybe something in the news links perfectly to your book, then you may want a professional press release ($299.00) drafted and distributed to the media outlets in your area, so you can cull interviews and rave book reviews.

For a complete list of Wordclay’s services and prices, visit their Services Store here.

A short story collection, for instance, may be easier to market in bookstores, since you can easily arrange readings at local coffeehouses and independent book retailers. Or maybe your collection includes regional lore that’s appeared in the news of late, then booking an interview or review may be the ticket that has the potential to expose your new title to countless listeners and earn you significant royalties to boot.

Considerations When Marketing Your Book:

• Your Background: Do you have professional credentials?
• Your News: Does your book have a hot news topic?
• Your Competition: Is there a similar book on the market?
• Your Events: Can coming book events help your promotion?
• Your Network: Do you have connections to local media?
• Your Exposure: Do you manage a Web site or blog?
• Your Track Record: Has your writing been previously-published?

In a word, your success all depends. Of course, with self-publishing, you have control over the way you market your book, and therefore, laying out a marketing plan that best suits your specific type of publication and marketing goals will definitely help your success in the marketplace. The future may never be certain, but you can definitely influence your book sales with a smart plan of action for your book.

To ensure your future success in the publishing industry, try to make your marketing plan as comprehensive, exhaustive and adaptive as possible. Be sure to think about ways of promoting your name and title before and after you publish. Plan a release party and spread the word with fliers. Have business cards with your ordering information printed. Watch each quarter of your royalty statement for peaks and valleys in order to determine which promotional strategies are working for your book.  Start a Web site at AuthorTree, and perhaps feature book giveaway contests each month.

Don’t stop there either! Explore various free book promotion methods, such as joining online writing communities, submitting to magazines and trade periodicals, committing to radio interviews and book signings – whatever you honestly believe could benefit your reputation and your availability in the marketplace.

The Point: Self-publishing also mean self-marketing. Only you can fully understand the nuances and marketability of your book. Like any business venture, your book future selling success depends heavily on research and action in the marketplace. The more comprehensive your marketing plan, the more royalties you can expect.

On the heels of Bowkers’ announcement that the quantity of on-demand and short-run publications experienced a five-fold increase in 2007, the fastest-growing full-service publisher in the self-publishing sector, Outskirts Press, today announced that its top-five earning authors combined to gross over $75,000 in royalties in the first 3 months of 2008.

“Bowkers reports that traditional publishing is flat while on-demand self-publishing is growing at a staggering rate,” said Brent Sampson, president and CEO of Outskirts Press. “Even in the shadow of such competition, Outskirts Press authors continue to demonstrate that it is possible to be very successful. And as you can see from our top five authors, some of whom granted their permission to be mentioned by name in this article, your chances increase if you adhere to some basic guidelines.”

1. Write a good book.
   No amount of marketing muscle can overcome a poor book, but a good book can compensate for minimal marketing through word of mouth. The viral and collaborative nature of today’s Internet 2.0 makes anything possible.
2. Get your book professionally edited.
   Either have your book edited before submission, or purchase the optional editing services provided by your self-publisher. Since they strongly recommend professional editing for every book, most self-publishers will feature rates that are typically less expensive than you will find yourself in the open marketplace.
3. Get a professionally designed custom cover.
   Your front cover has three seconds to attract a buyer’s attention; and since the majority of on-demand books are sold on retail websites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the cover is more important than ever. Just ask Gang Chen, a top-five author in the first quarter, whose book, Planting
   Design Illustrated, features a custom cover from Outskirts Press. The result? His first quarter royalties far exceeded his entire publishing costs. Now it’s nothing but profit.
4. Control your pricing.
   On-demand and short-run publishing is the fastest growing segment of the publishing industry, but only a select few companies allow the author to set their own pricing plan, retail price, and author discount. Does that make a big difference? Just ask Kathleen Mackenzie, whose book, Not Manifesting? This Book is for You! retails for just $9.95, and yet grossed enough royalties in January, February, and March to earn a piece of that $75,000 pie.
5. Market your book tirelessly!
   Your destiny is in your hands and no one else’s. Just ask Joseph H. Trimbach and John M. Trimbach, top-five co-authors of American Indian Mafia. “We are available for speeches and presentations; our book was reviewed in the May/June issue of South Dakota magazine; and we appear live on radio news shows.”

Here is the article from uiltimate-guitar.com:

7/14/2008

  Online music service Last.fm today announced that it will start paying out royalties to unsigned and independent bands that upload their music to last.fm. Artists will earn royalties whenever their music is played on-demand, or on Last.fm's streaming radio service. Last.fm had first announced this in January, but it took until today for Last.fm to officially start up its Artist Royalty Program.
  According to Last.fm, artists have uploaded close to half a million tracks since the program was first announced. When uploading a song, all artists can choose to opt into the Royalty Program.
So far, Last.fm has been completely ad-supported, though a premium subscription service is currently in beta. Judging from the payout schedual, however, artists will need a lot of plays on Last.fm to make a reasonable amount from the program. On the other hand, though, MySpace pays out royalties to the major labels, but doesn't pay any royalties to unsigned bands on its site.
Not everybody seems to be happy about this announcement from Last.fm, though. Merlin, the "world's first global rights body for independent music," which represents close to 8% of the US music market, has issued a statement to its roughly 12,000 members, telling them that Last.fm has failed to address its concerns about copyright infringement on Last.fm. Merlin also argues that the license terms of the Royalties Program are too ambiguous.
Regardless of Merlin's objections, though, Last.fm's step to start paying out royalties should be applauded, as it gives musicians yet another way to make money outside of the mainstream music business. While the Royalty Program is limited only to Last.fm and doesn't collect royalties from various sources in the way SoundExchange would, Last.fm is giving musicians an alternative to the more traditional revenue models, which should prove to be especially appealing to smaller, still unknown bands.

Thanks for the info to Readwriteweb.com.

Rage, la proxima obra de John Carmack, lucirá peor en X360 que en PS3, PC y Mac debido a la compresión que requerrirá lanzarlo en dos DVDs. ¿Y por qué lanzarlo únicamente en dos discos?, se preguntarán. Pues porque los royalties que acarrearían tres discos pondrían en peligro la rentabilidad del lanzamiento en X360. Como lo oyen. También han descartado la distribución online puesto que id Software prefiere distribuir sus grandes lanzamientos en formato físico. Así pues, los programadores en estos momentos se hallan rezando a sus respectivos dioses con la esperanza de que Microsoft haga algún tipo de concesión. Insisten en que no se debe a ningún problema de hardware, simplemente que no les salen las cuentas con tres discos.

Más le vale a Microsoft hacer algo al respecto... En caso contrario, la superioridad de capacidad de almacenamiento del Blu-Ray puede comenzar a crear una seria brecha tecnológica entre las dos consolas next-gen por excelencia.

Y bueno, ya de paso, recordemos que Rage será un shooter ambientado en un mundo post-apocalíptico (y ya van...) en el que una serie de meteoritos ha bombardeado la Tierra y pululan toda clase de mutantes. Los vehículos serán clave en el desarrollo (con carreras y todo) e incluso podrán ser "tuneados". En total más de 20 horas en el single-player. Y lucirá así de bien.

Cuuuñaaaaaaooooo!!!!

Fuente: ShackNews

Fuente de las nuevas imágenes: WorthPlaying

]]> http://tankarfranroten.wordpress.com/?p=203 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:29:24 +0000 fredrik http://tankarfranroten.wordpress.com/?p=203 Den 25 juli skrev jag så här på bloggen:

"Om man inte följer brittisk politik är det lätt att tro att SNP är ytterligare ett av dessa nyfascistiska partier som hugger åt sig röster när Europas socialdemokrater misslyckats med att vara socialdemokrater. Men SNP är snarare att jämföras med Parti Québécois i Kanada. Båda är i stora stycken socialdemokratiska partier, men med en separatistisk agenda. Det var inte nationalismen - och framför allt inte fascismen - som vann i Glasgow East. Det var medborgarnas längtan efter en mer socialdemokratisk politik."

På Värmlands folkblads ledarsida kan man läsa det följande idag:

"För den som inte följer brittisk politik är det lätt att tro att SNP är ett ytterligare högerpopulistisk parti som hugger åt sig röster när Europas socialdemokrater misslyckats med att föra socialdemokratisk politik. Till viss del stämmer det att SNP i stora stycken har ett socialdemokratiskt program, men med en separatistisk agenda. I fyllnadsvalet var det framför allt folkets längtan efter en mer socialdemokratisk politik och inte en konservativ eller nationalistisk agenda som kostade Labour valet."

Bra ledare Amir, det är nästan så att jag skulle kunnat skrivit den själv. Utgår det royalties? :-D

A typical day in publicity is never the same! From coordinating author tours, generating press releases and/or press kits, to fielding calls and requests from the media and fans alike, you never know how your day will be. Usually hectic, often stressful, but always exciting and entertaining.

The biggest misconception I've come across is the success of a published book. Authors often get pep talks from their agents and publishers (necessarily so), but when it comes time to market and promote the book, they're often disappointed with lackluster sales. It's a tough industry, one in which very few people achieve the financial status or acclaim from peers and colleagues they desire.

Traditionally, an agent was of utmost importance--unsolicited manuscripts were dumped into slush pile obscurity. But lately, there's been a definite trend of publishing houses publishing unrepresented authors. It will never hurt to have an agent, but most reputable agents aren't accepting new clients. It's a bit of a catch-22.

Do your research! You need to pitch the right book to the right publisher, or else you're just wasting everyone's time.

Treat your publicist well--he or she has done a great deal of work to line up media appointments, and while it is your publicity tour, it is ultimately his or her reputation that is on the line. Also, behave--publicists, despite popular opinion, are not babysitters!

Publishers expect a finished product that is as interesting, marketable, and relevant as your pitch letter asserts it to be. Deliver the goods!

The author should expect a working, functional, give-and-take relationship with their publisher (and editor). Writing is a process and there are many people, from designers to editors to marketing professionals, who work endlessly to support and promote your book. It's ultimately a team effort and everyone on that team needs to recognize the importance of everybody else.

Books do not "always" get into bookstores--ask any smaller Canadian publishing house (and there are many)!

Many factors are taken into account when a book's price is determined. Most importantly, printing costs: What weight of paper are you using? Are there photos? How many? Are they color photos? Hard cover or paperback? These factors alone greatly impact the price of book, and that's not even taking marketability, promotional costs, royalties, distribution costs, etc. into account!

It is crucial for the author to be involved in the marketing process! After all, it's their product, and media is not interested in speaking to marketing directors or publicists about the book. Books are most successful when all parties involved pool their resources and work together to effectively market the book.

]]> http://authortree.wordpress.com/?p=76 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:59:44 +0000 tasheena http://authortree.wordpress.com/?p=76 Greetings all, this is Tasheena, posting here at AuthorTreeHouse on five titles that made it big following their self-published debut.

According to The New York Times, “81% of Americans feel that they have a book in them…and should write it.” With traditional publishers, rejecting the majority of manuscripts they receive, it's no wonder self-publishing is the fastest growing industry in the publishing market.

However, not all who choose to self-publish do so because traditional publishers have turned them down, there are numerous reasons more and more authors are choosing the self-publish model. Those who self-publish receive higher royalties, get to press faster and maintain control of their work throughout the entire publishing process.

Though the industry has seen a definite increase in activity with the advancement of DIY and POD publishing technology, self-publishing is definitely not a new concept. Many works now deemed classics were originally self-published, including the original writings of William Blake, Walt Whitman, Virginia Wolfe, D.H. Lawrence and Mark Twain.

Check out these five self-published debuts that pulled their authors into America’s spotlight.

Rick Evans’ The Christmas Box 
Written as a holiday gift for his daughters in 1993, The Christmas Box only took Evans 6 weeks to write. After being turned down by several traditional publishers, Evans decided to self-publish. He produced only 20 copies of the work, which he handed out to a close knit group of friends and family as Christmas gifts. Miraculously, those 20 titles began to circulate, and in months to come, book stores began calling Evans at home searching for copies of the title.

Due to his incredible enthusiasm and marketing skills, Evans eventually sold The Christmas Box to Simon & Shuster for $4.2 million. Shortly following, it hit the top of Publishers Weekly’s bestseller list and was later translated into 13 languages.

###

James Redfield’s
The Celestine Prophecy
In 1989, James Redfield resigned from his job as a counselor and therapist to devote his life to writing full time. After two years of hard work on his first title, The Celestine Prophecy, he received offers from traditional publishers, but none that seemed a perfect fit. Redfield was eventually introduced to the concept of self-publishing.

His first print run numbered 3,000 copies, which he and his wife, Salle, gave mostly away to select individuals and local booksellers in their surrounding area. Word of mouth took over from there, and in just 6 months, they had 100,000 copies in print. The Celestine Prophecy phenomenon caught the attention of Warner Books, who purchased the rights for $800,000. The #1 bestseller in 1996, it spent 165 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and more than 5.5 million copies have been sold today.

###

Earthworks Group’s 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth
When John Javna and Julie Bennett were discussing how to publish 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, they considered offering it to a traditional book company. However, they wanted to get it out quickly, and at an affordable price.

A revolutionary bestseller, 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth was originally self-published by the Earthworks Group in 1990. Following its release at the reasonable price of only $4.95, it spent 7 months on The New York Times bestseller list and went onto to sell 4.5 million copies in its original and premium editions.

###

Irma Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking
Originally released in 1931, The Joy of Cooking was a project of the First Unitarian Women’s Alliance in St. Louis. For an initial investment of $3000.00, Irma Rombauer received 3000 copies of her title from A.C. Clayton (a company which had never published a book before, but printed labels for fancy St. Louis shoe companies and for Listerine).

Eventually all 3000 copies sold, and Irma signed a contract with Bobbs-Merrill, assigning them the copyright to both the 1931 and 1936 editions. Since then the book has been republished in various editions by numerous publishers. Today, Scribner still sells more than 100,000 copies each year of the title’s various editions.

###

H. Jackson Brown’s
Life’s Little Instruction Book
After being self-published as a gift for Brown’s son who was leaving home to begin his freshman year in college, Life’s Little Instruction Book went on to become a worldwide bestseller.

Containing 511 reminders about "how to live a happy and rewarding life,” the title became the first book to ever occupy the number one spot on The New York Times bestseller list in both paperback and hardback formats simultaneously.

Eventually purchased by Rutledge Hill Press, Life’s Little Instruction Book was translated into 35 languages and has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, spawning calendars, posters, apparel items, daily journals, greeting cards, audiocassettes, screensavers and even fortune cookies.

###

So don’t be discouraged budding authors, it isn’t too late to jump on the bandwagon of self-publishing, where you can reach a mass market without sacrificing control of your vision. Your book may very well be the next diamond in the rough.

Until next time in AuthorTreeHouse, this has been Tasheena. Tune in next week for more riveting publishing advice, same blog time, same blog channel.

explorando-o sem dó nem piedade, e pensando que seu reinado duraria para sempre.

Porém em uma galáxia não tão distante, um grupo de estudantes e desenvolvedores de programas, revoltados em ter de pagar por um software falho e sem possibilidade de modificação, criam o Mozilla Firefox.

Porém para vencer seu arqui-inimigo, o Internet Explorer, os desenvolvedores precisariam criar um logotipo para o navegador, teria que ser alguém bem mais ágil e esperto que um elefante... logo pensaram em uma raposa, pois ela é àgil e esperta, assim poderia correr dos perigos da internet e das armadilhas da Microsoft.

Com código aberto, desenvolvem um navegador pacato que aos poucos, com a ajuda de milhares de colaboradores e desenvolvedores, tornou-se robusto e até melhor que o Internet Explorer. A raposa cresceu, foi a lugares aonde apenas o elefante havia ido e reza a lenda que a raposa, um dia , derrubará de vez o vil elefante, para nunca mais atormentar seus usuários.

Por isso eu amo o Firefox, este navegador gratuito tirou sutilmente o reinado do Microsoft Internet Explorer, provando ser mais eficiente, tem maior possibilidade de complementos e ser muito mais estável, provando que quando um software é feito com carinho e dedicação mesmo sendo gratuito, é mais valioso que um software baseado em royalties e cifrões.

Escrito por: Liverig

The Times on Thursday devoted a column of type to the ensuing controversy and Jackson's apology for what the newspaper called his "critical and crude" remarks, which included the bitter charge that Obama was "talking down to black people." But it left readers completely in the dark about the crude part. The Washington Post was slightly less squeamish. It said Jackson suggested "that he wanted to castrate the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee."

(via LL)

The column also summarizes the Times' various decisions about such matters in the recent past. It's surprising to me that a newspaper would be squeamish about direct-quoting expletives. Regular readers of this blog (and those who know me) will not be surprised to hear that I don't put a great deal of effort into avoiding the swears. I feel like focus on nice language is a cosmetic fix to problematic thought. Words don't offend people. People offend people.

For example:

At the 1988 Republican National Convention, when George H.W. Bush was running for president of the United States, future president George W. Bush was asked by a Hartford Courant reporter what he and his father talked about when they weren't talking about politics.

Bush's answer: "Pussy."

And on the other hand, here are some entertaining examples of how you can make something totally innocuous seem nasty by censoring it.

The ability to be explicit is essential to getting at the real, objective truth:

. . . truth is far from empty, as Davidson claimed; and the theory of truth is not "a set of truisms," as J.L. Austin said scornfully. Truth is rich, and the theory of truth complex. This is precisely what we might expect, as the nature of truth touches on what is most distinctive about us. Of all the creatures in the universe who experience what is the case, we are the only ones who make explicit what is the case, and assert that it is the case. We are explicit, or truth-bearing and falsehood-bearing animals, and to see truth truly is to see ourselves truly.

(via 3QD)

Language evolves along with what it's describing - the world is continually changing, albeit gradually:

Sex before marriage. Bob and his boyfriend. Madame Speaker. Do those words make your hair stand on end or your eyes widen? Their flatness is the register of successful revolution. Many of the changes are so incremental that you adjust without realizing something has changed until suddenly one day you realize everything is different.

(via 3QD)

But really, when is everything not different? I don't know where people come by their fixed standards for how life is supposed to be. I suppose most people think the way things were in their particular childhoods is some eternal truth for how the whole world ought to function throughout all time. And of course, what they're remembering is not the world at all, but the peace of being a child.

--

More things I don't understand: on Jean-Luc Godard:

Richard Brody's "Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard" is a story of transformation, a painstaking account of a lifelong artistic journey. Now we know how one of the greatest of all filmmakers - the man who so radically changed cinema in 1959 with his debut feature, "Breathless" - became an intolerable gasbag.

I've mentioned before that I've been watching a lot of French films without comprehending anything about them, and I've heard film buffs scoff at the type of person who says they love Godard, but it turns out all they like is Breathless. So, um, well...the only Godard film I like is Breathless.

Apparently, the Brits are worried that they prefer dumb books:

At a Royal Society of Literature debate in March, Clare Alexander, president of the Association of Authors' Agents, criticised a literary culture in which ghostwritten celebrity books, misery memoirs and Richard & Judy endorsements have "tainted publishers' minds". Contrasting the current British non-fiction bestseller charts with the more high-minded titles on the New York Times list, she said, "We have the stupidest bestseller list in the world at the moment."

Wow. I can't believe the U.S. actually made the U.K. feel insecure about its reading habits.

And to round out updates on the arts:

Canadian copyfighter Howard Knopf has suggested (presumably with tongue firmly planted in cheek) that recording artists whose music is played by torturers in Gitmo are owed performance royalties.

(via Majikthise)

Hang in there, Guns N Roses.

In March, Chesapeak Energy announced the shale -- estimating the field had as much as 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That would put it at four times the size of the gas field around Fort Worth known as the Barnett shale -- one of the biggest in the world.

A year ago, oil companies paid less than $250 an acre for the leasing rights to drill. Now, property owners are getting $20,000 an acre and as much as 30% of what a well brings in -- three times what it was a few months ago.

Visit our new site: Haynesville Shale News

O empresário Eike Batista, fundador da MMX, disse que está disposto a indenizar o grupo Anglo American no caso de o inquérito da Polícia Federal (PF) resultar em problemas com a concessão para operar a Estrada de Ferro do Amapá (EFA). A informação foi fornecida em conferência telefônica convocada ontem de manhã para explicar a investidores os inquéritos da PF que atingem a companhia.
Mesmo considerando falsa a acusação sofrida, de influir na licitação da ferrovia, Batista disse na teleconferência que, para ele, "o pior cenário" seria esta investigação se transformar numa potencial ação judicial, que pode se arrastar por alguns anos. O responsável pela área jurídica do grupo, Paulo Gouveia, informou que ainda não existe nada nesse sentido e nem mesmo um pedido de cancelamento da concessão da EFA. "O que existe é apenas uma investigação preliminar da Polícia Federal", disse.
Em comunicado divulgado ontem, a Anglo American informou que "receberá informações sobre as investigações, as quais os acionistas vendedores concordaram em disponibilizar com a urgência possível, como parte das providências que antecedem a conclusão do negócio". A mineradora sul-africana informou ainda que ela e os vendedores vão tomar decisões sobre as condições pendentes do negócio e os respectivos direitos e obrigações previstos nos contratos "à medida em que as informações fiquem disponíveis".

Cynthia Carrol, presidente da Anglo American, disse ter "muita confiança nos parceiros brasileiros", que conseguiram um grande progresso ao desenvolver os projetos de minério de ferro Minas-Rio e Amapá. "A MMX prometeu total cooperação conosco e iremos analisar as informações fornecidas assim que as recebermos. Minha expectativa é que estas questões sejam resolvidas satisfatoriamente", afirmou.
Tão logo chegou ao Rio, interrompendo suas férias no exterior, Eike Batista convocou a teleconferência, feita em inglês, conforme aviso distribuído pela MMX a analistas e investidores, para falar sobre as investigações da PF. Segundo ele, as três acusações são "falsas e totalmente infundadas". A Polícia Federal, segundo afirmou, cometeu um "erro gigantesco" ao acusar sua empresa. Ele disse que analisou as informações da PF com a assessoria jurídica do ex-ministro da Justiça Márcio Thomaz Bastos.
Ele rebateu como "infundadas" as acusações de contrabando de ouro e de contratação de serviços de empresas ligadas ao governo do Amapá. "A MMX nunca produziu nenhuma grama de ouro", afirmou. Para ele, a acusação de contrabando de ouro foi a "maneira encontrada para colocar a Polícia Federal no assunto, porque as outras acusações seriam investigadas pela polícia do Estado (Amapá)". Sobre a acusação de influência na licitação da Estrada de Ferro do Amapá, que também considerou falsa, Batista rebateu: "Não houve nenhuma restrição na concorrência. Apenas fomos o único grupo a depositar garantias e fazer uma oferta pela concessão".

A teleconferência de Batista não impediu que as ações da MMX continuassem em queda na Bovespa, apesar da recuperação dos papéis de suas outras empresas - a OGX e a MPX. Para analistas que participaram da apresentação, o fechamento do negócio entre a MMX e a Anglo American, que deve acontecer no dia 21, não deverá sofrer impacto por conta da investigação da PF. Mas eles temem que os negócios de Eike Batista, das áreas de petróleo, logística e mineração, possam ser afetados pelos projetos do governo, anunciados recentemente pelo ministro de Minas Energia, Edison Lobão, de alterar a legislação dos portos, criar royalties sobre a atividade de mineração e mudar o futuro do pré-sal, criando uma empresa separada da Petrobras. "O Eike virou alvo do governo", disse um interlocutor, para quem este é o risco maior para os negócios do bilionário.
A MMX confirmou ao Valor a contratação de Márcio Thomaz Bastos para a avaliação da investigação da PF.

Now, I am sure that there are scads of more experienced writers and composers out there who think that triple digits is nothing to get excited about. But to me, that check says that a hundred people—so far—have thought that something I put down on staff paper was worth taking home and playing. It’s a hundred lives my music has touched. Some of them I know; some I will never meet. But to each and every one, I say: thank you.