Publish and be damned

[Grumpage]

Has anyone been following the Sherry Jones story? She’s a reporter trying to publish her novel The Jewel of Medina (About one of Mohammed’s daughters). Random House has pulled out for fear of reprisals and her UK publisher has just been firebombed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/2 ... ook.attack

Since the Rushdie affair this is now pretty routine stuff. The likelihood of causing offence is guaranteed from the start. So why on earth does anyone even attempt to publish anything at all, at least fictional, concerning Islam? I just don’t get it. I cannot see the benefit given the (probable) cost. There are thousands of other things to write about so why doesn’t SJ et al do something more productive with her time?

Having said that, if these writers must go down dark, dangerous and dead-end alleys why do they seek out traditional publishers, preferably big name, big bucks outfits like Random House, and not publish on the internet. Exactly, ‘big name’ and ‘big bucks’. OK, that’s fine, but it does go to the heart of a writer’s motivation - do they write for money, fame, personal reasons or simply “the story must be told”?

On searching the internet for SJ and her book Google threw up Fiction Circus and an open letter to SJ inviting her to let them publish it.

http://fictioncircus.com/news.php?id=230&mode=one

I found myself quite moved by their appeal (but not the photograph, what the hell is that about?) albeit somewhat cautious over their subversive tone (I prefer my radicalism with a large dash of soda). Their message is simple - if you want to publish and do so safely, with, I presume, a minimum of censorship, then forget traditional publishers. You might even make some money through site advertising. I reckon they’re preaching to deaf ears.

The pull of traditional publishers is so strong that internet publishing is a bit like alternative medicine - to be tried only when everyone else has pronounced you dead. SJ’s UK publisher has not yet bailed out - if he does then Fiction Circus might be in business and good luck to them. Given the history of traditional publishing over the last 30 years or so (for fiction certainly) I shan’t be sorry to see it pushed to one side by the likes of Fiction Circus.

[Minimalist]

Yeah...as Pat Condell says, "Islam without violence is like an omelette without eggs."

And if you call them violent - they will try to kill you.

[spacecase0]

Yeah...as Pat Condell says, "Islam without violence is like an omelette without eggs."

And if you call them violent - they will try to kill you.

jihadwatch.org shows this well,
did you know that is is not allowed for people to talk about the jihad and the things that they bring to the world at the UN ? our world is lost in so many ways, yet people keep trying to fix things even though it may hurt them.