Xref: utzoo rec.humor.d:1156 news.misc:2024
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: rec.humor.d,news.misc
Subject: Yes, I can sell a jokebook via USENET.
Message-ID: <2391@looking.UUCP>
Date: 24 Nov 88 08:08:18 GMT
Reply-To: /dev/null (sorry, but my mailbox is filling up too much)
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo Ont.
Lines: 111

I thought we went over all this before, but I will lay it out once
again to put the matter to rest.  (There's even a joke at the end!)

Q:	Can you do commercial activity on USENET?

A:	There is a popular myth that commercial activity is not allowed or
	encouraged on USENET.  This is false.  It goes on all the time, and
	the only criterion that really applies is whether net readers get
	something of value from it.  Comp.newprod exists.  Many companies do
	tech support over the net.  Everybody in comp.unix.xenix is thrilled to
	have SCO active there, and everybody in comp.sys.ibm.pc is pleased
	to have MKS and other companies there.

	Another moderator, Chuq Von Rospach, has an newsgroup where every
	issue advertises that the fanzine is available in print form, for
	a fee.  He even advertised T-shirts in the last issue.

	Non-net related material, like "New Chevrolets for sale," is
	discouraged.

Q:	Does your book provide something of value to the net?
	
A:	That's up to you, but based on mail I have gotten, and orders,
	I would say, definitely yes.   Among other things, the book will
	*save* the net money by reducing calls for, and repostings of,
	popular jokes like the Purity test and many others.  It is also
	good for the people who mail me asking for back-jokes.  Finally,
	the many who subscribed after Aug 1977 get to see the rest of
	the jokes.  Everybody gets to see the oldies and other unpublished
	stuff.

Q:	What about the ARPANET?

A:	Commercial activity is not allowed on the ARPANET.  As I suspect
	some people forward the group there, I made a note that those
	messages should not be forwarded on the ARPANET proper.  I hope
	people concerned about the messages there will delete them.  They
	were plainly marked as commercial messages.  I will do whatever else
	I can to help ensure that the ARPANET is not seriously compromised.

Q:	Are you making money on the book?

A:	Depends on how many I sell.  If I only sell my initial print run,
	then I would judge that I am not.  Out of $9.95 comes not just
	162 pages of photocopying, plus metal plate printed covers, binding,
	your time on the 800 number (about 82 cents/minute), ordering time
	and credit card charges, but also a portion of a couple of solid
	weeks of work typesetting the book, costs of pasteup and camerawork,
	DTP equipment and lots of other stuff.

	Ask somebody who's done small volume publishing and book production!
	Price it yourself.

Q:	What if you sell a lot? (thousands)

A:	Well, then, I will make money.  It will take a few if I account for
	my time as I would bill for expert software work, which is what
	I normally do.  I've published 9 products, all with great reps, and
	I'm no slouch in that area.  I really put the book together as a
	labour of love, but if I make money from it, I'm damn well going to
	keep it.   I'm not even counting the hundreds of hours I put into
	selecting the jokes as moderator, including writing personal notes
	to 99% of the thousands and thousands of submissions over the past
	year.  (In fact, if you appreciated that, just send me bags of
	money!  :-) )

Q:	Will you provide an accounting of the book later?

A:	No.  Sorry, but that's my private business.  There is nothing
	wrong with what I'm doing, and I shouldn't really have to defend
	it.  I do, and do, and do for you kids, and this is the thanks I
	get.

Q:	I support you. I'll send you mail to tell you so.

A:	Please don't, as I explained in a previous posting.  It's very nice
	to get all this fan mail, and thanks, but I do have to get back
	to real work now that the book is out.  If you really want to
	support me, get out your credit card and dial 1-800-....   :-)
	But seriously folks, I must admit I can't complain about the fact
	that Matt Crawford's ravings have *increased* sales of the book.
	(Just as Richmond's complaints caused a flood of Jewish joke
	submissions to funny@looking, even though I asked for the reverse.)

Q:	You're scum.  I'll send you mail to tell you so.

A:	It's a free continent, mostly.  I can't say I'll agree or even
	reply, at this point, but it's up to you.

Q:	Is Ty Templeton (the illustrator) really your brother?

A:	Hard to say, but yes, we do share 4 of the same parents.
	(Our parents have been married 3 times each.  As Ty says, I
	don't drink, except at family weddings.  Some people say that
	makes me an alcoholic.)

Q:	What does Matt Crawford have against you?

A:	Damned if I know.  Maybe I rejected one of his jokes.  I know he
	got upset once when he got confused and saw racism in a joke about
	Jesse Jackson, but that's not enough to explain his vendetta.
	Only his brain surgeon knows for sure.  :-)
	(If somebody *really* knows the reason, you can mail me.)

Q:	What's the difference between a duck?

A:	Sorry, your joke is rejected because it's been bantered around a lot
	on rec.humor, and I feel it is moderately well known.  Keep trying,
	though...
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd.  --  Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473