The past is much more interesting when it is penned by people who led much more extraordinary lives than did the kings, queens and statesmen of the past. During his 1,000-mile route march across India to the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan Hindu Kush, Bandsman William Rutter penned his diary. It never crossed his mind that his diary entries penned for family interest would in 200 years’ time fascinate readers all over the world.
When during a televised skirmish Ronald Reagan’s published memoirs came up, the former US president wryly remarked: ‘I hear it’s a terrific book. One of these days I am going to read it myself.’
When historians pen the obituary of the West’s dying moments it will reveal that strategies adopted by the arrogant West backfired spectacularly. Many suicidal tactics will be covered in future news stories. For now, we focus on Cancel Culture relating to book and video publishing by Amazon online publishing.
It has survived wars, epidemics and the financial crisis, but has not survived the Press driven money bonanza that has driven turned millionaires into billionaires across the ruling classes.
MICHAEL WALSH smiles as he reads of a Pennsylvania having similar problems to his own except the dairy farmer’s stock in trade is milk rather than Michael’s books.
The regime’s authorities in the Netherlands have revised the anti-coronavirus rules, which were tightened at the end of December due to the spread of a new strain of coronavirus ‘omicron’.
When your business is burgled your preparedness to adapt is essential to survival. We faced destitution when Amazon seized the entire contents of our small publisher’s store. The booksellers continued to sell my commandeered books through agents so added salt to the wounds.
For the first time in history, book readers are publishers too: Less than 20 years ago we bought newspapers. It never crossed our minds that newspapers could be free. Does anyone buy a newspaper these days?
When an author historian suffers years of ambushes set by Amazon it makes publishing books a challenge. When Amazon’s coup de grâce is to close the author’s account one imagines smugness on the spotty faces of cancel-culture vultures lurking in Silicon Valley as they remove his life support apparatus.
Few writers are under any illusions as to their chances of their book becoming a blockbuster. Amazon pays from 10 cents to $3 per book sale. Amazon doesn’t promote books; you do.
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