Wonder if they included academic books in that count. One of the things that made me realize I wasn't cut out for the academy was the fact that you're expected to write a book and hopefully get it published, knowing for a fact that it's not going anywhere. Indeed, if you attempt to do anything that might change that (by, say, writing with more accessible prose) you are greeted with skepticism, if not hostility.
If that side of the publishing business died, I don't think anyone would miss it.
Do you happen to know whether the DOJ's figure for number of books published included self-published books? Some of the dreck on Amazon is likely to have only a dozen readers.
There are a couple of "all you can eat" sources which do in fact pay royalties for back catalog books. How much I don't know. One is Kindle Unlimited which has, besides the dreck, some actual once-bestsellers and back catalog from people you have actually heard of.
The other is Everand, a spin off from Scribd. For about $90/year you can get really a bazillion back catalog books, though not every author goes with their program. For SF fans, if you are into Poul Anderson there are 141 books available, thought their search engine picks up books by others that Anderson may have done a blurb or introduction for and some are translations into other languages. . For Clifford Simak, 545 (same caveat--for SF short story writers some of the hits are for copies of the magazines they published stories in. ). For the mystery fan Donna Leon has at least 29 titles, including some of her non fiction. Stephen King has about 90, though I didn't bother to check for duplicates.
Both these sources are ebooks. It's hard to imagine an "all you can eat" place beyond a large library that could distribute DTBs.
Everand also has audio books of quite recent and popular titles.
Back in the day the original Scribd site had copyright issues because folks could upload things that violated the copyrights. Everand doesn't let people upload so that problem is avoided.
Like everything else "wonderful" that Tech has given us, Netflix is another thing breaking what was a good system and replacing it with nothing better.
I'll be honest: I listen to "The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood" every week, but I didn't feel any particular urgency to listen to the Kelli Jones/costume design episode. However, I was driving, and the episode started playing (it was next in my Spotify feed, or however these things work; I'm old), and I'm here to endorse what Sonny says: It's a great episode! Even if you haven't yet seen "The Beekeeper." (I have not, although the episode reminded me that "Beekeeper" is a David Ayer film, and I've liked some of his earlier work. Maybe I should try to forget "Suicide Squad" and give Ayer another chance.)
David Ayer's "Fury" is a solid, tense-as-hell war picture, and although he didn't direct it, there's also "Training Day" (for which he wrote the screenplay), if you're wanting to check out some of his better efforts.
"Fury" is one of the movies I was thinking of when I mentioned that I've liked some of his earlier work. (There was a time when I reviewed movies, and "Fury" was one that I reviewed positively.) I also have a soft spot for "End of Watch," although if memory serves the language was a bit much for me.
Hundreds of Beavers finally opens in Charleston South Carolina this weekend. Excited to be seeing it. Would’ve loved to see it as a double feature with Sasquatch Sunset, which I am waiting for Sonny to review.
It's so funny, I actually almost did a Beavers/Sasquatch double review, but I ended up being very annoyed by Sasquatch Sunset (I just found it emotionally manipulative and pleased with itself and weirdly preoccupied with notions of Sasquatch sexual consent). I have a general (though not absolute) rule about not tearing down indie flicks no one is probably going to watch anyway, so I decided not to review it anywhere but Letterboxd.
Thanks. I liked it better than you did and I still think a fuller review might be interesting to your readers.
By the way, your review of Challenges never mentions the word “marriage.” As a retired film reviewer, a divorce lawyer of 30 years, and a husband of 34 years, I’m telling you it was a psychological-horror movie about marriage among the upwardly mobile, self-actualizing class, disguised as a movie about tennis.
I am happy to send you my link to my blog about it if you’re interested.
Thanks for that. I will have to look for that beavers movie. In light of that, could you possibly consider reviewing Powertool Cheerleaders and the Boy Band of the Living Dead? It did really well on the European film festival circuit a couple of years ago.
Wonder if they included academic books in that count. One of the things that made me realize I wasn't cut out for the academy was the fact that you're expected to write a book and hopefully get it published, knowing for a fact that it's not going anywhere. Indeed, if you attempt to do anything that might change that (by, say, writing with more accessible prose) you are greeted with skepticism, if not hostility.
If that side of the publishing business died, I don't think anyone would miss it.
Do you happen to know whether the DOJ's figure for number of books published included self-published books? Some of the dreck on Amazon is likely to have only a dozen readers.
There are a couple of "all you can eat" sources which do in fact pay royalties for back catalog books. How much I don't know. One is Kindle Unlimited which has, besides the dreck, some actual once-bestsellers and back catalog from people you have actually heard of.
The other is Everand, a spin off from Scribd. For about $90/year you can get really a bazillion back catalog books, though not every author goes with their program. For SF fans, if you are into Poul Anderson there are 141 books available, thought their search engine picks up books by others that Anderson may have done a blurb or introduction for and some are translations into other languages. . For Clifford Simak, 545 (same caveat--for SF short story writers some of the hits are for copies of the magazines they published stories in. ). For the mystery fan Donna Leon has at least 29 titles, including some of her non fiction. Stephen King has about 90, though I didn't bother to check for duplicates.
Both these sources are ebooks. It's hard to imagine an "all you can eat" place beyond a large library that could distribute DTBs.
Everand also has audio books of quite recent and popular titles.
Back in the day the original Scribd site had copyright issues because folks could upload things that violated the copyrights. Everand doesn't let people upload so that problem is avoided.
Like everything else "wonderful" that Tech has given us, Netflix is another thing breaking what was a good system and replacing it with nothing better.
I'll be honest: I listen to "The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood" every week, but I didn't feel any particular urgency to listen to the Kelli Jones/costume design episode. However, I was driving, and the episode started playing (it was next in my Spotify feed, or however these things work; I'm old), and I'm here to endorse what Sonny says: It's a great episode! Even if you haven't yet seen "The Beekeeper." (I have not, although the episode reminded me that "Beekeeper" is a David Ayer film, and I've liked some of his earlier work. Maybe I should try to forget "Suicide Squad" and give Ayer another chance.)
David Ayer's "Fury" is a solid, tense-as-hell war picture, and although he didn't direct it, there's also "Training Day" (for which he wrote the screenplay), if you're wanting to check out some of his better efforts.
"Fury" is one of the movies I was thinking of when I mentioned that I've liked some of his earlier work. (There was a time when I reviewed movies, and "Fury" was one that I reviewed positively.) I also have a soft spot for "End of Watch," although if memory serves the language was a bit much for me.
I also hated SUICIDE SQUAD, but supposedly he has a better, darker cut of the film. Release the Ayer Cut, I say! (Glad you enjoyed the episode!)
Hundreds of Beavers finally opens in Charleston South Carolina this weekend. Excited to be seeing it. Would’ve loved to see it as a double feature with Sasquatch Sunset, which I am waiting for Sonny to review.
Finally saw it. Only three people in the theater, two of whom were me and my friend. Sad.
You are right: it was worth seeing and you won’t see another film like it.
It's so funny, I actually almost did a Beavers/Sasquatch double review, but I ended up being very annoyed by Sasquatch Sunset (I just found it emotionally manipulative and pleased with itself and weirdly preoccupied with notions of Sasquatch sexual consent). I have a general (though not absolute) rule about not tearing down indie flicks no one is probably going to watch anyway, so I decided not to review it anywhere but Letterboxd.
Can you provide a link to the letterboxd review?
Sure: https://letterboxd.com/sonnybunch/film/sasquatch-sunset/
Thanks. I liked it better than you did and I still think a fuller review might be interesting to your readers.
By the way, your review of Challenges never mentions the word “marriage.” As a retired film reviewer, a divorce lawyer of 30 years, and a husband of 34 years, I’m telling you it was a psychological-horror movie about marriage among the upwardly mobile, self-actualizing class, disguised as a movie about tennis.
I am happy to send you my link to my blog about it if you’re interested.
OT: Great bonus ep of the pod today, SB! Sorry, not on X to tell you there. 🤘
I was harangued into doing it! Harangued, I say!
😂
Thanks for that. I will have to look for that beavers movie. In light of that, could you possibly consider reviewing Powertool Cheerleaders and the Boy Band of the Living Dead? It did really well on the European film festival circuit a couple of years ago.
haha, those sound very grindhousey!