No doubt that television advertising uses subliminal messaging. None whatsoever. I'm old enough to remember coca cola flash frames for example. No doubt that Hollywood has used film to push an agenda. But when Hoagland starts trying to tell me that the film-flop that was John Carter of Mars is actually a documentary depicting the true story of Mars you simply have to sit back and mock the stupidity of the man. Incidentally, we are still waiting for Hoagland to release the promised "paper" about the John Carter movie. Where he promised to prove his claims. Don't hold your breath. Hoagland never finishes much at all before moving on to the next thing that could save the world.
Look at the picture below. Yes, it's funny. Especially if you are a parent. But just look at the number on the bottom right of the image. OMGZ hyperdimensional physics right there subliminally teaching teenagers. Now I know Hoagland has no children, and, therefore, knows fuck all about being a parent. But he also knows fuck all about mathematics or physics and he didn't let that little detail stop him writing about them.
Ah yes, "John Carter of Mars" based on writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs whose enjoyable Barsoom pulp fiction series was also a major influence on all of "my good friends" Bradbury, Clarke and Sagan. But in the end it was more than anything else an imaginative dramatization inspired by observations and speculations from 19th century astronomers Lowell and Schiaparelli who Hoagland described as " giants of 19th century astronomy" in his article "Methane on Mars: Or … “Back to the Future …?" part III.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way I did enjoy "John Carter of Mars" as a movie probably because of childhood sentiment and the lack of any better SF adventure movie in the offering. Then again perhaps Total Recall (original movie) proves you need to be on pills and live in your own reality to see Mars as it really is?
And I forgot to add that RCH made the suggestion in the context of Lowell that since Mars is at least locally "warming up"*, at places, the canals and webs of Lowell might actually appear again on the surface of Mars in due course! So that he was right all along and all observers coming after him not.
ReplyDelete*) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars#Evidence_for_recent_climatic_change
Given his recent radio appearances. I really wonder if he's skint. And it's not the first time I have wondered this. Does he still rake in a few bucks from past books ? - Can this sustain an income - ?
ReplyDeleteI have NO idea how much the oft' mentioned #21 for one week NYT "bestseller" can earn you initially or indeed thereafter. I am genuinely curious. How the fuck does he pay the rent ?
Skint = broke :-)
ReplyDeleteMy estimate is $15,000 from "Dark Mission," split between him and Bara. Next to nothing from the Pluto book, since it's not selling well and there are 31 authors.
ReplyDeleteHe may get as much as $500 per conference, but he hasn't done one of those for a while.
So yes -- skint.
Call me naive but I always imagined that if you got to #21 in the NYT best seller list you would make a right few bob for that. I had no idea that it would be such a small amount. Does that mean that #21 means something like 5,000 book sales or something as low as that.
ReplyDeleteWhat are book contracts like ? - For example. Is it like record sales where you will continually generate an income if the product keeps getting a reprint. Think Slade. Those awesome 1970's glam rockers. One song, "Merry Xmas Everybody" generates enough for them not to have to worry about zero income because of it's perennial success.
My belief is that the main source of income for Hoagland are or were mostly private donations. And the way to get to that stage is A. having one or several books out (or coming out) for "credit" building, B. having some puffed up biography for all the gullible wallet wielding seniors out there and C. getting repeated air play and appearances at conferences where many of the targeted donors tend to go. Lend them your ear, investigate perhaps something "on commission" -- that kind of stuff.
ReplyDeleteBooks and conferences are then"income" as much but really more means to an end, like night radio guest slots. Competition might be fierce though and because of that these funds might have been drying up over the years. Since his original main donors were not that interested in exploring consumer "web sites" -- being no really places to get excited for this type of audiences -- he never put much effort in developing that presence. Being under attack (or the threat of ) was always a good thing as his donors never people who would appreciate scrutiny but were more like suckers for victim-hood.
The remaining question then is: how many donors and gifts does one need to have a decent enough living for over twenty years, if not thirty? All the books and conference fees are just bonuses in this view, icing on the cake.
But I don't believe any of it made him rich though. If he's a conman, he's also kidding himself!
Dee
« What are book contracts like ? »
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as one who knows, intimately...
The contract will specify a sliding scale of royalties x% for the first 5,000, y% for the next 5,000, then the full royalty (max. 15%) thereafter. The percentage may not be on the full cover price, but based on wholesale prices. Then they'll get you by withholding a proportion to cover eventual returns. The accounting gets extremely convoluted and even literary agents can't always track it successfully. Yes, in theory a book could keep on earning for ever like a hit song but that's a rare miracle.
If you're lucky enough to get an advance, it'll be in the region of $10,000. The most I ever got was $12,000.
Dark Mission sold 55,000 copies. Cover price was $20 -- wholesale, averaging book club deals etc. the royalty base price was probably around $12. Maybe I should increase my revenue estimate to $25,000.
Wow Expat. Thanks for the peek-a-boo inside. I am most fascinated.
ReplyDeleteSo many questions. For example; mental cases like David Wilcock (behave people) who have penned numerous tomes of utter mince. Can plagiarise, steal, misrepresent, and downright lie about spurious research and rake it in like a bandit. Well knock me down with a feather, spank my bum and call me Susan. Maybe I should get a new job. Fleecing old ladies, telling fairytales and name-dropping like, (well like a person I actually know).
My next (and first) book is going to be about how the Nazis kidnapped Mike Bara. Anally probed him with a Wehrmacht adorned "rampant rabbit", Recorded his repugnant cries of approval, and sold the story to the "Intergalactic Enquirer."
My proof ? - How dare you ask for proof. I have several people who have doctorates in divinity from various online establishments that charge upwards of $2000 for a Ph.D. in whatever you want.
Dr Michio Kaku and Dr Neil de Grasse Tyson on the other hand are a pair of Harvard (et al) educated government shills. I can prove this by saying it unchallenged on radio and getting away with it.
Clearly Mike Bara, world famous aeronautical/mechanical/electronics engineer must be correct. Cause he says so. You fucking woman FAG !!!!! Get into the kitchen bitch - Fuck sake.
How DARE you wear shoes.