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Richard Wiseman's skeptical bestseller can't find US publisher, goes self-published

AdMan

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AdMan
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Richard Wiseman's latest UK bestseller, Paranormality, can't find a US publisher, so the author decides to self-publish.

Says Wiseman:

The book has done well in the UK and has been bought by publishers in lots of other countries. However, the major American publishers were reluctant to support a skeptical book, with some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed! We didn’t get any serious offers and so it looked like the American public (around 75% of whom believe in the paranormal) wouldn’t get the opportunity to read about skepticism. Then I had an idea.

I am going to self-publish an unashamedly skeptical book in America and see what happens. Today the book launches on Kindle and my UK publisher will ship physical editions into America (and it will appear as an iBook very soon). It all feels like a scary but exciting experiment.
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https://richardwiseman.wordpress.co...ty-launches-in-the-usa-and-the-friday-puzzle/

I've just bought mine, and I urge other skeptics in America to do the same. :)
 
Unless your book has vampires or dysfunctional families, publishers do not want to see it.
 
AdMan said:
Richard Wiseman's latest UK bestseller, Paranormality, can't find a US publisher, so the author decides to self-publish.

Says Wiseman:




https://richardwiseman.wordpress.co...ty-launches-in-the-usa-and-the-friday-puzzle/

I've just bought mine, and I urge other skeptics in America to do the same. :)
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Thanks for the heads up! This American just ordered a copy.

paiute said:
Unless your book has vampires or dysfunctional families, publishers do not want to see it.
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And if you wrote about a dysfunctional family of vampires, well that's a license to print money right there.
 
AdMan said:
I've just bought mine, and I urge other skeptics in America to do the same. :)
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And James Randi agrees.

This refusal of U.S. publishers to accept a book – they were “reluctant to support a skeptical book, with some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed!” – offends me, and I hope that it strikes you the same way. Now that we know Paranormality is available, and how to purchase it, please do so – either in solid form (available next week at TAM), or on Kindle. The only way that publishers can be reached in through their income, and I want this book to show them that the American public really does have an interest in the skeptical viewpoint!

Please, let’s support Richard’s book!
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Richard is no mean self publicist. It will probably sell bigtime.
I bought it a month or so ago- ironically in Kazakhstan.
Which raises an issue.
Why am I , as a Brit, required to pay UK VAT on a Kindle e-book, when I'm not in the UK when I buy it?
Why is the Kindle store not the same price everywhere?
 
PZ Myers chimes in: I think we've been insulted by American book publishers:

It's a self-perpetuating cycle, isn't it? Since so many of us are gullible cretins, books and TV are tailored to pander to error rather than to challenge and criticize, so the population becomes increasingly more gullible. I guess that makes sense if your goal is to educate a public to buy more soap and toasters.
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paiute said:
Unless your book has vampires or dysfunctional families, publishers do not want to see it.
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Or better still, vampires and dysfunctional families.

(thinks: should have read the rest of the thread before posting).
 
I got a sample sent to my Kindle. I like the added touch of QR codes to scan in order to watch videos along the way. But I have to admit that after reading the sample, I haven't yet learned anything new. Not that I'm opposed to a light read which presents stuff I already know in an entertaining manner...but can anyone tell me whether it covers more than what we talk about here?

Linda
 
fls said:
I got a sample sent to my Kindle. I like the added touch of QR codes to scan in order to watch videos along the way. But I have to admit that after reading the sample, I haven't yet learned anything new. Not that I'm opposed to a light read which presents stuff I already know in an entertaining manner...but can anyone tell me whether it covers more than what we talk about here?

Linda
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There is another sample here.

I expect that as this is a broad look at skepticism aimed at the general public, there likely won't be a whole lot that's very new to many here. Still probably a fun, interesting read.
 
I accidentally stumbled upon this book the other day. Despite having heard all of the same things before, I still find it interesting, especially with the "do-it-yourself" experiments (like how to induce an OBE!).
 
Conville and Walsh is taking professor Richard Wiseman’s Supernormality, a book just sold to Macmillan in the UK in a “big” six-figure deal. Supernormality deals with the way that scientific research into the apparent fringes of psychology—mediums, lucid dreaming and telepathy—has led to serious breakthroughs which can be applied to everyday life. His previous book, 59 Seconds, has sold to 31 foreign-language publishers.
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http://www.thebookseller.com/news/a...w-amis-david-bowie-series-and-new-colfer.html

US publishers must be very dim then, especially given the number of weeks it was an Amazon top ten bestseller over here, or something is not right

cj x
 
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