Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware®

In my first post about the ways that predatory companies attempt to ensnare unwary writers who are searching for publishers, I discussed fake publisher-matching websites. In my second, I exposed the scammy Google ad tactics of vanity publisher Austin Macauley.

In this third post, I'll talk about an equally insidious practice: providing misinformation or even outright lies about traditional publishing, in order to make self- or vanity publishing appear superior.

Yesterday on Twitter, someone tweeted this chart, which purportedly compares traditional publishing and self-publishing.


If you're even slightly savvy about publishing, the inaccuracies are easy to spot. Trad pubs often pay royalties on retail price (not "net sales"), or pay a higher percentage (higher royalties are especially common in the small press world). Trad pubs that pay advances don't withhold them from less popular authors, and they don't require authors to make "certain minimum orders" or to buy thousands of copies of their own books. And while it's often true that smaller traditional publishers don't provide much in the way of PR or marketing support, and larger houses invest more marketing in more popular books and authors, they don't simply ignore 95% of their output (this makes no sense; what business markets only 5% of its products?)

As for author rights...trad pubs do license exclusive rights from authors, sometimes for a period of years, sometimes for the life of copyright (with reversion usually happening well before then). But they don't gain ownership of them (as "all rights are with the publisher" implies), because the author retains copyright--plus, authors can often negotiate to keep some of their subsidiary rights. And although self-publishing is typically non-exclusive, allowing authors to publish on multiple platforms if they wish, they do still have to license publishing and distribution rights to whichever platform or service provider they choose--otherwise, the platform couldn't legally produce and sell their books.

The chart comes from this how-to-self-publish article, which is really just a long ad for PublishEdge, which is (surprise!) a paid publishing services provider.


PublishEdge is a "division" of Zaang Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which, unlike the Philippines-based scams I've been covering so much lately, is based in India. The range of services it sells aren't priced as high as some of the scammers', but there are still plenty of warning signs: no information about who is providing the services on offer (so you have no idea who they are or if they're qualified); no cover or website design samples (so you have no idea what you'd be getting for your money); and this pitch for ghostwriting services, which invites you to "Discover the simple secret to how celebrities and busy professionals get their books published without actually writing", courtesy of "our book writing experts", who (judging from the description of the service) basically type up a Skype interview into a chapter book. Most likely these unnamed "experts" are hired on Upwork or Fiverr or a similar jobs site (holy plagiarism scandal, Batman!).

PublishEdge isn't alone in misrepresenting traditional publishing in order to make itself look more attractive. Among other alternative facts, this chart from Morgan James, a vanity publisher with an author purchase requirement, claims that "many major houses" require authors to buy 5,000 copies or more of their own books (doesn't that make MJ's 2,500 purchase requirement seem appealing?), and that trad pubs provide no PR or marketing support for 94% of their books and authors. (Hmmm. Could PublishEdge have borrowed a little something there?)

Here's another misleading comparison, from Union Square Publishing, a self-styled hybrid (read: vanity) publisher. It too borrows heavily from Morgan James's chart, with several of the same dubious claims. Here's another one--this time from Success Publishing, which sells Chicken Soup-style anthology slots.

This one, from "custom" publisher Momosa Publishing (packages start at $5,900), doesn't tell quite so many fibs, but encourages you to believe that trad pubs cap their royalties at 6%, and don't market their books to libraries. And then there's this from Atmosphere Press, another so-called hybrid, which wants to convince writers that a $5,000 publishing fee will save them from the "raw end of the deal" they'd get from a trad pub, "losing not just their royalties but also the rights to their material and to their control over their art." Not addressed: the likelihood of ever making that $5,000 back.

These are just a few examples; there are many more. If you use the internet as part of your publisher search, you're very likely to encounter them (in some cases, disseminated by self-styled experts who ought to know better). It's a great argument for a step that many writers skip: learning about publishing before diving into the quest for publication. As with all aspects of publishing, knowledge is your greatest ally and your best defense: the more you know about the way things really work, the better protected you will be against the disinformation described above.

Final note: I know that many writers have had bad experiences with traditional publishers--I've had some myself. Especially in the small press world, many traditional (at least in the sense that they don't charge fees) publishers engage in nonstandard and author-unfriendly business practices. There's plenty of discussion of that on this blog. I'm not trying to paint trad pub as perfect, or argue that it's necessarily a better choice for any given writer.

But deliberate distortions like those described above don't help anyone, even if you don't take into account their obvious self-serving agenda. Tarring an entire segment of the publishing market with a broad negative brush--especially where some of the supposed negatives are demonstrably false--is as irresponsible as arguing (as some people still do) that only traditional publishing is a worthwhile path. 

Belgian waffles may be about to become more environmentally friendly.

AI can check satellite images of the ocean and distinguish between floating materials such as seaweed or plastics, which could help clean-up efforts

Half a million people taking part in the UK Biobank, which gathers genetic information for researchers to study, won't be told if they turn out to be genetically vulnerable to the coronavirus

Abayev and members of his search team rummage the steppe for remains of the Red Army soldiers who fell in the autumn of 1942 in fierce fighting with Nazi troops pushing toward the Caspian Sea south of Stalingrad. Stiff resistance by the Red Army stopped the Wehrmacht onslaught in the steppes of Kalmykia, and months later the enemy's forces were encircled in Stalingrad and surrendered, a major defeat for the Nazis that marked a turning point in World War II.

Lucy Proctor was horrified when she was WhatsApped a sex abuse video. And she wanted to find out if the boy was safe.

Reporter Aaron Roach Bridgeman speaks to suspects, police and campaigners.

A vaccine normally takes a decade to develop, but GSK and Sanofi want a viable coronavirus vaccine by the end of next year, GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley says.

Abhay Kurundkar, the prime accused in the murder of assistant inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore, had called cops attached to the Thane (Rural) commissionerate and left an "anonymous tip-off" to search for the body of a policewoman, who had "jumped" from the Bhayander bridge. Cops along with three local fishermen and eight to 10 unknown people carried out the search in Vasai creek for nearly five days with no luck.

And this, allegedly, is what Kurundkar wanted — it was a test of sorts by him to check if he had managed to make the body disappear and if it would remain untraced. This has come to light after the recent recording of statements of cops and fishermen by the Navi Mumbai police, who are investigating the April 2016 murder, for which senior inspector Kurundkar and three others have been arrested.

Ashwini Bidre-Gore

More questions
Interestingly, none of the cops from Thane (Rural) has been investigated or questioned why they didn't make a diary entry for such a massive search operation, or why they didn't investigate the 'unknown' officer from Thane police who gave the tip-off.

On the other hand, Michael Valetin Malya, his brother Jacob, and one more fisherman at Vasai told cops that they received a call from Kurundkar, seeking help to search for a body.

"This clearly indicates a few things — the seven cops attached to Thane (Rural) police knew that a police officer has given the tip-off; they carried out a search but didn't think it necessary to inform their superiors; also, the officer who received the call didn't bother to inquire who the caller was, all of which is strange," said an officer privy to investigation details, adding, "It appears cops deliberately hid the caller's identity."

'Dereliction of duty'
The Navi Mumbai police have taken down statements of more than 70 people in the case, including the Thane (Rural) cops. Bidre-Gore's family recently met the newly-appointed Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar and put forward various complaints regarding loopholes in the investigation left by then investigating and supervising officers.

"This is a dereliction of duty... none of them [the cops who carried out the search] has been inquired or questioned about the act," said Raju Gore, husband of the deceased.

"Also, no investigation has been done to find out who were the eight to 10 people who posed as relatives and went with the fishermen for the search. We want the investigation to make note of it and go in this direction, so that these officers can be made accused too."

Also read: Ashwini Bidre murder case: Fellow cop and lover identified as killer

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Melatonin is a hormone known to promote sleep. But, have you ever wondered how melatonin helps to promote sleep? Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered how melatonin suppresses the neurons in the brain that keeps you awake and alert. The findings of the study, which is published in the Journal of Pineal Research, could lead to new therapies for those who suffer from insomnia.

"We as a society are losing sleep because we are working too hard, and it's causing a variety of health concerns," said Mahesh Thakkar, lead author of the study. "We often don't even think about sleep or consider it important. However, there is nothing more important than sleep. We need to focus on therapies that can help you have quality sleep, not just sleep."

Using a mouse model, Thakkar's research found that melatonin infused in the brain at dark -- when the mice are awake and active -- increased sleep and reduced wakefulness by suppressing specific neurons that stimulate the brain to wake up.

Thakkar also discovered that blocking melatonin receptors in the brain at bedtime significantly increased wakefulness. The experiments singled out one receptor, MT1, as the mechanism via which melatonin acts to inhibit the specific orexin neurons that wake you up. This discovery could help lead to medications that target only the MT1 receptor instead of multiple receptors, which could lead to fewer side effects for those who take sleep-promoting drugs.

"Melatonin has been used as a sleep drug for many years, but people didn't know how it worked," Thakkar said. "Our research suggests that if you target the melatonin MT1 receptor, you will get the most sleep with minimal side effects."

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

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Without access to modern technology like refrigeration, people in developing countries often have to throw away a significant proportion of the fish they catch. EU-funded researchers have delivered innovative, low-cost solutions to help such communities around the world make their fish stocks go further.

An EU-funded project has driven collaboration on renewable energy between businesses and researchers in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova with counterparts from EU countries. The links are boosting innovation - helping the participating countries make the transition to more sustainable energy sources.

Courting lovers by sending flowers is a thing of the past, for teens and adults nowadays. They have found a rather 'sexy' way to lure the object of their affection -- 'sexting' i.e. sending nude or semi-nude selfies of oneself to a boyfriend, girlfriend, crush or casual acquaintance from smartphones. This is also termed by some researchers as a 'sexual selfie'.

We look at factors that have led to this fast-emerging trend...

Representational picture

'Sext messages' and 'sexual selfies' popular with most adults
A recent survey revealed that, almost half of all adults - or 47 per cent - send sexy text messages or selfies to their partners. And one in nine people ‘sexts’ their partner every day, a new survey has found.

But the poll of 2,000 adults conducted by mobile phone experts found that one in 10 have mistakenly texted an inappropriate message to a friend or family member.

The poll also found almost one in five phone users are risking their relationship by secretly sexting people other than their partner.

Girls as young as 14 send sexy texts and selfies!
A new study has shed light on how an increasing number of girls in their early teens are resorting to sexting and sending explicit selfies to their boyfriends.

The study of 14 to 15-year-old girls revealed that four out of 10 did not find anything wrong in taking a topless selfie.

And one in six underage girls did not see anything inappropriate about posing fully nude for others.

Celeb nude photo scandals a major reason
Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the report, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages.

Given that so many stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Khloe Kardashian and many others have been involved in sexting scandals in recent times, have those stars made it seem okay to be sending nude photos and sexually explicit messages?

'Sexting' termed worst technology jargon!
The term ‘sexting’ has been chosen as the most irritating phrase to enter lexicons in recent years. However, selfie as a term has been appreciated and even included in day-to-day conversation.

A UK tech magazine, which conducted the poll, a few years ago, awarded ‘sexting’ its ‘Unspeakable Award’ for the worst new piece of technology jargon.

Sexting teens are not offenders
According to experts, to consider labeling a teen a sex offender because of a sexting incident -- a label that will stick for life -- defies common sense.

A Canadian researcher presented a paper on children's sexuality, defending the practice as a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin-the-bottle."

The expert argued that such online activities are safer than traditional sexual games because there is no immediate physical contact and thus are less likely to lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

It's not the same as face-to-face sexual relationships
The way people get involved in and develop sexual relationships with others has changed dramatically over the last 20 years due to the increased availability of devices such as computers, video cams and cell phones.

But at the end of the day there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact in our sexual relationships, according to a new study.

Global recognition is every actor's dream. For Priyanshu Painyuli, it came true when he was approached to play a crucial role in the upcoming Chris Hemsworth-starrer Extraction, directed by Sam Hargrave.

"I knew I had to give it my all," says the actor.

To play his role to perfection, Painyuli went the extra mile. A source informs, "He researched extensively to grasp the reality of the Bangladeshi war and drug lords. Considering the movie is set in Dhaka,

Priyanshu learnt the native language." The detailed script for the film which was originally named Dhaka enabled Painyuli to visualise his character better. He says, "The script has a clear vision for each character. To ensure that I do my best, I wanted to create a backstory for the character to justify how he is presented in the film." Painyuli says director Hargrave often sat down with him to discuss his character and helped him with the research. "The documentaries and material he suggested gave me an insight into the country and its struggles.

The nature of crime in a country reflects its social structures and the issues it is grappling with. I feel the research helped my character create more layers."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Arti Singh was one of the most popular contestants of Bigg Boss 13. The actress who is comedian Krushna Abhishek's sister had a rather interesting journey while inside the house and even made it to the top 5.

Arti's marriage was one of the most discussed topics on the show. She had expressed her desire to get married by the end of the year. The viewers started pairing her with some of the co-contestants and her sister-in-law Kashmera Shah also suggested that she explore her friendship with fellow contestant Sidharth Shukla.

Talking to a daily, Arti Singh said that she is searching for the right man. She said that she would prefer a love marriage but is open to an arranged match as well.

Arti said that she wishes to meet someone during the lockdown because they will then get ample time to chat with each other, even if they cannot physically meet.

ALSO READ: Arti Singh shares a jaw-dropping before and after picture of her physical transformation

By failing to properly take gender interactions into account in research we are limit-ing today's science. EU-funded research is revealing how economic trends affect genders differently, as for example in the COVID-19 crisis. It is also looking at how the interaction between genders impacts macroeconomic trends.

A still from the short film Ahalya (2015)

We have all done it at some point in our lives. Watched a film or a documentary and played detective with it. Why does Anakin Skywalker get seduced by the dark side to become Darth Vader? Or, what is that makes Kareena Kapoor's character so confident and self-assured in Jab We Met? Or, what's the allure of the amoral Ma Anand Sheela in Wild Wild Country?

We love deducing human behaviour and motivations, especially those characters that seem to suggest one thing on the surface, and something else if you dig deeper. Which is why a recent screening of Ahalya, a short Bengali film made by Sujoy Ghosh, found nearly 120 takers at G5A Foundation in Mahalaxmi. A free screening by the Psychoanalytic Therapy and Research Centre (PTRC), the film was followed by a discussion through the lens of psychoanalysis.

Instead of looking at the film-making aspects, the psychological and emotional motives of the characters were the focus. Leading the discussion were psychoanalysts Nuzhat Khan and Micky Bhatia, faculty members at PTRC. "A great deal of our work and training, right from our students days, has got to do with mental illnesses, but there is a lot that we do which is not related to this. At seminars, we watched films, gaining a much deeper understanding of the characters," says Khan, recounting sessions where they have broken down films such as Black Swan, known for their obvious psychological depth, and also those such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.

PTRC's monthly screening followed by a psychoanalytic discussion. Pic/PTRC

Ghosh's film made headlines when it was streamed on YouTube in 2015, for its gripping plot that revisits the tale in The Ramayana. While you can look up the film online, Khan says that the discussion after the screening showed that there were several layers to the characters. One reading took on the young police inspector Indra's 'castration anxiety', one of Sigmund Freud's earliest psychoanalytic theories. Fearing punishment by Ahalya's husband, old enough to be his father, Indra tries to restrain his evident interest in Ahalya.

However, after he gets intimate with Ahalya, he is turned into a figurine — that's castration, symbolically, by the elderly husband showing the younger man who's boss. And, for that matter, Ahalya pretends to be an ingénue, while in fact she is a seductress. Once you explore these layers, says Khan, you will realise that there are no true villains in the film. "Had the filmmaker been there, he would have been aghast hearing our analysis," she laughs, adding, "Filmmakers, like other artists, express their subconscious or unconscious through their works. They are only semi-conscious of what they are doing. If they fully knew why, they may never make a film or any work of art.

"PTRC, a charitable trust, has been working in Mumbai for more than 40 years, almost quietly, to provide mental health services and also train professionals in the area. Given the rising interest in mental well-being, we use terms such as "repress" and "Oedipus complex" in our day-to-day lives. Banu Ismail, a child analyst and psychoanalyst with PTRC, says that at their film screenings, they open up discussions with the public to encourage different perspectives. "Psychoanalysis doesn't happen only in the consultation room. That said, there are several misconceptions about the area, and these events help clarify those," says Ismail, who will helm the next discussion of Gautam Vaze's Marathi short film, Aai Shapat on June 6 at G5A, focusing on anxiety guilt. The free screenings are followed by a lecture on another day, for which there is a registration charge.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

[Source: Research & Innovation] An EU-funded consortium is developing advanced X-ray and 3D imaging technologies to enable European miners to extract essential metal and mineral resources more efficiently and sustainably.

[Source: Research & Innovation] A revolutionary approach to neuro-rehabilitation developed by EU-funded researchers could help intensive care patients to recover, including survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Source: Research & Innovation] A free parenting programme based on EU-funded research has won a 2019 Horizon Impact Award for its success in helping families to avoid child abuse in low-and middle-income countries. Now parents everywhere can access online tips to cope with COVID-19 lockdown life.

[Source: Research & Innovation] EU-funded researchers have employed quantum physics to develop an optical microscope that opens up the potential to view the tiniest of objects - including many viruses - directly for the first time.

[Source: Research & Innovation] EU-funded researchers have developed an ultrasensitive test to rapidly, accurately and cost-effectively diagnose disease, underpinned by innovative biosensing technology that could help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV and cancer.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Illegal fishing destroys marine habitats and threatens species living at sea. An EU-funded project is helping authorities to crack down on these operations by developing the world's first seabird ocean-surveillance system.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Generating safe antigens to induce immunity is one of several key steps in vaccine production. Purification is another, and it is typically a complex process. EU-funded researchers have designed a way to simplify the process, boost yields, limit waste and reduce costs, in a bid to help make more doses available more affordably.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Armed with a novel biosensor that uses acoustic waves to detect tumour DNA, an EU-funded project could increase the precision and affordability of cancer diagnosis and help make personalised treatment a reality for more patients.

The sedentary nature of modern life has had a noticeably detrimental effect on both physical and mental health. An EU-funded project has highlighted how to boost the wellbeing of Europeans by linking transport and health policies.

TRA2020 conference in April 2020 has been cancelled

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Researchers have said that facial expressions might not be reliable indicators of emotion. People should never trust a person's face, added researchers.

Achieving food and nutrition security, reducing inequality, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems.

Recent research conducted by IWMI, in collaboration with the IFPRI and IFAD, finds that the poorest are likelier to migrate when increases in incomes are accompanied by increases in local income inequalities.

Pluripotent stem cells research provides insight into how Huntington's Disease (HD) develops and may help pave the way for identifying pathways for future treatments.

Genotyping helps identify and predict the risk of subjects wishing to donate a kidney. Those who are at high-risk of developing the disease can be removed

A strong majority of Americans agree that organ and tissue donation for research contributes to health and medical breakthroughs and acknowledge significant shortfalls for donation.

Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs), best known by the brand name Taser - have proved to be a generally safe and effective way for law-enforcement officers

More than 30,000 people die each year from gun violence in the United States, a higher rate of death than any industrialized country in the world. Funding

A 10-Step Model has been created by a Nurse-researcher- Diane Spatz to help Mothers Breastfeed their Critically Ill babies. The findings of study are

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HIV genetic code was read in two different ways by cells the virus has infected, stated findings published today in Science. The result is that infected

Scientists, physicians in surgery and anesthesia and informatics experts created machine-learning models for each surgical specialty and individual surgeons