Dear Ludo,

I figured you used the same tactic on this elephant that you used on your authors. You offered it peanuts.

Mr Lexma,

The moment you show me one one book written by you (not ghost written) and published by Ludo Wurfbain you can act as judge. Until then you are just pissing up against Niagara Falls.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:
Dear Ludo,

I figured you used the same tactic on this elephant that you used on your authors. You offered it peanuts.

According to Herter, a barrel of peanut butter spread around a boabab tree trunk is the best way to attract elephants.

quote:

Dear Ludo,

I figured you used the same tactic on this elephant that you used on your authors. You offered it peanuts.

Cheap shot. I think Ludo has done a masterful job of explaining the Safari Press side of the issue without resorting to name-calling/baiting. Others, specifically you Mr. Gorsline, should show him the same respect. Anything less denotes character issues.

If the statements were issued in jest, as sometimes happens, remember the icons that denote that emotion. Otherwise the written word does not convey inflection and the rest of the readers see and interpret a mean spirited attack. I respect your past African hunting experience enough to think you are above that.

In closing, let me say, publishing in a free market is also a supply and demand business. If you do not like SP or Trophy Room's offers than a small publisher might be for you. In a capitalistic society, with additional risks come the chances for greater rewards...

quote:

Originally posted by Ludo Wurfbain:
500grains

Another ugly rumor. We used the entire MS that was given to us on disk, although I am personally of the opinion that there are sections that are a bit repetitive we left them in. Surely we took out a word here and there but something like 0.3% is more like it. The current edition we are working on was completely proofed by Ian again and he did add a very little here and there for clarification etc. I reread the book the other day and still think it is one of the best books on African hunting of the last 50 years. But I am biased.

Ian and I discussed getting the book on an audio CD set and he really wanted me to use a woman from the UK for the voice but she was not interested.

I have also thought about making a text only softcover that could sell for 24.95 to 29.95 as more of a mass market product for people to read in planes. So far we have not gotten any further on this.

Thank you for the info. As you can tell, demand for the book is already high!

Dear bwanarm,

I'll have to learn to use the icons. It was too much of a set up to resist. I know Ludo well enough that I am sure he won't take offense. I like the English language and a good play on words or good pun. I was going to call Mr Lexma, Mr Rollexma because he is so easy to wind up but thought better of it.

Mr. Gorsline,
Thanks for your clarification!

With all due respect, that clarification is a revisionist crock of shit! Let's see how this thing really developed.

First, out of the blue, we have a nice series of gratuitous slurs directed at Ludo Wurfbain's honesty and business practices.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

Ludo Wurfbain, of Safari Press, once offered me a book contract . . . . [Ted hired an editor to review it, and then declined to sign it.]

Then Ludo offered me $500 to do two articles for his African Hunter 2 Book. I wrote them and got no feedback and waited for three years for the money but no money ever came.

Finally I got another lower offer for the same photos from both stories and the copy from one for even less money.

Its the old freelancer shuffle. Pissing into the wind . . . .

Note that Ted likes the pissing metaphor, but he over uses it, as will be seen.

Next, we have Ted's utterly unfounded suggestion that Ian Nyschens was somehow screwed out of income from his book, by his publisher, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

It would be interesting to find out how much in royalties Ian made for his book. I'll bet its less than $1,000 for a lifetime of taking notes and 6 months of writing.

There is a Ph in Tanzania now who is actually taking creative writing courses in South Africa . . . but given the publisher he is dealing with I'll bet that in terms of income he is just pissing in the wind.

Note that Ted again uses the pissing metaphor, once again directing it into the wind.

Next, we have a diatribe against a number of imagined abuses of naïve authors committed by evil publishers.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

. . . they are getting no advance, losing all rights to all their photographs in perpetuity, getting tied up for say five books in a row with no chance to change publishers, and having stories from their books, and their photos, recycled in magazines for nothing or for peanuts.

Here Ted first introduces another favorite of his, the peanuts metaphor. A bit hackneyed, no doubt, but a welcome break from all of the pissing.

Next, Ted refigures how much Nyschens was gypped out of by Ludo Wurfbain, suggests unionizing the workforce, and takes another gratuitous slap at his favorite publisher.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

So Ian made about US $650 per 1,000 books which is about what I figured he would . . . .

What is needed is a African hunting writers union and a standard contract . . . Then if Ludo doesn't like it he can write his own books.

Note that we are happily spared any references to piss or peanuts.

Next, we see that Nyschens' income has gone up, but is still a tiny fraction of that evil publisher's gross sales from the book.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

If you take the 4,000 books Ian sold and multiply it by the $70 selling price of Ian's book then Safari Press got US$ 280,000 from Ian's book alone. Ian apparently got US$ 2,500.

But, Bill Quimby, in a series of informative posts, shows repeatedly where and how Ted has misstated the facts, speculated without any basis in fact, impugned Ludo Wurfbain, and attempted to mislead the readers of this thread.

Ted responds with a thoughtless, personal dig at Bill, but again happily without any reference to urine or ground nuts.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

Dear BillQ,

I hope your heart is good. I enjoy winding you up.

Note that Ted seems to like to "wind people up." That is, of course, as opposed to actually rebutting an argument.

Then, of course, Ludo Wurfbain himself responds and tells his side of the story, which was something that Ted clearly didn't expect. It's easy to impugn someone's honesty and business practices when he is unaware of it and can't defend himself.

But when he finds out and does defend himself, then what? Ted resorts to yet another insult.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

. . . before you sign a book contract with Ludo show it to someone who knows the business. Otherwise what happened to this poor unsuspecting elephant could happen to you.

Then when Ted gets bested by Ludo's ensuing reply, both in terms of the directness of the response and the wit displayed, this is the best he can do.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

Dear Ludo,

I figured you used the same tactic on this elephant that you used on your authors. You offered it peanuts.

Peanuts again. Piss cannot be far behind. And after I told Ted to quit whining, it wasn't.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

Mr Lexma,

The moment you show me one one book written by you (not ghost written) and published by Ludo Wurfbain you can act as judge. Until then you are just pissing up against Niagara Falls.

Note that Ted has varied his style with regard to the destination of the urination, by directing it against Niagara Falls, rather than the wind.

This shows unexpected versatility. But still no substantive response to the debunking he has suffered at the hands of those with actual knowledge of the publishing business.

When called for his cheap shots, but still given the benefit of the doubt by bwanamrm, Ted offers this by way of a lame apology.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Gorsline:

Dear bwanarm,

I'll have to learn to use the icons. It was too much of a set up to resist. I know Ludo well enough that I am sure he won't take offense. I like the English language and a good play on words or good pun. I was going to call Mr Lexma, Mr Rollexma because he is so easy to wind up but thought better of it.

How droll! Again with the winding people up. And, of course, the weak attempt to disavow the clear intent of his entire series of posts.

But that's enough. Ludo Wurfbain has amply demonstrated that he needs no defense. And I've said my piece anyway and would hate for anyone to accuse me of engaging in a pissing contest or getting wound up.

And it could be that I've misread this whole thing, although I doubt it.

Besides, I first opened this thread because I hoped to get a lead on buying a copy of Ian Nyschens' book. Neither Amazon nor Alibris has had any listed for sale for quite awhile.

DC300, if wbyman doesn't accept your offer to sell him your copy of Months of the Sun, I'll take it for $125. Send me a PM if it's still available.

Ted,

The moment you show me one book written by you and published by Safari Press you can act as judge. So far you have been talking about a contract that was not executed and a manuscript that was not published by anyone, never mind Safari Press. Until you have that manuscript you submitted to Safari Press published with another publisher you have no basis for comparison. Sure from your point of view the contract terms were lousy but have you thought about the reverse; from the publisher’s point of view the manuscript did not warrant any better terms! And do not tell me about the Green Hills of Africa book you just had published by Acme Publishing, that is not the manuscript Safari Press rejected over 10 years ago. Apparently no other publisher wanted it either because it never appeared in print. Have you thought about self-publishing it?

Please remind me never to piss off Mr. Mrlexma or try to BS him. He is a pretty good detective...

Dear Ludo,

I've had no Green Hills of Africa book published by Acme press. That was Ernest Hemingway and it was by Scribners. I have never written a word about Africa.

Ask your cheerleader Mr Lexma. He can confirm who the real author was.

My advice remains the same to any budding PH author. Get somebody who knows the business to read the contract before you sign it.

Otherwise you are going to end up feeling like you have been grabbed by the ankles and had every coin, watch, wedding ring and gold tooth shaken off your body.

The best thing I ever did was talk to George Hass. The guy was very bright. He sat me down on a stool and told me exactly what was wrong with the contract and also exactly what was wrong with the book.

And when he was finished his very blunt lecture I knew he was right.

And that is why I didn't sign up and why I decided not to publish the book at all.



Otherwise you will

It would seem Mrlexma either is very fond of Ludo or utterly loathes Ted.

quote:

utterly loathes Ted

DING! DING! DING! we have a winner!!!!!!!!!!

Both!

How many books did George Hass write and get published?

Dear Ludo,

Six. I think with Stackpole.

I like to think of Mr Lexma as Mr Rollex-ma because like the watch he is a self winder. Push his button and he starts to rant on all eight cylinders.

He has been hiding in the shadows watching for a chance to hop up on his soap box for some time. I first noticed it with a post he made about 100 pound elephants wherin he patronizingly says "I would have thought better of you Ted."

I answered him as reasonably as I could because at the time I thought he was trying to make a point. But now I realize he has been hiding in the shadows gnashing his teeth and waiting for a chance to pounce for some time.

So from now on I'll just use words as a cattle prod to keep him at bay. As the old saying goes getting into a battle of wits with Mr Rolexma is like going into a gunfight against an unarmed man.

Addenda for Ludo,

Dear Ludo,

George Haas was Peter Capstick's editor at Out door Life. He was a senior editor there for a long time. He may also have been Jack O'Connor's editor and Jim Carmichael's editor but I don't know as he never mentioned it.

He was Ben East's editor and Ben East wrote the best black bear stuff ever. Most of it has been recycled in books.

But George was a bright and blunt man and he could backup his arguments with facts. He really did know the Outdoor publishing industry, both magazines and books, in New York.

Possibly he also had something to do with the Outdoor Life Book club but I don't know. Don Causey would know as he was at Outdoor Life at the time I met George. I met them both on the same day.

quote:

So from now on I'll just use words as a cattle prod to keep him at bay. As the old saying goes getting into a battle of wits with Mr Rolexma is like going into a gunfight against an unarmed man.

Ah...No.

I have met mrlexma, and in a battle of wits, I'd say YOU are packing light, Scooter.

Dear McCray,

A game of champions. We need horses, lances, shields and heraldry.

Wow Mrlexma..... That was the funniest post I have read in a long time.

As a final posts to this interesting conversation, the third printing of Ian Nyschens book Months of the Sun is now avialable from Safari Press and a number of resellers.

quote:

Originally posted by Ludo Wurfbain:
As a final posts to this interesting conversation, the third printing of Ian Nyschens book Months of the Sun is now avialable from Safari Press and a number of resellers.

Does this mean royalties end when the author dies? Coincidence? I wonder.

Have not been at AR for a while. No, the estate gets the money now. I think it is called Zimbabwe Wildlife Trust.