Outsider Publishing
Insider Secrets on the Art of Outsider Publishing
Outsider publishing is about retaining total artistic control of your end product, with not only all the mindfulness of minute details that it incurs like what thickness paper to use but, the creative joy of experimentation with typography, visual images, lay out and design. This is true freedom of expression, whether it is personal, social, or political. This medium at its best has always been an important link in the transmission and exchange of new ideas across not only geographical but ideological divides, establishing networks of individuals with a similar mind and concerns.
We have a couple of sister websites for people who want to self publish or start a small local publishing business and make a lot of money on-line. This website is the other side of the coin and is dedicated to the ART of publishing. For those people that look on producing a book as an art form. Where art or getting the message across is the primary concern, with profit coming last, if at all. Here we hope to present some opportunities to turn your books into works of art and give them meaning.
We will highlight alternative publishing models that attempt to overcome traditional and establishment constraints. These same restrictions and market factors make it increasingly difficult for small outsider "publishers" to compete successfully on their own. When the ethos of of a project is Artistic and not simply the highest possible return on their investment, usual forms of marketing can appear neither wholly appropriate nor wholly irrelevant.
There can be no doubt that the internet can provide a broad set of benefits, both tangible and intangible, and it is hoped that this website will provide the resources necessary to migrate confidently to online publishing. Here the creative person will discover methods of increased market presence and visibility, ways of reducing costs and access to specialized management expertise.
With the use of the internet and free software the artist /writer/ musician finally has direct communication to a potential audience that is not mediated by critics, historians or other guardians of "Society & Culture", both self appointed and autocratic.
More importantly the methods here will enable artists and writers to balance their distinctiveness against the need to survive financially.
Together we have the chance to build a resource of all kinds of ideas and starting points. Let us know how you embellish your One Of A Kind Projects.
If you have discovered an artistic secret, a time saving technique or a way to do something you never thought you could, drop us an email.
All published tips will be acknowledged
A Political Animal
How many of us take for granted the cartoons in our paper? Did you realise that they were nearly legislated out of existance, and some cartoonists were actually labeled as "Traitors"?
In America in 1873, Anthony Comstock was given a license by the government to inspect the mail for obscenity on behalf of his newly formed New York "Society for the Suppression of Vice". Top of his "Hit List" were the pen-and-ink dirty pictures and "Dime Novels", both fore runners of the comic book. Just three years later R.F. Outcault's "The Yellow Kid," was to debut in "The New York World". Most people believe this to be one of the first comic strips.
In the same year of 1897, Politicians decided to try and do something about the increasingly powerful effect that polictical cartoons have over the "poorly educated lower classes". New York (1897), California (1899), Pennsylvania (1913), and Indiana (1913) all pass anti-cartoon legislation.
This argument was brought to a head by the Artist Walt Macdougal who challenged Pennsylvania's law forbidding the depiction of political figures as animals.
His cartoons of Governor Pennypacker as "a tree, a beer mug, and a variety of tubers" lead directly to the law's repeal.In 1917, a bigger club was wheeled out in the name of patriotism, when the "Espionage Act" was passed. One of it first victims was the socialist publication "The Masses" which was charged with "endangering the efficiency of the US draft"(? ) with its political cartoons. Unable to operate through the mail and reach its subscribers "The Masses" soon folded.
Political Comment can reach more people in the form of a cartoon than in a well written article. Ridicule has been effective and feared from as far back as the ancient Bards, who used to berate the lord who showed him poor hospitality.
The right to publish a cartoon is just another form of our precious freedom of speech.
Disclaimer: This cartoon is soley to illustrated the article and is not meant as a social comment or reflection on any politician. Any resemblance to any Politician (or Prime Minister) living or dead is entirely co incidental and unfortunate.
Chinese Banned Books
There is a general belief that the because the Chinese government has “Banned” certain books in their country they are no longer available. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the Sallie district of Beijing can be found the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army and other governmental offices. Just around the corner in the little side streets can also be found dozens of underground bookshops, selling all manner of pirated books, banned books and the usual assortment of pornographic literature. Even Chiang Kai Shek's “The Fate of China” can be found next to forbidden copies of “Friendship and Enmity in Zhonghanhai” and even “Mein Kampf”. You can assume that if this is the case here, there must be more outlets further from the center, towards the rural areas.
Although the books print quality leave much to be desired they are cheap and popular. One book dealer claims he can get any Hong Kong, Taiwan or banned book in three days. This is now all possible thanks to underground publishing systems that use computers to typeset, design the covers and print. Some people have estimated that the pirated books outnumber the official ones available. One could blame the inadequacy of the laws or the lack of enthusiasm to enforce them but the truth of the matter is that official books are just to high in price for the ordinary citizen.
Ironically the Chinese Government will be making all visitors to the Olympics fill out custom forms which will include questions about whether they are bringing in any books that might endanger the social stability of China. (Political or Pornographic materials). In fact you stand a better chance of buying a copy of that sought after book when you arrive, and will end up paying a lot less for it.
Still if you have not got any in your luggage for their customs and want to make a stand against their empty policy of censorship, you can always make a stop at one of the book stores of the Hong Kong International Airport. Here you will find an incredibly varied stock of banned books, which they must have realised sell very well.
In truth, the effect the West is having on China is much more insidous as centuries of artistic skill & craftsmanship fall prey to shoddy workmanship and cheapness. This has been caused by the Western philosophy of "chasing the buck" in the production of their books and writing, which has previously existed as a pure art form in China for a thousand years.
