A cool quarter-mill according to jonquil's post (an insider in the publishing industry found the info from Publisher's Lunch). Ergo, short of legal action, there's not much to stop this going ahead.
That's not entirely true, non-fiction books are expected to go through a certian amount of fact checking before publication. Wildly innacurate info can result in the contract being rescinded (and would be written into the contract).
If The Bell Curve and Liberal Fascism could get published, any piece of inaccurate crap can get published. At worst, the authors would just move from Penguin to a less prestigious but more ideologically congenial publishing house.
It seems not unlikely that they pitched this project under false pretenses. After all, they launched their research here under false pretenses -- they may not have misrepresented themselves to such a degree as to constitute fraud, but if they pulled the same stuff on the publisher and agent we've seen here, I'd assume that the publisher has good cause to pull the contract.
If they want to, and that's the rub. Publishers don't like to cancel contracts -- usually some of the money's already been paid out, and it's hard to get it back despite the fact that the author will have a contractual obligation to repay it. And they may still see this as a winner, because if the authors' credentials aren't as solid as they claimed, at least they're controversial.
On the other side of the argument, using minors in research (about illegal activities, too, in ways that don't properly protect their identities) is a cultural hot button, and an approach along those lines might put the fear of God into a publisher. An actual minor whose survey responses were connected with her could be a very scary figure indeed, especially if her family happened to include, or be friendly with, a plaintiff's lawyer.
On the other side of the argument, using minors in research (about illegal activities, too, in ways that don't properly protect their identities) is a cultural hot button, and an approach along those lines might put the fear of God into a publisher.
I think we should keep signal-boosting that. On the original survey it didn't even ask you your age or indicate you should be over 18. He also indicated wanting to-- not sure if he did-- promote the survey on ff.net.
You think Penguin will still publish an unscientific survey by an unqualified researcher who has lost any sort of credibility? :( Oh well, I guess we can always slag it on Amazon when it comes out.
People who actually work in the publishing industry have said so, in so many words; one said that she'd spoken to science editors who knew books they were publishing were false and did so anyway.
Sure, it happens all the time, espeically in areas where there are multiple interpretations/strongly competeing theories. Few are so egrigious and the changing technology allows (some)groups to respond more vehemently than was possible in the past.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:01 pm (UTC)I ask in all ignorance--how does that work?
I understand they have a large advance?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:43 pm (UTC)If they want to, and that's the rub. Publishers don't like to cancel contracts -- usually some of the money's already been paid out, and it's hard to get it back despite the fact that the author will have a contractual obligation to repay it. And they may still see this as a winner, because if the authors' credentials aren't as solid as they claimed, at least they're controversial.
On the other side of the argument, using minors in research (about illegal activities, too, in ways that don't properly protect their identities) is a cultural hot button, and an approach along those lines might put the fear of God into a publisher. An actual minor whose survey responses were connected with her could be a very scary figure indeed, especially if her family happened to include, or be friendly with, a plaintiff's lawyer.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 07:17 pm (UTC)I think we should keep signal-boosting that. On the original survey it didn't even ask you your age or indicate you should be over 18. He also indicated wanting to-- not sure if he did-- promote the survey on ff.net.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 06:00 pm (UTC)http://www.gailross.com/about.htm
Ogas is represented by Gail Ross Literary Agency. He's either directly represented by Gail or by her second-in-command, Howard Yoon.
Use this information wisely.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 07:15 pm (UTC)I'm boggling a bit.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 07:17 pm (UTC)