It's not going to make any difference. I don't know about any of you, but I wait that long for my movies anyways when they are new releases. Just about every new release that is even moderately popular gets listed as "Very Long Wait" for a few weeks. So, I'm already waiting. I think the record was for the latest season of Dexter - I think it was three months after it was released on DVD when I saw the first disc. So... meh.
I think this feeds directly into what a poster above said about parents not being there when they should have and then looking for something else to blame. You said it yourself in your post - "...some parents are simply never around..." If you ask me, that right there is one of the main roots of this problem.
I think there is a fair point to make by saying where were the parents previously? In order for him to get to 21 and 130 kgs, he needed to be making some unhealthy, potentially parasitic choices, beforehand, even if he had not yet picked up on the gaming habit. I would wager that the odds are in favor of him having been an obsessive gamer previously, and only now did the parents decide to do something about it. So from that standpoint, why didn't they step in earlier when he was not so large and so old?
Granted, you could say that he just started games recently, but as I said above, that means he was making other unhealthy choices or was in an unhealthy situation (I will give people the benefit of the doubt if I don't know their story). So, where were the parents then? Why do they only act now?
Was the parent modded insightful for the possibility of economic turmoil, or because of the idea to get grad students off the hook? I mean, this IS Slashdot...
Not only do you need to worry about actually getting all of the parents involved which can become a headache in and of itself, but what about when Uncle John is in town and volunteers to help out by going to pick up the kids? Is he going to need to check in with the school first, show some credentials, get authorization from the parents, then have his iris photographed and recorded? And if it is easier than that for him to get a temporary day pass, how will you make it harder for any child abductor playing the part?
Also, what if the technology breaks? Or let's talk about the huge lines that will form in order to get all the parents into the parking lot - even if the technology runs perfectly smoothly (which we all know it ALWAYS does... technology NEVER fails). Since all of the kids get out of school at the same time, the majority of the parents will all arrive at the same time and cause a huge bottle neck.
How will they keep the child abductors from going in on foot and walking out with the child to their car parked outside of the lot? Not all abductees are quickly snatched and shoved into a car. Some are convinced that the criminal is really a friend of the family and go along quite willingly. So unless they are surrounding the school with barbed wire fences and have a guard at the entrance and exit, you won't stop the criminal from entering. If you do, then you are turning our schools into prisons which can't be good for the children. But I guess that's not what they meant when they said think of the children...
The entire thing is a logistical nightmare and if you ask me, doesn't add all that much security. I should rephrase that, it doesn't add enough security to warrant the inconvenience. And all of this is without even touching the big brother conspiracy theory argument.
Actually, I heard through the rumor mill that it was picked up by someone, but I can't remember who... For some reason I think Bethesda Softworks, but don't quote me on that.
I would argue that the point still stands, because you could extrapolate from being put to death in a short amount of time to rotting on death row. I think that the point of the story is that the system is not perfect, and it can convict an innocent man. It doesn't matter if they are killed immediately, or their entire life is spent "rotting in jail".
Now, I'm not trying to say I have some great idea for something better. Every system I have ever heard of has flaws. I see problems both with capital punishment and without it. Regardless, I still think that the movie is a good one at showing that we can't blindly accept the system we have in place.
Have you seen the Life of David Gale? It makes a very strong case against the death penalty, and even though the movie and the situation is predictable, it nevertheless proves it's point in a very powerful manner.
There're some very thoughtful comments in Wil's response here, and I must say that it was rewarding to read. This is what I was referring to in my other post regarding authors needing to "pay their dues". I am impressed with the amount of work he has done towards getting his book out there. I got a very different impression reading this than I did from reading the original reply in the interview. In the interview it sounded so simple, but then again, things often do when you summarize them.
I have to admit that what I have heard from other authors who have signed with big houses agrees one hundred percent with what he said: the big houses will not do any promotion. They may have the systems in place, but you need to work those systems and build up your own platform. However, I have also heard that having a publisher back you up makes your books cheaper and more available to the public.
Case in point with me is that I have published my book independently. I have contacted all of the local book stores and have run into an uncomfortable reality. Since the book is independently published and is Print On Demand (POD), they are unwilling to stock it on their shelves. Even though it is available from Ingram, they refuse to put it out there.
Independent book stores have been a completely different environment entirely. When I go into an independent book store and talk to the book store owner, they are usually more than willing to work with me. Often, I leave a couple of copies there that they do not have to pay for and they are willing to place it on their shelves and take a chance with it. I firmly believe in the philosophy that you need to give a little to get a little. The independent store owners tend to be much more approachable to such an arrangement.
I even offered to go to a few big name bookstores and bring a box of books. The idea was that I would do a book signing event, and there would be no financial risk to them since I would be providing the box of books. If anyone wanted one, they could buy it from the store, and the store would replenish my stock. I was flatly refused since it was a book they wouldn't stock because it was non-returnable.
This has made the road harder, and these are things that I wish I knew going into the book publishing world. I also wish that I could set the price on my book lower, but that was not my decision. Still, even with all these problems and humps in the road,I am glad for the decisions I have made and proud of my work.
I think that some notoriety in some area other than the world can help you immensely. I was actually turned down by an agent and a publicist because someone else, a famous football player who shall remain unnamed, had published a book at the same time. They commented to me in a letter that it was "so nice to deal with someone who can actually write well", but that because of the football player's book, they were unable to take mine as a potential risk. I was an unknown and a huge gamble while the other person was guaranteed at least a moderate success.
I am not saying Wil was one to ride his fame. I never said that originally, only commented that if he did have an easy road (like it sounded in the interview), that it very well could have been based upon his fame. I am glad to hear that it wasn't, and he has officially "paid his dues" and worked for it like all of us hopefuls have to.
I thought of it as a "sleeper" release that would live or die based on word of mouth.
This has to be my favorite quote because this is the exact same approach I have been trying with my book. I have to agree with Wil and several other people, that word of mouth is a powerful tool and one that gets a lot of momentum.
Well for what it's worth, it looked like it worked multiple times. I plan on checking out your site tomorrow (just got home tonight, and need to be at work early in the morning). Congratulations on the unusual advertisement!
Re:traditional channels for creative artists
on
Wil Wheaton Strikes Back
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I think this is a very appropriate comment and says quite a bit. I remember someone saying in a letter to "Writer's Digest" that celebrities in Hollywood talk to starting actors and actresses as needing to "pay their dues" in order to get into the inner circles and become a star. Yet, at the same time, how many of those actors and actresses (or people famous from other areas) have paid their dues when they write a book?
The truth is that most of them are automatically given contracts or get their book jumped up sales charts because of their previous notoriety. They are able to do that because they have a fan base already from their previous experience.
It stinks, but it's true. If you are not famous and want to go the independent route, you need to do a lot of work in order to get your name out there. That is of course assuming that the number of people enjoying your work is what is important to you. That does not necessarily translate directly to money, but it often does.
It all depends on what you want. There is a lot of merit to what Wil said as well about it being more satisfying, but I think that he is underestimating the amount of work that an unknown person has to invest in order to garner some attention. Sure, you may get 100% of the profits if you do it yourself, but 100% of twenty dollars is less than 1% of five thousand dollars. Just because you get a higher profit margin does not mean you will make more money.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just thought I would pitch in my two cents and agree with soliptic as I am an independently published author trying to get my name out there for my first novel. It's hard work, but I don't regret the decision I made either.
I think that the biggest point is your last sentence: that we are not talking about a novel. I agree that it is entirely different. Like I said originally, I can only speak for novels. The concept of it needing rewriting or work was how I imagined this process being used for novels, mainly because I don't see a tampering of the storyline. I only see successive revisions in an attempt to make the story better.
So treat everything I said above in relation to novels, not resource books. I was just trying to extend the service beyond its original design.
That's what I get for being another victim to the curse of hammering out my ideas and posting them without taking the time to proofread what I wrote. It's a case of stream of consciousness writing. I guess that's what the preview button is for. My lesson is learned.
I actually had a decent POD experience, at least as decent as it can go. I understand what you are saying and agree with a fair amount of it. However, I think the big thing as always is buyer beware.
I did my research and made sure about my rights. The first company that approached me regarding POD wanted to take a fistful of money (rather many fistfuls) and in the contract in tiny letters it said that they retained all the rights. Needless to say, I rejected them right away. The company that I did wind up going with was not as big of a name, but it got the job done and did a good job with it too. Plus, I have all the rights... at any time I can tell them to stop printing copies and sell them to another publisher. If it was made into a movie (yeah right! But it never hurts to dream), I would be the sole owner of the rights. Not all POD's are out to get you, but most definitely are.
As to the other comment about places thumbing their noses at you, it varies. I've had agents who have done just that. I've learned not to try and sell my current book, they're not interested in it. But, from my experience, they still are receptive to my other work. At least as receptive as agents ever are. The only thing they want to know about the first book is copies sold... if it's high enough their interested, otherwise they disregard it.
I spoke with a couple of authors before I went with an independent POD publisher. The feedback was generally that it is a huge roll of the dice. If you can sell enough copies, it will help you. If you don't sell enough, it will hurt you. There's also a middle ground where it does neither - that's where I'm stuck right now.
I am a fledgling author (I only have my first book published so far - looking for an agent for #2), and from my opinion I think that this is a horrible idea. Sure, on the surface the idea seems wonderful to allow lots of people to input their own two cents and correct mistakes, whether they be grammar or continuity based. However, that should all be done before it goes to the public.
If you put something out there in a rough form, people will read through it, and I imagine they would have one of two reactions. First, they will say "Ok, that was nice, it needed work" and then never read it again. Second, they will want to drive the direction of the story and turn it into their own. At the point, you get the too many cooks in the kitchen situation. It's a repeated fact in history that that stifles creativity...
I can only speak from the novel point of view -- I write fantasy. But, I personally think that there is something for releasing a finished product out to the masses, something for them to enjoy after you make it clean and tie up all the loose ends. That's what peer and editor reviews are for.
To put a different light on it, how frustrating is it with a game or a program that constantly needs new patches just to become tolerable to wade through? Allow me to get on my gamer's soapbox for a moment and say I want an actual finished product, not something that needs tons of work.
Now submitting teaser information or sample chapters to entice people, that's a different story.
Actually, in a true democracy, every eligible citizen would be voting on every possible action that the government would take. Instead, what is done is that representatives are elected to vote on every matter on behalf of the people. But, there is no way to insure that they actually act on the will of the people.
Hence why I thought it was a republic. I've never heard the term Representative Democracy before but I would think that it is still inappropriate because the people lack the power to remove a representative until the next election time. But, I was never very good at government.
I agree with you, mainly because there's not 24 time zones. Some countries, states, or regions observe half hour conversions. I think the number of time zones is in the neighborhood of 39, but don't quote me on that.
At one point, I was leaving the digital world to enter the biological world (professionally speaking), and I spent a month on the Appalachain Trail hiking from MA down to VA. At least, that was the original plan.
I wound up getting sick after a week into it and needed to come off the trail after ten days and limit myself to day hikes. That was still enjoyable, but a huge let down.
That first ten days though, was amazing. I had a forty-five pound pack on my back, and only what I could carry went with me. No laptop, not even a digital camera. I met lots of people on the trail who were doing similar things to get away from the world. I was amazed at how many techies were out there. It seems to be a common thing for people in the techie world when they want to leave it temporarily or permanently.
I would definitely encourage people to do it, but be prepared. I have lots of great stories from it (like cresting four mountains in one day and listening to people complain about how tall a mountain was when they were up there with their coolers and big blankets... it makes you chuckle). Personally, I think the AT is crowded and doing it again would go out to the west coast...
I agree, she definitely can't be the first. If you think about this before the internet, there have been cases where people have had naked or otherwise naughty pictures of themselves exposed in printed format before. You don't sue the copy store that allowed the person to make photocopies, do you? She should probably be suing the ex.
Of course, on the other hand, the part of her argument that does hold water is that she asked for the profiles to be taken down since they were fradulent. I do think it is reasonable to expect a reasonable turn around time from the company if you find something out there that you did not post. According to the article, she sent requests over three months, and received no response.
Does this remind anyone of the time when the commercial actors raised a ruckus about not being paid enough to make a living off of doing a few commercials a year? I don't remember the article, since it was over a year ago, but I remember that protesters were expecting a year's salary for what amounted to less than a month of work.
I think that this is the problem where someone looks at the big number (gross product sold) and doesn't take into account all of the little costs involved. It becomes "There's so much cash there, I want some of it."
Slashdot Mirror
It's not going to make any difference. I don't know about any of you, but I wait that long for my movies anyways when they are new releases. Just about every new release that is even moderately popular gets listed as "Very Long Wait" for a few weeks. So, I'm already waiting. I think the record was for the latest season of Dexter - I think it was three months after it was released on DVD when I saw the first disc. So... meh.
I think this feeds directly into what a poster above said about parents not being there when they should have and then looking for something else to blame. You said it yourself in your post - "...some parents are simply never around..." If you ask me, that right there is one of the main roots of this problem.
I think there is a fair point to make by saying where were the parents previously? In order for him to get to 21 and 130 kgs, he needed to be making some unhealthy, potentially parasitic choices, beforehand, even if he had not yet picked up on the gaming habit. I would wager that the odds are in favor of him having been an obsessive gamer previously, and only now did the parents decide to do something about it. So from that standpoint, why didn't they step in earlier when he was not so large and so old?
Granted, you could say that he just started games recently, but as I said above, that means he was making other unhealthy choices or was in an unhealthy situation (I will give people the benefit of the doubt if I don't know their story). So, where were the parents then? Why do they only act now?
Was the parent modded insightful for the possibility of economic turmoil, or because of the idea to get grad students off the hook? I mean, this IS Slashdot...
Not only do you need to worry about actually getting all of the parents involved which can become a headache in and of itself, but what about when Uncle John is in town and volunteers to help out by going to pick up the kids? Is he going to need to check in with the school first, show some credentials, get authorization from the parents, then have his iris photographed and recorded? And if it is easier than that for him to get a temporary day pass, how will you make it harder for any child abductor playing the part?
Also, what if the technology breaks? Or let's talk about the huge lines that will form in order to get all the parents into the parking lot - even if the technology runs perfectly smoothly (which we all know it ALWAYS does... technology NEVER fails). Since all of the kids get out of school at the same time, the majority of the parents will all arrive at the same time and cause a huge bottle neck.
How will they keep the child abductors from going in on foot and walking out with the child to their car parked outside of the lot? Not all abductees are quickly snatched and shoved into a car. Some are convinced that the criminal is really a friend of the family and go along quite willingly. So unless they are surrounding the school with barbed wire fences and have a guard at the entrance and exit, you won't stop the criminal from entering. If you do, then you are turning our schools into prisons which can't be good for the children. But I guess that's not what they meant when they said think of the children...
The entire thing is a logistical nightmare and if you ask me, doesn't add all that much security. I should rephrase that, it doesn't add enough security to warrant the inconvenience. And all of this is without even touching the big brother conspiracy theory argument.
Actually, I heard through the rumor mill that it was picked up by someone, but I can't remember who... For some reason I think Bethesda Softworks, but don't quote me on that.
I would argue that the point still stands, because you could extrapolate from being put to death in a short amount of time to rotting on death row. I think that the point of the story is that the system is not perfect, and it can convict an innocent man. It doesn't matter if they are killed immediately, or their entire life is spent "rotting in jail".
Now, I'm not trying to say I have some great idea for something better. Every system I have ever heard of has flaws. I see problems both with capital punishment and without it. Regardless, I still think that the movie is a good one at showing that we can't blindly accept the system we have in place.
Have you seen the Life of David Gale? It makes a very strong case against the death penalty, and even though the movie and the situation is predictable, it nevertheless proves it's point in a very powerful manner.
I'm not saying that video games only take a nickle/disc to make
Especially when you take into account the increased wages that the voice actors need to survive.
There're some very thoughtful comments in Wil's response here, and I must say that it was rewarding to read. This is what I was referring to in my other post regarding authors needing to "pay their dues". I am impressed with the amount of work he has done towards getting his book out there. I got a very different impression reading this than I did from reading the original reply in the interview. In the interview it sounded so simple, but then again, things often do when you summarize them.
I have to admit that what I have heard from other authors who have signed with big houses agrees one hundred percent with what he said: the big houses will not do any promotion. They may have the systems in place, but you need to work those systems and build up your own platform. However, I have also heard that having a publisher back you up makes your books cheaper and more available to the public.
Case in point with me is that I have published my book independently. I have contacted all of the local book stores and have run into an uncomfortable reality. Since the book is independently published and is Print On Demand (POD), they are unwilling to stock it on their shelves. Even though it is available from Ingram, they refuse to put it out there.
Independent book stores have been a completely different environment entirely. When I go into an independent book store and talk to the book store owner, they are usually more than willing to work with me. Often, I leave a couple of copies there that they do not have to pay for and they are willing to place it on their shelves and take a chance with it. I firmly believe in the philosophy that you need to give a little to get a little. The independent store owners tend to be much more approachable to such an arrangement.
I even offered to go to a few big name bookstores and bring a box of books. The idea was that I would do a book signing event, and there would be no financial risk to them since I would be providing the box of books. If anyone wanted one, they could buy it from the store, and the store would replenish my stock. I was flatly refused since it was a book they wouldn't stock because it was non-returnable.
This has made the road harder, and these are things that I wish I knew going into the book publishing world. I also wish that I could set the price on my book lower, but that was not my decision. Still, even with all these problems and humps in the road,I am glad for the decisions I have made and proud of my work.
I think that some notoriety in some area other than the world can help you immensely. I was actually turned down by an agent and a publicist because someone else, a famous football player who shall remain unnamed, had published a book at the same time. They commented to me in a letter that it was "so nice to deal with someone who can actually write well", but that because of the football player's book, they were unable to take mine as a potential risk. I was an unknown and a huge gamble while the other person was guaranteed at least a moderate success.
I am not saying Wil was one to ride his fame. I never said that originally, only commented that if he did have an easy road (like it sounded in the interview), that it very well could have been based upon his fame. I am glad to hear that it wasn't, and he has officially "paid his dues" and worked for it like all of us hopefuls have to.
I thought of it as a "sleeper" release that would live or die based on word of mouth.
This has to be my favorite quote because this is the exact same approach I have been trying with my book. I have to agree with Wil and several other people, that word of mouth is a powerful tool and one that gets a lot of momentum.
Well for what it's worth, it looked like it worked multiple times. I plan on checking out your site tomorrow (just got home tonight, and need to be at work early in the morning). Congratulations on the unusual advertisement!
I think this is a very appropriate comment and says quite a bit. I remember someone saying in a letter to "Writer's Digest" that celebrities in Hollywood talk to starting actors and actresses as needing to "pay their dues" in order to get into the inner circles and become a star. Yet, at the same time, how many of those actors and actresses (or people famous from other areas) have paid their dues when they write a book?
The truth is that most of them are automatically given contracts or get their book jumped up sales charts because of their previous notoriety. They are able to do that because they have a fan base already from their previous experience.
It stinks, but it's true. If you are not famous and want to go the independent route, you need to do a lot of work in order to get your name out there. That is of course assuming that the number of people enjoying your work is what is important to you. That does not necessarily translate directly to money, but it often does.
It all depends on what you want. There is a lot of merit to what Wil said as well about it being more satisfying, but I think that he is underestimating the amount of work that an unknown person has to invest in order to garner some attention. Sure, you may get 100% of the profits if you do it yourself, but 100% of twenty dollars is less than 1% of five thousand dollars. Just because you get a higher profit margin does not mean you will make more money.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just thought I would pitch in my two cents and agree with soliptic as I am an independently published author trying to get my name out there for my first novel. It's hard work, but I don't regret the decision I made either.
I think that the biggest point is your last sentence: that we are not talking about a novel. I agree that it is entirely different. Like I said originally, I can only speak for novels. The concept of it needing rewriting or work was how I imagined this process being used for novels, mainly because I don't see a tampering of the storyline. I only see successive revisions in an attempt to make the story better.
So treat everything I said above in relation to novels, not resource books. I was just trying to extend the service beyond its original design.
That's what I get for being another victim to the curse of hammering out my ideas and posting them without taking the time to proofread what I wrote. It's a case of stream of consciousness writing. I guess that's what the preview button is for. My lesson is learned.
I actually had a decent POD experience, at least as decent as it can go. I understand what you are saying and agree with a fair amount of it. However, I think the big thing as always is buyer beware.
I did my research and made sure about my rights. The first company that approached me regarding POD wanted to take a fistful of money (rather many fistfuls) and in the contract in tiny letters it said that they retained all the rights. Needless to say, I rejected them right away. The company that I did wind up going with was not as big of a name, but it got the job done and did a good job with it too. Plus, I have all the rights... at any time I can tell them to stop printing copies and sell them to another publisher. If it was made into a movie (yeah right! But it never hurts to dream), I would be the sole owner of the rights. Not all POD's are out to get you, but most definitely are.
As to the other comment about places thumbing their noses at you, it varies. I've had agents who have done just that. I've learned not to try and sell my current book, they're not interested in it. But, from my experience, they still are receptive to my other work. At least as receptive as agents ever are. The only thing they want to know about the first book is copies sold... if it's high enough their interested, otherwise they disregard it.
I spoke with a couple of authors before I went with an independent POD publisher. The feedback was generally that it is a huge roll of the dice. If you can sell enough copies, it will help you. If you don't sell enough, it will hurt you. There's also a middle ground where it does neither - that's where I'm stuck right now.
I am a fledgling author (I only have my first book published so far - looking for an agent for #2), and from my opinion I think that this is a horrible idea. Sure, on the surface the idea seems wonderful to allow lots of people to input their own two cents and correct mistakes, whether they be grammar or continuity based. However, that should all be done before it goes to the public.
If you put something out there in a rough form, people will read through it, and I imagine they would have one of two reactions. First, they will say "Ok, that was nice, it needed work" and then never read it again. Second, they will want to drive the direction of the story and turn it into their own. At the point, you get the too many cooks in the kitchen situation. It's a repeated fact in history that that stifles creativity...
I can only speak from the novel point of view -- I write fantasy. But, I personally think that there is something for releasing a finished product out to the masses, something for them to enjoy after you make it clean and tie up all the loose ends. That's what peer and editor reviews are for.
To put a different light on it, how frustrating is it with a game or a program that constantly needs new patches just to become tolerable to wade through? Allow me to get on my gamer's soapbox for a moment and say I want an actual finished product, not something that needs tons of work.
Now submitting teaser information or sample chapters to entice people, that's a different story.
If they consult Red vs. Blue for the script...
"You live in a democracy and you like it!"
Actually, in a true democracy, every eligible citizen would be voting on every possible action that the government would take. Instead, what is done is that representatives are elected to vote on every matter on behalf of the people. But, there is no way to insure that they actually act on the will of the people.
Hence why I thought it was a republic. I've never heard the term Representative Democracy before but I would think that it is still inappropriate because the people lack the power to remove a representative until the next election time. But, I was never very good at government.
"such doubts are a serious problem in a democracy."
Don't we live in a republic?
I agree with you, mainly because there's not 24 time zones. Some countries, states, or regions observe half hour conversions. I think the number of time zones is in the neighborhood of 39, but don't quote me on that.
At one point, I was leaving the digital world to enter the biological world (professionally speaking), and I spent a month on the Appalachain Trail hiking from MA down to VA. At least, that was the original plan.
I wound up getting sick after a week into it and needed to come off the trail after ten days and limit myself to day hikes. That was still enjoyable, but a huge let down.
That first ten days though, was amazing. I had a forty-five pound pack on my back, and only what I could carry went with me. No laptop, not even a digital camera. I met lots of people on the trail who were doing similar things to get away from the world. I was amazed at how many techies were out there. It seems to be a common thing for people in the techie world when they want to leave it temporarily or permanently.
I would definitely encourage people to do it, but be prepared. I have lots of great stories from it (like cresting four mountains in one day and listening to people complain about how tall a mountain was when they were up there with their coolers and big blankets... it makes you chuckle). Personally, I think the AT is crowded and doing it again would go out to the west coast...
Anyone else notice that the previous two posts occured with two minutes of each other? What are the odds?
Only if they didn't remove them right away (hence the second part of my post).
I agree, she definitely can't be the first. If you think about this before the internet, there have been cases where people have had naked or otherwise naughty pictures of themselves exposed in printed format before. You don't sue the copy store that allowed the person to make photocopies, do you? She should probably be suing the ex.
Of course, on the other hand, the part of her argument that does hold water is that she asked for the profiles to be taken down since they were fradulent. I do think it is reasonable to expect a reasonable turn around time from the company if you find something out there that you did not post. According to the article, she sent requests over three months, and received no response.
Does this remind anyone of the time when the commercial actors raised a ruckus about not being paid enough to make a living off of doing a few commercials a year? I don't remember the article, since it was over a year ago, but I remember that protesters were expecting a year's salary for what amounted to less than a month of work.
I think that this is the problem where someone looks at the big number (gross product sold) and doesn't take into account all of the little costs involved. It becomes "There's so much cash there, I want some of it."