I love car crash threads. They are so entertaining, though I warn you all that some of you are edging very close to violating the International Conventions of Internet Rights by entering into mental combat with an unarmed opponent (it's section 3, paragraph 4b if you want to look that one up, just after the inderdiction on comparing anyone you don't like the opinion of to Hitler).
I only have GCSE English but I am arrogant and self assured enough to know when I am right about any grammar usage because I got a Mother F'ing A on that exam. Plus, I have other degrees in other subjects, including one that qualifies me to teach literacy to 10 year olds. And if 1 undergrad degree, 2 post grad degrees and a post grad teaching degree aren't enough I'll go and get my wife and our mates and we'll wade in with a handful of doctorates and a whole bushel of bachelor's degrees (some of them Oxbridge)
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Oh, and those are real degrees. From real universities. That, you know, actually did some teaching and expected an effort from students rather than just a 'tuition payment' and P&P for the certificate...
Self publishing and POD... I think there needs to be another thread on this somewhere to properly debate this issue (can't remember if there is one out there or not...). I know I am too late to answer our Trolls' points but a couple of things anyone who thinks that either self publishing or POD are universally 'bad things' should consider:
1) Many self published books are actually books which have already been published and have had their rights released by the publisher back to the author so they can release it again.
2) I know of several small press publishers who use POD to release their books. For small press it is actually more economically viable to do it this way rather than risk a lot of cash on a print run which, while cheaper per unit in the long term, puts you at risk of greater loss if the book does not sell.
3) As I stated recently in my blog post on this issue (
http://lurkingmusings.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/reflections-on-self-publication/) there are actually quite a few self published works out there which are not at all bad. Some are even of a quality which could be published but probably missed out because publishers did not see marketable value (due to being niche interest, for example).
Looking forward to the next troll attack (I have the flask of oil and the flaming torch for when you lot stab all its hit points out and we need to burn it to stop it regenerating...) as they are so much fun to watch...