How to Write a Best-Seller: Pentagon Edition

Good use of your tax dollars, or the victors rewriting history?

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I could argue both. Buying them up was probably cheaper than going the lawsuit route.

And, it may not be "rewriting", but it will be some editing. (redacting)

My question is: The deal reported just covers the publisher's production costs. Is Lt. Col. Shaffer getting his royalties?

Looks like both the DIA and CIA have issues with names and specific circumstances being thrown out in the open, things that might have escaped the U.S. Army Reserve's OPSEC review. Nothing too earth-shattering, as USAR's defensive posture is substantially different from the other agencies in the foment.

I'm waiting to hear that they're going to buy all copies of the e-book, too.

If 10,000 copies have been printed, surely there were Advance Reader's Copies and Uncorrected Proofs already floating around. I wonder if they're going to chase down all those copies too.

The Amazon page answers my questions that the article seems to be a little vague about:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312612176/?tag=absowrit-20

Important Message for Customers
On Friday, August 13, 2010, just as St. Martin’s Press was readying its initial shipment of Operation Dark Heart, the Department of Defense expressed concern that its publication could cause damage to U.S. national security. The publication of the initial edition was canceled. However, after consulting with the author, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, St. Martin's Press agreed to incorporate some of the government’s changes, which includes redacting classified text, into a revised edition, which is releasing on September 24.

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Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (August 31, 2010)

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So apparently they got those 10,000 copies hot off the press, weeks before the first sale date.

This is interesting in that it generates news stories and interest in the book that wouldn't have been there, potentially raising sales of the book that does finally get released. But then, the edition that's really in demand is the one being bought and destroyed by the Government.

Speak of the devil - look at these bids! I wonder how many of these bids are by the Government - I suppose winning the bids is easier than chasing down the sellers...
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=Operation+Dark+Heart

Looks like a publisher in Canada or Sweden has an order to make.

Ya know, I'd laugh if one of those 10,000 copies is leaked, and the 'problems' are a bunch of typos and spelling errors.

Zoombie said:

Ya know, I'd laugh if one of those 10,000 copies is leaked, and the 'problems' are a bunch of typos and spelling errors.

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Maj. Major was actually a captain.

This first almost-published edition may soon be (has been?) scanned, put on the Internet, and become the most e-pirated book of the month.

Going about this above-board only advertises the Government's interest in keeping this info from getting out, and heightens interest in the original edition.

The whole thing is pointless, as Wikileaks has a copy.

Don said:

WaPo explains:

Apparently he didn't do anything illegal, but a number of agencies have "problems" with what's in the book. So a new version's being prepared that has the stamp of approval of FedGov, and the old version must disappear down the memory hole.

Good use of your tax dollars, or the victors rewriting history?

We report, you decide.

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Talk about disgraceful. . . .

As Ray Charles used to sing, What'd I say