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On Fact or Fiction ?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Nutech • April 29, 1998 


ON FACT OR FICTION ?

Dear Bhagavatas,

I am overwhelmed by the spate of requests for posting excerpts from my
book "Explaining the Unexplained- Myths, Miracles and Mysticism in
Hinduism- What do they signify ?"

Though I did not want to post the letter from my publishers, the posting
by Mr. Krishna Susarla and others inspired me to post the same - before
I start the series on the subject " Fact or fiction?" This is because my
publishers feel that the material has universal appeal in understanding
the episodes in our scriptures in the proper perspective.

The publishers and the independent reader (whose review follows) point
to the relevance of the episodes  in our scriptures not only for the
devout Hindus but also those outside the pale of Hindu religious
thoughts and practices.

The book was written primarily for the information  of those not exposed
to our Scriptures. Hence, it may look pedastrian and maybe like
my‘carrying coal to New Castle’ to some of you atleast and I crave your
indulgence.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
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LETTER FROM PUBLISHER:

Dear Mr. Ramaswamy:

We have fully appraised your manuscript "Explaining the Unexplained -
Myths, Miracles and Mysticism in Hinduism: What do they signify?" and I
have discussed the project in great detail both with the reader and with
the members of the editorial teams in the USA and UK. We agree your work
would enhance both of our lists considerably and we are pleased to make
you an offer of publication

As we are only prepared to accept works which have the potential to be
commercially viable, we are very selective in the material we choose for
our book lists. Your work certainly falls into this category since, as I
anticipated, your manuscript proved to be very impressive. The ReadersÂ’
report is enclosed for your review and as you will see, it is most
complimentary. Explaining the Unexplained tells the rich history of
myths, miracles and mysteries which form an integral part of  the Hindu
faith as described in your work. You do an excellent job of explaining
how such teachings relate to an often times degenerate modern world.
Thus, your work demonstrates how the past may be used in a way to
enhance the present. Your manuscript is well written and extremely
readable. There is no doubt that those interested in Hinduism and its
teachings should enjoy your work. Congratulations on the completion of
such a well written and informative manuscript. Overall. I feel that
your manuscript should be very well received by a diverse group of
people.

Our United Kingdom Office feels that considering the bookÂ’s potential it
is an excellent candidate in their own international lists. Therefore,
we are more than happy to offer joint promotion. This means that
"Explaining the Unexplained" will be made available within the USA and
the UK simultaneously; hence, widening the potential market for your
book. The book should have considerable universal appeal because of its
subject matter. We are also represented by Biramo Books Pty.Ltd in
Australia and Baker & Taylor, one of the largest book wholesalers in the
United States. Our titles are accessible to the 17,000 Libraries, 6,500
Bookstores and 4,000 Universities that compile Baker & TaylorÂ’s current
customer list. Our primary distributor in the USA is Southern Publishers
Group which has access to major bookstore chains nationwide.

The work of publication includes editorial advice, page layout and
design, cover design, printing and binding, marketing and promotion,
warehousing and distribution, in addition to our knowledgeable expertise
and personalized service throughout the entire publishing process. As
the author, you will have opportunities to approve both galley and page
proofs prior to publication. You will also receive several cover designs
for your approval and at that time you can consider the retail price of
the book. All copies in the first press run belong to the author and are
available at any time to you for personal use. Our authors find this
beneficial for times when they wish to bestow personal, signed copies to
friends and family, and have copies on hand for special publicity
occasions.

Our marketing strategy is individualized for each book. It is the
tailored plan which aids the efforts of a successful promotion campaign.
Our marketing coordinator will produce a comprehensive strategy for your
book, a copy of which you will receive for approval prior to the
publication release. She takes a keen interest in marketing of each
authorÂ’s book which in many cases is a work of  a lifetime. Our goal is
to pursue various advertising avenues that will make your book available
to readers. This is done through a number of publishing networks based
on the experience of our international staffs.

There are various ways of producing a book of this kind but after much
deliberation, we would suggest that you consider publishing in a 6" x 9"
size, perfect bound (soft cover) form, with an attractive two color
laminated cover created by our design team. The result would be a high
quality edition which would fully reflect the caliber of the material it
contains but one which would be still accessible to a potentially
extensive readership, particularly as it will be offered on both sides
of the Atlantic. 

We will take care of securing the proper copyright forms to be
registered with the US Copyright office in your name as exclusive
Copyright holder. 
Additionally, we will obtain a US Library of Congress Number an
International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and a Bookland EAN bar code
which are all necessary for the book trade. We will also make sure that
your book is listed in the nationally subscribed publication"Books in
Print", in addition to other appropriate sources. All of the services
mentioned are a part of our publishing proposal to you.

I hope this information proves of value to you and you seriously
consider proceeding with publication since a particularly fine book will
result. I appreciate that there is much to think about in a project of
this kind. This being the case, do not hesitate to contact me. I will
gladly endeavor to elaborate on any point or explain matters further so
that we may proceed with the publication. 

A formal publishing agreement is enclosed for your review. Should you
decide to proceed with the publication, you may sign and witness both
the copies of the agreement where indicated and return them to me. We
will add the appropriate signatures and return a copy for your file.

May I offer, again, my compliments on the completion of such a
distinguished manuscript. Mr. Ramaswamy, We look forward to adding it to
our list of upcoming releases.
With kind regards,
(Sd)Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…
Managing Editor
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