Аннотация: The Sketch of the theory of the literary conspiracy
The Sketch of the theory of the literary conspiracy
Once, long ago, Sergei Sergeyevich bought at a kiosk [microstore] 'Soyuzpechat' for 100 rubles a nice book about a great seaman.
Sergei Sergeyevich read this book with pleasure.
He felt himself a little confused, because of a doubling of the text. A significant piece of text, about seven sheets, were "copy- pasted".
What for? Sergei Sergeyevich had guesses, but there was no exact answer to this question.
Then, once on an occasion, Sergei Sergeyevich on Wikipedia found an article about the author of the book purchased earlier in Soyuzpechat.
It turned out that there was a whole discussion about the acceptability of this biographical article for Wikipedia. She was offered to be removed!
The arguments were different, but one of the arguments was this - the author was excessive, implausible prolific. He had a list of books written, the list which was striking the imagination with a huge length.
Someone ironically compared him with Alexander Dumas (father) - by the level of creative fertility.
Someone defended, "Who see a harm of it?..."
Sergei Sergeyevich without authorization supplemented the list of books (by "that author") with the name of the book purchased in 'Soyuzpechat'.
Somehow he didn't have to look into this article anymore, and the author's name was forgotten because of a long time... He can find a book, see the last name - but why? 100 rubles - this was a good price for a good book.
Sergei Sergeyevich was interested in the figure of the famous sailor. He started looking for books about him.
Surprisingly, a few months before the book, bought in 'Soyuzpechat', the other book about the great sailor, by another author, appeared in the "Life of Remarkable People" series .
Actually, it provoked a thoughts...
Then Sergei Sergeyevich himself decided to write a book (about a literary success).
In the process of writing he, for example, discovered that on the theme of the biography of one great writer came out - about at the same time - two books of two different authors.
It was already a reason to start to guess.
And while Sergei Sergeyevich reflected on literary coincidences, one of his books was completed.
He sent this book to several publishers with the corresponding description which publishers demanded to attach to books (manuscripts) - judging by the information placed on their websites.
Actually, there were not so many publishers ... And their reaction, with one exception (a quick negative response from the secretary of one of the very specialized publishers) was approximately similar...
More accurately, a similar was the absence of answer...
The situation itself seemed strange. It seems that publishers are interested in new names, new authors, new publications. Inexperienced people think that publishers make money on the authors - although they do not forget and about the authors, also ... It is enough to read biographies of famous American writers...
It was necessary for Sergei Sergeyevich to send letters-reminders during a few months (!), when, at last, a some answers came. The answers themselves were also curious (from a impudent sneer up to polite information that the answer was, but Internet lost him...).
In any case, no one was going to publish the book written by Sergei Sergeevich...
During this time, Sergei Sergeyevich looked at the websites of publishers the exchanges of views of potential and published authors, and found that the publication of books is, it turns out, a rare success for an author, and in the case of such luck, the author receives a fee - about 15 000 (fifteen thousand) rubles. If we take into account the period of writing the book - from about six months or more, this amount does not cover the cost of coffee, flash drives, paper, Internet traffic, etc.
It is much easier in this situation to place works on Internet platforms for free publications. Less headaches and less time spent on correspondence and other pleasures...
After reading the journalistic investigation "Maximum amount of compromise on all. The Scientific Center under the Offices of the President sells services that allow to de-anonymize of any resident of Russia. Investigation "Meduza." 15:59, August 8, 2019. source: Meduza. Author: Lilia Yapparova. Editor: Alexey Kovalev "(https://meduza.io/feature/2019/08/08/maksimalnoe-kolichestvo-kompromata-na-vseh) Sergey Sergei finally understood of how a "range of hypotheses" about modern Russian literature might look like.
This "range of hypotheses" is between two points.
Point A. Accidentally so happened that the national book market collapsed (he "collapsed" on its own, and he was not purposefully eliminated!), accidentally so develops that there are several selected publishers who supply books to the remaining bookstores, accidentally so coincides that books on similar topics come out "in groups", accidentally it happens that the author who sent the book to the publisher does not receive any answer...
Point B. There is a "literary conspiracy". It means that only a certain group of people have access to the media, publishers and booksellers.
Others are allowed to write, and even send their works (manuscripts) to publishers.
Of course, that a such enterprising people the answers are not (always) can get. But with the help of meta-data analysis, they are put under control. A human, in principle, is not eternal. In addition, it happens, there are - in some situations - all sorts of unpleasant things. Under certain conditions, a manuscript submitted into a publishing house, can be recycled and put to use. With this hypothesis, it is clear why books appear in groups. To what extent a text, names, structure, ideas, logical relationships and other elements of the intellectual product of the "main" author (who left the "literary game") are used - this is decided individually in each case.
Between these points of the "range of hypotheses" there are various kinds of mixed variants. Let's say the ex-wife of some oligarch writes good verses. She has the money. Why not to publish her verses? (For money, of course... There's no honorarium ... The money is not received by the author from the publishing house, but, on the contrary, by the publishing house from the author...).
Or some "official" author... He receives a "state order," he has a system of state budget institutions, a publishing house apparatus, an advertising flywheel... Something will be written and sold in any case...
Then hired "critics" will write articles and reviews using the words "outstanding", "known", "specialist," "wonderful", "new word" and other similar terms.
Some later, an influential person from the sphere of "literary awards" will be involved... And here he is - the new the "right-flank" serviceman of the "modern Russian literary brigade".
But let's we will digress from the "range of hypotheses."
And what to do with those who are not included in the "conspiracy", but continues to be published - using the Internet platform for free publications?
Sergei Sergeyevich drew attention to such an option as an "indirect review".
He once wrote an essay about a great Russian writer and spoke negatively about one of the books published in the famous book series and dedicated to the great writer.
What's interesting - after that situation a new group of books about this great writer came out.
So if you stick to the hypothesis of the existence of a "literary conspiracy," such events are understandable.
Let's say some man writes something. He writes and writes... He places his works on Internet platforms for free publications...
Of course, they can steal... and they steal... But not in those volumes, scales and not so freely, as it would be desirable...
What to do with him?
Do you want to write something negative about him? But you have to wait for a convenient significant reason...
Write something negative about his work? This means a violation of the principle of silence...
But there are smart heads!
Let's say he wrote an essay about Leo Tolstoy.
And we will command to a some loyal author to write three books about Leo Tolstoy! (About Leo Tolstoy! Not about Gogol, not about Dostoevsky...).
What's the catch? What's the idea? What is the secret of the literary street organ?
And in these books there will be a lot of references to different sources, but neither the author of the essay, nor the essay itself will not be mentioned.
New books do a shadowing of the essay, and the lack of mention of the author and of the essay is interpreted as insignificance both as the author so and the essay. This is the "principle of indirect review", which is a plus to the principle of silence.
"Exclusive group", that is, those who have access to the media, publishers and booksellers, can sleep peacefully.
First, they have content, creative potential (See! Here are the books! (Not everyone has read them and is going to read them - but schoolchildren and students will be forced to read this books; books will be read by some of those who interested in the theme)).
Second, those who are not a part of the "exclusive group" - they are "minor," they of a zero importance, they are "the nothing". If they were of any significance, they would have been noticed, of course ...
What does the "modern Russian literary brigade" write about? About heroes, about greatness, about success! There is a set of acceptable topics...
"If someone writes a book (manuscript), sends it to a publishing house or places it on a platform for free publications, why not (in a convenient situation) to use this content, create a work (or a" group "of works), to publish?"
"Isn't that a literature?"- Sergei Sergeyevich philosophically summed up the thoughts.
August 17, 2019 19:26
Translation from Russian into English: August 18, 2019 10:46.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Скетч о теории литературного заговора'.