Lolcat Bible, King Kitteh version
December 15, 2010 12:10 PM Subscribe
Some months back I was contacted by a publisher, and they requested permission to put my kitteh's photograph in their book - The Lolcat Bible. Of course I said yes. I received a copy, with my cat on page 116, and I was thrilled...til the book went missing. I recently got a hold of another copy of this book, and my cat? Missing. What the heck? I cannot find any evidence of different versions online. Can you help me find another copy of the one they sent?
Publisher is Ulysses Press. I found the original email from the guy asking permission, and replied, but no answer yet. I also tried calling the publisher directly, but couldn't get a human on the phone. Left a message for someone in customer service, but they've not called back, either. I've searched Google in vain - cannot seem to find any evidence that different versions exist, unless you count the Kindle one.
The photo I took, seen here in the book.
NOT the photo I took. Not my kitty.
The ISBN on the book I ordered to replace it (from Amazon) is: 978-1-56975-7345. I do not have the ISBN of the original book I had.
Can you help me find my kitty? For a while there, she was famous!
Publisher is Ulysses Press. I found the original email from the guy asking permission, and replied, but no answer yet. I also tried calling the publisher directly, but couldn't get a human on the phone. Left a message for someone in customer service, but they've not called back, either. I've searched Google in vain - cannot seem to find any evidence that different versions exist, unless you count the Kindle one.
The photo I took, seen here in the book.
NOT the photo I took. Not my kitty.
The ISBN on the book I ordered to replace it (from Amazon) is: 978-1-56975-7345. I do not have the ISBN of the original book I had.
Can you help me find my kitty? For a while there, she was famous!
Response by poster: Another question - Does anyone know why they would do this? Did my kitty just not make the grade or something? I thought once a book was...set, so to speak, it was not changed unless there were permission issues or something else.
posted by routergirl at 12:37 PM on December 15, 2010
posted by routergirl at 12:37 PM on December 15, 2010
Yeah, amazon.ca definitely has a different version too. Published Dec 10 2009.
posted by yeoz at 12:39 PM on December 15, 2010
posted by yeoz at 12:39 PM on December 15, 2010
I should've said *had* a different version. Your best bet may be to find a used copy of the original. (and, sorry to say this, but, your cat may have been swapped out as an editorial choice.)
posted by yeoz at 12:42 PM on December 15, 2010
posted by yeoz at 12:42 PM on December 15, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm. All versions I find come up with the same ISBN. The one on Amazon.ca, for example, shows this:
# Paperback: 176 pages
# Publisher: Ulysses Press (Dec 10 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1569757348
# ISBN-13: 978-1569757345
Are ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 indications of different versions?
posted by routergirl at 12:42 PM on December 15, 2010
# Paperback: 176 pages
# Publisher: Ulysses Press (Dec 10 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1569757348
# ISBN-13: 978-1569757345
Are ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 indications of different versions?
posted by routergirl at 12:42 PM on December 15, 2010
No, it's a different coding scheme for the same book.
posted by Dr Dracator at 12:47 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Dr Dracator at 12:47 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
ISBNs get reused all the time. Also, the copy you recieved might have just been an advance copy, and not even have been the final published version of the book, so its possible you'll never find another copy with the picture you are looking for.
posted by yeoz at 12:54 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by yeoz at 12:54 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: It's really silly how upset this has made me. It's ok if the world doesn't like the picture, or if they decided some other one would be better. I still want to replace that copy of the book.
The original email says: "...we will credit all contributors in the book and send them a free copy of the book once published."
Nothing about advance copies. Guess I need to start looking for used versions.
PS. My cat is blissfully unaware that any of this is happening, and my husband is asking if maybe they replaced her because she is soft in the head.
posted by routergirl at 1:19 PM on December 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
The original email says: "...we will credit all contributors in the book and send them a free copy of the book once published."
Nothing about advance copies. Guess I need to start looking for used versions.
PS. My cat is blissfully unaware that any of this is happening, and my husband is asking if maybe they replaced her because she is soft in the head.
posted by routergirl at 1:19 PM on December 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
Looking at your photos I would also guess that you got an advance copy or some sort of pre-release edition than the "red letter" version you got later.
Why not contact Martin Grondin directly and ask him? He's on Facebook, and on the lolcatbible.com site he encourages people to contact him.
posted by Gator at 1:35 PM on December 15, 2010
Why not contact Martin Grondin directly and ask him? He's on Facebook, and on the lolcatbible.com site he encourages people to contact him.
posted by Gator at 1:35 PM on December 15, 2010
For what it's worth, I definitely like your photo better! (I know you said you don't care, but still... I don't know why they replaced it).
posted by amtho at 1:38 PM on December 15, 2010
posted by amtho at 1:38 PM on December 15, 2010
I think this could be a, ... well, shall we say a marketing ploy?, of a particularly slick kind.
Here's how I think it might work:
First, this publisher finds a bunch of cat pictures it can identify the owners of and asks their permission to include the pictures in the book.
For each person that says yes, they print up a copy of that book containing that person's cat and send it to them. That person's cat may not appear in any other book. This is possible through print-on-demand technologies.
How do they make their money?
They count on a certain percentage of delighted and proud cat owners buying other copies of the book to give to their friends. Any copy that person orders will include their cat, and so they will be perfectly satisfied, not suspecting that only the copies they pay for will include their cat.
Pretty neat, really.
posted by jamjam at 1:39 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Here's how I think it might work:
First, this publisher finds a bunch of cat pictures it can identify the owners of and asks their permission to include the pictures in the book.
For each person that says yes, they print up a copy of that book containing that person's cat and send it to them. That person's cat may not appear in any other book. This is possible through print-on-demand technologies.
How do they make their money?
They count on a certain percentage of delighted and proud cat owners buying other copies of the book to give to their friends. Any copy that person orders will include their cat, and so they will be perfectly satisfied, not suspecting that only the copies they pay for will include their cat.
Pretty neat, really.
posted by jamjam at 1:39 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Gator - Martin Grondin was one of the first people I tried to contact. No reply from him, though it has only been a few days.
Oh, and thanks, amtho. :)
posted by routergirl at 2:10 PM on December 15, 2010
Oh, and thanks, amtho. :)
posted by routergirl at 2:10 PM on December 15, 2010
Your picture is awesome!
My guess is that they went with the 2nd picture because the text is much easier to read when it can be superimposed over that white background on the left.
In other words, I suspect it's a layout issue, not a cuteness problem. (HOW could it be a cuteness problem?
posted by ErikaB at 2:47 PM on December 15, 2010
My guess is that they went with the 2nd picture because the text is much easier to read when it can be superimposed over that white background on the left.
In other words, I suspect it's a layout issue, not a cuteness problem. (HOW could it be a cuteness problem?
posted by ErikaB at 2:47 PM on December 15, 2010
Best answer: In case anyone wants an update - I KNOW I sent them the signed permission form. But somehow it was lost in the mail. :(
Oh hai,
Your kitteh was not found posing naked for pictures, we can assure
you! I contacted the publisher and unfortunately, as she described it,
several of the images did not get confirmation back on being allowed
to be used and they rushed around to fix it for the second edition...
and unfortunately they have no first editions to send to you anymore.
So they may be floating around out there, somewhere... there are a few
thousands of them. I personally don't have any copies of the first
edition, or else I'd send you one myself.
Sorry about it!
-Martin
- Hide quoted text -
On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 6:12 PM, Sarah wrote:
> Hey,
>
> So this will sound nuts. But my photo was published in the Lolcat Bible. I
> didn't need payment or anything, and was thrilled to be included. I was sent
> a copy when it was published. My 16 yr old, bless him, was so excited he
> took it to school and showed all his friends...and it vanished. I have not
> been able to get it back. Yes, of COURSE he was grounded.
>
> Anyway - I have a screen shot of the page in the book, so I know it happened.
> But I cannot find the original correspondence when I was asked for
> permission. Which I kind of need now. Cos I ordered a replacement LOLcat
> bible on Amazon, and guess what? IT DOES NOT HAVE MAH KITTEH.
>
> Were there different versions? Was my cat taken out after it was discovered
> she posed naked for photos? Did she shame the Lolcat name?
>
> Hoping you can help. Would really like to get a new copy with my cat in it,
> and to find out why she vanished. :(
>
posted by routergirl at 12:37 PM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh hai,
Your kitteh was not found posing naked for pictures, we can assure
you! I contacted the publisher and unfortunately, as she described it,
several of the images did not get confirmation back on being allowed
to be used and they rushed around to fix it for the second edition...
and unfortunately they have no first editions to send to you anymore.
So they may be floating around out there, somewhere... there are a few
thousands of them. I personally don't have any copies of the first
edition, or else I'd send you one myself.
Sorry about it!
-Martin
- Hide quoted text -
On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 6:12 PM, Sarah
> Hey,
>
> So this will sound nuts. But my photo was published in the Lolcat Bible. I
> didn't need payment or anything, and was thrilled to be included. I was sent
> a copy when it was published. My 16 yr old, bless him, was so excited he
> took it to school and showed all his friends...and it vanished. I have not
> been able to get it back. Yes, of COURSE he was grounded.
>
> Anyway - I have a screen shot of the page in the book, so I know it happened.
> But I cannot find the original correspondence when I was asked for
> permission. Which I kind of need now. Cos I ordered a replacement LOLcat
> bible on Amazon, and guess what? IT DOES NOT HAVE MAH KITTEH.
>
> Were there different versions? Was my cat taken out after it was discovered
> she posed naked for photos? Did she shame the Lolcat name?
>
> Hoping you can help. Would really like to get a new copy with my cat in it,
> and to find out why she vanished. :(
>
posted by routergirl at 12:37 PM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
« Older Is there an iPhone app that manages kids allowance... | Fixing very uneven concrete floors in existing... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by TheRaven at 12:35 PM on December 15, 2010