ctv_will: OK, the stage is now set for Vanessa McGrady who will be here in about 20 minutes. ctv_will: Her employer, Loompanics Unlimited, is responsible for such titles as "The Poisoner's Handbook" "Homemade Guns and Homemade Ammo" and "How to Manufacture Methamphetamines." ctv_will: She doesn't write the books, so don't bother asking for helpful hints!:> asilentsaboteur asks: Will we be able to ask questions of her? ctv_will: Yes, you'll be able to ask Vanessa questions about why she thinks this should be allowed, and where she finds the writers, etc. ctv_will: Right now our chat guest is probably on the air talking about the recent settlement by Paladin Press over their "how to be a Hit Man" book. ctv_will: That was a multi-million dollar deal and they agreed to pull the title from their catalog. ctv_will: Shouldn't they be allowed to publish whatever they want? ctv_will: Would you feel the same way if someone you love was killed by someone who learned how to make poison from a Loompanics book? ctv_will: We're just minutes away from chatting with Vanessa McGrady who edits books on how to commit crimes (among other things). ctv_will: Keep those questons coming and she'll be here are soon as the studio in Seattle is finished with her. ctv_will: A few notes of procedure: ctv_will: no spamming ctv_will: no being a jerk ctv_will: You can ignore jerks by clicking on their name and clicking ignore. ctv_will: If you like, you can click on preferences and select Q&A only and you won't see any of the cross chat. ctv_will: I have her here on the line!!! ctv_will: Keep those questions coming! ctv_will: Welcome!! How do you feel fresh off small screen? Vanessa McGrady: Larger than life! Fergal99 asks: What sort of book titles are there? Vanessa McGrady: We cary all kinds. "Secrets of Methamphetamine manufacture" is a big one. Vanessa McGrady: "How to be a superhacker..." Vanessa McGrady: "Self sufficient gardening..." Vanessa McGrady: Basically we publish books that are hard to find on subjects that other publishers are afraid to touch. janenschia asks: Does your book tell people how to commit crimes? Vanessa McGrady: They have a lot of info in them that people can use to protect themselves from crime, Vanessa McGrady: but we specifically state in all of our material that this is for infomation purposess only. Vanessa McGrady: And we do not advocate any crime commited using our books. etmom6 asks: Why would anyone want this type of book if not for illegal activities? Vanessa McGrady: For education. Vanessa McGrady: Screenwriters, novelists... Vanessa McGrady: Law enforcement is one of our biggest purchasers. Vanessa McGrady: Don't be afraid of information!! ccreeves asks: How can you and/or your company justify printing and publishing a book that helps a person commit a felony? Vanessa McGrady: It's the person who commits the felony. Vanessa McGrady: We are not interested in helping anyone commit a crime, but if someone wants info we are happy to supply that Vanessa McGrady: becuase we don't believe that information should be censored. etmom6 asks: Do you think all censorship is against the 1st admenment? Vanessa McGrady: Yeah, I do. asilentsaboteur asks: Where do you draw the line? Vanessa McGrady: I think it's very dangerous when people start to draw lines. Vanessa McGrady: When some of the people have only some of the information some of the time I think is a very dangerous state. single_girrrl asks: Whats the web address of your company? Vanessa McGrady: That's http://www.loompanics.com/ Vanessa McGrady: Do you think you get more or less attention becuase you sell online? Vanessa McGrady: It certainly has helped I think. Vanessa McGrady: It's also easier for foreigners to order from us online. Chikkn asks: Would publishers be guilty of aiding/abetting? Vanessa McGrady: In this (the Paladin case) that's certianly the temperature it got to before it was settled. Vanessa McGrady: And in the Oliver Stone "Natural Born Killer" case they're certainly trying to prove that. Vanessa McGrady: I hope they don't. ctv_will: For those who don't know, the Supreme Court recently allowed some people to sue ctv_will: Oliver Stone for making the movie "Natural Born Killers" which they say was responsible for someone killing their family member. asilentsaboteur asks: What if I knew someone used the method of stoning to kill someone i loved. Should i be able to ban the bible? Vanessa McGrady: LOL!!:> cattails040 asks: What type of research did you do on this book? ctv_will: for the books you publish... Vanessa McGrady: We have so many diverse subjects that the writers are usually experts in their fields. Vanessa McGrady: Uncle Fester, for example who writes the methamphetamine, LSD manufacture, and armor peircing bullets books Vanessa McGrady: is a chemist. Vanessa McGrady: His books are chemistry books. NMWoody asks: Are there any book subjects that you've ever rejected? Vanessa McGrady: Yeah there are. Vanessa McGrady: Mostly becuase they're not of interest to our president Mike Hoy. ctv_will: Can you give some examples? Vanessa McGrady: Something like... Vanessa McGrady: any kind of new age stuff, we don't publish. Vanessa McGrady: We just had a proposal for "The Art of Bank Robbery" but it wasn't written well enough. jsgrammy asks: How many times have you been sued for contributing to a crime? Vanessa McGrady: None. hillbilly7h asks: I live about 7 miles from Columbine High, I have read a few of those books and if I had seen bomb making supplies I would have known what they were. What are your thoughts Vanessa McGrady: First of all, we want to extend our sympathies and we feel that what happened was tragic, Vanessa McGrady: but unfortunately something like that can't really be stopped by taking a book off the shelf. Vanessa McGrady: People commit crimes all the time without reading books about them. ctv_will: Do you think the "hit man" guy learned his crime from the "hit man" book? Vanessa McGrady: I have no idea, that's speculation. He could have learned it from a Bruce Willis movie. cript_cents asks: Why do you think that everyone is taking responsibility away from the offender and putting it on the books or movies? lywizardfreedom_95125 asks: Why is every one so afraid of their birth rights, THE CONSTITUTION? Vanessa McGrady: Great question!! Vanessa McGrady: I just asked the Paladin Press lawyer why responsibility is being spread around like so much lard on a biscuit... Vanessa McGrady: I think we have this "sue-you" culture, but Idon't know why that's now and not 20 years ago. Vanessa McGrady: Right now we're fighting for other people's freedoms all over the world. Vanessa McGrady: People are sitting back and cheering as our first amendment freedoms are being taken away. Vanessa McGrady: People are recognizing our freedoms which we shouldn't even need a constitution for. NMWoody asks: What about the moral responsiblity to promote a law abiding society? Vanessa McGrady: It's important to have a society where people don't hurt each other,however, it's also importaant to have Vanessa McGrady: a society that has free access to information. Vanessa McGrady: Reading about a crime and commiting a crime are two totally different things. jsgrammy asks: Do you have any books on how to rip of publishers? Vanessa McGrady: LOL!!:> Vanessa McGrady: Start with the internet!! ctv_will: This is a good time to remind everybody that we're chatting with Vanessa McGrady of Loompanics Unlimited. ctv_will: That's http://www.loompanics.com/ for those who are curious ctv_will: The company publishes a number of books on how to commit crimes. etmom6 asks: How do you feel when you hear about someones life being ruined after getting one of these books from you?? Honest answer .. you personally Vanessa McGrady: I feel bad when anything bad happens to anybody, but I don't blame the books. NMWoody asks: Do you have a full-time legal retinue on staff? Vanessa McGrady: No. Vanessa McGrady: We don't really come across legal problems that much at all. jfschofield asks: Is "Final Exit" on commiting suicide a how-to crime book? Vanessa McGrady: We certainly don't publish it, but we may carry it. Check the web site. Vanessa McGrady: Final exit was written by Kevorkian. etmom6 asks: why does he use name Uncle Fester? Bet he doesn't publish his credentials Vanessa McGrady: I don't know why he uses Uncle Fester. Vanessa McGrady: It's better than being known as "Thing"! paranoid00chipmunk asks: I understand that if one day a corrupt government overtakes us and we need to take up arms as individuals against them the kind of info in the book you were just discussing on "Pros and Cons" would be helpful, but how could any publisher justify publishing any kind of instructions on how to make things like LSD and other illegal substances? Vanessa McGrady: Some people want to know how to do that. Vanessa McGrady: The DEA officers buy our books by the case becuae they want information. Vanessa McGrady: Laws change all the time. Vanessa McGrady: Marijuana is a great example. Vanessa McGrady: We just came out with a marijuana cook book, Vanessa McGrady: and we imagine it will be bought by people who are using marijuana medically. Vanessa McGrady: Laws can change, so whether something is legal or illegal at the time of publishing is irrelevant. hillbilly7h asks: On the Columbine thing, I was saying that if more people knew what to look for, someone may have seen it in time. What do you think? Vanessa McGrady: There are other ways the books help people. Vanessa McGrady: A big part of our philosophy is "do it yourself." Vanessa McGrady: We have a book on explosives so that instead of having to hire an expert to do demolition on your property, Vanessa McGrady: you can do it yourself. Vanessa McGrady: The information is not always used for nefarious purposes. Shari_is2cute asks: Why would you WANT to write a book explaining how to commit crimes? Like we don't have enough criminals already? Vanessa McGrady: These books serve to protect people as well. Vanessa McGrady: Say we have a book on arson. Vanessa McGrady: Reading the book would help a person protect themselves from arson. NMWoody asks: What is your best selling title? Vanessa McGrady: "The Secrets of a Superhacker." Vanessa McGrady: A close second is "How to Live Without Electricity and Like It." goater6969 asks: What are some books that you guys will be publishing soon? Vanessa McGrady: Let me think... Vanessa McGrady: "How to make fake ID and other documents on your home computer." Vanessa McGrady: "Travel trader homesteading under $5000, second edition." Vanessa McGrady: "The 51 dollar fantasy"-a prostitution guide for men in Mexico. russlyttle asks: How much is the book? $$$ Vanessa McGrady: The books range from 10 to 20 dollars usually. etmom6 asks: Do you have any books on how to commit rape? If not, why not? Vanessa McGrady: No. Vanessa McGrady: That's a good question. Vanessa McGrady: I don't know why, but I also don't know if that book would sell very well. Vanessa McGrady: Who would buy that book... KirstinVick asks: How do you feel about your publications being rejected from prisons? Vanessa McGrady: I guess that's really up to the prison. Vanessa McGrady: Prisoners should check if it's allowed in before they order. eikis99 asks: Kids need fake ID to enter a bar and no ID to buy a book on how to commit a murder. Why? Vanessa McGrady: We certainly don't market to kids, and if we have any reason to believe that a person is under 18 we won't sell to them. Vanessa McGrady: We have a box on our site that asks people to click to certify that they are over 18. jfschofield asks: Who is the author of the fake ID book? Vanessa McGrady: Max Forge' is the author of the new ID book. Vanessa McGrady: He's an expert in photoshop who learned how to make fake ID on his computer. jsgrammy asks: Have you considered a book on "pay back for rapist"? Vanessa McGrady: If they send us a proposal. Vanessa McGrady: People can go through our writers' guidelines at our web site for information of how to subit manuscripts, Vanessa McGrady: but it's basically just like any other publisher. jsgrammy asks: Blow yourself up you mean? Explosives should be left to the experts, or least kept away from me and mine. PLEASE! Vanessa McGrady: Any book should be available to anybody. Vanessa McGrady: That's the whole point of the First Amendment. Vanessa McGrady: I certainly wouldn't want anyone deciding what I can and cannot read, would you? jsgrammy asks: Do any of your authors use their real names? Vanessa McGrady: Yes. ccreeves asks: With so many people angry about these books why don't you stop printing them? ctv_will: Does the company get hate mail? Vanessa McGrady: We hang the hate mail in the bathroom! Vanessa McGrady: I don't want my neighbor using dynamite either, Vanessa McGrady: but Idon't care if he reads about it. jsgrammy asks: Does the book on false ID making tell about the fact that it is a felony? Kids should know that. Vanessa McGrady: These books aren't geared for kids. These books talk a lot about the crime aspect of it. It's not a crime to make an ID card for yourself. Vanessa McGrady: Only if you try to pass it off as real. Vanessa McGrady: And it certianly isn't a crime to publish a book about it. ctv_will: Ok we have to end here. Thanks very very much to Vanessa McGrady of Loompanics Unlimited. ctv_will: You can visit the Loompanics site at http://www.loompanics.com/ Vanessa McGrady: Happy Reading! ctv_will: Thanks very much to everyone who joined us! ctv_will: Especially those of you who managed to stay through both chats tonight!!! ctv_will: You know who you are:> Welcome to the club by the way. ctv_will: Don't forget to join the new Court TV Yahoo! Club at ctv_will: We have tons of chats coming up and that's the best way to find out about them. ctv_will: Or stop in at http://www.courttv.com/ ctv_will: We have a new "talk" page there for our online community. ctv_will: This chat has ended you may go in peace.