Re: Vanity Fair
Subject: Re: Vanity Fair
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
Date: 1/19/10, 22:02
To: "Sterling & Ross Publishers" <drew@sterlingandross.com>

I would actually like to hear from you about this, because although I understand that you object to the whole McCain thing, I want to make sure I understand your specific objections to this before I go forward with it, as obviously you've got some media/publishing experience that I don't, and I don't want to do anything that's going to damage myself or the book's prospects. So give me a call if you can.

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 9:45 PM, Sterling & Ross Publishers <drew@sterlingandross.com> wrote:

No no, go for it. Please don’t let my inability to grasp the basics influence you in the least—you’ve been doing very well on your own to date.

 

From: Barrett Brown [mailto:barriticus@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 9:41 PM
To: Sterling & Ross Publishers
Subject: Re: Vanity Fair

 

Well, Vanity Fair has asked me to write about this because NYT Magazine is running a major piece on the same general subject this weekend, focusing on this same conflict between Johnson and McCain and Johnson's other adversaries. I'm sorry that I've failed to convince you of the necessity of all of this; feel free to give me a call if you'd like to discuss it further or make suggestions. I'm supposed to turn it in by morning so that they can run it ASAP and scoop the NYT. Let's chat.

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Sterling & Ross Publishers <drew@sterlingandross.com> wrote:t

BB- Call me nuts but I can’t help but see this as a “teach the debate” kerfuffle. No one is interested in what you have to say, just how nutty, snarky and vitriolic the debate has become. And aligning yourself in major print media with CJ, which the left won’t link to anyway, while fighting the right, which the right will never link to, is coverage suicide IMHO.

 

You know how I feel about this stuff. You’re going to throw so many bombs that no one will take you seriously or want to be associated with you, no matter how much sense you make. Your piece for VF about Mr Major Name got spiked. Do you really think they care about you, Charles Johnson and Rbt Stacy McCain (a guy that I out-Google by 600%)?

But if you think you know what you’re doing, go for it.
Drew   
 

From: Barrett Brown [mailto:barriticus@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 5:20 PM
To: Sterling & Ross Publishers
Subject: Vanity Fair

 

The editor now wants me to write a 1,000 word-account of what's been going on with me, Charles Johnson, and this whole Robert Stacy McCain thing, as NYT Mag is apparently running a piece on some of this in next issue this weekend and they want to scoop them. Will be a good chance to get me in the center of things, and will include footer bio with link to both books.