The Future Weather Tragedy
Based on actual events, this fictionalized story foretells a national tragedy occurring in 2023. A devastating weather event catches the nation by surprise, which is directly attributed to the privatization efforts that have debilitated the National Weather Service (NWS). It’s a story that describes how pernicious, self-serving corporations could weaken the NWS and consequentially place millions of Americans at risk.
As with many government agencies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NWS) is under great budgetary pressure. Year after year, budgets and priorities are challenged by congress. Most will agree that maintaining a state-of-the art weather service is a costly enterprise. Howerver, some argue, that the private sector could offer more efficient and better service than the the government. Trimming personnel, reducing the number of weather forecast offices, eliminating funding for observation assets, re-focusing NWS on more narrow mission, and establishing more public-private partnerships are on the table. There are many companies in the Weather Enterprise that would welcome a greater opportunity to profit from this situation. Driven by profit, instead of purely for purpose, the private sector may not necessarily be the best steward in which to place the nation's trust to protect life and property. The make up and shifting priorities of congress is anyone's guess. Congress establishes NOAA's budget and appropriates funding to NWS programs. If congressional dynamics favor more private sector involvement, the transformation will happen rather rapidly, with rarely any notice at all, until tragedy occurs. It is more likely than not that budget pressures will continue, politicians will take aim at funding, and the private sector will encroach on the the mission of the NWS, resulting in a different weather service than we rely on today.
I have been personally involved in negotiations and building weather programs that are in effect beginning to tip NWS more toward private sector reliance. I have personally engaged with congressional members to influence their support of specific weather programs and projects. I have attended many meetings in the offices of powerful lobbyists discussing NWS project funding. I have heard the stories of business executives complaining that their investors are demanding them to secure more revenue, and how to do this by exploiting federal funding. I have been in strategy sessions where companies map out their long term strategies and short term tactics. I have helped pick the winners and losers of weather project funding. My story is based on real events that I have witnessed and know are still happening today. This is the story of what could (will) happen if there isn’t more scrutiny given to the privatization of NWS. This is the story about the weakening of a distinguished and well-respected national weather service that jeopardizes millions of Americans. This the story of greed, corruption, and scheming venture capitalists that are collectively at the heart of altering an iconic institution.
The book with be structured in three primary parts, each containing 4 chapters. The main character faces many challenges throughout his journey from one of childhood discovery, to fulfilling a dream of building a thriving business, and then to a final realization of the illusion and destruction he helped create. The story demonstrates the relative ease that a few people can have influencing national policy and profiting off of federal funds.
CHAPTER 1 - APRIL FOOLS’ 2023 SUPER TORNADO OUTBREAK – Newspaper Articles
The story is set in 2023 and is introduced through articles from major newspapers from around the world reporting on the destruction and devastation that occurred during a horrific 3-day super tornado outbreak in the US, which is being designated as most deadly and costly outbreak in history. But the story goes beyond the weather, as one Congresswoman leads an investigation to determine what placed so many Americans in harm’s way. For her, the real storm is just about to happen.
PART 1 DISCOVERY (Chapter 2-5)
The beauty and the powerful forces of weather are revealed in way that will have a long lasting impact on the main character’s life. The early memories shape the character in a way that nothing else could. Bringing him elation as well as the greatest sorrow in his life; weather is his love and his foe.
PART 2 COMPREHENSION (Chapters 6-9)
Attending university to study meteorology, the main character as a young man becomes enamored with the science, but struggles to maintain his academic standing and begins to recognize his limitations. Using his charisma he seeks and finds help through relationships, which he discovers is much easier than meeting stringent academic requirements and the demands of his professors. His recognizes that his ambitions can’t be fulfilled alone, so he finds utility in others.
PART 3 COMPULSION (Chapters 10-12)
Armed with a vision and an air of entitlement, the main character will set off on a quest where business and political manipulation become his weapons of choice to prove to the world that he can conquer weather and acquire the power, wealth, and fame he so desperately seeks. The main character convinces many to join his journey, while many others attempt to preempt it. He builds a weather empire, but perhaps out of a house of cards.
CHAPTER 13 - APRIL FOOLS’ 2023 SUPER TORNADO OUTBREAK – Congressional Hearing
The story concludes with a congressional hearing about the devastating outbreak that reveals the methodical and deliberate degradation of one of the most vital US institutions – the National Weather Service – and the consequences of placing trust in the hands that are washed with greed and corruption.
OTHER
Of special interest, the story will be interwoven with connections to the ten deadliest tornadoes in the US, be it a brief encounter with a character that may have lived through it, or through stories shared about a specific event during a tornado.
April Fools' 2023 will be enjoyed by liberal-leaning, educated adults (18-34), and especially those who are becoming increasingly wary of Corporate America and venture capitalists, as well as those generally concerned about the future of democracy in the US. It will also appeal to those readers interested in weather, climate, politics, and policy.
It features a diverse range of characters (passionate entrepreneur, powerful lobbyist, greedy venture capitalist, progressive congresswoman, diligent public servant). With the destructive stories about weather and climate often in the news, the story and the potential tragedy will resonate with the readers. It offers a chilling look into the intentional dismantling of the National Weather Service and the unseen forces that influence Congress. It will reach readers at an emotional level and provide them with a glimpse of the corruption and collusion that takes place at the epicenter of our government.
Social Media: A dedicated Facebook page is in the making that will be used to promote the book. My 300+ connections on LinkedIn are primarily from people in the Weather Enterprise.
Direct: I will attend conferences and events associated with the American Meteorological Society and World Meteorological Organization as in-person method for book promotion. There are many opportunities to use MeetUps in Wellington NZ
Indirect: The pre-release of the book will be sent to key individuals in the Weather Enterprise who will be asked to read and review. I will use their influence as a method of promotion as well use their reviews for
Brian Bell has been in the vortex of a silent storm that will soon impact millions of Americans if we don't change its course. Brian Bell has been working in the Weather Enterprise for over 15 years exploring novel and unconventional ways of densifying the U.S. weather observation network to enhance the accuracy of weather forecasting and real-time severe weather alerting. He has spent much of his career exploring public-private partnerships and hybrid business models to foster societal benefits while incentivizing private sector investment.
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Boyle & Dalton was founded in 2014 and publishes works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The world of publishing is changing, we're changing with it. Our founder Brad Pauquette, conceptualized a hybrid model that balances the financial and rights model of self-publishing with the quality controls and production excellence of a traditional publisher. Our designers and editors produce exceptional books that are distributed in both print and digital formats to all major retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Boyle & Dalton carefully consider all submissions for publication, based on manuscript quality. We do not accept erotica or children's books.
Looking for titles that teach, promote, and encourage understanding, tolerance, peace, environmental preservation, health, and wellness.
Brandylane is a small, independent press, founded in 1985, that publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and children’s books. We publish under a traditional arrangement and also offer a cooperative track for emerging authors. We believe that books make a difference, that lives and the world are changed by the power of words and images, and that large publishing houses neglect a wealth of good writing. We are not looking for mainstream read-it-before self-help.
Under our cooperative arrangement, we invest a portion of the publishing costs and offer a stepped royalty structure from 30% to 60%--higher than the industry average. One distinguishing feature of our program is that our marketing effort includes a one-year launch, followed by two additional years of promotion through our social media, website, our seasonal genre, and subject matter email campaigns, and continuous support from our PR team.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Cranthorpe Millner operates a hybrid publishing model. This means, should an author pass our editors’ strict filtering system, we can offer different kinds of agreements depending on the author and the manuscript. With some authors, we work under a ‘traditional’ model, whereby we cover the full cost of publication and the author is offered industry-standard royalties (8-10%). To some authors, we offer what we call a partnership or contributory agreement, whereby the author is asked for a financial contribution so that we may share the risk and enter into a partnership together to publish the author’s book. In this case, the author receives around 60-75% royalties.
Dear Author,
You worked hard to write your manuscript; finally, it's ready to release. You know that expert assistance is needed, but perhaps you didn’t realize that working with a publisher is no longer necessary—especially publishers who charge fees to produce your book upfront and "share" more of your revenue whenever a book is sold.
1106 Design is an author services company. We offer all the editorial and design services you’d expect from a publisher, transforming your manuscript into a market-ready book. But here's the difference: we help you secure print-on-demand printing and worldwide distribution in your name. This means you earn several dollars more for every book sold instead of a meager “royalty.”
We understand that your book is not just a passion project but also a potential source of income. That's why we offer a range of services tailored to your needs at affordable prices. Depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity, our packages range from $4,000 to $10,000. And here's the best part: after this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us.
If this sounds like a better way to publish your book, I invite you to browse our services, design samples, no-surprises pricing, outstanding customer reviews, and educational articles at https://1106design.com. You can download a free PDF of my book, "Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing and an Insider's Look at a Misunderstood Industry," and request a free, no-obligation consultation.
1106 Design has been in business since 2001 and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. We are a “Highly Recommended Expert” at IngramSpark.com and rated "Excellent" at Alli, The Alliance for Independent Authors, at SelfPublishingAdvice.org, where you can find a "watchdog list" of the best and worst publishing services companies.
How can we serve you today?
Sincerely,
Michele DeFilippo, owner
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Authors Unite helps you become a profitable author and make an impact. We take care of printing and distribution through major online retailers, developmental editing, and proofreading with unlimited revisions. We take care of the entire process for you from book cover design all the way to set up your backend so all your book royalties go straight to your bank account. We can also help with ghostwriting if you prefer not to have to figure out all the steps on how to write a book yourself.
With our book marketing services, you don’t need to worry about figuring out all the steps on how to market a book or how to become a bestselling author. We’ve helped hundreds of authors become bestselling authors on Amazon, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. We take care of the entire book launch process for you to help you sell thousands of copies of your book and become a bestselling author.
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From Manuscript to Market.
We help authors self-publish their books by providing the professional services needed to get books into book stores.
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Looking for all types of books, including fiction, children's books, health, memoir, business books, and cookbooks
Bright Communications LLC is a woman- and veteran-owned custom publisher in Hellertown, PA. Founding CEO Jennifer Bright is a Book Doula, whose passion is helping authors bring their books to life. Our team of expert editorial, design, and marketing pros help authors go from idea to completed books and retain 100% of the rights to their work. We also offer four custom publishing packages and a $1900 self-publishing assist program.
100 copies • Completed manuscript.
Happy Self Publishing has helped 500+ authors to get their books self-published, hit the #1 position in the Amazon bestseller charts, and also establish their author website & brand to grow their business. And the best thing is, we do all this without taking away your rights and royalties. Let's schedule a call to discuss the next steps in your book project: www.meetme.so/jyotsnaramachandran
Ingram is a rather large company with several different divisions and supplies books to bookstores and libraries in over 200 countries around the world. Ingram also has a print on demand digital printing company, Lightning Source. IngramSpark is the platform that combines those two services together. At IngramSpark, we work with authors and independent publishers to print their books for orders they need (no minimum order) and we have a way to list the books as available for sale to all of Ingram’s 39,000+ customers- distributors, bookstores, retail outlets, libraries, etc., so you never miss a sale. You would provide us with the print-ready digital files (one for the cover and one for the interior) and we print the books as they are sold through our distribution partner’s websites. We pay you for those sales approximately 90 days later. The compensation you earn is based on the retail price you set, minus the wholesale discount you offer our distribution partners, minus the print cost.
ShieldCrest are book publishers based in the UK who fill that vital gap for talented authors where mainstream publishers are unwilling to give them that chance. We strive for excellence and invest in our authors and are listed in FreeIndex as the number one independent publisher in the UK for price quality and service rated author satisfaction. We publish books of all genres including; fiction, historical, biographies and children's books.
ShieldCrest publishing continues to grow rapidly with satisfied authors throughout the UK and overseas. Our range of products includes paperbacks, hardbacks and digitised e-books in all formats used globally in the myriad of e-readers.
In addition to the above, ShieldCrest provides a complete range of services including book design and layout, illustrations, proof reading and editing. For marketing we offer author web page, press releases, social media marketing packages and many other support services to help both first time and experienced authors get their books into the market quickly and maximise on the opportunities available.
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The staff at ShieldCrest have many years experience in the book industry and this wealth of experience is put at the disposal of our authors.
Our clients include established authors such as Diane Marshall who has been acclaimed as the best writing talent to come from Scotland for years by The Scotsman newspaper, and Prof Donald Longmore OBE, who performed the first heart transplant in the UK and has sold thousands of medical books used by students throughout the world. We also recently released "Martin Foran-The Forgotten Man" by J.R. Stephenson, which features fraud within the police, abuse within the prison service and injustices in the courts and has been featured in the press and on TV.
Big thank you for your support at the launch of the campaign. It's a long road to go, but you all helped establish the foundation. …
Go Brian Go!
Looking forward to it!!
Thanks so much for the well wishes and your support. Truly appreciated.
$20
8 readers
For those who like to get things before others.
Get first access to the print version of "April Fools' Day 2023" (also includes PDF version of the book).
Get a mention on my social media
Includes:
$50
3 readers
For who enjoy collecting books or giving them as a gift.
Get a limited edition hardcover of "April Fools' Day 2023" , signed by the author. Includes a PDF version of book.
Get a mention on my social media
Includes:
$75
0 readers
For those who like having a one-on-one conversation with the author.
Get everything in the Cumulus Package and exclusive 30 minute Q&A session with Brian Bell via Skype
Includes:
$150
0 readers
For those who are part of a small group.
Get everything in the Stratocumulus Package, plus an exclusive 60 minute Q&A session with Brian Bell via Skype. If you are in NZ, this can be a group session.
Includes:
$300
0 readers
For those who want to share the book with a group of 10.
Get everything in the Altostratus Package, plus 5 more books.
Includes:
$500
0 readers
For those who would like to be my guest and participate in a weather briefing at MetService in Wellington, New Zealand.
Get everything in Altostratus Package, one extra signed hard copy book, and an invitation to attend, as my guest, the daily weather briefing at Meteorological Services of New Zealand forecast office in Wellington, NZ.
Includes:
$2000
0 readers
For those who want to champion and share the story that reveals the inherent dangers of privatizing the US National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS).
Get 100 copies bundle
Guest Appearance and book signing by Brian Bell (travel not included)
Prominent mention is the book's acknowledgement section.
Includes:
$10000
0 readers
For those who like to get the full story behind the story. Have a full day with Brian Bell in Wellington NZ to discuss the real events that led to the writing of book. Enjoy a few cups of some of New Zealand's wonderful coffee and hear the tale.
Everything in Cirrus Package, coffee at a local cafe in Wellington NZ (travel expenses not included). Travel arrangements for Brian Bell for a location other than Wellington NZ is not included.
Includes:
on June 11, 2016, 1:11 p.m.
Good luck with your book!