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This is original, written after discovering the actual Web home page.

Anyone catch that new home page in the Web?  They post the first chapter of a 
novel and then invite netters to contribute a second chapter. A winner from 
among these entries is chosen, the author paid $500, and then the next chapter 
is solicited. Publication of the finished novel is guaranteed. Instructions 
suggest that submissions be double spaced and accompanied by a check for a 
$15.00 "reader's fee." Deadline is May 30.  Ummm. 

The atrociousness of the first chapters offered may give the game away. The 
chapter of the mystery, for instance, is about like one of those murder 
mystery games you buy in the game store, except not as well-written. Hardly 
something a serious publisher would look at. Unless perhaps Chapter Two 
started something like this:

<<
CHAPTER TWO

Donovan finished reading and looked up from the screen, screwing up his mouth 
in thought. Lt. Patrillo spoke: "Well, what do you think, Donovan, is that a 
scam or what?"

Donovan waited, still thinking, then finally said, "Yeah, I was just doing the 
numbers. Say a thousand people..."

"Way too conservative," Patrillo interrupted. "There are millions of people 
on the net, and about half of them fancy themselves as writers. But OK, say a
thousand."

"A thousand people each kick in fifteen bucks. And that's just the first 
chapter. Say twenty chapters in the book..."

"And they can do any number of books..." Patrillo cut in.

"Right. A mystery. A romance. SF. Now you are starting to talk some real 
money. But is it illegal?"

"As long as they pay out the chickenfeed five hundred bucks for each chapter. 
As long as they actually publish the finished book as promised. Something any 
vanity publisher will do for 10K. No, dont see anything illegal."

"Then where's the beef, Lou?" Donovan said.  "Sounds like something for the 
fraud squad, not homicide. What's it to us?"     

"Murder, Donovan. That's what."

"Murder? I could see murder of the language maybe, but..."

"Real murder, Donovan. It seems the perps--buncha kids on a lark, real money 
actually starts rolling in, never seen that much before, they start fighting 
over the shares. One of them is dead."

"You mean...?"

"Right, Donovan. Murder in Cyberspace."
>>

Anyone care to start on Chapter Three?

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