Laredo Publishing has changed its tune. Will it soon stop singing?

Last year I complained that I knew of at least TWENTY-FRIGGIN-SIX forms of publishing, but that number was not enough for Laredo Publishing. That company felt it necessary to present us with number twenty-seven: "co-edition."

(above) Apparently co-editions have not worked out for Laredo, and the company is now promoting good old-fashioned "co-publishing" (#16 on last year's list).

It doesn't look like much has changed other than the label. Laredo wants prospective author/customers to think it's a traditional publisher: "Laredo Publishing co-publishes a limited amount of titles every year. We do not accept all the manuscripts submitted."

However, if you read a bit more, some of the truth comes out:

• "You assume a portion of the co-publishing cost." (Is that 25%, 75%, 99%, 127%?)
• "You will receive 25% of the net profit from the books we sell." (What if there is no net profit? This deal is like the notorious Hollywood contracts where naive actors are promised a nice percentage of the net profit, but "creative accounting" eliminates all of the net profit.) 

There seems to be no reason to deal with with Laredo. Maybe its next tune will be its swan song.

However, there are also a nice song and a TV series and movie about Laredo, in Texas:

another version of the song