[sumo] Making money out of sumo - not

[Doreen Simmons]

On 2007/08/14, at 3:46, Lon Howard wrote:
>
> On Aug 13, 2007, at 8:32 AM, Scott Kahn wrote:
>
>> In any event, may I propose that we come up with our own solutions to 
>> this situation, with hopeful wishing that there are influential 
>> members from among the mailing list who might have the ear of the 
>> Kyokai.
>
> I could be missing something here Scott (wouldn't be the first time), 
> but I strongly believe that the tally of members like this would come 
> to less than 1 - with apologies to anyone who does fit the bill.

Sorry to be a day late with this -- day-long  temperatures of 35-36C 
have something to do with it -- but to the best of my knowledge Lon is 
correct. The number of people on this list who have the ear of the 
Kyokai,  including recent and long-time retirees, is somewhere between 
nil and one. If we include the people who at one time thought they had 
a unique  'in', I would make a rough guess of three to five. (Hint: 
being in charge of one of the big prizes helps, but only as long as 
it's actually being presented.)

And while we are on the subject, AFAIK  the Kyokai does not, in 
principle, give anything for nothing. Nobody makes a clear profit out 
of sumo by writing or producing pictures. Editors, photographers and 
artists are expected to pay a percentage for the privilege of sending 
in reporters or using images. Writers of books and articles are dealt 
with on a case-by-case basis. In the past I myself have had some 
success in negotiating special terms for the use of images (out of the 
Sumo Museum collection, for instance) to illustrate an article I have 
written for a learned publication. It helped to have a contract that 
showed how much they intended to pay me! A special deal for a foreigner 
can often be negotiated, provided that the foreigner is not making a 
pot of money out of it and can prove it. The idea that Mark Buckton, or 
anybody else who writes about sumo, is in the pocket of the Kyokai, 
won't hold water.

Now, back into the oven that starts just outside my widow. :-}

Doreen Simmons
  jz8d-smmn at asahi-net.or.jp