On your last question -- and first I want to say I'm not implying anything negative about Alex, he could totally kickass -- I suspect traditional book publishers are getting increasingly desperate and/or talent-seeking due to the state of affairs of the Internet. It's never been easier for a talented writer to write and control and market and sell their own work, without a traditional publisher being in the loop. Even the old argument about, "Well, write a book for us on the cheap and you win because of increased eyeballs and prestige," doesn't have as much weight if you look at the alternative paths authors can choose, such as what Zed Shaw is doing. Speaking in general, publishers are just not needed anymore for writers to find readers and make money.