GoKawiilIndie developer republishes out-of-print novel 'Professor Mmaa's Lecture' via small press
A solo game developer has taken on publishing as a side project, tracking down the rights holder to bring the out-of-print book 'Professor Mmaa's Lecture' back into circulation. The developer negotiated rights, drafted a contract using the Authors Guild's model agreement as inspiration (with help from Claude AI), and corrected Amazon's mistaken assumption that the book was public domain.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This illustrates how AI tools like Claude are lowering the barrier for individuals without industry experience to navigate complex legal and business processes, such as drafting publishing contracts. It also highlights a recurring problem where major platforms like Amazon misjudge copyright status, underscoring the need for rights holders to actively verify and correct such errors.
- A game developer with no publishing background is reviving an out-of-print book using self-taught copyright knowledge.
- Claude AI was used to draft and refine a publishing contract based on the Authors Guild's model agreement.
- Amazon initially and incorrectly assumed the book was in the public domain before being corrected.
Professor Mmaa's Lecture by Stefan Themerson — This is the very book the article is about — a cult satirical novel brought back into print by a first-time small-press publisher. Grabbing a copy is the most direct way to support that tiny independent publishing effort and finally read the strange termite-philosopher classic people keep raving about.
See Professor Mmaa's Lecture by Stefan Themerson on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: novalis.org, 2026-09-05
Published there as: “Picolibrary: A Small Press”
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