I need your advice, please.

Hi, I posted a thread on this forum a long while ago regarding my sighting of the beast of bray road, which you can read if you click here. I'm a member of the Dogman Field Research Organization on facebook, and about a month ago, I shared a sketch of what I saw. An author, who I will not name at the moment, approached me yesterday after sending me a friend request which I accepted, and shared his interest in hearing my story. Not only that, he said that he would love to include it in his book.

I have mixed feelings about this. Number one, I don't know if I'd like my name attached to more things of this nature. I want to have a professional future and I am already kind of freaked out that talking about it so publicly (and especially doing it again) might not be the wisest course of action with regards to personal success in a professional field. Two, I have no idea how this process works and if I should get a lawyer or something. I don't want money, but I also don't want to be taken advantage of. Three, how helpful would it even be for it to be in some book? Four, what if I want to keep my story for my own use in the future? Is saying that someone can use it selling the rights to it? I don't know much about the law regarding these kinds of things.

I just don't know. While I only ever spoke about it in order to possibly help people, and while I still wish to help people, I also don't wish to do something that I will regret. I would really love it if anybody here has had their eye-witness accounts published before. Any advice or information would be very appreciated. I haven't made my mind up, and I'm truly going to give this serious thought. I told the author that I'd get back to him soon, but I have no idea what I should be thinking right now. More heads are better than one, so please help me. I just want to do what is right. Thank you, ATS. I will take all advice, regardless of if I agree with it or not, into consideration.

a reply to: rukia

Those are some really good questions. I don't have any experience in this kind of thing, so I cannot help much. But I will say good for you for thinking this through and considering the implications and ramifications.

I guess like any situation we are faced with, you need to gather information, consider the pros and cons of all possible options, and then trust your gut in deciding your best option.

Good luck

a reply to: rukia

You say youre attached to this group, attached to a Facebook page about it...and so youre afraid of divulging name and particulars?

I'd be suspicious of you for not wanting to participate in the very thing your Facebooking and group hunting FOR. Proof and information to be told to the world.

You should be jumping at the chance to share the info youre into this whole thing for. Yet, youre hesitant? Why? Are you hiding? Owe someone $$? Afraid of being ridiculed? Then youre in this for nothing.

I have 3 names. One is a stage name. One is my married name. One is my nickname, My nickname is known and can be Googled 1st hit and down the entire search results pgs 1-2-3 and farther....around the world. My stage name is too. My personal family name is known by friends, neighbors, associates. Some cross, some don't.

I am not here to make myself more exposed. I dont care. Im known enough..in life its not important. For you? It would be a milestone. Otherwise...why do you bother?

MS
*Published Author
*Member of Billboard Magazines Top 100 Instrumental Groups of all time

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Well, it's a closed facebook group that only members can read. I wouldn't be okay with it if it wasn't.

Isn't it enough that I shared my story here and agreed to go on TV once? Must I keep doing it? It's not my life's calling or anything--it's just something terrifying and weird that happened to me. I am young--I'm still in school. I don't want to ruin my life before I even start it. Am I over-thinking this? I know that I have some responsibility because I did see something. I just don't know how far that responsibility goes. I see what you mean by a milestone, and I can see the positive side of that. I'm an indecisive person because I like to be careful. Thank you for your advice. It gives me a lot to think about. I see what you mean about bringing the truth to light, and I think you're right. I guess I'm just scared.

Including your story in an anthology of cryptozoology stories does not mean you sold the rights to your story. To do that you would have to ...sell the rights to your story.

People here probably know who you are anyways, to a degree, because you were on a television show.

Keep in mind that unless there is massive interest in the story, most publishers don't bother publishing previously posted content.

a reply to: rukia

I looked at your previous post. I believe it wasn't a bear. If ou go back, bring more people. To take pictures and video and be armed.

Not sure moving a big rock ould help, if they live in a tunnel, there are likley more entrances.

If you get good video and pictures of something, take it up with a university that has studied same. Have a friend do it, if you don't want to be implicated.

a reply to: rukia

As someone with an exceedingly rare surname, I can appreciate your reluctance.

This might be a silly question but is it absolutely necessary that your full name be used as opposed to first name and last initial perhaps?

As for the rest of it, you have no financial interest which greatly simplifies things. I'd think the terms could be agreed upon in some sort of standard release.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: rukia

As someone with an exceedingly rare surname, I can appreciate your reluctance.

This might be a silly question but is it absolutely necessary that your full name be used as opposed to first name and last initial perhaps?

As for the rest of it, you have no financial interest which greatly simplifies things. I'd think the terms could be agreed upon in some sort of standard release.

True, if he brings evidence to a trusted source, a contract could be signed to protect him.

originally posted by: Atsbhct


People here probably know who you are anyways, to a degree, because you were on a television show.

I have no idea who he is. For those that guess, I hope ATS members could summon some amnesia.

a reply to: reldra

Why? The member publicly outed themselves all ready.

Nothing leaves the Internet. I'm not going to out the member, but it's a little silly to be overly worried about anonymity when you've all ready attached yourself to a story. A story, which...is so fringe (albeit delightful) that it would likely have no bearing on the OP's future unless they bring it up.

It's clear you would rather focus on professional life and not personal fame from seeing a crypto-beastie. Maybe just use pseudonym and whatever anonymity tools are available to you from a technology standpoint and make that part of your contract dealings.

I am assuming your name on the show was a false name but then of course if they recognize you on off chance odds are they liked the show otherwise they would not be watching it.

Most folks won't know your real name anyways unless they happen to know you somehow from just being locals in your area.
On top of that most people won't go out of their way to make the connection anyways in what really just amounts to a fascinating but intangible story in their minds.

If you sought government work where you will be scrutinized and they figured out you are the person behind the story who knows they might just say "cool story" or maybe secretly wonder if your crazy.

Either way to advance professionally or becoming a full time beast hunter as you know you have to pull in some cash.

a reply to: rukia

I see. Look at it this way. Are you involved in the studies of the issue? Are you telling the truth? Do you (and others) really believe it happened as you think? Then you have an obligation to your own believe system to spread the word to others interested in your experience(s).

Fear is the great manipulator. Shoulda, coulda, woulda."I know I shoulda...if I coulda, I definitely wouldve". So not be afraid. You may be one who brings someone else and their experiences out.

You can use initials instead of your name. You can use a different name. Or if you staunchly and steadfastly believe in yourself, your group, your agenda...you can use your real one. Talking about it is what it is all about.

If you can bring out your story, you may be surprised that many more will support you than will deny or laugh at you. But if you don't feel comfortable yet...then don't. Thats ok, really.

Remember. The truth will set you free. But in its own time, and when it feels right for you. Don't be afraid. You'll know.

Hey, God Bless you and your future...I think no matter what? Go for it when youre ready.

MS

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I'm not involved in studies. I saw what I saw. And yes, I'm absolutely telling the truth. Since you believe in God, I feel comfortable with telling you that the biggest thing that is holding me back is the fact that these experiences that I've had are likely demonic in origin and I feel that there's something wrong about profiting from it. I didn't really realize that that was it until I stepped back from the thread for a while and tried to figure out the real reason that I feel uneasy about this whole thing.

I guess that's where I disagree with you that I should be seeing this as an opportunity. Now, had I made this up, I'd be keen to sell it because that just makes sense--why else would a person make up something unless they were just asking for attention? Honestly, I wish someone would step forward and tell me that I'm not the one alone in this. So maybe it's not just to help others that I got somewhat involved, but to help myself come to terms with what happened. I was invited to join the facebook group by the woman who found me and my story in the first place. I'm in no way involved with field research or anything like that (I've gone back to the place where it happened many times, and it never fails to give me the creeps. I have no desire to look any further than that lol. I don't want to see that thing EVER again). I do my own research on the internet, but I don't share what I have found for the most part. What I have shared of that, I've shared it on ATS. I am a member of the facebook group because I want to see what other people say, and if anybody talks about anything like what I've seen. I contribute by telling the members my opinion of what these things are, and I posted the sketch just to see if anyone might recognize it (no dice, unfortunately) but I have never shared my story on the facebook group. I hope that explains my relation to that, better.

I feel like, if anyone, I want to be the one to speak about my experiences on my own terms. I do not trust anybody to tell my story besides myself because as I learned, important facts are omitted and the original point of the lesson becomes lost as a result.

I can't put a price or a value on something that happened to me through no fault of my own. I feel like that would be wrong. It would be like reaping profit from evil, and I want no part in any of that. Nor do I want to steer people toward this kind of thing. I'm all for the truth--and that's why I have been so candid on ATS. People are free to believe or disbelieve me, and I really don't care either way. I know what I saw and I remember it with every fibre of my being.

I just feel like I want to be known because of things that I create or something positive that I do, not because of the unfortunate and terrifying negative things that I have been made to bear witness to. If I could help it, I'd choose to have never had any of this happen to me. I can't do that, of course. Nor can I forget. I know that God has a reason behind allowing me to go through this, so I'll be praying about it and seeing what happens. I'm sure everything will end up working out exactly as it is supposed to.

Thank you very much for your advice and encouragement and well-wishes. God bless you, too.

Being paid is a symbolic bond the binds you to the payee.
Binding is a form of spell with associated karma.
Ask yourself what is the karma.
Binding yourself to another involving profit were beings and karma could be problematical.

Update: I talked this all over with the author, and we had a meeting of the minds. We have agreed that we will discuss my story in confidence--because I'm open to share if it could help him in any way, and I'm interested in seeing what he might have to say about what happened. So, all's well that ends well

Thanks again everyone for the awesome advice. Love you!