Author Identity Publishing (Authoridentity.com)

Bo Sullivan · Nov 16, 2006

I just received the email from Author Identity (a division of West Publishing) this morning into my junk mail folder. It is strange that it happened today as I have just submitted nine short stories to Amazon shorts.

Barbara

TeddyG · Nov 16, 2006

I am interested to know Barbara if Amazon shorts is a viable outlet. Could you keep us updated on the outcome?

I was considering it at one time...then dropped the idea. I would love to hear what your experience is.

CaoPaux · Nov 16, 2006

Unless anyone can find evidence that AI is affiliated with the West Publishing, perhaps someone could drop WP a note re: potential for confusion/dilution of trademark, or whatever the proper legalese is for "there's a scam using your name".

CaoPaux · Nov 27, 2006

Writer Beware has blogged about Author Identity.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2006/11/victoria-strauss-identity-of-author.html

victoriastrauss · Jan 7, 2007

Update: Author Identity has published its first compilation. In my blog post about it, I wondered how AI would fulfill pledge to include "well-known" authors as well as newer ones. Well, here's the answer: public domain, baby. From the book's description at Amazon: "The Shortcut: 20 Stories To Get You From Here To There is a collection of short fiction from literary figures such as Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne along with up and coming stars such as Kevin A. Fabiano and Raven West."

The good news: since some of the participants are dead, the royalty split will go farther.

- Victoria

aruna · Jan 7, 2007

victoriastrauss said:
The good news: since some of the participants are dead, the royalty split will go farther.

- Victoria

What about the literary estate of dead authors>

Birol · Jan 7, 2007

If they're in the public domain, they are no longer under copyright and royalties for use no longer have to be paid.

aruna · Jan 7, 2007

Birol said:
If they're in the public domain, they are no longer under copyright and royalties for use no longer have to be paid.

OK, I see. I learn something new each day!

Silver King · Jan 7, 2007

A new member, Cady, has a story in that collection. She seems happy about the publication.

HapiSofi · Jan 7, 2007

She should be happy. Then, once the initial buzz has worn off, she should get more of her work placed in better venues.

Raven West · Jan 29, 2007

Well, my short story did wind up in the Shortcut anthology, although I've yet to see a copy, it was released on Jan 19th and is on Amazon. NONE of the other authors in the book except for Kevin and some dead guys are listed anywhere on GOOGLE as writers. BUT, it also didn't cost me anything, so as far as a "scam" where the "author" pays to have their works published, there was no investment on my part, plus it did add to my list of published works. Whether or not I'll make any money on this is another story, time will tell.

James D. Macdonald · Jan 29, 2007

I imagine that they're hoping that you'll buy a bunch of copies yourself.

Try to resist the urge.

victoriastrauss · Mar 29, 2007

A recent comment left on Writer Beware's blog entry about AIP:

A person using the name Michael Evers, who is a character in a Publish America novel by Kevin Fabiano, who is also a contributor to SHORT CUT, AIP's current offering, has placed phantom orders with at least two mystery bookstores for this book, giving a disconnected phone number and a phony credit card with the order. The book, which is available from Ingram on a non-returnable basis, does contain stories by well-known authors--Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne--all in the public domain, as well as unknowns. The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association is looking into the matter. Fabiano is also a lawyer who lives in Pennsylvania and whose address & phone number are listed. It would be interesting to know if he not only is a contributor to the book but perhaps the owner of AIP.

Interesting.

- Victoria

C.bronco · Mar 29, 2007

James D. Macdonald said:
Question: Do I need an agent?

Answer: Not if you decide to submit your work here. We select our authors without being represented by agents, no matter how hard they sometimes try. There is not much an agent can do for most new authors, other than try to locate a publisher. If you have already signed up with an agent, tell them to contact us with your work, and we will gladly study their proposal. But it will be no different than when you contact us yourself.

Thanks Uncle Jim, I really needed a laugh today!

victoriastrauss · Mar 29, 2007

Re: my post above, here's a fuller account of the exploits of "Michael Evers." This was also written up in PW today.

- Victoria

CaoPaux · Mar 29, 2007

*indelicate snort* What a maroon. I so hope they can nail him for fraud.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 29, 2007

The Seattle Mystery Bookshop story: http://seattlemysteryblog.typepad.com/seattle_mystery/2007/03/the_case_of_the.html

The Publishers Weekly story: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6428917.html

A real touch of class: the "YOU DUMB C***" comment (posted 01/19/07 -- any way to find the IP number on that one?) at Victoria and Ann's blog: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2006/11/victoria-strauss-identity-of-author.html#c116923712547333942

Rolling Thunder · Mar 29, 2007

Interestingly enough, the book made it to #2 by January 20, 2007:

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?p=220391&highlight=fabiano#220391

ETA: Here's a another tid bit on that: http://kevinfabiano.com/index.php/news/For Authors Only/

James D. Macdonald · Mar 29, 2007

Not actually #2 at Amazon (and we know how easy it is, and how meaningless it is, to game Amazon ranks), but #2 among anthologies. Where it didn't stay long.

Rolling Thunder · Mar 29, 2007

True, Uncle Jim. I just wanted to point out the fact that Mr. Fabiano knew something was up with the 'publicist' he hired by that date (which he mentioned in another thread on the PAMB). I noticed there were other authors in that book of shorts and wondered if they had any idea what was going on.

ghost · Mar 29, 2007

How interesting. If you check Kevin Fabiano's guestbook, someone named Victoria Strass loved his book. I wonder if that's a coincidence.

LloydBrown · Mar 30, 2007

That link on PA points out to a search by author name. Because more than one author share the same name, and his came up second on the search, the guy thinks his book is #2 on all of Barnes & Noble. The actual ranking is 371,000.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 30, 2007

That was a different guy, Lloyd.

Meanwhile, lots o' fun in Kevin's guestbook. Aside from the folks from Cheap Viagra who really love his book, many of the others only seem to be there to pimp their own books (by a weird coincidence they're all PA authors (including the guy who doesn't know how to spell "author")).

Here's what Kevin has to say about his publicist:

I'm not sure any publisher will hire a publicist for new authors, however, one is a great idea. I hired one on my own and my book reached best seller status on Amazon.com. It has rally fallen off, but for that short period of time it felt great, not to mention I can now call myself a Best Selling author forever.

You can call yourself anything you like, Kevin, but calling doesn't make it so. How were your royalties?

Currently The Palace of Wisdom: A Rock and Roll Fable has an Amazon.com Sales Rank of #2,534,960 in Books, which is hardly stellar.

Per Ingram's automated stock number (1 615 213 6803) The Palace of Wisdom has:

Total on hand: 0
Total on order: 0
Total on backorder: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 11

Now for the AIP book, Shortcut:

On hand: 0
On order: 40
On backorder: 2
This week's unadjusted demand: 163
Last week's adjusted demand: 212
Total sales this year: 1,119
Total sales last year: 0

===============

I'm thinking that the problem reported by Seattle Mystery Bookshop and in PW may just be scratching the surface. 1,119 copies of an overpriced anthology that no one's ever heard of? Orders at the rate of 100-200 a week?

If even half of those were fraudulent, we're up in the dollar-loss area where law enforcement might take a serious interest.

Richard White · Mar 30, 2007

Nice post by Victoria over at the Writer Beware Blog today.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/

victoriastrauss · Mar 30, 2007

I blogged about Kevin Fabiano and Author Identity again today.

How interesting. If you check Kevin Fabiano's guestbook, someone named Victoria Strass loved his book. I wonder if that's a coincidence.

Yeesh, that's creepy.

- Victoria

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