Immortal Ink Publishing

thumbs up?

veinglory said:

Thank you, that was all I was looking for.

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And were you satisfied with those bios? The publishing and editing experience of the staff? I thought I'd check back to see what the usual skeptics had to say, but they must all be on spring break. I'll check back again later. Maybe after they open in May.

I think the bios speak for themselves. Both owners are aspiring writers with no apparent publishing experience.

veinglory said:

I think the bios speak for themselves. Both owners are aspiring writers with no apparent publishing experience.

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If by "aspiring" you mean an international bestselling author who has received the attention and compliments of major publishers worldwide (US, UK, France), then yes. My agent thinks I'm doing well enough in the US to want to keep his focus on international houses for now.

If by "no experience", you mean an editor who ranks in the top 1% on her skills tests and has been invited to host workshops at several conferences, then yes.

Otherwise, as stated before, I invite people to hold their opinions and see how we do with those who are willing to take a chance on a new press that is willing to put up with the skeptics and put their ALL into helping a new author succeed. No need to beat a dead horse; everyone knows we are new. This thread has covered all the usual bases twice over now.

I would love to put more time into this discussion, but I have work to do on my novels (both my own and that of future authors with our press). I also have a family with two autistic children to take care of. I don't see that we've done anything wrong, unless it is wrong to invest in authors and give them another option that they might prefer, even if that is not an option you prefer.)

For those who are unwilling to hold their opinions until we've at least had a chance to prove ourselves, all I can say is that there is a point where you go from being a skeptic to being downright rude and inconsiderate. We can hardly be upset if that type of person doesn't want to submit to us. There are authors capable of both talent and being pleasant to speak to

Our know-how will soon be clear. "Experience in publishing" will take time. Even the biggest publishers started out with no experience beyond whatever skills they had to get started.

As for saying people in this industry who are professional do not speak of their personal life, it would make me wonder how much attention one is paying to the professionals in this industry. Pick an agent to follow on twitter. Deirdre Knight, for example. You will see them posting things about their families as well.


*This addition to this post was added AFTER the thread had reached 9 pages.

I'll note that, sadly, it was this early into this discussion that I (now speaking as an author, since this post ended up being a discussion about me personally and as an author in the end) let what I'm going through in my personal life get in the way, which I deeply regret. Anyone reading this will read through and see that, regardless whether they think the grilling went beyond good intentions or not, I also let things get to me in a personal way instead of keeping my "business hat" on. It certainly was an odd situation for me, being spoken to as an author but expected to respond as a publisher, and that is one of those social situations that I clearly did not succeed in reading the nuances of.

Read through and judge as you see fit. I accept accountability for letting my emotions get in the way. If you can't stomach it through to the end, here is what I eventually posted in closing:

I learned a lot from this experience. So if anyone stumbled on this thread and wants to know what I came away with, I've blogged about it (helped me sort my thoughts and come to grips with the reality of the situation). This is on my AUTHOR site and it's coming from me as an author (I'm still done posting here as a publisher for now, not that this was ever a publisher's account to begin with). It also includes an apology to those I let down (as I've already apologized to those here for getting emotional, and figure most of you won't read my blog anyway, or at least not in the way it's intended, which is totally your right).

http://www.beccahamiltonbooks.com/20...rning-lessons/

Please remember this was something posted in closing (on page 9) so there is a lot of ugly between here and there. While some might have felt my responses were justified, if you read my blog post you will better understand why I felt the need to accept accountability for my reactions regardless. It really doesn't matter if it was justified or not, whether all of AW thinks not or whether many people on other sites feel otherwise. What matters is that, in this business, people WILL respond the way some people on AW have here, and whether you agree or disagree with the way they treated me, the following pages are still an example of how someone in my position should NOT act in response.

That said, I hope any authors/publishers perusing this will also read the above link to see what I ultimately learned from the mistakes I made here. Maybe it will help them in some way in the future, even if they think they would never do this themselves. I definitely would have said the same thing a year ago. But I am sure many people are a stronger person than me, and that even the possibility of losing a child would not shake them to the point of making foolish business decisions.

Thank you.*

Edit 6/9: We've brought on a PR specialist to handle future inquiries such as these. My expertise is in editing and marketing, not social arenas. Give me a book, I can do something with that. Give me a room full of people and I'm a fish trying to swim in mud. Not a pretty site, I think we can all agree

My use of "usual skeptics" was going off the reference you used in some prior posts (nothing negative of course!). How I usually refer to the Bewares Contributers are as the "usual experts" who do a fantastic job of guiding aspiring, unpublished writers, such as myself through the publishing waters, bringing our attention to red flags, etc. Things we don't know ourselves to watch for.

Oftentimes publishers are vetted before opening their doors, during opening their doors, and after opening their doors. The scrutiny only ends after their doors are shut. So I wouldn't take offense to any questions being asked about experience, or lack thereof. One red flag that sometimes pops up is when an author creates a company to self-publish their novel--not saying that's what you've done--but many fledgling presses are a result of that. Another red flag is lack of publishing experience. Another red flag is when the publishing company is second to their day job. Things like that... Something you might think about is offering too much information about family, personal issues, and so on, which should really have no bearing on your ability to acquire, publish and sell books.

Another thing, as I understand it, publishers don't have to spend time "endlessly defending our publishing house that has done nothing wrong." They don't even have to contribute at all here; the vetting will be done with or without them. I've noticed that start-ups have come away from these threads benefiting from the advice given. These threads educate both writer and publisher alike. So, it's all good. And being a kind person is always a good trait for a publisher, but not a necessity. Give me a grouchy publisher who can sell my book successfully any day, over a kind one who cannot.

I haven't seen anyone being downright rude or inconsiderate here. One thing I've admired from your prior posts is your fun sense of humor. I hope you don't lose that.

ladyinpink said:

If by "aspiring" you mean a bestselling author who has received the attention and compliments of major publishers worldwide (US, UK, France), then yes.

If by "no experience", you mean an editor who ranks in the top 1% on her skills tests and has been invited to host workshops at several conferences, then yes..

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I mean exactly what I said, specifically that you listed no published books and no professional experience working in publishing.

If you have a book on a recognized best selling list or have ever worked for a successful publisher, that should be in your bio.

This forum is for authors, so yes we do comment on what is there or not there right now, because right now is when they are considering sending you hundred of hours worth of effort in the form of a manuscript.

And to be quite honest, the way you are responding now is more typically of a press that doesn't exist in two years than one that will prove itself. This forum is littered with examples. You might find them instructive.

That's just my opinion. But I have specified very clearly what information it is based on, and six years watching new start ups, about half of which are already gone. Two of which closed owing me money and tying up rights to my novels.

veinglory said:

I mean exactly what I said, specifically that you listed no published books and no professional experience working in publishing.

If you have a book on a recognized best selling list or have ever worked for a successful publisher, that should be in your bio.

This forum is for authors, so yes we do comment on what is there or not there right now, because right now is when they are considering sending you hundred of hours worth of effort in the form of a manuscript.

And to be quite honest, the way you are responding now is more typically of a press that doesn't exist in two years than one that will prove itself. This forum is littered with examples. You might find them instructive.

That's just my opinion. But I have specified very clearly what information it is based on, and six years watching new start ups, about half of which are already gone. Two of which closed owing me money and tying up rights to my novels.

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By all means, come say "I told you so" in 2 years. Would you like to wager a bet?? I've been watching just as long as you. I've also been a part of helping other successful businesses start up that are still around a decade later and THRIVING despite the economy. I may be new to publishing (in some regards) but I'm not new to business. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I can guarantee we would never close owing anyone money. I do not condone of punishing new people for the transgressions of people in your past, but to each their own.

LillyPu said:

My use of "usual skeptics" was going off the reference you used in some prior posts (nothing negative of course!). How I usually refer to the Bewares Contributers are as the "usual experts" who do a fantastic job of guiding aspiring, unpublished writers, such as myself through the publishing waters, bringing our attention to red flags, etc. Things we don't know ourselves to watch for.

Oftentimes publishers are vetted before opening their doors, during opening their doors, and after opening their doors. The scrutiny only ends after their doors are shut. So I wouldn't take offense to any questions being asked about experience, or lack thereof. One red flag that sometimes pops up is when an author creates a company to self-publish their novel--not saying that's what you've done--but many fledgling presses are a result of that. Another red flag is lack of publishing experience. Another red flag is when the publishing company is second to their day job. Things like that... Something you might think about is offering too much information about family, personal issues, and so on, which should really have no bearing on your ability to acquire, publish and sell books.

Another thing, as I understand it, publishers don't have to spend time "endlessly defending our publishing house that has done nothing wrong." They don't even have to contribute at all here; the vetting will be done with or without them. I've noticed that start-ups have come away from these threads benefiting from the advice given. These threads educate both writer and publisher alike. So, it's all good. And being a kind person is always a good trait for a publisher, but not a necessity. Give me a grouchy publisher who can sell my book successfully any day, over a kind one who cannot.

I haven't seen anyone being downright rude or inconsiderate here. One thing I've admired from your prior posts is your fun sense of humor. I hope you don't lose that.

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Unlike most publishers, we seek to be transparent about our business practices and who we are as business owners. We are looking for talented and kind people. Because there is a lot of talent out there. So I'll take talent I can sell with an author who knows how to be respectful over talent I can sell by an author who is too busy trying to prove what they know to be kind to another human being.

I have not seen any experts here, yet. I've seen this forum tear apart many publishers before (before they ever got their feet off the ground) and maybe that contributed to why they never went far. I can't say for sure. Due to my connections with authors and with professionals in the publishing world, as well as my persistence, I can say with confidence we will be fine despite the skeptics.

I am not saying one cannot bring up the usual skeptical points, either. I am merely saying what is the point to hash and rehash and rehash them. You say your peace, I've said mine. Now why not let authors decide for themselves and the chips fall where they may?

I can think of nothing less than pure vitriol that would prevent anyone from letting that happen. If anyone has any NEW things to bring up, by all means. But I'm not the only one wasting time here by revisiting the same points over and again. If we so unimportant and destined not to be around in 2 years from now, then surely we don't need any help reaching our own demise. If someone needs to make a job out of seeing that we fail, perhaps that just shows we are a force to be reckoned with after all

I would rather know what your best selling book was. Or the names of those businesses you helped start up. Or whether you do in fact have professional publishing experience. Because if you have relevant successful experience you chose not to put in you bios, I would be wagering on bad data. A bio full of personal details gives the impression that you have no professional details to share.

If you can't name any specifics because there aren't any, then I will Paypal you $10 two years from now if one of your non-staff authors have made $1000 from any single. I would consider that a fair baseline return on a novel length manuscript as it can be easily achieved by going with an established epublisher. I will also be happy to feature you on my publishing blog.

And this thread is all about authors making up their own minds, and having a conversation with their peers to help them do this. The available information is what it is--the rest is opinion. And, as they say, everyone has one. Mostly vitriol-free. My opinion based on my own experience and data set (I take reports on epublishers) would be that submitting to I.I. would be risky. It might be great, I just wouldn't personally bet my manuscript on it. Especially as very few start ups sell well right out of the gate.

I haven't seen anyone being downright rude or inconsiderate here. One thing I've admired from your prior posts is your fun sense of humor. I hope you don't lose that.

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I agree with this. I started this thread liking everything you had to say as a publisher, and took your attitude quite well. However, I find the overt unwarranted rebuttal as a red flag...my personal opinion. It's also noticeable you've yet, ladyinpink, to answer vainglory's questions...instead using deflection. Again, just my opinion.

veinglory said:

I would rather know what your best selling book was. Or the names of those businesses you helped start up. Or whether you do in fact have professional publishing experience. Because if you have relevant successful experience you chose not to put in you bios, I would be wagering on bad data. A bio full of personal details gives the impression that you have no professional details to share.

If you can't name any specifics because there aren't any, then I will Paypal you $10 two years from now if one of your non-staff authors have made $1000 from any single. I would consider that a fair baseline return on a novel length manuscript as it can be easily achieved by going with an established epublisher. I will also be happy to feature you on my publishing blog.

And this thread is all about authors making up their own minds, and having a conversation with their peers to help them do this. The available information is what it is--the rest is opinion. And, as they say, everyone has one. Mostly vitriol-free. My opinion based on my own experience and data set (I take reports on epublishers) would be that submitting to I.I. would be risky. It might be great, I just wouldn't personally bet my manuscript on it. Especially as very few start ups sell well right out of the gate.

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Only $10?

I will wager you $1000 that one of my non-staff authors will have made $1000 within 2 years from now on a single book.

I cannot give the name of my husband's business as that would reveal personal information I am not comfortable sharing. If that means it's not "real" all I can say is then I'm glad my husband's "fake" business provides so well for us. But I know enough people who can attest for what I say.

Our current bestselling title is our first release, The Forever Girl, but naturally you will not want to count that. That is fine. We'll talk again when one of our "non-staff" authors make a bestseller list as well.

I've already made over $1000 on my novel, however. It was released 2 months ago. I'd be happy to share the Amazon reports to prove this, despite how ridiculous it is that I would even have to release such personal information.

I suppose also you wanted to see a copy of Obama's birth certificate. To each their own. I can show you my birth certificate as well, if that will help, but I'd have to draw the line at bank account and social security numbers

And I have to politely disagree with those who do not see it as abusive to treat a publisher this way simply because they are new. Are there not some publishers out there scamming people to be concerned with? If people do not want to submit to us, then they should not. The defamation and "show me personal, private information before I will believe you" is manipulative and crosses a line.

Naturally the moderator's friends will side with them. Those who know us will know better. And those capable of independent thought will decide for themselves.

If we have put up some red flags here, then so be it. We've gotten a lot of response from authors who like what we have said here and think we have handled the abuse well. However, I guess in your eyes, they are not "real" authors if they would consider publishing with us. This kind of mind-play is inappropriate, and while some people may be blind to it, I've studied psychology long enough to know gas-lighting when I see it.

I am willing to "look bad" in order to speak up against such tactics.

Let me know if that $1000 wager is on. If you doubt I have the funds, I'll take a photograph of the money in cash, laid out on a piece of paper with your name on it, in respect of your need for "proof". I'm sure you think I don't have that money since you haven't believed anything else I have said. I can also prove that we have a large sum of money in the bank (after buying our Mazda 3-speed, no load/credit needed). We are not "credit" people. This is why I know we will never fail to pay our authors. We pay the money up front to publish them, and they get their share of the royalties. It would be impossible to not be able to send them their money.

If that is not evidence that we know how to run a successful business, I don't know what it is. But in time IIP will speak for itself.

Naturally the moderator's friends will side with them.

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I don't know anyone personally offsite, and this is rude, but I digress.

My degree is in psychology, and your comments do you a greater disservice than any reasonable question that is posed to all new publishers, can do.

I would also be interested, as someone with a degree in psychology, what exactly is "gas-lighting" or in what manual, textbook, conference in the industry, did you hear this term?

When my father dealt with people who offended him he would say, "I'm going to respond to that with the silence it so richly deserves."

I hope we can continue amicably and reasonably.

If you have a degree in psychology, you know what gas-lighting is. *sigh*

ALL I asked was to hold your fire until AFTER we've released some more books. You've extensively laid your ground work (twice now) so you should be confident you've given enough warning to authors to let them decide for themselves. Beyond that, it's more like trying to make the decision for them, and that, IMO, is where things went to far.

I am, at this time, looking into what I can do to protect my business, as it's clear that this has turned into an attack (you can say it's not an attack, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words). Perhaps other publishers in the past were the type to stand idly by, but we fight for what we believe in. Not just our authors, but also in the rights of people and businesses.

ladyinpink said:

If you have a degree in psychology, you know what gas-lighting is. *sigh*

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How is anyone trying to make you question your memory?

ladyinpink said:

If you have a degree in psychology, you know what gas-lighting is. *sigh*

ALL I asked was to hold your fire until AFTER we've released some more books. You've extensively laid your ground work (twice now) so you should be confident you've given enough warning to authors to let them decide for themselves. Beyond that, it's more like trying to make the decision for them, and that, IMO, is where things went to far.

I am, at this time, looking into what I can do to protect my business, as it's clear that this has turned into an attack (you can say it's not an attack, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words). Perhaps other publishers in the past were the type to stand idly by, but we fight for what we believe in. Not just our authors, but also in the rights of people and businesses.

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Sigh is right, and it's actually Gaslighting not gas-lighting.

MysteryRiter said:

FWIW, this is a personal favorite example of mine, as I'm sure it is for many others.

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How did I know it was that thread?

lweinberg18 said:

How is anyone trying to make you question your memory?

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It goes beyond that, as you surely are aware. What you will see with many gaslighters is they are passive aggressive. They attempt to attack a person in such a way that the person can feel it, while at the same time keeping an outward appearance to onlookers that they are doing nothing of the sort. They LATER use this to try to make someone question their memory/sanity, though that is not always necessary (and obviously wouldn't work on me because I can see these efforts a mile away). (Think of the difference between being a gaslighter, gaslighting, and being gaslighted.)

Now here we have people claiming to have degrees in psychology, and no one asks them for proof. And yet I was asked for proof of my business success? I offered suitable ways to show this, and the subject was dropped like a hot iron. These are the kind of behaviors that reveal to the *truly* unbiased onlookers that people here are seeking to attack, not seeking to uncover the truth.

Again, all I had asked was that, now that you all have had your go at us and shared your skepticism twice-over, leave us be to prove ourselves. Let the success of our books and the happiness of our future authors be the real proof. That is all we ask. You can say anything you want until you are blue in the face, as can I, but as of right now, the only thing SOLID any of us have to go on is that we have released on book that is a bestseller.

More than that, if one wants to make good use of their research skills (as opposed to making guesses) they can easily confirm me as a top 1% editor on elance, confirm that our copy-editor has a degree in English and editorial experience, and confirm that I am respected by known editors, agents, publishers, and the thousands of authors who DO know me.

Further, I've been here before. Someone didn't believe I'd worked with Sol Stein and Toby Stein. I sent them, and everyone else, the proof. They disappeared for a long time after that, then later returned pretending they'd never seen the proof. So perhaps I will share all my proof with you but will it do me any good?

My history in this thread so far:
1) I say something.
2) Someone says I have to prove it
3) I prove it.
4) Someone says, "well that doesn't count."

Well, if it doesn't count, why ask me to prove me it in the first place? You knew what I would be proving. For example my book. I said we have a bestseller. Someone says prove it. I do. Oh, but now it doesn't count because it was written by a staff member.

But wait? I though I was an aspiring author? So I am a bestseller who aspiring? I suppose you could say that. I will all be aspiring to achieve more. But I doubt that is what the detractor meant. No matter what I prove, it won't count, because several of you here are on a mission. Fresh meat; I get it.

But repeating the same skepticism over and over again makes no progress, which is why it got to the point that I expressed feeling harassed by it and requested it be left alone since everything that can be said has been said. What is the opposition to letting our businesses success (or failure, if that is what you expect) speak for itself? You've already expressed you think it will fail; we've already expressed we think it won't. What more is there to do than wait and see? And what is the point in refusing to allow that? I'm not saying don't share your thoughts. I'm just saying that since you did, really what is the point to yell them louder and louder. everyone heard you. Do you intend to try to destroy new publishing houses seeking to help authors?? That is very different from being wary of them, which is understandable. But when you won't give the publisher a chance, even after you've already expressed your skepticism, that goes beyond "wary".

If you want to help authors, share your thoughts, then trust that they are smart enough to decide for themselves. You do not need to keep beating them over the head with your opinion until you convince them to hate a publisher that has done nothing wrong. And if you feel you DO need to do that, you need to realize that many people WILL see that as an attack and not as mere skepticism.

Once again, let the success of our book titles and the happiness of our authors speak for itself. You've said your peace. If If you're right, you'll still be able to say I told you so, even if you stop beating the dead horse for now.

I'm back to reading a fantastic submission. Look for it on the bestseller list in the near future If you miss it, I'm sure I'll have a screenshot. I take them often since I know how some people can be. In the meantime, be happy and enjoy life. There's too many wonderful, positive experiences to be had!

Based entirely on your own website I said you seemed to be unpublished. You said you were a best seller. I asked which book on which best-seller list. You didn't answer.

I said you had no apparent publishing experience. You disputed this and said you helped with multiple start ups. I asked which ones. You didn't answer.

Now you say you have successful books and happy authors. Perhaps you could say which books and what metric of success? And which authors, other than owners and staff?

Should any of these things be presented with verifiable specifics I would be happy to say you are a publisher with promising qualities. Until then you can expect hear the questions repeated. Because they haven't been answered.

Honestly if you have only amateur experience and will learn on your own books before expanding to those of others, that seems reasonable to me. But you seem to be insulted by that suggestion and yet unable to suggest where it is factually incorrect. I am, as I said, going purely off your own website. If you have professional experience, you really should list it.

ladyinpink said:

It goes beyond that, as you surely are aware. What you will see with many gaslighters is they are passive aggressive. They attempt to attack a person in such a way that the person can feel it, while at the same time keeping an outward appearance to onlookers that they are doing nothing of the sort. They LATER use this to try to make someone question their memory/sanity, though that is not always necessary (and obviously wouldn't work on me because I can see these efforts a mile away). (Think of the difference between being a gaslighter, gaslighting, and being gaslighted.)

Now here we have people claiming to have degrees in psychology, and no one asks them for proof. And yet I was asked for proof of my business success? I offered suitable ways to show this, and the subject was dropped like a hot iron. These are the kind of behaviors that reveal to the *truly* unbiased onlookers that people here are seeking to attack, not seeking to uncover the truth.

Again, all I had asked was that, now that you all have had your go at us and shared your skepticism twice-over, leave us be to prove ourselves. Let the success of our books and the happiness of our future authors be the real proof. That is all we ask. You can say anything you want until you are blue in the face, as can I, but as of right now, the only thing SOLID any of us have to go on is that we have released on book that is a bestseller.

More than that, if one wants to make good use of their research skills (as opposed to making guesses) they can easily confirm me as a top 1% editor on elance, confirm that our copy-editor has a degree in English and editorial experience, and confirm that I am respected by known editors, agents, publishers, and the thousands of authors who DO know me.

Further, I've been here before. Someone didn't believe I'd worked with Sol Stein and Toby Stein. I sent them, and everyone else, the proof. They disappeared for a long time after that, then later returned pretending they'd never seen the proof. So perhaps I will share all my proof with you but will it do me any good?

My history in this thread so far:
1) I say something.
2) Someone says I have to prove it
3) I prove it.
4) Someone says, "well that doesn't count."

Well, if it doesn't count, why ask me to prove me it in the first place? You knew what I would be proving. For example my book. I said we have a bestseller. Someone says prove it. I do. Oh, but now it doesn't count because it was written by a staff member.

But wait? I though I was an aspiring author? So I am a bestseller who aspiring? I suppose you could say that. I will all be aspiring to achieve more. But I doubt that is what the detractor meant. No matter what I prove, it won't count, because several of you here are on a mission. Fresh meat; I get it.

But repeating the same skepticism over and over again makes no progress, which is why it got to the point that I expressed feeling harassed by it and requested it be left alone since everything that can be said has been said. What is the opposition to letting our businesses success (or failure, if that is what you expect) speak for itself? You've already expressed you think it will fail; we've already expressed we think it won't. What more is there to do than wait and see? And what is the point in refusing to allow that? I'm not saying don't share your thoughts. I'm just saying that since you did, really what is the point to yell them louder and louder. everyone heard you. Do you intend to try to destroy new publishing houses seeking to help authors?? That is very different from being wary of them, which is understandable. But when you won't give the publisher a chance, even after you've already expressed your skepticism, that goes beyond "wary".

If you want to help authors, share your thoughts, then trust that they are smart enough to decide for themselves. You do not need to keep beating them over the head with your opinion until you convince them to hate a publisher that has done nothing wrong. And if you feel you DO need to do that, you need to realize that many people WILL see that as an attack and not as mere skepticism.

Once again, let the success of our book titles and the happiness of our authors speak for itself. You've said your peace. If If you're right, you'll still be able to say I told you so, even if you stop beating the dead horse for now.

I'm back to reading a fantastic submission. Look for it on the bestseller list in the near future If you miss it, I'm sure I'll have a screenshot. I take them often since I know how some people can be. In the meantime, be happy and enjoy life. There's too many wonderful, positive experiences to be had!

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You're right no one's asked for proof, because I doubt anyone cares. I do find it hilariously ironic that you talk about passive aggression, then make passive aggressive "attacks" on me.

As for proof of my B.S. (don't ask why I chose that instead of a B.A.) in Psychology is my degree shoved away in a drawer, and my knowledge.

And to accuse an AW's forum members of intuitionally subjecting you to emotional abuse (which GASLIGHTING is) is absurd. Unless, you suspect we are a group of sociopaths.

But, this is detracting too far from the topic so, I'll only respond to the topic at hand.

Deleted quote since the post was deleted.

I think that you should hang around a little longer, maybe read a few threads, before you start calling moderators and fellow writers fools and idiots. At least, that's what I think you're saying. Your post is very confusing.

All of the questions and information pointed out in this thread by moderators and others is no different from what is posted for all new publishers. This is a writer's forum and this area of the board is designed to protect writers--from scammers and from well-intentioned people who don't have the experience to back up their good intentions.

No one is attacking the publisher, and the questions/commentary posted aren't designed to be mean, they're standard for this board. No one is hoping this publisher fails, quite the opposite. However, there is increased risk that comes with subbing to a new publisher, particularly one run by individuals who are not as experienced in the industry as most would like. Pointing out these things isn't an attack, it just helps writers make educated decisions about where to send their work.

Good luck to the publisher. Your first book looks great, and I do hope you are successful.

ladyinpink said:

Only $10?.

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If you succeed you get money. If you don't, I can't be sure you will come back here and throw money at me. So honestly, I am not inclined to take a $1000 dollar risk.

There's an analogy in there somewhere. It's not very hard to find.

I infer that your best-selling book is Forever Girl, all I need now is the name of the best-seller list it was on.

I hope you do succeed. I just decided to share my observation that you lacked prior publishing experience even as an author. And this, as far as I can tell, seems to be true. What people make of that is up to them.

veinglory said:

If you succeed you get money. If you don't, I can't be sure you will come back here and throw money at me. So honestly, I am not inclined to take a $1000 dollar risk.

There's an analogy in there somewhere. It's not very hard to find.

I infer that your best-selling book is Forever Girl, all I need now is the name of the best-seller list it was on.

I hope you do succeed. I just decided to share my observation that you lacked prior publishing experience even as an author. And this, as far as I can tell, seems to be true. What people make of that is up to them.

Click to expand...

I had answered you twice, but you had to "infer" ???

Be careful saying something is true when it's not. While that may not cross a line in your eyes, it might in a court of law be crossing a line to claim something is true about a business that is not, especially if that claim could hurt the business in any way.

Amazon's Bestseller's list, as of yet. But in some ways you are right. All I can say right now is I did my research and it helped me sell 2000 copies of my first book in 2 months time. I know authors with major publishers that can't claim half as many sales over the course of a year.

I doubt you will send me $10 if we succeed, but an apology would of course be welcome.

Interesting ... a post got deleted. Surely not one that defended the publisher? Sounds like it was. No bias there or anything. Attack the publisher, that's okay. Stick up for the publisher; that's not okay.

And again ... EVERY publisher that is successful today started off with no experience and no titles. I think we're off to a great start. I look forward to seeing how our future titles do. Feel free to do the same and reserve judgement until then. Or just never submit to us. We don't mind