So well, what is a girl to do when her book was published by Eloquent?
Forget about that book, write a new, different, better book to sell to a real publisher, and meanwhile contact the
Florida Attorney General with copies of all of your correspondence with Eloquent.
Yes they actually publish books- I can say that- I'm looking at mine-
So does PublishAmerica. So does American Book Publishing. So did Northwest Publishing. So did Commonwealth. They print physical books. Publishing is not printing.
but it does seem like they don't read the email interaction they provide you with. Eloquent is all about selling their services to you.
Their source of income is you, the writer. They don't make their money by selling books to the public like real publishers do.
You DO get double the royalties than traditional publishers-
Two times nothing is still nothing.
but I also thought I was kinda going with a traditional publisher who just wanted help with it.
You thought that because they're scammers who misled you.
I thought I did all my homework on these people and yes they work all the time- I always get emails on Saturday.
You did all your homework and you didn't come to this thread sometime along the way? The time to ask questions was before you signed with those people.
So far it has not been a horrible experience for me, the worst that happens is that I get a form letter telling me to be patient when the question I actually asked isn't addressed.
That'll also be the best that happens along the way. What were your goals in publishing your book?
My book will not get into stores but it's on the stores web sites and amazon.
Wow. On web sites. All that's required for that is for the book to have an ISBN. Without marketing and publicity and distribution that's nothing. (Oh -- and comment spamming into people's blogs isn't the way to make friends, influence people, or sell books. Not that
you'd do anything like that, of course. But some Eloquent authors do, encouraged by Bobby "Stock Swindler" Fletcher.)
This is why I am seeking an agent to go traditional so that I won't get caught up by these people that make themselves sound better than they are. It certainly hasn't been a quick process- but maybe by traditional methods it has been.
When you write to agents you don't need to bother mentioning your Eloquent book. It doesn't count as a publishing credit any more than any other vanity published book would. Fletcher didn't ask "Is this book well-written?" or "Is this book marketable?" He asked, "Is this author willing to pay?" The only writing ability he's looking for is your ability to write checks.
I have gone through a ton of edits- checked and re checked my story- and I'm happy with the book- but everything else from here on out is their company trying to get more money from me.
I'm glad you're happy with your book. Most authors are. But publishers aren't supposed to be out to get money
from you. Publishers are supposed to give money
to you. The cash flow here is in the wrong direction.
On the other hand- I do have my book- it is selling- the book was edited (without a fee) several times by myself and their people-
Who's it selling to? Anyone you don't already know by name? And the editing was likely done by amateurs, free-lancers of unknown ability, who may not have been paid themselves. Have you ever gotten a real edit so you have something to compare with theirs?
So now what? After I go through all this I find out they are considered a "Predetor" and I guess I understand- but at the same time-
Now what? Write a better book and sell it to a real publisher. Testify against Fletcher at his trial.
Well- I worry because I don't want people to look at the publisher and think the story is crap- it isn't- it needed to be accepted- and it was- the sequel will be tremendously better because I loosened up a little more inside myself as Angela told me what was going on with her- (sorry my character are real to me lol)
I don't think that your story is necessarily crap. That's because Fletcher will accept a good story as fast as he'll accept a lousy one. Of course it was accepted! Fletcher accepts anything and everything that's sent to him.
So what do I do now? Should I mention my publishing credit with them?
No. It isn't a publishing credit any more than taking your manuscript down to Kinko's and running off a dozen copies would be.
I've published tons of shorts to online places- (though I have yet to get necrotic tissue to accept me lol I saw someone around here with their name in their sig lol)
Any that paid money?
So I would want to say ehre that there are some success stories with these people-
Success? How do you define 'success'?
So if you see someone with them- as their publisher- don't dismiss the story inside the cover-
I won't see someone with them. Neither will anyone else who doesn't know the author personally. And, because Fletcher publishes anything that comes along (usually from the desperate, the deluded, or the naive), something like 98% of their books will be crud.
Don't judge a book by it's publisher should be the new motto around these days lmao-
But people do. And you do too. Where do you get the books you yourself read?
But at the same time- I would rather have an agent looking out for me too. I really want and need an agent.
Just don't get Fletcher as your agent. (He's running that scam too.)
Point of this thread I guess is that Crap- I went with Eloquent- but "HEY" it hasn't been too horrible- and NOW I'm looking for real representation I can count on.
Forget your book with Eloquent. It's dead. Don't bother with the sequel. You won't be able to sell it to anyone but Eloquent (and they'd accept it if you just put random words on the page). Write a new, different book.
AND Don't judge a story by it's publisher lol- Whether it's Lulu, Outskirts, createaspace, or Random......
Did you know that when you type "Outskirts Press" into the Google taskbar search box that it tries to complete the phrase with
Outskirts Press Complaints or
Outskirts Press Scam?
You've mentioned three printers/vanity presses and one real publisher. The difference is that the book from Random House will have been chosen for quality/marketability, will have been edited by a real editor, will have been designed and typeset by competent professionals, will be distributed to real bookstores all over the country, will be reviewed by real reviewers, shelved in real libraries, considered for real awards, and sold by the thousands or tens of thousands to people who aren't related to the author. The author will have had an advance in the thousands, tens of thousands, or more. In the past year, if you're any kind of reader, I bet that you've read a book published by Random House or one of its imprints. I bet that you
haven't read anything printed by Lulu, Outskirts, or Createspace.
That's the difference.
Any time.
