• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

Wings EPress

Ellzeena

I was under contract with Wings EPress, an electronic and trade paperback publisher, with my novel, "Cover Story." Publication was scheduled for February 1, 2004. During the month of January, after enormous stress with cover art work (I had my own artist but still had to pay their artist a fee and suffer through insulting email from her because I didn't choose her work), I was sent the first PDF file for read-through and errata list. There were errors, some NOT found in my original manuscript, all of which I corrected under huge stress because of the time line (less than two weeks from publication.) I then received the "corrected" PDF file. Much to my shock, it contained MORE errors, few of which were in the first PDF file. I then read through the entire manuscript and corrected THOSE errors, again under great stress from the time factor. With less than one week before publication, I received the "final" PDF file. It was a horror! Words, sentences, entire PARAGRAPHS were either just NOT present or MOVED to other places in the ms. I corrected YET AGAIN, working all day and night.

At that point, I was frantic. I went to some search engines in an attempt fo "find" Wings EPress and found SOME links but most of them didn't work. They had MY BABY (er, book.) I sent the Editor In Chief an hysterical email, asking if my errata list had been incorporated in the final PDF pass. I received NO response. I went to my contract and found the telephone number for Wings Epress and called. It was HER HOME! She finally called me back (45 minutes later) and told me that my manuscript had been sent to GALLEYS for publication in two days WITHOUT the changes I had made in the last of the seemingly endless string of PDF files! I FREAKED OUT (understandably??) I withdrew my manuscript from publication that night on the telephone and in email and did receive a Reversion of Rights letter (thank GOD). I don't know WHAT to think about that organization but I do feel the need to warn other writers about them.
 

JerseyGirl1962

I heart Malamutes! :-)
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
861
Reaction score
119
Location
Waaay West of NYC
I don't have any specifics, but it seems to publish romance; I saw a number of RWA (Romance Writers of America) authors had their books with this press.

I wonder if someone who's more familiar with romance might have a better take on this than me. Or maybe you can put this in the romance (Get in the Genre) section of this site and see if anyone has better answers there.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Good luck.

~Nancy
 

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2005
Messages
9,907
Reaction score
1,834
Location
Hiding in my writing cave
Website
www.cathyclamp.com
I'm going to move this over to Backgrounds, Toni1953. You'll get better responses over there. You can also visit these links on that same board:


Wings ePress <old links snipped>
 
Last edited by a moderator:

RoccoMom

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
1,257
Reaction score
162
Location
New Jersey
Website
www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
Wings

Has anyone had any experience, good or bad, with Wings e-press? I believe they also do books in POD. I checked the other threads but could not find too much. I asked this once before in January and got no response; maybe no one here has had any experience with them?

Once burned (byPA) twice shy. I do extensive research now before i sign anything with anyone.
 
Last edited:

judi indiana

Wings epress information

I've had two books pubbed with Wings ePress, one in 2005 and a second in July of 2006. As a new fiction writer, I found Wings very conscientious and committed to their authors. I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity Wings gave me to get my books in print, both trade paperback and ebook format. I highly recommend them for first time authors who would love to see their books at libraries and for sale on Amazon. The drawbacks I found with wings are: 1) the owners are a bit slow in responding to author needs, 2) the lag time between contract and published book can be up to two years, 3) the distribution is limited since they don't sell through Ingrams or other book distributors and 4) you do need to be self-generating and committed to getting your books well edited. In other words, if you're a prima donna, don't sign a contract with Wings - if you're a walking 'this is bad' waiting to happen in life, don't apply. But then that probably is true of most things in life. It always works to listen for workability. Overall, I recommend them for new authors trying their wings (check out my books on amazon under Lynn Romaine) - judi indiana
 

Roger J Carlson

Moderator In Name Only
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
12,799
Reaction score
2,499
Location
West Michigan
judi indiana said:
The drawbacks I found with wings are: 1) the ..., 2) ..., 3) the distribution is limited since they don't sell through Ingrams or other book distributors and 4) you do need to be self-generating and committed to getting your books well edited. In other words, if you're a prima donna, don't sign a contract with Wings - if you're a walking 'this is bad' waiting to happen in life, don't apply...
Editing, marketing, and distributing are what publishers do. If this company doesn't do any of that, what makes it a publisher?

Note: calling writers, who expect a publisher to do its job, "prima donnas" is not likely to build any support here.
 

Harris

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 15, 2006
Messages
70
Reaction score
2
Location
Earth
Wings also charges a set up fee. They cover e pub for free but if you want print you have to pay the set up fee. With their limited distribution, unless you want to set up little stands trying to sell your books, you won't make the fee back on your print books.
 

DeadlyAccurate

Absolutely Fazed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
2,536
Reaction score
522
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Website
www.carlaharker.com
judi indiana said:
I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity Wings gave me to get my books in print, both trade paperback and ebook format.

You know, I don't understand this mindset. When a publisher eventually buys publishing rights for my books, I will be excited. Heck, I'll be ecstatic. But grateful? That implies they're doing me some sort of favor. They're not. We will have made a mutually beneficial business relationship. They won't be doing it because they feel sorry for me or want me to be happy; they'll be doing it for one reason and one reason only: they think it will be a net gain to their company to sell my book.
 

soloset

'bye
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
488
Reaction score
59
Location
Houston, TX
Especially when it appears that anything this company does for you you could do through Lulu, faster, and make more money at it.
 

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,922
Reaction score
3,044
Location
MD
Website
gorokandwulf.blogspot.com
soloset said:
Especially when it appears that anything this company does for you you could do through Lulu, faster, and make more money at it.
For what it's worth, the e-book editions of Wings EPress titles are available at Fictionwise. I'm pretty sure this is something that you can't do with a Lulu title. I don't know what the sales are, and I'm pretty sure I've never bought any myself. However, titles from independent e-publishing companies like this sometimes perform well at Fictionwise, particularly in some of the e-book fiction niches (romance, erotic romance, etc.). (One reason for this might simply be that the books are generally available in "multiformat," and there are a lot of readers who don't want to be bothered with secure formats at all.)

Still, there are better known e-book publishers to try first! :D
 

judi indiana

Roger J Carlson said:
Editing, marketing, and distributing are what publishers do. If this company doesn't do any of that, what makes it a publisher?

Note: calling writers, who expect a publisher to do its job, "prima donnas" is not likely to build any support here.

At this point, I see I am not furthering anything but bad feelings, so I am going to remove myself from the discussion and this list. Thanks for your comments and for those of you writing, good luck with that
and keep writing what you love -

Judi indiana - committed to a world where people cause their worlds, listen from their hearts and love their lives -
 

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,922
Reaction score
3,044
Location
MD
Website
gorokandwulf.blogspot.com
judi indiana said:
At this point, I see I am not furthering anything but bad feelings, so I am going to remove myself from the discussion and this list.
OK, you're probably not going to see this :D and maybe I misread what you just wrote, but..

Do you mean you're leaving the entire site because you are upset at what was said about your publisher? If so, that's a damn shame. :( Have you even looked at the rest of the site? What about the Novel Writing board, particularly the Learn Writing with Uncle Jim thread? What about the genre fiction boards, such as Romance Writing board, the Mystery/Suspense board, etc.?

Anyway, leaving the entire site over a calm discussion, or even just abandoning this discussion, is simply not a good idea. And I don't see any bad feelings here, unless you're feeling bad because people said something potentially negative about your publisher. (An important part of being a writer is the ability to read criticism without letting it tear you apart. The same applies to criticism of your publisher.) I just see people telling other writers to be very careful before picking a publisher. Since when has that been a bad thing?

Keep in mind that a publisher can be reputable but still a bad idea for writers who want a real career. If you read some of the threads about other publishers, you'll see other writers getting warned against other publishers because of problematic contracts, bad distribution, etc. No one is doing this because they want to be "mean." They're doing it to help. If they didn't want to help, they wouldn't be here.

judi indiana said:
Thanks for your comments and for those of you writing, good luck with that and keep writing what you love-
Uhm. This is a writing board, so most of us are writers. Or we are when we're not posting here. :D There are writers here who have been published by big name publishers, by major e-publishers, etc. There are some editors here, as well, and they're just as helpful. There are also unpublished writers who simply happen to know a lot about the ins and outs of publishing, and they should be listend to as well. We love 'em all. :)
 

Silverlady0

My experience with Wings ePress

Unfortunately, my experience with them was bad. They misspelled my name at the top of each page and there were errors on the backcover. They treated me like dirt as an author. I am so glad I pulled my book and I'm now published elsewhere by a new publisher who treats me really well.

I would never pay a publisher a set up fee again.

Not all authors there are displeased. There appear to be two different camps: those who are satisfied and treated like kings and queens and the rest of us mere mortals who can't even get replies to our e-mails.

We need to value ourselves as authors and put up with second best.
 
Last edited:

MMcC

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 19, 2006
Messages
311
Reaction score
59
Location
New England
Website
maureenmccarrie.blogspot.com
Vanity Press.

Recently an e-publisher who had made my life a living hell over reviews, then later over lies told, hit their first year anniversary. I'd been quiet all year after the initial throw-down. When it happened about 12 of their writers were emailing me privately in hysterics, but also begging me "not to say anything."

One year later I'm still getting mail, and ALMOST EVERY ONE includes a complaint that writers who expect actual professionalism are immediately called prima donnas. One wackjob editor, dozens of hurt writers, one common term.

I have great hopes for e-publishing, but this is why I won't live to see them realized.
 

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
12,320
Reaction score
4,278
Location
in the state of carefully controlled chaos
Website
www.kimberlynee.com
I've had two books pubbed by them. My first one was ok - it's gotten some very good reviews and I've had quite a few fan emails asking about writing a follow up. There were a few mistakes, but I was new to the biz at the time and didn't think enough to notice the editing was more a case of "this should be a comma, not a semi-colon," instead of real editing.

My second one was a disaster. I tried to pull it, but it was too late. When I got my galleys, all of the punctuation disappeared. (How does punctuation just disappear???)When I questioned it, I was told that it must have happened at my end (blatantly false. My file of the manuscript wasn't missing every period and comma). I went through it line by line, trying to put everything back, only to find that when the book was released, they were still missing.

Fast forward to getting my copies - after three pages, I threw the book down in disgust over the errors that had been introduced into the book - more missing punctuation, dialogue tags at both ends of sentences (ex. he growled," XYZ," he growled) that wasn't there in my version. My emails went unanswered, etc. I'm so embarrassed by that book - though it did get good reviews as well.

I've got a new publisher now - another epub, but I haven't heard or read anything negative about them. My editor is actually editing - a far cry from what I'd gotten over there. In the meantime, I'll be asking for my rights back on the first one in the near future and the second one when it expires. I can't wait to have them back - the first is getting a complete overhaul and the second will be buried in a desk drawer.

I realize they are actually a subsidy publisher - there is no charge for ebooks, so they aren't a vanity - but I've learned enough to know I should've steered clear in the first place. Anyone asks, I tell them to keep looking. I wish I had.
 

Silverlady0

Galley problems

I got a similar problem to you with the galley, Jersey Chick. I noticed they had misspelled my name and was worried about it as it appears on the top of every page. I had also noticed they misspelled my name at their website. Six times I informed my editor of this. I was sent the amended galley and was happy with that.

Thirty books arrived for a charity book signing. I allowed my son to open them and thought he was joking when he said: "Mam, they've spelled your name wrong!" When I saw the error, I burst into tears. Not only that, I found errors on the back cover too.

They must have used the wrong galley.

I wrote to Wings. I was mad because it was the charity's money and it was too late to change the big book launch planned with the local press and mayor at a castle.

Not once was myself or the charity offered any compensation. Not even a couple of complimentary books for THEIR MISTAKE.

The person who calls herself the author liasion person never once replied to any of my e-mails.

The next batch of books had been amended but arrived too late for another book signing. They were supposed to come in one week but took six weeks. I don't know if that was their fault or not.

What a difference with my new publisher. All my e-mails get answered promptly and if I need anything resolved it gets acted on.

The best part? With my new publisher I haven't had to part with a single penny to get published!
 

magicpae

Registered
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Surprised.

I was under contract with Wings EPress, an electronic and trade paperback publisher, with my novel, "Cover Story."

I was reading this old quote and I must say that I'm very disappointed and surprised at this author's narrow-minded view of Wings. I've been with Wings since it opened it doors in September 2001 and I have NEVER encountered the problems this author says she did and frankly I don't know of any author who has to this extent. This would be very, very rare.

Let me introduce myself. I am Pat Evans, art director for Wings since December 2007. I am also an author, Jamey Evans, and I've just had my 8th book published with Wings.

As art director, I just can not imagine the level of uncooperation that is described in this post. Even before I came on as art director in 2007, I never heard any other author, (And Wings has nearly 300 authors and 600 titles now) have this problem of absolute miscommunication. If this author came to me, wanting their own artist, as some have done, then by all means, that is permitted. If the artist for hire by the author provides all the parts of the cover, FRONT, BACK and SPINE, then the in-house artists don't need to do anything and the royalty goes to the author. If the in-house artist has to do 'finishing touches' and adjust the cover to Wings specifications, then the in-house artists gets the contract. This information is relayed to the author. A guideline called an artist specifications is sent to the author and the author's artist and must be followed to be pubished at Wings. It's up to the author to provide all parts of the cover, if the contract goes to the author, instead of the in-house artist. If the author wants to provide just the front cover and say she/he has done what is needed, then they haven't.

As for the author side, my alter-ego, Jamey Evans, has to go through the same intense procedure that any of our 300 authors has gone through. The progress of a manuscript is thus...

A manuscript is received.
A manuscript is read by two to three readers to see if it is an agreeable work.
A mansucript is contracted with 2 highly favorable references from the readers. With the contract, the author has the option to go ebook only or have a POD.
A manuscript is sent to the Senior Editor of that department.
A manuscript is edited in coordination and communication with the author.
A manuscript is copy-edited.
A manscuript is then made into a galley by the Executive Editor.
A manuscript is then corrected by the author who is supposed to look over that galley and report problems.

If the author goes POD, then a one-time set up fee is sent to the printer. The web admin will then post the manuscript for purchase on the web. Any POD purchases are printed through a separate company.

My point in this lengthy post is this. Wings has been around for eight years, long past many of the publishing companies that started at the same time. We have had a few disgruntled authors, and I won't deny that, but I'm sure NY publishers have to. Mistakes are made and hopefully corrected much better than this one disgruntled author posted. To take one author's view of the company as solid gold would be totally wrong. For every disgruntled author, we have at least a hundred who are not.

Anyone who goes with an ebook/POD publisher must realize. We ARE NOT a New York company. You can not expect to get the same results from us that is expected from NY. We do not mass produce our books and each one is purchased one at at time. We are listed on Amazon, Fictionwise, and you can walk into a national book chain and order one of our books by the ISBN number.

Another thing. We are NOT a vanity press. The only fee that is required is if the author decides to go POD and that fee is for the printer of the book and not for Wings. We do not charge for any stage of the publication of the book if you go with just ebooks. If you opt on your contract to go with print, then you pay the printer a set-up fee. That's all. One time. No more expense out of pocket.

I hope that I answered many of the questions and concerns that have been posted on this forum.
 

linders

Registered
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
Mississippi
Great experience with Wings

I've been with Wings for three years. They've published four books and have contracted a fifth. I've had a very positive experience with Wings during this time.

Not to say someone couldn't have had a negative experience at some point. Things can happen. But Wings is a reputable publisher, not a vanity press. Manuscripts are subject to great scrutiny before being accepted, and thorough editing prior to publication.

Wings has a growing stable of talented and satisfied authors, and they are now opening a new imprint for erotica. It's a growing company.

Linda