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Light Sword Publishing / LSP Digital, LLC

UnrepentantWriter

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More Changes at Light Sword Digital

:popcorn:I just took a look at the Light Sword Publishing AKA LSPDigital web pages (it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it) and have discovered that another department head had fled.

Looks like one at a time, people wise up.
 

UnrepentantWriter

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More Interesting Doings at Light Sword Publishing/LSPDigital

:roll:Now, this is funny!

The brain trust over at LSPDigital has decided that former authors who have come forward with information about this albatross are apparently unworthy of visiting the LSP web pages. Seems they tend to view the pages and then turn what they learn there over to outsiders--like those pesky damn lawyers and court officers and such. Anyway, I just heard from one of those people who tells me that they got a 'forbidden' browser message when they attempt to access LSP pages, several days ago, and have not been able to get on the site since.

I've contacted a couple of other 'formers' in this regard, too. Same thing. Their permissions to visit those pages have been withdrawn, too. Frankly, being or not being able to visit the web pages of a publishing house so insignificant as to not even cause a blip on the radar is keeping these people up nights! Pffffttttt!!!!!

Apparently, the good folk over at LSP have no understanding that people often use more than one ISP, more than one browser, and have access to more than one computer, too. So, no secrets are being kept, LSP-folk! Your first clue that the authors no longer contracted to you are bright people should have been the fact that they got out! Rest assured, they are all looking at Light Sword Publishing pages every day. If they even care to, that is.

As for me, this is a bit like watching a soap opera--working title: 'The Dumb and the Listless'.

Oh, and there's more: The AOL writers' rumor-mill is circulating the GOOD NEWS that Linda Daly and one of her NEW business officers are going to be starting a NEW venture---no, not LSPDigital, but another company, with yet another name. They've even solicited AOL authors to come on board as editors, art directors--same old tired crap. This has come to me from enough sources now that I'm not worried about burning anybody. Why, it's the talk of the town!

Now, I'm no mouse on the wall, but my guess is that in order to fill any of these LUCRATIVE AND RESUME-WORTHY POSITIONS, these folks may well be asked to fork over some of the ready. Only once they're hooked, though. It's ironic, isn't it, that this rumor began circulating and then permissions were withdrawn regarding the website. Like I said, I'm no mouse on the wall, but it's my guess that NEW PAGES WITH A NEW NAME AND NEW GAME will be appearing at www.lightswordpublishing.com sometime soon.

Tune in tomorrow for another exciting installment of, 'The Dung and the Wretches'.
 

victoriastrauss

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Is it even possible to block specific individuals from viewing a website? Sounds farfetched to me, but I acknowledge that I'm not a technology maven.

Unrepentant, have you yourself seen these posts about a new company? Or are you relaying information given to you by others? If the latter, I'd prefer to wait on reporting it till there's something a little more solid.

- Victoria
 

UnrepentantWriter

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Light Sword Publishing

Yes, it's entirely possible to block IP addresses---as long as one knows how to do so. This is no coincidence.

Victoria~~~Regarding the information about a potential new company operated by Linda Daly and another of LSP's department heads: I have received separate, unassociated telephone calls from two people, both of whom reported virtually identical information to me in this regard. I've also been contacted by others online (via instant message) concerning this issue. Whether Daly ever does open another company, the fact of the matter is that current LSPers are talking it up, just as they talked up the fact that Linda Daly intened to open a new company (LSP Digital) and then declare bankruptcy regarding the first one. Turned out to be absolutely true.

Forwarned is forarmed as far as I'm concerned, but if you don't want the information here, feel free to take it down. As soon as I have information about the company name or whether another LLC has actually been formed, I will let you know.
 

victoriastrauss

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Yes, rumors can turn out to be true. It would not surprise me at all to discover that Daly had set up a new company. After all, she's done it before, with LSP Digital.

But rumors can also turn out to be rumors, so while they're interesting to note, it's dangerous to rely on them. The Internet is a whispering gallery; things can very easily get blown out of proportion, and rumor often gets transmogrified into "fact" in the process. I've seen a lot of this, and I've learned to be very cautious.

All I'm saying is that there is as yet no confirmed fact here, and we need to avoid jumping to conclusions.

Thanks for the info about IP blocking--I appreciate the correction.

- Victoria
 

UnrepentantWriter

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More on LSP

Speaking of things that may or may not be true: Victoria, do you have anything that validates that LSPDigital, LLC is actually a registered LLC? I'm wondering if anything 'official' in that regard has ever been completed by Daly and her minions, or if the LLC part is just an addendum to the company name to make it look more 'official'.
 

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Speaking of things that may or may not be true: Victoria, do you have anything that validates that LSPDigital, LLC is actually a registered LLC? I'm wondering if anything 'official' in that regard has ever been completed by Daly and her minions, or if the LLC part is just an addendum to the company name to make it look more 'official'.
In this day 'n' age, most States' records are available online: http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/dt_llc.asp?id_nbr=E0999P&name_entity=LSP DIGITAL, LLC
 

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Liars and Taggers and Boors, Oh My

You're absolutely right; rumors can turn out to be untrue. But in the case of this company and these people, I'd rather see people on the lookout for such a company than to be blindsided by one. If this turns out to be untrue at this point, we can probably thank the Water Cooler and this thread for making LSP and it's principals aware that the public knows what they may be up to.
 

wwhitman

Blocking IPs is easy but it's pretty childish and dead easy to get around, using proxies or software. Heck, if your IP is dynamic like ISPs use, wait 90 days or so and your IP will have changed.
 

UnrepentantWriter

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Light Sword Publishing Dissolved!!!

Hey, Cao,

Thanks for posting the link that shows corporations in Michigan. After looking at the information for LSP Digital, I did a new search and found the info for Light Sword Publishing, LLC. According to state records, Light Sword was dissolved effective 1-21-09.
 

DanielleReneeMorrow

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I do have one question Lightsowrd Publishing maybe dissolved however, if anyone goes to Lightsword Publishing.com. They will see the same books that where in Lightsword are displayed in LSP digitial.

So someone explain to me how is Lightsword Publishing dissolved when it is the same ips number, same website and only the titles changed?
 

UnrepentantWriter

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The Brilliance at LSP Digital

Hello, Danielle,

If you read around the various watchdog blogs, you'll find all kinds of interesting information about why LSPDigital shows the same books that were represented by the now-defunct Light Sword Publishing. Ms. Daly spouted loud and long to several of her authors, many months ago, that her intent was to declare bankruptcy for Light Sword Publishing after craftily vacating all those authors' contracts and having them sign NEW contracts with the NEW company, LSPDigital. Her plan was supposedly to 'protect' her authors and their works from a takeover by nefarious defrauded authors and her former partner, all out to take over her company.

Daly initially promised her authors that the transition from one company to the other would be seamless, that all publishing would go on as before. Then she decided that all books being produced by LSP Digital would be done via Amazon's arm, Booksurge, and so would only be available via that POD. Once she had all of her authors' contracts in hand (all of them foolish enough to continue with this) she sprung it on them that their books would ONLY be published by Booksurge when and if the authors bought all of their remaining stock from Daly.

Daly says she has 'thousands and thousands' of Light Sword books in her basement.

In the meantime, Daly has created a sense of paranoia among her authors, telling them that anything they say will be turned against them, her, and her company. She has threatened them with contractual termination should any of them 'talk' to anyone outside the organization.


Having read court documents and having talked to authors, both current and former, it is clear to me that these hangers-on stand a real risk of being drawn into Daly's bankruptcy proceedings. I've said it before and I'll say it again: conspiracy to hide assets from the federal bankruptcy court---from ANY court--is a felony.
 

DanielleReneeMorrow

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Well When Lightsword first open with Patricia Guthrie's book and her own Rebel Dove. I do know she declared they weren't POD and if I went inside her house and down to her basement, I'd see all those books.

Hmmm sounds like POD to me.

Many authors where warned about the POD and her empty promises yet like Waco, they continued to follow her.
 

victoriastrauss

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Digital printing, a.k.a. POD, can be used to produce short runs, so although using POD exclusively is a marker for small print runs, the fact that a publisher uses POD doesn't mean it won't have books on hand.

But yes, LSP Digital (and Light Sword before it) use POD.

- Victoria
 

CaoPaux

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Specifically:
Currently, LSP Digital is NOT accepting submissions. In early Spring of 2009 we look forward in updating our guidelines for submission requirements along with a complete outline of any and all fees for publishing with LSP Digital, LLC.
 

UnrepentantWriter

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The Confusion of LSP Digital

:Shrug:Do you suppose the writing on the LSP Digital website could be more poorly written if Daly just tossed the words in a sack and threw them out at the computer screen? OH?!--THEY ALREADY DO IT THAT WAY! <sorry, my bad>
 

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The Confusion About POD at LSP-D

:idea:I think the confusion comes concerning POD (Print On Demand) publishing because the meaning can seem ambiguous. Many people think 'print on demand' means that when an entity sells a copy of a book, a printer prints one, and provides it. Well, that's a true assessment of how some PODs operate.

In the case of PODs like the now defunct Light Sword Publishing, the company requests X-number of books be printed (usually a very small run--like 100 or 200 at a time) in anticipation of demand. They use small print outfits that cater to the POD industry (Google 'Access Printing' as an exampple, if you're interested). Those books are then stored somewhere; in this case, it sounds like they are in Linda Daly's basement. A very small number (50 or so) of books are sent out to online outlets and at one time, Light Sword even provided books to Ingram. They also used Ingram's Lightning Source POD facility for print at one time--but that association was short-lived.

Anyway, outfits like Light Sword, and now LSP Digital (which prints exclusively through Amazon's POD service BOOKSURGE), DO NOT print runs of books in the thousands and then provide them to bookstores and outlets, worldwide. There is ABSOLUTELY NO offline distribution of LSP titles. They DO NOT do any commercial advertising, either, especially in the book trades where booksellers might see copy for a title and thus purchase it for their store. They DO NOT use major distributors like Ingram and Baker and Taylor. NOTE: All of the aforementioned things LSP DOESN'T DO, are things that ALL mainstream houses do.

These POD frauds do try to convince potential authors that they are mainstream. But in reality, they are little, rinky-dink outfits that produce book galleys on home computers, order printed books from small jobbers, and store those books, hoping that sales will crawl out of the woodwork, in their basements.

Rule of thumb: Anytime a publisher says they keep their stock at home in their basement, they're a POD.
 

UnrepentantWriter

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Changes at the LSPDigital Website

:popcorn:Go ahead, call me a glutton for punishment, but I just can't seem to NOT LOOK at the LSPDigtal web pages from time to time. I took a gander today and see that there have been changes afoot. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Fascinatin', isn't it?

There are those who continue to sing the company's praises. They are often heard to decry court documented proof that Light Sword Publishing (now LSP Digital) is a fraud. They say its owner would NEVER knowingly defraud or mislead authors. Well, I dug up (sort of like bottle-hunting in an old outhouse pit) some information on the LSP pages that belies that position.




Here is a quote from the 'Links' page at www.LSPDigital.com"
"Along with the above list of valuable links, LSP Digital is proud to support

Amazon.com, Baker and Taylor, and Ingram
distributors of our authors work."

Doing some checking at my local bookstore and online, I have been able to establish that neither Baker and Taylor NOR Ingram Book Distributors are currently distributing LSP Digital titles, nor have they ever.

During the very brief time that Linda Daly was contracted with Lightning Source, Imgram's POD arm, Light Sword Publishing titles were available from Ingram. But Light Sword Publishing is bankrupt and out of business, and its business relationship with Ingram was severed long before it went belly-up. Daly's new company with (surprise-surprise) the same authors producing the same books, is LSP Digital. LSP Digital has NEVER had a business relationship with Ingram or Baker and Taylor.

Unless things have very recently changed, LSP Digital's books are only produced by Booksurge at Amazon, and only distributed via mail order through the LSP web pages, or through Amazon, itself.

I know this is a reiteration of what's previously been said, but Daly at LSP continues to pretend to professionalism she does not possess and cannot offer to budding authors. LSP Digital titles are NOT available at Ingram or Baker and Taylor. They are NOT nationally-advertised. They are NOT offered for sale at Barnes and Noble or Borders or any other national bookstore chain.

Unless an LSP author does his/her own negotiating for placement of books, LSP titles do not appear on bookshelves anywhere.

Another interesting association on the same 'links' page is the banner with accompanying link to Affaire de Coeur Magazine, whose Vice President of Marketing is none other than Bonny Kirby, Light Sword Publishing's former Vice President. What strikes me as interesting is that on the 'Home' page of LSP Digital, Linda Daly placed a disclaimer, stating that Bonny Kirby is no longer associated with the company, etc., etc. and it's been made clear by postings here and elsewhere that Daly and Kirby's parting was not amicable. So, what gives, here? Why would Daly continue to tout a company whose VP supposedly did her VERY wrong?

Finally, the 'About Us' page at LSP is gone, and there's only one email address for the company ([email protected]), it formerly having appeared on the now-missing page as that belonging to Linda Daly, herself.

So, does all this mean Daly is flying solo now, or is she just flying blind?
 

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:popcorn:

Finally, the 'About Us' page at LSP is gone, and there's only one email address for the company ([email protected]), it formerly having appeared on the now-missing page as that belonging to Linda Daly, herself.

So, does all this mean Daly is flying solo now, or is she just flying blind?

This is LSP we're talking about. Do you really have to ask???
 

UnrepentantWriter

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More Bankruptcy News

Through diligent research, I have discovered that attorneys for the plaintiffs in the civil cases previously mentioned here, filed a Summons of An Adversary Proceeding on March 23rd in the Michigan Courts. The subjects of the summons are none other than Linda L. Daly and Light Sword Publishing. It seems Daly included the civil judgements levied against her and her company on her bankruptcy creditors list, probably hoping to avoid paying these judgements, which together amount many thousands of dollars.

FYI: The only way to vacate a civil judgement is to go through the appeals process in the court in which it was levied. Trying to erase a judgement by bankruptcy is like trying to push a rope up hill. Ain't happenin'.
 

Deb Kinnard

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More bad news...I found out last night, during a chat with several Limp Sword authors who have not yet jumped ship, that LSP is still acquiring novels.

I see this as heaping more trash into an already-overflowing landfill. I wish the authors nothing but the best, but if they haven't smelled the landfill by now, my sympathy for them tends to diminish...