• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

Dorchester Publishing / Leisure Books

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
I assume anyone submitting would look at exactly what a press could and could not do. And being able to get books stocked in chain stores like Dorchester could counts for a lot. As does an extra $2000 per book. However actually paying the money over to the author is rather a trump card.
 

peakbloom

Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
22
Reaction score
1
Thanks Jana

Thanks Jana for responding to my general query about Dorchester. Wow, five figures. You give excellent advice throughout your posts, esp. about diversifying. I was a small-time journalist. So all this is new to me. Very sad about your situation and all the other Dorchester authors. I am learning from your posts, I just wish as I am sure you many others do, that the learning wasn't coming with all this turmoil.

I won't pretend to understand all the contract and workings of the book division since I just started freelance at the mag division.

I could be looking at losing a few thousand, which isn't bad considering. I still have slight warm fuzzies for Dorchester since it was my first break out of journalism. BUT I was slightly ranting at the True mag group site about the lack of respect in not telling some of us who have been waiting almost a year to get paid. I've only been waiting a few months. I was expecting some stock email telling all of us that there are troubles and to be patient. Now I see I am naive. If they are treating the book authors this way, I don't expect common courtesy. Received an email privately today from a fellow Dorchester mag writer. The writer has been waiting a year for one payment, but did get something a few months ago. Said in three years, this has been the norm. That's great if you expect that.

Anway--losing money stinks. But for some reason the lack of communication and respect stink as much.

Thanks again Jana for sharing in a constructive way. I applaud you. And I continue to semi-applaud Dorchester and hope they make all this right with both divisions.
 

jana13k

Yep. I can.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
494
Reaction score
58
Actually, if you're talking about advances with the $2k, I got far more than that - another reason you need an agent. And I held my last book hostage until I'd received my advance b/c I figured it would be the last money I saw. To be honest, if it wasn't the last in a series, I wouldn't have written it b/c I already suspected trouble, but I wasn't about to leave my readers hanging, despite not being paid much to work. (sigh)

Dorchester was a great place for mid-list writers to launch a career, especially those that wrote out of the box. My books were not only in bookstores, but had great Walmart, Target and grocery store distribution and not all new authors get that. Back in the money days, they also paid for co-op and I had front-store and endcap placement at B&N.

It's a real shame all the way around - for the authors that are getting screwed now and for the new authors that will not find a place for out-of-the-box writing anytime soon, except for epubs or small presses.

peakbloom - Thanks and I hope you get something for your toubles. At the very least, you know to start cultivating another market. Good luck and glad I could help!

I assume anyone submitting would look at exactly what a press could and could not do. And being able to get books stocked in chain stores like Dorchester could counts for a lot. As does an extra $2000 per book. However actually paying the money over to the author is rather a trump card.
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
Actually, if you're talking about advances with the $2k, I got far more than that - another reason you need an agent. And I held my last book hostage until I'd received my advance b/c I figured it would be the last money I saw. To be honest, if it wasn't the last in a series, I wouldn't have written it b/c I already suspected trouble, but I wasn't about to leave my readers hanging, despite not being paid much to work. (sigh)

Dorchester was a great place for mid-list writers to launch a career, especially those that wrote out of the box. My books were not only in bookstores, but had great Walmart, Target and grocery store distribution and not all new authors get that. Back in the money days, they also paid for co-op and I had front-store and endcap placement at B&N.

It's a real shame all the way around - for the authors that are getting screwed now and for the new authors that will not find a place for out-of-the-box writing anytime soon, except for epubs or small presses.

peakbloom - Thanks and I hope you get something for your toubles. At the very least, you know to start cultivating another market. Good luck and glad I could help!

Once again, great post!
 

Bubastes

bananaed
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Messages
7,394
Reaction score
2,250
Website
www.gracewen.com
Hi,
Does anyone have any ideas for the Dorchester Media writers who write for the True magazines--about getting paid?

I've been reading about the trouble the Dorchester Publishing authors are having.

Our contracts are one page and very simple. I can't say no one is getting paid at the magazines--but I haven't seen any reports of anyone getting paid. I certainly haven't. Writers have emailed and are not getting a response.

My last True magazine story payment was 5 months late (I received my January 2010 story payment at the end of July). According to my records, payments have been getting later and later over the last 2 years. I've stopped submitting to the Trues because of this. It's too risky.
 
Last edited:

peakbloom

Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
22
Reaction score
1
Yes Jana--a lot of help. Cultivating another market is excellent advice. Even though I've never even tried the novel route, I'm sad to see Dorchester suffer and what they are doing to authors in both divisions. But even the mags were a great place to start and I got some stories in True Story that were actually a little different than the norm. I actually think the editor rocks due to her thinking out of the box on not only my stories but some other ones. I actually was thrilled cause True Story was evolving into a very neat venue. And so many of the writers at all the Trues were actually romance novelists with steady careers and the quality of writing was nice.

Thanks for the info. Bubastes. What you are saying is what I suspected. I posted over at the True Writers group that I was on the edge of no longer submitting. I think you cemented my resolve. I'm sad for myself--but also sad for the very new ones who are seeing publication for the first time. I didn't want to jump to any conclusions about Dorchester since I'm loyal and love writing for them. But it does seem too risky right now that I am hearing from you two.

Thanks again you two! It helps to not feel so alone.
 

Bubastes

bananaed
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Messages
7,394
Reaction score
2,250
Website
www.gracewen.com
Peakbloom, I understand your sadness. I love writing for the Trues (True Confessions is my favorite), and I hate not being able do so right now because of the risks. Maybe another, more reliable publisher will buy the Trues? It's happened before.
 

miamyselfandi

here and there again
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
193
Reaction score
6
I had no idea the "Trues" still existed! I learn more interesting things here.
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
My mom read so many of them in the 80's :)
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
All Dorchester-Leisure titles are being returned by Borders, B&N, etc. Horror, romance, western, ALL TITLES.

This came up on my Twitter. It was retweeted by Angela James.
 

miamyselfandi

here and there again
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
193
Reaction score
6
I saw that, but what does it mean? Why wouldn't they sell them?
 

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,922
Reaction score
3,044
Location
MD
Website
gorokandwulf.blogspot.com
This came up on my Twitter. It was retweeted by Angela James.
I saw this mentioned on Brian Keene's blog as well:
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=4628
(BTW print rights to his Leisure backlist has been returned to him, and he will get digital rights in December.)

Does anyone know more? Is this supposed to have already started happening, or will it be happening soon? I visited a couple of Borders this weekend, but I still saw quite a few Leisure and Dorchester books on the shelves (especially in romance). I visited a B&N today, but I'm not sure what stock they had as I was interested mainly in Georgette Heyer and caramel macchiato.
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
I saw this mentioned on Brian Keene's blog as well:
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=4628
(BTW print rights to his Leisure backlist has been returned to him, and he will get digital rights in December.)

Does anyone know more? Is this supposed to have already started happening, or will it be happening soon? I visited a couple of Borders this weekend, but I still saw quite a few Leisure and Dorchester books on the shelves (especially in romance). I visited a B&N today, but I'm not sure what stock they had as I was interested mainly in Georgette Heyer and caramel macchiato.

Good to know about Keene, I like some of his books.
Now i'm wondering if Chapter's will be doing the same? As of the 28th of August, they still had Leisure books on their shelves.
 

peakbloom

Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
22
Reaction score
1
Thanks Bubastes. Yes, sad. I love writing for them. And I would do a little for free (which it looks like I may end up doing) IF I was told about the delays or possible no payments and made that choice myself.

I was in this situation once with a small newspaper chain. BUT they had the respect to email me and tell me they were in financial trouble. I offered to write for free for awhile. They said they wouldn't dream of that--and just wanted me to know they'd pay up--but late.

Here's a questions I'm throwing out to all writers. On the True writers group some people are saying they had luck getting paid when they submitted invoices. Said it was part of doing business. I've never heard of such a thing or had to do such a thing. But I've only worked on newspapers, either salaries or freelance; and one small magazine as a freelancer. I never had to invoice the mag. Is this the norm? I was thinking it would only apply if one was freelancing for a corporation or a private client--not a national magazine with set contracts.

I briefly told my husband about Jana writing the last book in her series, knowing she'd get paid little to nothing, for the sake of her readers. He almost teared up. So did I. Then I almost teared up thinking about the readers. I only have one more Trues story in my computer--and I'm actually thinking of submitting it--even though I might not get paid just cause I think of all those folks who love those stories! Darn it! I'm supposed to tough! LOL!

Someone on here said the Trues might get bought out again. I sorta hope so. I hope they don't die. I'm with someone else who posted on here--and didn't know they were still around. I just picked them up last year. They've changed. Small-town America and some really neat sorta surprising stories in there that are either absolutely hilarious or tear jerkers. And well written and convincing. I'm not talking about my stories either! But I guess we have to move upward and onward!

I've heard that Stephen King got his start at the Trues mags. And many other famous writers. So, to me it's sorta a legacy. And Leisure books, like Jana said, was a good place for out-of-the-box writers to get a foothold. Another legacy. I'm reading all over the web that horror and crime fans are mourning the loss already.
 

jana13k

Yep. I can.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
494
Reaction score
58
Aw, thanks, peakbloom! It does suck, but I have to consider everything in my writing career as a learning experience and move forward from there. I got a great education from a fabulous editor working with Dorchester. She is not the senior romance editor for Sourcebooks, so who knows, I may work with her again.

And if anything, all this has only reinforced my belief that diversification is the key to survival as a writer.
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
It appears that all Dorchester titles have been pulled from Chapter's online site.
 

jana13k

Yep. I can.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
494
Reaction score
58
It appears that all Dorchester titles have been pulled from Chapter's online site.
Not surprising. Authors have been unable to get their own books for weeks. Supplies are probably running out. I have had a couple of booksellers try to get me copies with no luck.
 

Carlene

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Messages
772
Reaction score
74
Location
Coos Bay, OR
Website
www.carlenedater.com
Ii wrote for the "Trues" in the '80's too but stopped because they were so slow on everything. Sure was fun for a while, thought.

Also, I heard that Hemingway wrote for them while living in Paris, before his books took off - not sure if that's true or not.

Carlene

Roman Circus
Legacy – pub date 9/27/2010
www.nobleromance.com

Mind Echoes
Stormy Love
The Worst Evil
www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Call Sign: Love
The Colors of Death
An Extra Pair of Eyes
www.writewordsinc.com

Finder
www.wildchildpublishing.com

Mysterious Gift
www.cobblestone-press.com
 

jana13k

Yep. I can.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
494
Reaction score
58
For any that have been following this sad saga - I received my executed reversion contract today, so rights to my books are now officially mine again!

Now begins the laborious process of making sure every digital edition is taken down. ugh
 

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
14,627
Reaction score
2,057
For any that have been following this sad saga - I received my executed reversion contract today, so rights to my books are now officially mine again!

Now begins the laborious process of making sure every digital edition is taken down. ugh

Good for you. I'm glad to hear you at least, got the rights back.
 

michael_b

So many ideas, never enough time.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
705
Reaction score
54
Location
Colorado, or Anime Tokyo, take your pick
Website
www.michaelbarnette.com
For any that have been following this sad saga - I received my executed reversion contract today, so rights to my books are now officially mine again!

Now begins the laborious process of making sure every digital edition is taken down. ugh

If they're up at Fictionwise and/or Barnes and Noble, be prepared for a lengthy battle to get them down. It can, sadly, take months. Amazon isn't much better either. (This is from my own personal experience at all three sites.)

Congratulations on getting your rights back.
 
Last edited: