Champagne Book Group

Hi Glenda, I wondered about you.
Yes it is for the best. Ellen is a hard person to get along with if you ask something she don't like. I asked three times over the past seven months about a release date and she got angry with me. I know it's partly my fault for trusting her when I signed the contract, but I don't have to take that kind of treatment. There are a few others I heard about who have had the same kind of problems with her.

Jennifer Robins

Hi Jennifer, I do more lurking these days than I do posting.

I haven't had a twitch of trouble, mine's in editing and cover art, the ISBN's assigned. It was scheduled for January, 2008 from the beginning and it's on track according to e-mail correspondence.

Regards,
Scott

Maybe she's feeling the pressure from too much stuff on her plate. I suspect a spike in submissions. She's the publisher, if I'm not mistaken, since I sent an email requesting information and she's the one who answered.

Her reply to my email was concise and to the point -- almost to the point of being clipped -- but I think it might have something to do with overwork.

Over at the Wild Rose Press, things are going at a fine pace. Many former Trisk authors are giving them a shot. I hear WRP is looking for editors and artists to handle the increased traffic. I wonder if Champagne is doing the same thing.

I'm considering submitting to them.

A publisher's first duty is to the manuscripts already purchased and under contract, not to the other enticing manuscripts that come along.

Hum, two contradictory views of the same publisher.

Some books need more editing to be acceptable for publishing. Some authors are more difficult to work with. Why blame the publisher without all the facts?

Not everyone here will agree with what I have to report, but that was expected and I respect that. I know of others having problems there also, two of whom have emailed me personally, so I'm not the only one. Sorry to disappoint some of you but it is the way it is for some of us. Ler's hope it won't be those of you who go with this publisher.

Jennifer Robins

so... is your complaint that it took too long to publish your book, or is it that you feel that you were mistreated when it came to editing your book?

clarification, please.

Misled by release dates, and time for editing rounds. Eight months and nothing done but a few pages and told mid summer this year and then told late next year. It was my own fault for signing the contract with no release date in it but Ellen assured me once she looked over the edits she would give me a release date, but that never really happened. I had the ms looked at by a literary teacher now retired and she found fault with Ellen's editing but said that all in all it did not need that much. I just think Ellen did not like me and put me on the back burner thinking I would just sit back and wait until the end of next year which would have put me at almost 2 years, when other authors were coming out in less than six months. Give me a break. Granted, there are two sides to every story, but that is mine.

Jennifer Robins

I don't think Jenifer is doing anything wrong--she's saying she's had a problem with a publisher. That's totally legitimate. She's not badmouthing Champagne, she's stating her problem.

Nomad said:

I don't think Jenifer is doing anything wrong--she's saying she's had a problem with a publisher. That's totally legitimate. She's not badmouthing Champagne, she's stating her problem.

Click to expand...

That's right, and I am not going to be on trial here. I reported what happend to me to all my author friends here because I felt it my duty.

Jennifer Robins

Jennifer,

In reading back through your posts, you seem very happy with Champagne, including their editing process, until this month. Are you perhaps being over anxious since you've had two bad experiences in the past?

In February you said this about Champagne Books.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1122954#post1122954

Someone here asked me to let you all know about the editing with Champagne Books. Well, I'm going at it at last and let me tell you this is something. They don't miss a thing and I will be working my fingers off for a while getting this novel in shape. Do they edit? You bet they do and it's not just spelling and grammar. I have to think, my book will be darn good when we finish.

The biggest problem I'm running into is passive and active. They want more active which makes sense.

Click to expand...

In March this…

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1186793#post1186793
Great news, Scott. I'm with champagne also and it's been very good so far. I'm still in the editing stage, but things are going along just fine. You will like it there. Congratulations.

Click to expand...

Last month this…

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1376502#post1376502

What is it you think about Champagne Books? I'm getting some good editing there and my book is looking pretty good. I have more novels, and I'm looking for an agent. I would like to get with a bigger publisher.

Click to expand...

It sounds like your ms needed a great deal of editing and work. Maybe that’s why they couldn’t give you a publishing date until they were sure it was ready for publication.

I’m not passing judgment, I'm just trying to understand the big turn around in one month.

You know folks, I deleted my post because I respect the mods on these boards. But sometimes, a little inside knowledge might prompt one to comment for the good of the poster or just out of respect for the person being publically flogged. Not my intent to incite a verbal war, just my opinion.

I'm gone --um for the day.

brianm said:

Jennifer,

In reading back through your posts, you seem very happy with Champagne, including their editing process, until this month. Are you perhaps being over anxious since you've had two bad experiences in the past?

In February you said this about Champagne Books.



In March this…


Last month this…



It sounds like your ms needed a great deal of editing and work. Maybe that’s why they couldn’t give you a publishing date until they were sure it was ready for publication.

I’m not passing judgment, I'm just trying to understand the big turn around in one month.

Click to expand...

yes and all of the above, and things did start out good and I was told after the first round of editing that it was going good and to expect mid summer. The second round of editing I was told things looked good and it was not going to take much more. then when I asked about a release date we got into it when I was told late next year. Then it was to be late summer early fall. Look, I should never had signed the contract with no release date, so that is my fault and I hope others will learn from it.

Jennifer

Only to ad a last comment, I always wanted to promote my publisher even when things were not going well, ( we don't always want to admit that it is going badly) but in the end it became visible that things were not working out very well. I always thought that everything would be resolved, but I was wrong. I really liked Ellen, had confidence in her and had some very good contact with her at times, but there was the other side of things that got to hard to understand or to coop with. I don't expect the impossible but I'm not so dumb to know when I am being munipulated.

Jennifer Robins

It is good for writers to report their experiences, particularly reasons for withdrawing from a publisher. It doesn't mean there is any contradiction or that someone has to be right versus wrong. People are at different stages and having different expectations--and they can experience radically different treatment.

Also how the publisher and other authors react is instructive.

I recently submitted to Champagne and was told it could take some time before I received a reply. They have been getting a lot of submissions.

I know several other authors who it took close to a year for their books to come out.

For me, I don't want to put out a book unless it's perfect. I went down that road before and was embarrassed by the book. So if I get accepted, I won't mind waiting. I'd rather have it be a book of good quality. I know that my book should it be accepted is going to need major editing. I have a problem with POV shifts. It's been the bane of my existence. I just can't seem to stop myself.

I'm sorry you had trouble Jennifer. I know you have been trying to get Jeffery into print for several years.

Please let me make clear that i am not commenting about Jennifer at all. My experience is just different--no problems so far, though it is just now in the hands of the editor. The target for getting into the edit is September, the release date to be January, 2008. The ISBN is assigned already. Of course in Canada ISBN's are free so that's hardly an investment in the book.

All the publisher questions and the survey of information, blurbs, reviews, etc are either in or underway.

Regards,
Scott

Not everyone is treated the same there, Scott. You were given a time frame, I was not. Almost 8 months and I still did less than 50 pages edited and still no release date. My ms is 92,000 words so what was done is very little. Some of the first edit also has errors in it that Ellen said was finished. I really think she is over worked and cannot keep up with things.

Jennifer Robins

Apart from anything else, this discussion is a good illustration of why it's important for a publishing contract to give the publisher a specific period of time in which it must publish, or else return rights if the author demands it.

Whether or not a book needs "a lot" of editing, it's the obligation of a publisher to publish in a timely manner. Unfortunately, small presses are often understaffed and overcommitted, and even with the best intentions, may have trouble keeping schedules. A contractual time limit can be the author's only recourse in such situations.

Jennifer, thanks for reporting your experience. It sounds as if authors thinking of accepting a publication offer from Champagne would be well advised to insist that a publication timeframe be included in the contract.

- Victoria

Amen to that, Victoria. My contract with TWRP has that clause. I still plan to submit to Champagne.

I'm not submitting to Champagne. I prefer for distribution reasons to stay within the U.S. I do agree with Victoria about contractual matters.

I applaud AW for this venue to help alert to fraud and scam. However, I feel that a small press just starting out should have some proof of contractual breach or scam action before we start to beat them down.

To me, a simple "I'm unhappy with the time frame, and since that was not a contract agreement, I've asked for my rights back," would suffice and give me a heads up if I were considering a submission.

If one is unhappy then it is probably in the best interest of both the publisher and the author that the author be released.

I feel also, that some small presses who are potentially in a successful mode, should step back and hold submissions if they feel themselves being overwhelmed, and unable to keep up with workload.

I didn't see anyone 'beating' on the publisher. All statements seem to be pretty much based on the editor's specific actions.

Okay, I went and did it. I submitted the first three chapters and a synopsis of my hockey romance at 2am. At noon I received a request for the full.

Agents have not been interested in it, although they said the writing was strong (Hi, Uwe!), but I agree it's a niche market and a small Canadian publisher might be the right fit.

Omigod, I hope all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed. I'll give it (yet another) once-over, although I've gone over this manuscript so many times I think I'll be sick if I look at it one more time.

Okay, I need a drink. Is it noon yet?