AEC Stellar Publishing

The business model where the author either does or hires everything, and keeps all the income, is self-publishing. The author retains publication rights.

With vanity publishing the author pays for some or all of the publication process and gets a percentage of the income. The publisher retains publication rights.

While I don't know AEC Stellar's secret business plan, I'll bet a double-chocolate donut that it'll turn out to be one we've seen before.

I'm surprised by the attitude on this thread. To me, AEC Stellar Publishing has shown nothing but promise. Frankly, I’m put off by the hateful and condescending nature of the comments on this thread. Everything Mr Vogel said was taken in the worst possible context. It reminds of me of schoolyard bullies ganging up on the new kid.

I agree that we should definitely be wary of new presses which, although having the best intentions, may not have the industry know-how of more experienced publishers. But it seemed like everyone was going out of their way to pull apart everything Mr Vogel and put a bad spin on it. It's neither encouraging nor necessary.

Oh, and by the way, “Harry Potter lady” is a witticism. Anyone with an iota of humour would recognise that.

P.S. I stumbled on this thread when I was doing research on AEC Stellar Publishing. I was so disturbed and angered by the comments that I took the time to join up, just so I could get a word in.

highborn said:

AEC Stellar Publishing has shown nothing but promise.

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You say you stumbled on this thread while researching the company. Do you care to share what you found that impressed you?

I see some nice covers. And a couple of things that seemed to sell at least a little. But also some things that have been out for a few months or so that haven't even sold enough copies to generate also-boughts (yet have quite a few positive reviews).

Frankly, I’m disgusted by the hateful and condescending nature of the comments on this thread. Everything Mr Vogel said was taken in the worst possible context. It reminds of me of schoolyard bullies ganging up on the new kid.

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That's an insult to anyone who has actually been bullied. No one was hateful or bullied the man by pointing out the contradictions in what he said and asking for clarifications of vague statements.

But it seemed like everyone was going out of their way to pull apart everything Mr Vogel and put a bad spin on it. It's neither encouraging nor necessary.

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Everyone was pointing out the obvious: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. Except instead of ducks, it's vanity publishers. Maybe it turns out they've never taken a dime from an author, and they're not vanity pubbing after all. But all indications pointed that direction from the words of his own post. Also:

Except in unique circumstances articulated transparently in contracts and driven by the authors, we do not accept funds from authors. So the question of "how much" is difficult to answer.

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Except in unique circumstances articulated transparently

When someone starts talking like that, especially in response to a simple question, they're selling you something.

You say you stumbled on this thread while researching the company. Do you care to share what you found that impressed you?

I see some nice covers. And a couple of things that seemed to sell at least a little. But also some things that have been out for a few months or so that haven't even sold enough copies to generate also-boughts (yet have quite a few positive reviews).

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Sure. I saw a funny, articulate, genuine guy who just seemed to want to help authors. Upon further research, I found out that he's a rocket scientist with experience in marketing and communications. He sure sounds experienced to me.

Also, you can't ignore that one of the company's debut authors, Shannon A. Thompson, almost landed on the bestseller list with her novel, Minutes Before Sunset. They must be doing something right.

That's an insult to anyone who has actually been bullied. No one was hateful or bullied the man by pointing out the contradictions in what he said and asking for clarifications of vague statements.

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Please. The contempt was rolling off in waves. And don't turn around and say I'm insulting victims of bullying by pointing out the obvious.

Everyone was pointing out the obvious: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. Except instead of ducks, it's vanity publishers. Maybe it turns out they've never taken a dime from an author, and they're not vanity pubbing after all. But all indications pointed that direction from the words of his own post.

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I disagree. I do think he was vague with some of his answers, but I wouldn't by any means describe AEC Stellar as a vanity press.

Like I said, my problem isn't with suspicious folk who just want to make sure they aren't being swindled or misled, but with people who just focus on the negative and bring others down. In this case, Mr Vogel was nothing but polite and professional, whereas I could practically taste the disdain. It was subtle, but then most bullies - yes, bullies - are.

Forgive me if this post looks strange. I'm not used to posting on forums and I might have screwed some stuff up with the formatting.

They now describe themselves as the following -
The Author Extension Community is simply an informal network of hard-working authors, cover artists, and editors who support one another. Our goal is enhance and enable that network to whatever extent we can.
This is about mutually beneficial increases in visibility.

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I believe you're mistaken. AEC Stellar Publishing is a separate entity to the Author Extension Community. See in the top left corner it says "presented by AEC Stellar Publishing". Sort of like a support group run by the same people behind the publishing business.

They are now offering the following - If you are one of the millions of Indie authors out there that are desperate for some editorial guidance on terms that you can afford, then you have everything to win and nothing to lose by trying the Pay As You Go Manuscript Assessment Service

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Wrong again. If you had bothered to read the web page properly, you would see that AEC Stellar takes "support requests" from authors, editors, cover artists, etc. This is someone else's business which AEC kindly advertised, but they are not affiliated with each other.

highborn said:

Sure. I saw a funny, articulate, genuine guy who just seemed to want to help authors. Upon further research, I found out that he's a rocket scientist with experience in marketing and communications. He sure sounds experienced to me.

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He doesn't sound experienced in publishing to me, and in this forum, that's what matters.

There are a lot of failed startups that were helmed by polite people who only wanted to help authors, and who believed that made up for their lack of knowledge and experience.

And if a press takes money from authors for any aspect of production, it's a vanity press.

Hello Queen of Swords,

There are a lot of failed startups that were helmed by polite people who only wanted to help authors, and who believed that made up for their lack of knowledge and experience.

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I wholeheartedly agree. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think AEC is one of those presses. Publishing is a business. Mr Vogel is, or at least seems, business savvy. It's enough for me.

Hello Michael,

Clearly, you have decided to champion these people.

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Not at all. I'm simply stating for the record that I think they are ones to watch. I don't see a problem with how they operate, and I don't think others should either.

As to your statement about them advertising someone's else's business, you are missing the point. The post you refer to is done by one of the staff of AEC Publishing - Shannon Thompson. This action affiliates the service to the company. Whether intentional or not, the impression given is it is a service offered by AEC Publishing.

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Okay, that makes zero sense. First of all, Shannon Thompson is a blog admin. I don't know if you've ever blogged before, but when you an admin posts something, it comes up with "published by admin name."

I certainly didn't get the impression that they offered that service, because it was clearly stated on the web page that it was a support request from an outside party. For goodness sake, at least be able to admit that you read it wrong.

Also, by that logic, that would mean every ad posted on Google and every ad featured on Wordpress blogs is directly associated with the company. No.

It seems that you've waltzed in, taken a cheap shot at a struggling indie press, and neglected to back up your claims with supporting evidence. Worse, you misinterpreted the info.

highborn said:

I wholeheartedly agree. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think AEC is one of those presses.

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All the people behind those failed presses - or defending those failed presses - seemed to feel the same way. That although there are a lot of failed presses started up by people with no experience, theirs would be different.

Publishing is a business. Mr Vogel is, or at least seems, business savvy. It's enough for me.

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I wouldn't go to a lawyer who's savvy about prenup agreements if I had a publishing contract which needed to be vetted, even though both are legal contracts.

If it's enough for you that he has - or at least seems to have - experience in a completely different kind of business, that's great. It's not enough for us.

And yet, you seem quite eager to see them fall. I wonder, as much as you say that I have no evidence of them being competent at publishing, do you have any evidence to suggest that they're not?

We seem to be at a stale-mate. I just hope people reading this won't write off AEC Stellar Publishing as a scheme or a con or a venture doomed to fail because of a few negative - and unfounded - comments.

Good day.

highborn said:

And yet, you seem quite eager to see them fall.

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Could you point out an example of this eagerness? Because I'm as indifferent to AEC Stellar as I am to every other amateur startup micropress out there.

I wonder, as much as you say that I have no evidence of them being competent at publishing, do you have any evidence to suggest that they're not?

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If I'm accepting applications for a job, I don't start with the assumption that all the applicants are qualified and therefore I need to prove that they're not.

Likewise, if I'm evaluating publishers - and that's what we do on this forum - we don't start with the assumption that they're experienced and competent. If there's no evidence to show that the people behind a press have experience at what they're trying to do, that says it all.

We seem to be at a stale-mate. I just hope people reading this won't write off AEC Stellar Publishing as a scheme or a con or a venture doomed to fail because of a few negative - and unfounded - comments.

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If a few critical remarks are all it takes to make AEC Stellar fail, that press is even more shaky than I thought.

As for being unfounded, we've seen a lot of startups come and go, and there's nothing to set AEC Stellar apart from the rest of that particular crowd. That's what our skepticism is founded on.

Could you point out an example of this eagerness? Because I'm as indifferent to AEC Stellar as I am to every other amateur startup micropress out there.

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I'm sorry, but there's no way to ignore the level of contempt in this thread. Wariness is one thing. I might sound whiney here, but some of the comments were just... mean. There's hundreds and I can't be bothered trawling through them. Look for yourself.

If I'm accepting applications for a job, I don't start with the assumption that all the applicants are qualified and therefore I need to prove that they're not.

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Actually, you do. That's what interviews are for. You could also say it's the other way round, but they're pretty much the same. Innocent until proven guilty.

If a few critical remarks are all it takes to make AEC Stellar fail, that press is even more shaky than I thought.

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There it is! That superiority, that sarcasm that I'm talking about.

As for being unfounded, we've seen a lot of startups come and go, and there's nothing to set AEC Stellar apart from the rest of that particular crowd. That's what our skepticism is founded on.

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And that's exactly what I don't agree with. I understand that you're jaded. But don't write them off before they've even begun.

highborn said:

I'm sorry, but there's no way to ignore the level of contempt in this thread.

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I don't know. We're doing a good job ignoring that from you.

Actually, you do. That's what interviews are for.

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Actually, you don't. You only have interviews with the people whose qualifications are clear and relevant on their resumes. Not the people who provide nothing or vague assurances.

You could also say it's the other way round, but they're pretty much the same. Innocent until proven guilty.

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That's in a court of law. This forum isn't a court of law, and we don't start with the assumption that every publisher is experienced and competent.

There it is! That superiority, that sarcasm that I'm talking about.

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Actually, you were talking about eagerness to see AEC Stellar fail. As I said, I'm as indifferent to them as I am to every amateur startup micropress out there. Being sarcastic =/= being eager to see them fail.

And that's exactly what I don't agree with. I understand that you're jaded. But don't write them off before they've even begun.

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I thought they were already in business. If that's the case, then I'm not writing them off before they've even begun. I'm writing them off because they have nothing to show.

Highborn, if you do end up submitting to AEC, I hope you'll come back and tell us about your experience.

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Will do!

highborn said:

Well, I'm done with this conversation, because you're mincing words now and it's not going anywhere. I apologize if I sounded contemptuous or snarky in any way. I merely felt some sympathy for the little guy, and wanted to get a word in about a publisher that I feel has a lot of potential.

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I understand that, though in this forum, the little guys we have sympathy for are the authors who are let down by publishers who couldn't quite make the grade.

Or in some cases, crumbled and took the authors' rights with them.

Even if you feel AEC Stellar would never do this and shouldn't be lumped in with that particular crowd, we've seen publisher implosions or even just underperformance a lot. Sometimes even from presses which seemed to have a lot of potential.

Honestly, I had no idea writers could act so superior. In my experience, most authors root for each other to succeed instead of doggedly undermining them.

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We support authors here. What we don't support are publishers (or vanity presses) which have little going for them except for vague assurances, good intentions and no experience in publishing.

I'm not sure how I'm doggedly undermining authors here, but it wouldn't be the first time I was told that any criticism of a press would adversely affect the authors.

Really, the comments were not productive. You might call it wit. I call it rude.

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You might call us bullies. I call us realistic.

Happy writing!

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You too.

P.S. I'm not affiliated with AEC in any way, but they're near the top of my list of indie publishers to submit to.

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And that's fine. If someone is determined to submit to a particular publisher, I wish them luck. What I also wish to do is to provide another perspective for writers who are more on the fence, who might be wondering if a publisher with no experience is a good choice.

P.P.S. Despite this little spat, I really do respect your opinion. You're trying to separate truth from falseness. So am I, but I'm trying to be encouraging at the same time.

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Thanks. I think that if you read other threads in this forum, on publishers that might not be on your list, you'll find that both transparency and experience are respected here. And writers are always encouraged. Publishers need to earn that support, though - from me, anyway.

highborn said:

P.S. I stumbled on this thread when I was doing research on AEC Stellar Publishing. I was so disturbed and angered by the comments that I took the time to join up, just so I could get a word in.

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That's a lot of effort to make just because you found this thread while researching the publisher. I wonder why you didn't respond in threads about other similar publishers, but just felt the need to respond in this one?

highborn said:

Sure. I saw a funny, articulate, genuine guy who just seemed to want to help authors. Upon further research, I found out that he's a rocket scientist with experience in marketing and communications. He sure sounds experienced to me.

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Your research into AEC Stellar must have been extensive if you know what the person behind the company worked as before he set it up. Of course, if you were associated with AEC in some way, you would probably know this already.

Also, you can't ignore that one of the company's debut authors, Shannon A. Thompson, almost landed on the bestseller list with her novel, Minutes Before Sunset.

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I searched for information about Ms Thompson and her book; I looked on the AEC website; I couldn't find anything about her nearly becoming a best-seller. I've only looked briefly: but as I can't find anything, I wonder how you'd know this. Are you associated with Ms Thompson? If not, then I'd guess you're associated with AEC in some way. Except you've said you're not, so there must be some other explanation.

highborn said:

I believe you're mistaken. AEC Stellar Publishing is a separate entity to the Author Extension Community. See in the top left corner it says "presented by AEC Stellar Publishing". Sort of like a support group run by the same people behind the publishing business.

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Your research must have been extensive. You seem to know how their website works inside and out.

Wrong again. If you had bothered to read the web page properly, you would see that AEC Stellar takes "support requests" from authors, editors, cover artists, etc. This is someone else's business which AEC kindly advertised, but they are not affiliated with each other.

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If AEC is advertising someone else's business then the two are affiliated with each other. Unless you are working to a different meaning of "affiliated" to the one that I use.

And for someone who isn't affiliated with AEC you do seem to know a lot about them.

highborn said:

Okay, that makes zero sense. First of all, Shannon Thompson is a blog admin. I don't know if you've ever blogged before, but when you an admin posts something, it comes up with "published by admin name."

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Is this the same Ms Thompson who you said upstream had nearly got onto the best-sellers' lists with her book? So she's published by AEC, and she is their blog admin?

You do know a lot about how they run their business. Are you sure you're not affiliated with AEC?

highborn said:

P.S. I'm not affiliated with AEC in any way

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Ah. You're not affiliated with AEC. OK. I see. But then, upstream, you stated that AEC wasn't affiliated with a business it was endorsing and advertising on its own site, which is a clear indication of a business affiliation to me.

I do think we have a different understanding of what "affiliation" means.

highborn said:

Well, I'm done with this conversation, because you're mincing words now and it's not going anywhere. I apologize if I sounded contemptuous or snarky in any way. I merely felt some sympathy for the little guy, and wanted to get a word in about a publisher that I feel has a lot of potential.

Honestly, I had no idea writers could act so superior. In my experience, most authors root for each other to succeed instead of doggedly undermining them.

Really, the comments were not productive. You might call it wit. I call it rude.

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It does little good to apologize for being contempuous and snarky and continue to be those things and more in the rest of the post.

Feel sympathy, submit your stuff, defend a publisher that you're so impressed with for reasons that don't seem to have anything to do with the industry. I can't imagine why making career and business decisions based on your sympathy for someone you feel is being picked on could be a bad idea.

And don't turn around and say I'm insulting victims of bullying

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I am saying it, again.

You're trying to separate truth from falseness. So am I, but I'm trying to be encouraging at the same time.

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You've actually been hateful and condescending, so I think you missed the mark. A lot of strong words for some random person who stumbled across this thread, who isn't at all involved with the publisher or anything. Totally believing that. (Oops, did I just bully you? Hint: the answer's no.)

Old Hack said:

I searched for information about Ms Thompson and her book; I looked on the AEC website; I couldn't find anything about her nearly becoming a best-seller.

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I checked out her Amazon page, which mentions that her novel was a Goodreads Book of the Month, but doesn't say anything else about nearly becoming a bestseller. Not sure what that particular claim is about.

highborn said:

In my experience, most authors root for each other to succeed

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And that's exactly what we're doing. We want writers to make wise decisions in choosing a publisher to that they have the best possible chance of succeeding.

I don't understand why you have such a problem with that.

highborn said:

you're mincing words now and it's not going anywhere... Honestly, I had no idea writers could act so superior.

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Is this intended to be self-referential?

I'm sorry, but there's no way to ignore the level of contempt in this thread. Wariness is one thing. I might sound whiney here, but some of the comments were just... mean. There's hundreds and I can't be bothered trawling through them. Look for yourself.

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Hundreds of comments in a thread with 48?

You do know a lot about how they run their business. Are you sure you're not affiliated with AEC?

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Okay, you got me. I'm secretly the business founder who has taken a new persona to defend his scorned company.

Wait, no. I'm just a random guy who thought he'd try and get a word in edge-wise. And all my info comes from about three weeks of research (I'm not going to submit to a house without knowing them inside and out.)

My closest connection to the company is knowing one of their authors. She told me she had a wonderful experience with them. The word "transparency" was used a lot, which I guess means they don't hide stuff? It was used again in this thread, so I'm guessing it's an official term.

You've actually been hateful and condescending, so I think you missed the mark

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Please provide an example of this. I always try to speak relatively plainly, with no undercurrent of contempt (cough, ahem).

Hundreds of comments in a thread with 48?

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I'm not the greatest at math, but if 40 or so people are discussing something and slip in a few biting remarks, I'd count that as around 100.

Happy writing!

highborn said:

I'm not the greatest at math, but if 40 or so people are discussing something and slip in a few biting remarks, I'd count that as around 100.

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Just to clarify, your latest comment is #50 in this thread. You can tell by the number in the top right corner of the square containing your post.