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I don't know what kind of acknowledgment you were hoping for, but IMO it's normal for authors to be very happy with a press when in the honeymoon stage.
If an author continues to be happy with them after a year or so, after the royalty checks have come in, I put more stock in that.
Publishers behaving less than professionally, and authors defending their particular publishers nevertheless, are also fairly common in this particular forum. Not just in this thread but with other ones as well.
What kind of acknowledgement were you looking for? You made a post saying that you were satisfied with your experience so far.
Cool.
Your experience to date however, does not negate the concerns that I have about this company.
In addition, while you may have had a good editing experience, your book isn't on sale yet and what would go a long way to meeting my concerns is finding out what kind of distribution and marketing support you get and how that translates into sales.
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Personally, I think that that the passive-aggressive attitude displayed on thread is uncalled for.
And?
If you don't like what people are saying here or how they say it, then don't read the posts here. For me personally, bleating about people's tone and generally behaving as though you're a disappointed parent doesn't wash. I speak as a find, I say what I mean and I give respect where I get it.
Okey dokey then.
MM
xxFireSpiritxx, we all hope you will continue to have a good experience with this press.
We just don't think it's likely. If you go through the B&BC threads, you will see many occasions where people have said "This publisher is excellent, and you guys are all being mean!" and then the very same people have come back six months or a year later and said, "You guys were right." (The Cacoethes and Blu Phi'er threads are particularly rich ones for examples of this.)
If Lillibridge Press makes a go of it, finds good distribution, adopts a more professional attitude, and does your book proud, we will all be delighted for you and for them. Seriously. Nobody wants you to fail, and nobody wants them to fail.
But the signs aren't good so far. That's the truth; nobody's saying it to be mean, they're reporting their observations.
xxFireSpritxx, I am ecoing what IceCream said. We DO NOT want you or Lillibridge Press to fail. Infact we would love for you and Lillibridge to be here selling books years from now. The people who commented are giving there views after YEARS of experience of seeing different presses. You put your heart and soul into your MS and we want to make sure that if you go with publisher/agent that your not unaware of anything about them. The point of this section is not to sugar coat things. In the writing world you NEED to develop a thick skin. There have been times a press/agent has been questioned by the writers and others on here, and make no mistake about it that is what this section is for, and have maintained a high level of profeshonalism. But Lillibridge has evaded answering tugh questions and has given snarky/passive-agressive answers and unwilling to change. I'm sorry but, usualy that means they have something to hide.
No fair, xxFireSpritxx. People responded, you didn't like what you read, so you went back and essentially edited your post away.Many of the members posting in this thread are the very same people who warmly welcomed you to AW when you were still in your honeymoon stage with PublishAmerica. It took you some time to realize the error you had made and I'm afraid you have done exactly the same thing by signing with Lillibridge, because you are once again ignoring sage advice and opinions from the same people who warned you about PA.
I add my voice to those who have wished you luck and hope that you will continue to post your experiences (good and bad) with this publisher, so that your fellow AW writers can determine what exactly Lillibridge has to offer.
~brianm~
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What I see is most telling, is that the only person with any DIRECT experience with the publisher in question, has nothing but good things to say.
And many of those are informed opinions backed up by experience. You don't need to eat a cow pie to know it might not taste too good.Everybody else's opinion should be taken as only an opinion, until you have worked with the publisher directly.
Can you tell me which publishers' contracts you've seen this in? (Or which authors have stated that it's in their contracts.) I have never heard of any publisher doing this.Also, many of the big publishers(I hesitate to say traditional), are now putting in clauses requiring the author to pay back any part of the advance that does not earn out after a couple of years.
Can you tell me which publishers' contracts you've seen this in? I've only ever seen one contract that took rights for the life of copyright and did not have a rights reversion clause tied to sales figures, and that was not with one of the Big 6.In fact, smaller pubs often let rights revert back to the author after a few years(3 years with LP, but 5 is common), while the Big Six keep rights pretty much forever(70 to 90 years after death).
Also, many of the big publishers(I hesitate to say traditional), are now putting in clauses requiring the author to pay back any part of the advance that does not earn out after a couple of years.
No, it's an urban legend.As for payback clauses, I think this is a new trend.
You have heard wrong.Many contracts detail pay-outs in three stages, 1/3 upon acceptance of completed manuscript, and the final third upon print. But I have heard that some contracts for unproven writers break that up into quarters, with 1/4 being withheld against returns.
I'm sorry, this is all nonsense. Whoever told you this either doesn't know what they're talking about, or is actively lying to you, or is misrepresenting something (perhaps the publisherThose are getting to be more, and more common, and I have heard of some contracts that require the writer to pay back any part of the advance that does not earn out in two or five years.
Keeping print rights 70 years after death is pretty much standard practice for print publishers. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Keeping print rights 70 years after death is pretty much standard practice for print publishers. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
CScottMorris:
They are not required to please everyone, and if it turns out they have unfair practices, they will soon fail and disappear.
CScottMorris:
Jamie, the number of publishers offering advances is shrinking.
CScottMorris:
And you have to pay back an advance with those royalties. Also, many of the big publishers(I hesitate to say traditional), are now putting in clauses requiring the author to pay back any part of the advance that does not earn out after a couple of years.
CScottMorris:
Pretty much the only time it really makes sense any more to go with one of the Big Six, is if you are a best seller.
CScottMorris:
In fact, smaller pubs often let rights revert back to the author after a few years(3 years with LP, but 5 is common), while the Big Six keep rights pretty much forever(70 to 90 years after death).
CScottMorris:
If my book sells, I can shop it around with bigger publishers, and if not, I can self pub and keep that trickle of royalties or sub another small pub who might market better.
CScottMorris:
As for payback clauses, I think this is a new trend. Many contracts detail pay-outs in three stages, 1/3 upon acceptance of completed manuscript, and the final third upon print. But I have heard that some contracts for unproven writers break that up into quarters, with 1/4 being withheld against returns.
CScottMorris:
I have heard of some contracts that require the writer to pay back any part of the advance that does not earn out in two or five years. I have no evidence of this, so please chime in if you have heard either way.
You may never get another book contract under that name again if you don't earn out your advance, but that's what nom de plumes are for.
Has no-one else come across the same rumors I have? Pay-back clauses and such?
Sheryl, Agents do more than just negotiate contracts, they also help promote books.
Constantly. They were seeded by the vanity presses to scare new writers into paying for "self-publishing" services, and are now pushed by amateur e/POD houses to convince you they're the best you can do.Has no-one else come across the same rumors I have? Pay-back clauses and such?
CScottMorris:
Has no-one else come across the same rumors I have? Pay-back clauses and such?
CScottMorris:
Sheryl, Agents do more than just negotiate contracts, they also help promote books.
CScottMorris:
I have not had time to speak to my agent about theoretical contracts, we've not been working together long and have only now begun to submit to publishers