The Amazon Stub In Question
I confess a certain trepidation in posting but since I'm the subject of the conversation (at least tangentially), I feel obligated to weigh in.
FWIW, that Amazon stub is, technically, correct. I have not sent Ridan a final manuscript. What I sent -- last June -- was my final draft for them to edit. They need to edit and submit their changes to me for approval.
So far, the edits are still in their hands, so I can't approve any manuscript. Since I haven't approved one, they can't publish it.
Somebody would need to check the wayback machine or something but I believe that stub has been in place in its current form since they placed it in late June/early July. It's possible that Ridan added that description recently but I really haven't paid that stub any mind since it went up. The good part about it is that readers frequently contact me about that statement and I'm pleased to tell them just what I know -- which is just what I've posted here -- and ask them if they'd like to subscribe to the mailing list so they'll be notified when there's news.
I'm also pleased to see that Hazcat stepped up to explain his response. I'm grateful for his efforts on behalf of my work. I've asked his help in editing my self-published works. I figured if he was going to take the trouble to point out all the flaws, the least I could do was have him do it before I published them. I count him a friend and supporter.
As somebody else pointed out...it's my blog and I *could* disable comments at any time. The fact that I haven't is significant. While some might see it as airing dirty laundry, I see it as being transparent in my process. Yeah, I make mistakes. I figure the least I can do is own them.
Should there be fewer mistakes? No doubt, and I'm making different errors now than I did when I started. I count that as progress. Some day, I'll be perfect, and I hope I'll get a nice eulogy that day.
As for any insight into what's going on with Ridan, I'm no more in the loop than Ann Crispin.
I can confirm that readers are complaining about lack of response. Evidence is on my blog. This is a regular occurance, and one that I have brought to Ridan's attention in the past.
I will not comment on the financial dealings. That's privileged information.