Writer Beware

Latest Posts

How to (Maybe) Get Out of Your Contract When Your Scam Re-Publisher Ghosts You

Header image: shirt and hat with no person inside

DEC 2, 2022October 16, 202317 COMMENTS

Last year, I published a post about a growing problem for self-published writers who've bought into a "re-publishing" offer (always received out of the blue) from a company that promises it can do a better job, or provide more marketing, or facilitate a transition to traditional publishing.

Such offers can seem attractive, especially to writers trapped in the Author Solutions ecosystem, where customer service is poor, book prices are often non-competitive, and low sales and obscurity are all but assured. Often the offer is reasonably priced (as a loss leader to get writers in the door so they can be pressured to buy more expensive services), or includes tempting features like marketing campaigns or (supposed) literary representation.

Unfortunately, most of these companies are scams (see this list), and signing with them carries serious risk--from relentless upselling pressure, to substandard services, to fake trad pub or movie rights proposals involving enormous fees, to simply taking the cash and running.

PUBLISHER COMPLAINTS

Long-Standing Payment Problems At Cricket Media

NOV 18, 2022June 2, 202552 COMMENTS

Cricket is a paying market (rates are posted on its Submittable page). However, over the past few weeks I've received multiple complaints from writers and illustrators who say they've had tremendous difficulty getting paid--or have never been paid at all.

The range of reported problems is wide, and also somewhat random. Some creators told me they were paid promptly for some works but very late (like months or even years) for others. Some said that persistent emails or invoices eventually pried a payment loose--though far later than the promised payment date--while others received repeated form responses but no check, or no response at all. Several told me they have never gotten the money they are owed (the longest reported time lag: two and a half years). Some are still invoicing for these missing fees--but others said they'd just given up.

Reported amounts due range from just over $100 to more than $1,000. Complaints cover the whole slate of publications, from Babybug to Muse Magazine.

PUBLISHER COMPLAINTS

Whatever Happened To Catstone Books?

NOV 11, 2022November 11, 20224 COMMENTS

In April 2022, I was contacted by an author who reported being basically ghosted by Catstone Books after submitting a revised manuscript at Catstone's request. Over the course of seven months--and after what the writer described as considerable enthusiasm from the editor--the author received no response at all, either to the re-submission or to polite nudges from their agent.

I hadn't heard of Catstone before. so I took a look at its website (which no longer exists: that link is to an archived version). A nonprofit publisher registered in Georgia in February 2021 with a three-person Board of Directors, it boasted an ambitious slate of socially conscious programs in keeping with its mission of highlighting the voices of marginalized authors of speculative fiction, including a fellowship to help a writer from a marginalized community complete a project, a school donation program, and WinkBC, a book club supporting blind and visually impaired readers. It also sold memberships that offered various member-only perks, including reviews, short fiction, and giveaways, and had a literary magazine called Pharos.

There was something missing, though: books. Although Catstone had been in business for more than a year, and had announced two projects--a novel, Sargassa, and an anthology, Horror That Represents You--it had not yet actually released any titles. As for Pharos, the literary magazine, not a single issue had been published.

BUSINESS OF WRITING

When New Isn’t Better: The Value of Experience

Header image: the word NEW on a red brick wall (credit: Nick Fewings / Unsplash.com)

OCT 28, 2022June 22, 20234 COMMENTS

Today I'm blogging over at the fabulous Writer Unboxed.

“Everyone has to start somewhere.” It’s a familiar truism. And like most truisms, it states a fact so self-evident that there’s no need to really think about it. There’s no start without a starting point, right?

Too often, however, it’s used to dismiss or excuse a lack of skill or training or experience or some other important qualification for doing something that requires expertise.

MARKETING

Solicitation Alert: The BookWalker

OCT 21, 2022April 11, 202332 COMMENTS

Have you recently received a long, chatty, seemingly personal email from Lex Tallis or Sophia Arkin at The BookWalker? (Not to be confused with the game of the same name.)

You're not alone. This company is a prolific email solicitor, sending out waves of spam that differ in content but are all designed to convince writers that they've been selected for a special offer. Here's the lengthy preamble from a recent wave:

It goes on (and on) to tout the virtues of establishing a reader mailing list (no argument there), even offering a FREE guide to setting one up! Eventually, it gets to the point: money.

PUBLISHER COMPLAINTS

The Implosion of BBB Publishings: A Peek Into the Sometimes Dysfunctional World of Paid Anthology / Boxed Set Publishing

OCT 7, 2022January 15, 202370 COMMENTS

The world of paid anthology/boxed set publishing is a niche that I suspect many people aren't familiar with.

Paid anthology/boxed set publishers (it should be noted that there are boxed set publishers that don't require an author buy-in) specialize in collections of themed stories, novellas, and/or novels. Writers buy in to these collections for fees ranging from less than $100 to three or even four figures, depending on the publisher or set organizer. Often they must commit to pay for advertising and publicity as well. Promotion is important, as many collections are "list-aiming", with the goal of appearing on bestseller lists such as USA Today. A long pre-order period (as much as 12 months) allows the publisher's and authors' publicity efforts to bring in sales, so that the collection (hopefully) hits the list on the day it debuts. Collections stay in print for a limited period--three to six months--after which they're removed from publication and rights revert to the authors.

Publishers or organizers keep a management fee of anywhere from 10-40% of sales proceeds. To maximize income, some publishers issue as many as 40 or 50 collections a year. Remaining income is split between authors on a pro-rated basis. If the collection debuts high on bestseller lists and continues to sell, authors can make their investment back and then some.