Latest Posts

none PUBLISHER COMPLAINTS

Alert: Trouble at Ellora’s Cave

12 COMMENTS

One of the original digital pioneers, erotic romance publisher Ellora's Cave has reportedly had financial and other problems for some years. But in 2014, things seem to be coming to a head. In May, news surfaced of late royalty payments (though this was not news to EC authors), which EC's CEO blamed on faulty software. Then, in August, EC announced that it was laying off the majority of its staff, attributing this to a precipitous decline in ebook sales via Amazon.

Since then, rumors have been swirling, and authors have started to go public with complaints.* Update 9/17: Managing editor Whitney Mihalik and COO Susan Edwards have reportedly resigned.

I'm on vacation at the moment and not doing much Writer Beware work, so this isn't my usual detailed post. But I wanted to feature a warning--since what's happening at EC is ominously reminiscent of events that have preceded the demise of other independent presses. Below is a roundup of links to articles and posts that provide a picture of the current situation.

CONTINUE READING
none CRAFT OF WRITING

Guest Blog Post: Author-Editor Compatibility: The Crucial Element for a Successful Editing Experience

8 COMMENTS

Independent editors. What do they do? When do you need them? How do you find them--and, most crucial, how do you determine whether they're qualified to be doing what they're doing? These very important questions are addressed on the Editors page of the Writer Beware website.

Just as important, however, is a question that arises after you've determined your editing needs (and budget) and done your due diligence: are you and your chosen editor compatible? To get the most out of the editing experience, you must feel comfortable with your editor and be able to communicate openly with him or her.

Today's guest post, from experienced editor Katherine Pickett, addresses the issue of author-editor compatibility (which she calls "workability") and how to determine whether you and your chosen editor will be able to work well together.

CONTINUE READING
none SELF-PUBLISHING

Blue Ash Publishing: New Self-Publishing Service from Writer’s Digest

13 COMMENTS

As many of you may know, earlier this year Writer’s Digest terminated its involvement with Abbott Press, the white-label self-publishing imprint created and powered for it by Author Solutions, Inc. Although Abbott Press remains online, all reference to Writer’s Digest and its parent, F&W Media, has been removed. (Interestingly, there’s no reference to Author Solutions,Read More

CONTINUE READING
none BUSINESS OF WRITING

How Not to Seek a Literary Agent: The Perils of “Middleman” Services

5 COMMENTS

I know I've written about this before. But I'm seeing an increasing number of these kinds of "services," and they are all worthless.

What am I talking about? Agent middleman services--services that, for a fee, purport to contact agents on your behalf with the aim of snagging representation and, hopefully, a publishing contract.

A particularly egregious example: Bookmarq.net's Finding a Publisher service. (All errors courtesy of the original.)

CONTINUE READING
none SELF-PUBLISHING

Writer Beware’s Self-Publishing Page Renovated and Updated

13 COMMENTS

I've completely re-worked the Self-Publishing page of Writer Beware, to better reflect the rapid changes in the self-publishing marketplace.

New features include an introduction that provides an overview of how technology has transformed self-publishing, pointers on making the decision to self-publish (or not), an expanded list of cautions for self-publishers (including common scams), and many new links to articles, experts, and statistics.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. Please post them here, or email me.

CONTINUE READING