Paying Authors Their Dues Really Should Be A Given…
Monday, August 27, 2007Posted in: authors being treated badly, Chippewa Publishing, Mardi Gras Publishing
Oh feeling much better now, TTG even persuaded me that going for a walk in the park was a good idea. He was right.
Anyway, apparently Desiree Erotique hasn’t been paid any royalties for her book for several months. The guilty ones this time, are Chippewa Publishing.
Des writes:
Chippewa Publishing/Lady Aibell owner, Rebecca Pack, has been sent my notice of my displeasure at not being paid royalties for my story, Nocturnique.
This situation has been going on for several months and before this I was also concerned with royalty statements which contradicted with the language of my contract; contradictions acknowledged by Ms. Packs but never remedied.
I have thus removed purchase links at my website for Nocturnique. The contract for this story ends September 2007 and I have also notified Ms. Pack that I will not renew the contract.
Hmmm…I’d avoid them like the plague in any case
I also got the following e-mail about Mardi Gras Publishing:
“I’ve heard rumors about Mardis Gras publishing’s owner being MIA for the past month. Sounds like Venus Press all over again. I didn’t want to post publicly because it’s not my publisher and just a rumor, but there it is.”
Smoke and fire, people, smoke and fire. Anybody know any different, you’re welcomed to e-mail me.
By the way, don’t these people know that music on a ‘professional website’ is a bit, ya know… irritating?
Teddy Pig
August 27
11:09 pm
Seems MGP has some severe issues since they owe their ex-Editor & Chief money. That is not rumor that in on Piers Anthony’s site AGAIN!
Teddy Pig
August 27
11:12 pm
As far as Lady Aibell…
Who publishes with a company that has Hillbilly Haven as a Romance category?
I mean seriously?
Desiree Erotique
August 28
12:46 am
Karen, I thank you for posting this; very unexpected and I appreciate it your continued effort to help bring these e-publishing issues/problems to the public eye. I do hope folks will remember that I can only speak for my experience with CP, and pray the matter will be resolved without bitterness.
teddy pig, as far as Lady Aibell goes, that division was not part of Chippewa when I signed with them. With its creation they moved all the erotica titles over there. And as tempting as it is, I will refrain giving personal comment on the Hillbilly Haven line name, lol.
Dawn
August 28
9:18 am
Off topic, K, but I read Dorothy Koomson’s “My Best Friend’s Girl” this weekend.
It was brilliant. I was crying by the end of the prologue – I’ve never done that before!
It’s the best book I’ve read so far this year, even though it was in first person, and I don’t go for 1st person stories.
I enjoyed all the characters, even Tegan. Some authors write really annoying children, but Tegan came across really well.
I’m going to read it again before I pass it over to my Mum and Sister.
Karen Scott
August 28
9:32 am
Dawn, it was a seriously amazing book wasn’t it? That’s why it’s still listed as my book of the month, I haven’t read anything that comes anywhere near to it yet. I liked Tegan too actually, it’s funny, but I have a God daughter called Tegan, just spelt slightly different ‘Tiegan’.
Anonymous
August 28
11:58 am
I am also a VERY unhappy Lady Aibell author who has not been paid in months. I signed with them when they were Chippewa Publishing (pre Hillbillys and Magic Garbage Trucks), and have been extremely dissatisfied with the company and the woman running the operation. (Though I’ve never told her so since I’ve heard from other authors that she makes threats to anyone who dares to voice their concerns about horrible covers, strange copy-editing requests, or, god-forbid, wanting to be paid promptly or get their rights back if the company is no longer capable of paying royalties.)
I certainly won’t be renewing my contract with them, and I would urge other authors to use extreme caution before submitting to Chippewa/Lady Aibell.
Anonymous due to fear of retribution
Anonymous
August 28
11:50 pm
I went a long time without payment at Aibell, but did get all that was due a few months back. I didn’t know others were still waiting and suggest they tell Piers Anthony, Writer Beware, EREC etc.
Anonymous
August 29
4:28 am
Warning to all (and I pray authors will actually stop before instantly jumping on this “new bandwagon”): I saw this earlier tonight on one of my Yahoo groups……
(I have been informed that Teresa Jacobs, owner of MGP, has parked another publishing concern called Satin Rouge Publishing over at GoDaddy and that she owes MGP authors/staff quite a bit of money, is ignoring emails and phone calls and continuing to sell books of authors who have pulled their books from her company. You might want to investigate this further if you’ve been considering putting a book with her.)
So if this is true, that this woman is dumping MGP and slinking off to secretly start yet another company, everyone should be warned.
Nora Roberts
August 29
2:58 pm
My opinion as posted on Dear Author:
I know this might sound harsh or hard-line, but:
STOP being intimidated by and afraid of publishers. STOP swallowing not being paid or being told to be a good girl or staying quiet when you’ve been treated poorly. Just cut it the hell out.
Being published isn’t enough. You need to be paid, and paid on time and paid correctly for your work. Your work must be protected. If you’re not paid, paid on time or paid correctly, you’re being cheated. Period, end of story. It doesn’t MATTER that the person who owns/runs the company has problems. They are not your problems. They are not your friend, they are your publisher. If the contract you’ve signed isn’t being upheld by the publishing end, the publisher is in violation.
Is this about your ego, or about your career? If it’s about career, you must expect and demand the publisher act as professionally as you must act. And you must be professional enough to read, understand, consider, have vetted every clause in a contract before signing it. You must live up to the conditions of that contract, and so must the publisher.
Karen Scott
August 29
3:26 pm
Nora, the one thing I’ve learned about e-pubbed authors is that they rarely stand up and fight their corner when it comes to being treated badly by publishers. Too many of them wring their hands worrying about coming across as troublesome authors, which basically lets the unethical people running some of these shoddy publishing houses off the hook for months on end.
There have been authors who have been royally shafted by their publishing houses, but they’ve simply swallowed the pill quietly and moved on.
With that kind of “don’t rock the boat” attitude, no wonder some of these people are getting away with what is tantamount to fraud.
Anonymous
August 29
4:35 pm
I am e-published. My experiences have not been problematic. I remain silent regarding some less than fair treatments of fellow authors. Remaining silent might seem cowardly but if those who are being affected will not stand up, my doing so is pointless. I have no proof and no direct experience. It would be throwing one bucket of water on a wildfire.
Nora Roberts
August 29
4:44 pm
Karen, from the blogs and the comments I’ve been reading, I’m seeing a lot of this, too. I don’t understand in–not in any way.
I don’t understand the: I wasn’t paid, I was shafted, they violated the terms of the contract, treated me like crap, and gee, I felt really bad about not saying anything about it to friends/others considering signing with this company, but I didn’t want to make the publisher mad.
Didn’t feel bad enough, did you? Didn’t respect yourself or your work either, did you?
I don’t GET the well, the company’s computer crashed (they said) or they’re having temporary cash flow problems, or the owner’s dog is sick. Is this your career or a hobby? If it’s a hobby, that’s absolutely fine. Go ahead. If it’s a career, then, Jesus Christ, treat it like one.
Anonymous
August 29
6:37 pm
This is what the owner Teresa of MGP had to say about the rumors:
In response to this post – I went MIA due to computer issues. And
have now leased a system I can not afford.
This previous post is NOT from all the editors, authors and staff.
Only a small group.
And the satinrougepress. com web site had been there since mardi gras
opened because it was originally surpose to be the satin rouge line
location.
It amazes me how people continue to post non-accurate information.
Mardi Gras Publishing is officially closing September 1, 2007
I have been forced to make this decision based on lack of finances –
hormonal females and bitching.
I’m tired of it and refuse to listen to it any more. I gave this
company 110% – quit my job and have received nothing but aggravation
since.
I have NO intention of opening another company, have you lost your
mind?!
Teresa
Karen Scott
August 29
6:59 pm
Hey Anon, was this from an e-mail or on a group list? If so, where?
Nora Roberts
August 29
7:17 pm
~Mardi Gras Publishing is officially closing September 1, 2007
I have been forced to make this decision based on lack of finances –
hormonal females and bitching.~
This is not what I’d consider a professional and public response from the owner of a company.
Shannon Stacey
August 29
8:33 pm
Nora, my personal opinion is that part of the problem stems from there being no separation of corporate and creative, so to speak. Authors, editors, publishers are all on the same loops, all on IM and maybe just a little too accessible to one another. The close—almost incestuous what with people holding multiple jobs under multiple names—nature of the e-publishing community does foster the friendship feeling and some people have trouble keeping that professional distance, I think.
An author friend of mine recently experienced a situation she wondered if she should share with an editor. I told her if they were H/S, would she call up Isabel Swift? Of course not. It’s hard to find that kind of perspective when there’s almost daily communication between parties.
The hardest part about speaking out is deciding if the issue is worth walking away for, because I’ve personally seen retribution against outspoken authors in e-publishing. You have to ask yourself if it matters if you get another contract, though, if the publisher’s not holding up their end anyway. If they’re not going to pay me, why the hell would I want another contract with them?
Fortunately, I haven’t personally experienced any problems with EC or with Samhain, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a list of “Oh HELL no” things I’ve seen others put up with that I wouldn’t stand for.
Authors know there’s a line of other authors to take there place, and it’s intimidating, of course.
Well you know what? There are other publishers, too.
Sarah McCarty
August 29
8:36 pm
**~Mardi Gras Publishing is officially closing September 1, 2007
I have been forced to make this decision based on lack of finances –
hormonal females and bitching.~**
Hmm, unless the hormonal female doing the bitching was the owner, these two factors would be immaterial to the business operation. Dealing with a variety of personalities successfully is a requirement of anyone running a business.
If the statement is genuinely from the owner, it’s pretty clear that business while started with great expectations and excitement was unfortunately poorly funded for the scope of it’s operation and expenses soon over ran income.
A shame and sad.
Jane
August 29
9:15 pm
This is all giving epublishing a huge black eye. I think I will remember 2007 as the Year of the Fall of the E Publisher from the closings (I think that there were four that closed this year and we still have one more quarter to go) to the “I married a murderer”. It makes me cringe.
Nora Roberts
August 29
10:50 pm
~It’s hard to find that kind of perspective when there’s almost daily communication between parties.~
Agree, and have to ask–somebody, anybody, Bueller? WHY is there this kind of communication and intimacy? Who is making this business a big, gooey, let’s have a sleep-over aren’t we good pals deal? Why does any sane writer buy into it?
If this is part of the systemic problem, and it sure seems to be from my outside view–STOP. Stop now. Start thinking of yourselves as writers, as professionals in BUSINESS, not a girl group who wants to talk about feelings and your kids and how things went to hell today with your publisher, your editor, while cozying up to them talking the same personal stuff. If doing so means neither party can separate business from personal, business comes first.
Or, again, consider all this a nice hobby.
You want respect, demand and earn respect. You can’t earn it if you don’t respect yourself and your work first.
All of this is giving e-publishing a black eye as Jane said–and not all e-publishers deserve it. But it’s sounding to me as many writers are a big part of the problem.
Nora
Anna J. Evans
August 29
11:21 pm
Chippewa/Lady Aibell were my first publishers two years back. At first they were professional and a joy to work with. That situation has since declined dramatically. I’ve made contact with the owner of the company numerous times, expressing my displeasure over what I feel are contract violations.
She neglected to respond to several of my emails, then finally sent a terse ‘you aren’t getting your rights back’ email a few weeks back.
At this point, I will need to hire a lawyer if I want to be treated fairly by this company, but I can’t afford one. I have three children and my writing income is needed to pay for shoes and school uniforms.
Though I WISH I had the money, honestly. I would love to take these people to task for daring to treat authors so shabbily. I’ve been threatened by the Lady Aibell staff repeatedly over the past year. Every time I dared to voice an opinion or ask to be treated professionally they hinted that I was on a one way track to ‘a bad reputation in the industry’.
I’ve worked with Ellora’s Cave, Liquid Silver Books, Whiskey Creek Publishing, Samhain, and several NY editors who are kind enough to give me their private emails and let me submit to them time and time again. Not one of them has ever hinted that I was anything but professional, respectful and polite.
I was hesitant to speak out, as well, but I hate to sit back and let the owner of Lady Aibell get away with silencing unpaid/dissatisfied authors with intimidation.
Anna J. Evans
Sarah McCarty
August 30
12:19 am
“If this is part of the systemic problem, and it sure seems to be from my outside view–STOP. Stop now. Start thinking of yourselves as writers, as professionals in BUSINESS, not a girl group who wants to talk about feelings”
The girl’s club mentality is very embedded in epub world. This aligning of personal identity with publisher identity is a shame as it makes it very easy for publishers to push through clauses that would never fly if in a NY contract, with the only benefit to the author being their book is published. At a high price maybe they’re willing to pay, but published.
While it is every authors choice as to what to sign in a contract, I also feel that as authors, we have a responsibility—if we want to continue to enjoy a viable epub market—to keep an eye on the bigger picture, to not identify so closely with publishers that we can’t protect our own interests on our side of the business. For that we need to remember that our business is separate from our publishers business. And that while we enjoy writing at a house, it’s not disloyal to question new business practices that directly reduce and/or impact our side of the equation.
We’re so afraid of not selling another book, of other authors being angry at us for upsetting the applecart, of standing out, of making waves, of being seen as a trouble maker *sigh* As a group, we’re pretty much paralyzed. And publishers know this. So with every contract revision, they take a little more and authors give away a little more.
It’s sad to watch, and sometimes amazing, but in the end, the publishers can pretty much do what they want and they know it. To be brutally honest, their audience, in general, perceives themselves as captives.
shiloh walker
August 30
1:52 am
All of this is giving e-publishing a black eye as Jane said–and not all e-publishers deserve it. But it’s sounding to me as many writers are a big part of the problem.
Yeah, and I, for one, wish they’d stop it already. Writers, publishers, editors, all of them. The sad thing, though, many of the ones I see causing some of the problems are the same ones I see whining about not getting any respect from the industry. Irony, much?
I suspect if some of the people acting like this did that in a day job, like… oh… say… nursing… you pull that kind of crap in a day job, don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting a pink slip with your weekly check.
This isn’t any different.
Writing is definitely a dream job for me… BUT notice that dream job still has the word JOB in it. Job usually requires some professionalism.
Anne
August 30
3:50 am
Being an author is a JOB… the author is doing a service FOR the publisher by writing the book and selling it there, hence the publisher is the EMPLOYER and should, as all other employers must, pay the EMPLOYEE (Author) ON TIME for all services rendered. Duh. And anyone who doesn’t REQUIRE their publisher to do so is either rich or a pushover.
Anonymous
August 31
6:05 am
I sent a story Chippewa accepted over a year ago, and still have no release date–at this point, I’m hoping it doesn’t come out. I haven’t tried e-mailing them yet; the one thing I did do was get them to edit the contract so I didn’t give them rights to any related works with the characters. That took months for the revision. For the cover–I had to find the graphics myself (which is maybe a good thing, I got something I actually liked!)
But no, I’m not happy with them, and it’s been a bizarre set of emails full of excuses back and forth–when I actually get them.
Anonymous
September 7
2:16 pm
I’ve been with Chippewa/Lady Aibell since 2005. I’ve never had any trouble with them. Despite computer/email issues for the owner, my royalties have always been paid–what I was due, when it was due. I’ve never argued with my editor, and the staff has always been helpful and responsive. I just sold a new story to them and will continue to write for them.
Maybe it just takes someone with a little more patience and understanding. Thankfully, I have both.
Tempra Collins
July 3
5:03 pm
Hello ! My name is Tempra Collins and I was one of the first Authors With Chippewapublishing and I’m in the same boat as you are.
I have recieved five stars for my Book ” Bad Judgment” also a Recommended Read from FAR And I have yet to recieve a check.
My book was published with Chippewa in 2005 and now it’s 2008 and I’m mad as hell!!!!!!!!
I know I sold a lot of books because I was on the bestsellers list on Fictionwise for a month straight and also I bought a few of my own books because I was testing Rebecca.
Never recieved one check and I feel so used.
I’m a new Author, I’m 29 years old and if you have any advice, please I could use your help!
I also tried emailing Rebecca Pack and she won’t email me back at all.
What in the world is the deal?
Thank you,
Tempra Collins